Education Commons^™

A Small Historical Equipment Display, Jennifer Birriel

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

No abstract provided.

Glow Sticks: Spectra And Color Mixing Revisited, Jennifer Birriel

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

A previous TPT article discussed using glow sticks to demonstrate color mixing by comparing the spectra of red, green, and blue glow sticks to those of yellow and magenta glow sticks.1 More recently, a paper in the Journal of Chemical Education describes a method to separate glow stick dyes using chromatography with chalk and a solvent of acetone or alcohol.2 This method, while a valuable experience in a chemistry class, requires the glow stick to be opened. Care must be taken by preparers to remove glass shards, and participants are exposed to possible skin irritants. Here we propose a non-destructive, …

Project Momo: Multiwavelength Observations And Modeling Of Oj 287, Dirk Grupe

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

Our project MOMO (Multiwavelength observations and modeling of OJ 287) consists of dedicated, dense, long-term flux and spectroscopic monitoring, and deep follow-up observations of the blazar OJ 287 at >13 frequencies from the radio to the X-ray band since late 2015. In particular, we are using Swift to obtain optical-UV-X-ray spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and the Effelsberg telescope to obtain radio measurements between 2 and 40 GHz. MOMO is the densest long-term monitoring of OJ 287 involving X-rays and broad-band SEDs. The theoretical part of the project aims at understanding jet and accretion physics of the blazar central engine in …

Insights Into Past Land-Use And Vegetation Change In The Llanos De Moxos (Bolivia) Using Fungal Non-Pollen Palynomorphs, Jennifer M.K. O'Keefe

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

Here we document a 1000-year fungal record from the raised-field region of the Llanos de Moxos, a seasonally inundated forest-savanna mosaic in the Bolivian Amazon. Fungi are extremely sensitive to changes in vegetation due to their close relationship with the local environment, providing a useful proxy for past local vegetation and land-use change. Here the remains of fungal non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) are identified from a sediment core taken from Laguna El Cerrito. A multivariate constrained ordination is used to extract relationships between the fungal NPP types and environmental gradients, specifically, tree cover, near-shore vegetation, crop cultivation, burning and local sediment …

Marco: Solar Powered Autonomous Robotic Unmanned Surface Vehicle, Thomas G. Pannuti

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

Autonomous sailboats have demonstrated that a robot could potentially perform long-term ocean monitoring and traveling. However, self-operating sailboats in the past had sails, which could lead to issues caused by tipping and heeling too much, and were not fully solar powered, which leads to short power endurance issues. Energy efficient and low cost autonomous robotic unmanned surface vehicle, named MARCo (Marine Autonomous Robotic Communicator), was programmed, developed and tested throughout the year 2018 in a public, co-educational university in Morehead, Kentucky. An off-grid solar system, comprised of 3x 20-Watt 12-Volt panels and a 12-Volt charge controller, was designed, constructed, and …

Negligence In Sport, Michael G. Hypes, Julia Ann Hypes

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

Jennifer Bradley (plaintiff) was a junior year student athlete at the University in Washington, D.C. Bradley played field hockey for the university, and in September 2011, she was hit on the head during a field hockey game between the university and Richmond University. After that hit, she began experiencing symptoms of a concussion, but continued to play hockey in practice and games. The plaintiff was not advised to sit out of practices and games, despite her symptoms persisting and a diagnosis of a concussion being confirmed. The plaintiff claimed the injury caused harm to her physical, emotional, and mental state. …

Predicting The Behavior Of Reinforced Concrete Columns Confined By Fiber Reinforced Polymers Using Data Mining Techniques, Heba Elgazzar

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) usage to wrap reinforced concrete (RC) structures has become a popular technology. Most studies about RC columns wrapped with FRP in literature ignored the internal steel reinforcement. This paper aims to develop a model for the axial compressive strength and axial strain for FRP confined concrete columns with internal steel reinforcement. The impact of FRP, Transverse, and longitudinal reinforcement is studied. Two non-destructive analysis methods are explored: Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) and Regression Analysis (RA). The database used in the analysis contains the experimental results of sixty-four concrete columns under the compressive concentric load available in …

Evolutionary Clustering And Community Detection Algorithms For Social Media Health Surveillance, Heba Elgazzar

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

The prominent rise of social networks within the past decade have become a gold mine for data mining operations seeking to model the real world through these virtual worlds. One of the most important applications that has been proposed is utilizing information generated from social networks as a supplemental health surveillance system to monitor disease epidemics. At the time this research was conducted in 2020, the COVID- 19 virus had evolved into a global pandemic, forcing many countries to implement preventative measures to halt its expanse. Health surveillance has been a powerful tool in placing further preventative measures, however it …

Asassn-14ko Is A Periodic Nuclear Transient In Eso 253-G003, Dirk Grupe

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

We present the discovery that ASASSN-14ko is a periodically flaring active galactic nucleus at the center of the galaxy ESO 253-G003. At the time of its discovery by the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN), it was classified as a supernova close to the nucleus. The subsequent 6 yr of V- and g-band ASAS-SN observations revealed that ASASSN-14ko has nuclear flares occurring at regular intervals. The 17 observed outbursts show evidence of a decreasing period over time, with a mean period of P0 = 114.2 ± 0.4 days and a period derivative of P = -0.0017  0.0003. The most …

A 4-Base-Pair Core-Enclosing Helix In Telomerase Rna Is Essential For Activity And For Binding To The Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Catalytic Protein Subunit, Melissa A. Mefford

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

No abstract provided.

On The Value Of In-Class Lecture: Evidence From Introductory Corporate Finance Classes, Chien Chih Peng

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

This study examines whether the availability of in-class lectures can lead to difference in student peiformance between face-to-face and online introductory corporate finance classes. The ordinary least squares regression model is employed to analyze a sample of 284 students at a four-year state university in the Appalachian region. The results show that when assessed online, students receiving in-class lectures in face-to-face classes peiform significantly better than those receiving narrated PowerPoint slides on study aids in online classes. In addition, the results show that student's major and educational experience are significant determinants of student performance.

Lifting The Curtain: The Seyfert Galaxy Mrk 335 Emerges From Deep Low-State In A Sequence Of Rapid Flare Events, Dirk Grupe

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

Context. The narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 335 was one of the X-ray brightest active galactic nuclei, but it has systematically faded since 2007. Aims. We report the discovery with Swift of a sequence of bright and rapid X-ray flare events that reveal the emergence of Mrk 335 from its ultra-deep multiyear low state.

Methods. Results are based on our dedicated multiyear monitoring of Mrk 335 with Swift. Results. Unlike other bright active galactic nuclei, the optical–UV is generally not correlated with the X-rays in Mrk 335 on a timescale of days to months. This fact either implies the absence …

Space Telescope And Optical Reverberation Mapping Project. Ix. Velocity–Delay Maps For Broad Emission Lines In Ngc5548, Dirk Grupe

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

In this contribution, we achieve the primary goal of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) STORM campaign by recovering velocity–delay maps for the prominent broad emission lines (Ly, C IV, He II, and H) in the spectrum of NGC5548. These are the most detailed velocity–delay maps ever obtained for an AGN, providing unprecedented information on the geometry, ionization structure, and kinematics of the broad-line region. Virial envelopes enclosing the emission-line responses show that the reverberating gas is bound to the black hole. A stratified ionization structure is evident. The He II response inside 5–10 light days has a broad single-peaked velocity …

New Optically Identified Supernova Remnants In The Large Magellanic Cloud, Thomas G. Pannuti

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

No abstract provided.

“It Doesn’T Feel Like A Conversation”: Digital Field Experiences And Preservice Teachers’ Conceptions Of Writing Response, Alison Heron-Hruby, James S. Chisholm, Andrea R. Olinger

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

Research shows that preservice English teachers (PSETs) lack opportunities to respond to student writing and that they may view student writing through a deficit lens. To address this need, the authors developed the Writing Mentors (WM) program, a digital field placement that gave PSETs experience providing feedback to high school writers. In this analysis, we examine how PSETs’ views of response were shaped by their digital interactions with high school writers. The challenges of interacting asynchronously created opportunities for PSETs to identify limitations in the mode of communication, propose approaches to providing feedback, and reflect on how teacher feedback can …

Safety Concerns In Football: A Systemic Review On The Protocol Of Return To Play After Concussion, Steve Chen, Gina Gonzalez, Alexis Smith

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

The purpose of this article was two-fold: (1) to address and highlight the standards of concussion management protocol provided by the NATA, CDC and major sports governing bodies, and (2) to examine how concussion protocols of different levels of athletic programs and organizations adhere to the proposed guidelines and standards. According to the literature, an ideal concussion management plan must cover elements such as: concussion education, responsibility and information about student athletes’ self-reporting signs and symptoms, policy and rules on restricting activities of athletes who are diagnosed with a concussion, requirements and procedures for diagnosis of a concussion and clearance …

Tailgating At College Campuses: A Sobering Dilemma, Steve Chen

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

This case study addressed a regional public university’s challenges for offering on-campus social activities to serve its student, an issue commonly faced by a “suitcase” school. Engaging students to attend intercollegiate sports and pre-game tailgate parties is a common practice carried out by the institutions. However, the potential risk of increasing excessive drinking and drunk driving cases by students had become a serious concern of institutions’ administrators. Discussions and suggestions are given on how to foster a safe and family-oriented social environment on campus, and effectively minimize alcohol-induced problems.

Betting On Better Buoyancy? Be Careful What You Wish For, Wilson J. Gonzalez-Espada, Brooke S. Jones

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

The study of buoyancy is common in physics classrooms. In the last 20 years, several educators have described, theoretically and experimentally, buoyant forces and Archimedes’ principle, both in The Physics Teacher1- 8 and elsewhere.9-16 However, as far as I know, no one has reported on the pedagogical implications and experimental results of measuring the buoyant force acting on a submerged object using the overflow can method and a surface tension lowering agent (soapy water), as described in an online You- Tube video aimed at teachers and produced by PASCO.17 This article critically examines the claims presented in this video using …

Factors Associated With Students Graduating With Stem Degrees At A Military Academy: Improving Success By Identifying Early Obstacles, Wilson J. Gonzalez-Espada

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

The United States is not graduating enough science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors for the increasing number of available employment opportunities and national security needs. The purpose of this study was to quantify the magnitude of STEM attrition at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), a military service academy and one of the three commissioning sources of officers for the United States Air Force. Also, the study identified factors associated with STEM attrition among students. Despite strong academic preparation, of the students who reported their intention to major in a STEM discipline as incoming freshmen, 36.4% switched and …

Tracking The Year-To-Year Variation In The Spectral Energy Distribution Of The Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxy Mrk 335, Dirk Grupe

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

Multi-wavelength monitoring of Mrk 335 with Swift between 2007-2019 are used to construct annual spectral energy distributions and track year-to-year changes. Non-contemporaneous archival data prior to 2007 are used to build a bright state SED. In this work, the changes are examined and quantified to build the foundation for future SED modelling. The yearly SEDs trace a downward trend on the average, with the X-ray portion varying significantly and acquiring further lower values in the past two years when compared to the optical/UV portion of SED. The bolometric Eddington ratios derived using optical/UV to X-ray SEDs and the calculated X-ray …

Willard Rouse Jillson And The Crystal Cave Of Sloans Valley, Kentucky, Gary A. O'Dell

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

No abstract provided.

The April–June 2020 Super-Outburst Of Oj 287 And Its Long-Term Multi-Wavelength Lightcurve With Swift: Binary Supermassive Black Hole And Jet Activity, Dirk Grupe

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

We report detection of a very bright X-ray-UV-optical outburst of OJ 287 in April–June 2020; the second brightest since the beginning of our Swift multi-year monitoring in late 2015. It is shown that the outburst is predominantly powered by jet emission. Optical-UV-X-rays are closely correlated, and the low-energy part of the XMM-Newton spectrum displays an exceptionally soft emission component consistent with a synchrotron origin. A much harder X-ray powerlaw component (x = 2:4, still relatively steep when compared to expectations from inverse-Compton models) is detected out to 70 keV by NuSTAR. We find evidence for reprocessing around the Fe region, …

Negligence In Sport, Michael G. Hypes, Julia Ann Hypes, Karlyn Thompson

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

Parents of a football player filed a lawsuit against Valley Christian School for common law negligence, medical negligence, and violations of the Zackery Lystedt law, which is a law that was implemented in Washington to protect athletes who have sustained a concussion from further injuring themselves. The lawsuit was filed because their son, Drew Swank, died two days after a football game in which he had been medically cleared to play in after receiving a head injury the week prior. The Swanks filed the lawsuit claiming that the football coach and doctor were negligent in allowing Drew to play, knowing …

Discovery Of Recombining Plasma Associated With The Candidate Supernova Remnant G189.6+3.3 With Suzaku, Thomas G. Pannuti

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

We present the results of an X-ray spectral analysis of the northeast region of the candidate supernova remnant G189.6+3.3 with Suzaku. K-shell lines from highly ionized Ne, Mg, Si, and S were detected in the spectrum for the first time. In addition, a radiative recombining continuum (RRC) from He-like Si was clearly seen near 2.5 keV. This detection of an RRC reveals for the first time that G189.6+3.3 possesses an X-ray-emitting recombining plasma (RP). The extracted X-ray spectrum in the 0.6–10.0 keV energy band is well fitted with a model consisting of a collisional ionization equilibrium plasma component (associated with …

Reign Of Terror In West Kentucky? (Part 2), Dieter C. Ullrich, Berry Craig

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

During fifty-one days in the summer of 1864 a “reign of terror” existed in Western Kentucky under the military command of General Eleazar Arthur Paine, at least that is what historians and folklorists have written over the past 150 years. However, new evidence from contemporary documents provide a contradictory narrative to the story.

Processing Gapping: Parallelism And Grammatical Constraints, Katy Carlson

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

This study aims to test two hypotheses about the online processing of Gapping: whether the parser inserts an ellipsis site in an incremental fashion in certain coordinated structures (the Incremental Ellipsis Hypothesis), or whether ellipsis is a late and dispreferred option (the Ellipsis as a Last Resort Hypothesis). We employ two offline acceptability rating experiments and a sentence fragment completion experiment to investigate to what extent the distribution of Gapping is controlled by grammatical and extra-grammatical constraints. Furthermore, an eye-tracking while reading experiment demonstrated that the parser inserts an ellipsis site incrementally but only when grammatical and extra-grammatical constraints allow …

Optical And X-Ray Discovery Of The Changing-Look Agn Iras 23226-3843 Showing Extremely Broad And Double-Peaked Balmer Profiles, Dirk Grupe

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

Aims. We detected a very strong X-ray decline in the galaxy IRAS 23226-3843 within the XMM-Newton slew survey in 2017. Subsequently, we carried out multi-band follow-up studies to investigate this fading galaxy in more detail. Methods. We took deep follow-up Swift, XMM-Newton, and NuSTAR observations in combination with optical SALT spectra of IRAS 23226-3843 in 2017. In addition, we reinspected optical, UV, and X-ray data that were taken in the past. Results. IRAS 23226-3843 decreased in X-rays by a factor of more than 30 with respect to ROSAT and Swift data taken 10 to 27 years before. The broadband XMM-Newton/NuSTAR …

X-Ray Emission From The Mixed-Morphology Supernova Remnant Hb 9, Thomas G. Pannuti

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

We present the results of a spectral analysis of the central region of the mixed-morphology supernova remnant HB 9. A prior Ginga observation of this source detected a hard X-ray component above 4 keV and the origin of this particular X-ray component is still unknown. Our results demonstrate that the extracted X-ray spectra are best represented by a model consisting of a collisional ionization equilibrium plasma with a temperature of 0.1–0.2 keV (interstellar matter component) and an ionizing plasma with a temperature of 0.6–0.7 keV and an ionization timescale of >1×1011 cm−3 s (ejecta component). No significant X-ray emission was …

Breaking Down Barriers: An Investigation Into The Lack Of Female Head Coaches In Ncaa Affiliated Institutions, Steve Chen

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

The purpose of this study was to investigate the rationales behind the gender disparity between male and female head coaches at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) affiliated institutions. Intercollegiate female athletic participation is at an all-time high. Yet, more women find male coaches coaching their sports. This study aimed to determine what hinders women from pursuing and obtaining head coaching positions at the collegiate level in either gender sports. Interviews were conducted in two different phases with two groups of NCAA Division-I female coaches (n = 22 and 8, respectively) in the southeast United States. The findings addressed the …

Groundings In Nature Mysticism And Adult Learning, Lee W. Nabb, Keith B. Armstrong

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

Historically, American education has functioned as the benefactor and disseminator of nature education, although that role has diminished in direct proportion to the diminutive presence of American natural landscapes. This withdrawal has led many to adulthoods typically devoid of a sense of place on the planet, as well as potentially limiting the ability to experience the sublime or mystical insights of life. This discussion investigates an experiential, interdisciplinary-action approach, used at Yellowstone National Park and a Canadian wilderness project, that supports and informs the reintegration of nature for the sublime or mystical development of adult students in higher education.