Digital Commons Network^™

Association Between Meal Dietary Inflammatory Potential And Postprandial Sleepiness, Samantha Beth Kalb

Master's Theses

The amount and composition of food that is consumed are known to contribute toinflammation and may affect how we feel in the following hours. The aim of this research was to determine if the inflammatory potential of a single meal is associated with level of postprandial sleepiness. Participants (n = 70) recorded intake of one of their meals, then reported their degree of postprandial sleepiness (Stanford Sleepiness Scale), average activity level, average hours of nightly sleep, and daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale). The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) of the meal was estimated by adjusting DII parameters by 26%, reflecting the …

Computational Analysis Of Changing Wavelength On Bottom Rib And Side Rib Wavy Microchannel Heat Sinks, Ty C. Kieger

Master's Theses

As the power capacity of microelectronics continues to increase while their volume and size decrease, many different on-chip methods including microchannel heat sinks (MCHS) are being explored to cool down the temperature of these electronics. Wavy MCHS have been proven to yield better heat transfer performance compared to straight MCHS, while only producing a slightly larger pressure drop. This study investigates the heat transfer performance of MCHS following a vertical wavy design and a horizontal wavy design that have the same cross-sectional area. The simulations show that vortices are produced along the channel in the peaks and troughs of the …

Recommendations For A Water Conservationist Diet In California, Helen M. Lee

Master's Theses

As the world’s population continues to increase, a focus on nutrition security and water sustainability is needed to ensure enough resources for future generations and their wellbeing. The agricultural sector uses the most water worldwide, so identifying agricultural commodities that use less water and are more nutritious could help society reach these goals. California is the largest producer of agriculture in the United States. Therefore, an analysis of water use and nutritional value was conducted using water footprint (WF) and nutrient rich food scores (NRF) of California’s agricultural products. The results of the WF and NRF analysis showed that the …

Examining The Effects Of Power Posing On Stress Reactivity And Performance, Mitzi D. Ochoa

Master's Theses

Power posing is a concept that has garnered widespread attention due to claims thatan expansive powerful posture can improve self-perceptions of power, trigger changes in hormone levels, and improve behavioral outcomes including enhanced performance in social evaluative situations. Recently, these claims have been challenged by studies that failed to replicate the power boosting effects of expansive poses. This study aimed to address inconsistencies in the power posing literature and replicate original findings while controlling for potential effects of experimenter bias and touch. It was predicted that a high-power pose would reduce cortisol, increase perceptions of power, and improve performance. To …

Two-Level Data Augmentation With Transfer Learning For Classification Of Medical Images With Limited Data, Nihil Pudota

Master's Theses

Machine learning used in the medical industry can potentially detect cancer in humancells at an early stage. However, training the machine learning models, especially deep learning models require thousands to millions of samples in order to reach an acceptable accuracy level. It is well-know that obtaining medical data is tedious hence in most cases, medical datasets have limited number of data samples. One solution for this problem is utilizing transfer learning such as pretrained networks on another dataset. Another solution is to increase the number of training data points with data augmentation. Common data augmentation methods for images include not …

The Filipino American Diet: Generational Comparison Of Acculturation, Health Literacy, And Dietary Patterns, Regina Reina

Master's Theses

There is evidence to suggest that Filipino Americans (FAs) are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and chronic conditions when compared to other Asian American subgroups. However, research on possible risk factors for this group is limited as race classifications are seldomly disaggregated. Having limited health literacy is known to be a contributing factor in health disparities among immigrant populations, though it has largely been understudied among FAs. The comparison of dietary intake, acculturation, dietary acculturation, and health literacy between Philippine-born (PBs) FAs and U.S-born (UBs) FAs has not previously been described. PBs and UBs (n=140) from across the …

Faster Depth Estimation For Situational Awareness On Urban Streets, Sanjana Srinivas

Master's Theses

Depth estimation algorithms are useful components of computer vision systems toassess video streams on urban streets. They can provide important information about the street space and improve situational awareness for humans. Deep learning algorithms for depth estimation are slow in providing on-time street evaluation for the users. To provide situational awareness to humans, the inference time needs to be small, so that results are fresh and meaningful. This paper explores approaches like switching to efficient convolutional neural network, quantization and pruning to improve inference time with a little compromise on the performance. We explore the impact of each of these …

An Examination Of Factors Predicting Academic Engagement And Commitment Among Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics Students: The Moderating Role Of Gender, Tasanee S. Thienpothong

Master's Theses

The purpose of the present study was to examine the role of gender on the relationships between the predictor variables (i.e., sense of belonging, grit, and support systems) and academic engagement and commitment to major among science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students. Specifically, this study proposed that gender would act as a moderator of these relationships such that the relationships between the predictor variables and the outcome variables would be stronger for women than for men in STEM. A total of 254 undergraduates from a university in Northern California participated in an in-person survey. Although results did not show …

The Moderating Effect Of Locational Autonomy On The Relationship Between Remote Work And Counterproductive Work Behaviors, Alexandra Wong

Master's Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic intensified remote work, where many companies shifted their employees to working remotely with possibilities of adopting remote work permanently. The purpose of this study was to understand negative consequences of remote work intensity on employee behavior through counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs), and whether a lack of locational autonomy would strengthen this relationship. Locational autonomy was conceptualized as two constructs: choice and approval. Results of an online survey administered to 202 participants revealed no direct relationship between remote work intensity and CWBs and locational autonomy choice had no moderating effects. However, locational autonomy approval moderated the relationships between …

Mass Timber Building Life Cycle Assessment Methodology For The U.S. Regional Case Studies, Hongmei Gu, Shaobo Liang, Francesca Pierobon, Maureen Puettmann, Indroneil Ganguly, Cindy Chen, Rachel Pasternack, Mark Wishnie, Susan Jones, Ian Maples

Publications, Reports and Presentations

The building industry currently consumes over a third of energy produced and emits 39% of greenhouse gases globally produced by human activities. The manufacturing of building materials and the construction of buildings make up 11% of those emissions within the sector. Whole-building life-cycle assessment is a holistic and scientific tool to assess multiple environmental impacts with internationally accepted inventory databases. A comparison of the building lifecycle assessment results would help to select materials and designs to reduce total environmental impacts at the early planning stage for architects and developers, and to revise the building code to improve environmental performance. The …

Analysis Of The Social Entrepreneurship Ecosystem In Guanajuato, Mexico From Complex Social Networks, Vicente Espínola-Verdín, Luis Adolfo Torres-González

Journal of Management for Global Sustainability

In Mexico, the interest in social enterprises has increased in the last 20 years as an alternative to the profit maximization approach of the company. They seek to solve a social problem, improve the conditions of the population they are targeting, modify the consumption habits of their clients, and seek social transformation through a social business model. The policies to promote entrepreneurship in the State of Guanajuato have focused mainly on the creation of traditional and, recently, technology-based enterprises with limited promotion of social entrepreneurship, which is sometimes confused with projects with low added value and without a clear strategy. …

What Will History Books Say About The Pandemic?, Bobbi Sutherland

Materials from the University of Dayton Magazine Website

University of Dayton associate professor Bobbi Sutherland ponders what the history books will say about the COVID-19 pandemic.

At The Manger, Larry Burgess

Materials from the University of Dayton Magazine Website

Presenting a collection of Nativity sets from around the world.

2021 Grand River Water Quality, Allison Romanski, Madeleine Lang

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

2021 Grand River Water Quality Sampling

The goals of this research project were to collect repeat samples at designated reaches and under different flow conditions along the Grand River, sample the entire Grand River over a short period of time, collaborate with wastewater treatment plant labs and technicians to analyze water samples, and to calculate a Water Quality Index (WQI) for samples collected.

Seven different reaches were sampled and over 120 samples were collected between May 7th and August 12th of 2021. Water samples were collected and analyzed for nitrate, total phosphate, ammonium, chloride, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand , …

Reducing Social Isolation In The Elderly: Development Of An Algorithm For Determining Interventions, Sara W. Merkle, Julie Brown Nix

Group: Samford University Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing

The purpose of this doctor of nursing practice (DNP) project was to develop evidence-based algorithms to guide a faith-based community in assessing areas of social isolation and the implementation of a program to guide interventions in order to decrease the level of social isolation in the elderly population.

Investigating Hypersonic Plasma Sheath And Heat Ablation Effects On Rf Transmission Using Dsmc Method, Andrew J. Derubertis, Ramesh K. Agarwal

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study

The transmission and degradation of RF signals through the plasma sheath surrounding hypersonic vehicles is investigated using a DSMC flow solver method. Starfish software, made publicly available by its creator, Lubos Brieda, a professor at USC, is adapted and used to run the hypersonic flow simulations. Additionally, heat ablation materials are briefly investigated for their effect on RF transmission. The study of RF signal degradation and the viability of communications for hypersonic vehicles is of supreme importance for the future of aerospace as hypersonic travel and warfare is becoming technologically possible. Integrating over the flow solver’s resulting electron number density …

Resilient Building Design In The Age Of Covid-19, Allie Periman

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study

MEMS 500 (MEMS 5420) was an independent study course using the text “Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning” authored by McQuiston, Parker, and Spitler, Sixth Edition. The course included the material up to and including the Space Heating Load. The Cooling Load material was covered during the use of the TRACE 700 software developed by the Trane Company. The report presented herein was an additional requirement of the course.

This report explores resilient building design in the face of a pandemic as an essential consideration for researchers and building designers alike. Understanding how aerosols flow within rooms can influence building design strategies …

Sexual Violence In Prisons: Inmate Subculture And Demographics Of Fear, Mackenzie Leroux

Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Showcase

Prison sexual violence has been a prominent issue since the establishment of correctional facilities. However, the issue was dismissed due to the stigmatization of the inmate population. As a result, there were no documented policies, statutes, or laws that prohibited prison rape or imposed sanctions upon offenders. The attention towards inmates rights, specifically regarding sexual assault, began to be addressed in the media in the 1990s. Through past offender stories, legal cases, and an overall sense of awareness, the Prison Rape Elimination Act was established in 2003. This act outlawed any sexual relationships between either inmates, or inmates and correctional …

The North Dakota Dual Aurora Camera (Noddac), A Student-Led Citizen Science Project: One-Year Retrospective, Future Developments, And Scientific Potential, Vincent Ledvina, Elizabeth Macdonald, Steven Collins, Michael Mccormack, Timothy Young, Wayne Barkhouse

Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Showcase

The North Dakota Dual Aurora Camera (NoDDAC) is a student-led project operated in conjunction with the University of North Dakota (UND), the LiveAuroraNetwork, and Aurorasaurus citizen science. Aurora cameras are valuable tools for aurora chasers, and scientists, providing ground-truth visual data to gauge auroral activity, yet at midlatitudes, these facilities are few in number. Deploying aurora cameras in these areas provides a valuable resource for aurora-chasing communities, but also demonstrates scientific merit as the analysis of rare phenomena, such as STEVEs, benefit from multiple geographic observations. What makes this project unique is the student initiative being based at a university …

Eliminating Contamination In Umbilical Cord Blood Culture Sampling For Early-Onset Neonatal Sepsis., Vilmaris Quinones Cardona, Vanessa Lowery, David Cooperberg, Endla K Anday, Alison J Carey

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

Introduction: Despite the advantages of umbilical cord blood culture (UCBC) use for diagnosis of early onset sepsis (EOS), contamination rates have deterred neonatologists from its widespread use. We aimed to implement UCBC collection in a level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and apply quality improvement (QI) methods to reduce contamination in the diagnosis of early onset sepsis. Methods: Single-center implementation study utilizing quality improvement methodology to achieve 0% contamination rate in UCBC samples using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model for improvement. UCBC was obtained in conjunction with peripheral blood cultures (PBC) in neonates admitted to the NICU due to maternal …

A Qualitative Study On Black East Asian Women And Their Experiences Of Hypersexualization, Kalya Castillo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

While the adult multiracial population in the United States accounts for approximately 6.9 % of Americans, current growth trends suggest that numbers will triple within the next 40 years. Evidence suggests that Asian multiracial and Black multiracial groups are emergent racial categories, yet little research exists on dual minority populations. Premise for this qualitative study stems from my prior research on Black Asian American identity development that revealed an emergent theme of hypersexualization experienced by Black Asian American women. This study explored how Black Asian American women experience hypersexuality and the resulting impact on their identity development. Utilizing a constructivist–interpretivist …

Status, Maintenance Of Security, And Militarized Foreign Policy, Filip Viskupic

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

How does status affect foreign policy outcomes? Scholars have long argued that status is a salient foreign policy driver and that states even fight for status, but there is no consensus on how to think about this relationship. I propose that unpacking the link between status and role in international relations can help scholars analyze how status shapes national security outcomes. I illustrate the usefulness of this framework on the processes leading to Australia’s intervention in the Solomon Islands. An analysis of speeches by Australia’s leaders reveals that concern for maintaining Australia’s status as the leader of the Pacific and …

Deep Learning For Human Microrna Precursor Prediction: A Systematic Literature Review, Martina Ojonah

Master of Science in Information Technology Theses

The discovery of MicroRNA (miRNA) sparked medical breakthroughs, leading to the development of drugs/vaccines and biomarkers for some terminal diseases such as cancer. Due to the relatively short length of microRNAs, research has shown that discovering them on their own is a difficult task; thus, the focus has shifted to predicting precursor miRNAs, which are longer than miRNAs. Computational techniques evolve because of flaws discovered in existing designs, discoveries, and the desire to make the process as seamless as possible. Most researchers in recent studies indicated that the use of few input features and a lack of domain understanding of …

Anemia And The Level Of Il-6 In Children Infected With Entamoeba Histolytica And Giardia Lamblia, Israa N. Zeki, Harith Saeed Al-Warid

Baghdad Science Journal

The relation between anemia and inflammatory immune response has lately had much attention. This research was conducted from October 2018 until April 2019, including (110) children below 12 years from both gender in some Hospitals, Primary Health care centers, Public Primary Schools and Kindergarten in Baghdad, Iraq. The objective of this study is to determine the possible correlation between iron deficiency anemia and inflammatory immune response among children infected with Entamoeba histolytica or Giardia lamblia. Blood samples were taken from all groups to measure hemoglobin level, serum iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and mean corpuscular …

Synthesis And Characterization Of New Nano Catalyst Mo-Ni /Tio2- Γal2o3 For Hydrodesulphurization Of Iraqi Gas Oil, Dalya Jasim Ahmed, Basim Ibrahim Al-Abdaly, Sattar Jalil Hussein

Baghdad Science Journal

A new nano-sized NiMo/TiO2-γ-Al2O3 was prepared as a Hydrodesulphurization catalyst for Iraqi gas oil with sulfur content of 8980 ppm, supplied from Al-Dura Refinery. Sol-gel method was used to prepare TiO2- γ-Al2O3 nano catalyst support with 64% TiO2, 32% Al2O3, Ni-Mo/TiO-γ-Al2O3 catalyst was prepared under vacuum impregnation conditions to loading metals with percentage 3.8 wt.% and 14 wt.% for nickel and molybdenum respectively while the percentage for alumina, and titanium became 21.7, and 58.61 respectively. The synthesized TiO2- γ-Al2O3 nanocomposites and Ni-Mo /TiO2- γ-Al2O3 Nano catalyst were then characterized by XRD, AFM, and BET surface area, SEM, XRF, and FTIR. …

Serum Prolactin, Preptin, Ccl 18 And Genetic Polymorphisms In Iraqi Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Israa F. Ascar, Areej Sh. Hameed

Baghdad Science Journal

The polycystic ovary syndrome is an endocrine condition. Oneof the leading causes of female infertility and the most common disorder among women. The work was carried out on 100 Iraqi women (50 cases confirmed with PCOS and 50 controls) between October 2019 and March 2020.Blood samples were collected from the Advanced Institute of Infertility Diagnosis and Assisted Reproductive Technology at AL-Nahrain University and a private laboratory. ELISA was used to evaluate the biochemical parameters of Preptin,and CCL 18 , while FSH, insulin, and LH were measured by using AFIAS-6 in serum samples .The findings of this study indicate that, as …

Dosimetric Verification Of Gamma Passing Rate For Head And Neck Cases Treated With Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (Imrt) Treatment Planning Technique, Siham Sabah Abdullah

Baghdad Science Journal

Each Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) plan needs to be tested and verified before any treatment to check its quality. Octavius 4D-1500 phantom detector is a modern and qualified device for quality assurance procedure. This study aimsto compare the common dosimetric criteria 3%/3 mm with 2%/2 mm for H&N plans for the IMRT technique.Twenty-five patients with head and neck (H&N) tumor were with 6MV x-ray photon beam using Monaco 5.1 treatment planning software and exported to Elekta synergy linear accelerator then tested for pretreatment verification study using Octavius 4D-1500 phantomdetector. The difference between planned and measured dose were assessed by …

Recurrent Stroke Prediction Using Machine Learning Algorithms With Clinical Public Datasets: An Empirical Performance Evaluation, Fadratul Hafinaz Hassan, Mohd Adib Omar

Baghdad Science Journal

Recurrent strokes can be devastating, often resulting in severe disability or death. However, nearly 90% of the causes of recurrent stroke are modifiable, which means recurrent strokes can be averted by controlling risk factors, which are mainly behavioral and metabolic in nature. Thus, it shows that from the previous works that recurrent stroke prediction model could help in minimizing the possibility of getting recurrent stroke. Previous works have shown promising results in predicting first-time stroke cases with machine learning approaches. However, there are limited works on recurrent stroke prediction using machine learning methods. Hence, this work is proposed to perform …

Clarifying Optimum Setting Temperatures And Airflow Positions For Personal Air Conditioning System On Flight, Yuna Matsumoto, Manami Kanamaru, Phan Xuan Tan, Eiji Kamioka

Baghdad Science Journal

In recent years, the demand for air travel has increased and many people have traveled by plane. Most passengers, however, feel stressed due to the limited cabin space. In order to make these passengers more comfortable, a personal air-conditioning system for the entire chair is needed. This is because the human body experiences discomfort from localized heating or cooling, and thus, it is necessary to provide appropriate airflow to each part of the body. In this paper, a personal air-conditioning system, which consists of six vertically installed air-conditioning vents, will be proposed. To clarify the setting temperature of each vent, …

Generative Adversarial Network For Imitation Learning From Single Demonstration, Tho Nguyen Duc, Chanh Minh Tran, Phan Xuan Tan, Eiji Kamioka

Baghdad Science Journal

Imitation learning is an effective method for training an autonomous agent to accomplish a task by imitating expert behaviors in their demonstrations. However, traditional imitation learning methods require a large number of expert demonstrations in order to learn a complex behavior. Such a disadvantage has limited the potential of imitation learning in complex tasks where the expert demonstrations are not sufficient. In order to address the problem, we propose a Generative Adversarial Network-based model which is designed to learn optimal policies using only a single demonstration. The proposed model is evaluated on two simulated tasks in comparison with other methods. …