Digital Commons Network^™

Sasl Journal, Volume 2, Number 2

Society for American Sign Language Journal

No abstract provided.

Encouraging Shifts In Preservice Teachers’ Beliefs About Writing And Plans For Future Instruction, Anna H. Hall, Qianyi Gao, Shanna Hirsch

Publications

Preservice teachers’ (PSTs) writing attitudes have been well formed through countless positive and negative interactions by the time they enter higher education. The present study examined 17 PSTs’ beliefs about teaching writing, confidence levels, and plans for future instruction, before and after a semester-long language arts methods course. Participants participated in pre and post belief exercises and pre and post online surveys. We examined differences between PSTs’ beliefs over the course of three time points. Overall, findings revealed that after self-reflection, strategy instruction, and engagement in writing, PSTs were more likely to believe in children’s writing capabilities, reported higher confidence …

Hurricane Florence Flooding In Georgetown County: A Qualitative Explanation Of The Interactions Of Estuary And Tidal River, Thomas M. Williams, Daniel Hitchcock, Bo Song, Thomas O'Halloran

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

This paper examines data from 18 USGS gauges in the lower Pee Dee Basin in an effort to explain the behavior of the flooding following Hurricane Florence (2018) in Georgetown County, South Carolina. Despite record or near-record flooding in all the tributaries to the Winyah Bay estuary, water levels near the city of Georgetown were well below predicted heights. Floodplain storage in the lower Great Pee Dee, Lynches, and Little Pee Dee River valleys stored over 1.2 million acre-feet of floodwaters, delaying peak stage near Bucksport for five days and reducing peak flow into the Winyah Bay tidal river/estuary system …

Comics In The Classroom - What's At The Center Of The Solar System?, Amee Jeanette Hennig, Allison Huff Macpherson, Brooke A. Whitworth

Publications

Teaching in today’s classroom looks vastly different from 20 years ago. Today, many teachers have access to projectors, computers, smartboards, laptops and tablets, and have vast amounts of information and programs available at the click of a button. However, having access to all of these resources is not always beneficial, especially if we are not equipped to incorporate it into instruction. The 2015 Project Tomorrow Survey findings showed a number of aspects that support technology use in the classroom. Highlights of this data, related to the Center for Integrated Access Network’s (CIAN) digital comic book, include the following results ( …

Evaluating Artificial Shelter Arrays As A Minimally Invasive Monitoring Tool For The Hellbender Cryptobranchus Alleganiensis, Catherine M. Bodinof Jachowski, Beth E. Ross, William A. Hopkins

Publications

Hellbenders Cryptobranchus alleganiensis are critically imperiled amphibians throughout the eastern USA. Rock-lifting is widely used to monitor hellbenders but can severely disturb habitat. We asked whether artificial shelter occupancy (the proportion of occupied shelters in an array) would function as a proxy for hellbender abundance and thereby serve as a viable alternative to rock-lifting. We hypothesized that shelter occupancy would vary spatially in response to hellbender density, natural shelter density, or both, and would vary temporally with hellbender seasonal activity patterns and time since shelter deployment. We established shelter arrays (n = 30 shelters each) in 6 stream reaches and …

Teamwork Makes The Dream Work: Using Team-Based Learning In The Science Classroom, Virginia J. Moore, Elizabeth Mitchell Prewitt, Amber Jean Carpenter-Mccullough, Brooke A. Whitworth

Publications

With an overwhelming amount of research and a demand for collaborative learning in the classroom, teachers are tackling challenges at all educational levels that often accompany the social aspects of group work. Team-Based Learning (TBL) is an instructional sequence that shifts instruction from teacher lecture to small-group learning. Through the use of teams and social learning, students are actively engaged and learning through critical-thinking tasks. College students can take responsibility both for their own learning and for each other as learners and fellow human beings. TBL allows the instructors to design opportunities for students to demonstrate what they know and …

The Effect Of Professional Development On Elementary Science Teachers’ Understanding, Confidence, And Classroom Implementation Of Reform‐Based Science Instruction, Jennifer L. Maeng, Brooke A. Whitworth, Randy L. Bell, Donna R. Sterling

Publications

Through a randomized controlled trial, this mixed‐methods study evaluated changes in elementary science teachers’ understandings, confidence, and classroom implementation of problem‐based learning (PBL), inquiry, and nature of science (NOS) instruction following participation in a professional development (PD) as well as the components of the PD that teachers perceived facilitated these changes. Results indicated that following the PD, treatment teacher (n = 139) understandings of and confidence for teaching inquiry, NOS, and PBL were significantly greater than control teachers (n = 98) after controlling for preunderstandings and confidence. The effect sizes were large. Treatment teachers also incorporated significantly more …

Risks And Benefits Of Using A Commercially Available Ventricular Assist Device For Failing Fontan Cavopulmonary Support: A Modeling Investigation, Masoud Farahmand, Minoo N. Kavarana, Ethan Kung

Publications

Fontan patients often develop circulatory failure and are in desperate need of a therapeutic solution. A blood pump surgically placed in the cavopulmonary pathway can substitute the function of the absent sub-pulmonary ventricle by generating a mild pressure boost. However, there is currently no commercially available device designed for the cavopulmonary application; and the risks and benefits of implanting a ventricular assist device (VAD), originally designed for the left ventricular application, on the right circulation of failing Fontan patients is not yet clear. Moreover, further research is needed to compare the hemodynamics between the two clinically-considered surgical configurations for cavopulmonary …

Ppc Update, Wendy C. Robertson

NASIG Newsletter

No abstract provided.

An Algorithm For Coupling Multibranch In Vitro Experiment To Numerical Physiology Simulation For A Hybrid Cardiovascular Model, Ehsan Mirzaei, Masoud Farahmand, Ethan Kung

Publications

The hybrid cardiovascular modeling approach integrates an in vitro experiment with a computational lumped‐parameter simulation, enabling direct physical testing of medical devices in the context of closed‐loop physiology. The interface between the in vitro and computational domains is essential for properly capturing the dynamic interactions of the two. To this end, we developed an iterative algorithm capable of coupling an in vitro experiment containing multiple branches to a lumped‐parameter physiology simulation. This algorithm identifies the unique flow waveform solution for each branch of the experiment using an iterative Broyden's approach. For the purpose of algorithm testing, we first used mathematical …

December 2019 Full Issue

NASIG Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Clemson Commencement Program, December 2019, Clemson University

Clemson Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Linking Experiential Workshops And Increased Stem Interest Among First- And Second- Generation Latino Youth, Jeff Sallee, Ronald Cox, Rita Flores, Steven Cooper

Journal of Youth Development

Extension outreach professionals are searching for new methods to target the growing population of Latino students. Oklahoma State University faculty in the Animal Science department and the 4-H Youth Development program partnered to sponsor a 4-H STEM Institute designed to promote science, technology, engineering, and math to Latino students in the Unidos Se Puede program. The STEM Institute was designed to introduce the Latino youth to college life and STEM based career opportunities. The program was evaluated utilizing the 4-H Common Measures Science instruments. The results indicate a positive impact on the youths’ perception of STEM as a career option. …

Porous Silicon Photonics At Unity Confinement Factors For Surface Adlayer Biosensing, Tahmid Hassan Talukdar

All Theses

Guided wave-optics is an emergent platform for label free optical biosensing. However, device sensitivity toward surface-attached biomolecules is directly restricted because of only evanescent interaction and low modal overlap with the active sensing region. In this work, we demonstrate a mesoporous silicon waveguide design created via a novel inverse processing technique that overcomes the limitations imposed by evanescent field sensing by achieving maximal transverse confinement factor in the active sensing region. Our sensor can also maintain this confinement factor and sensitivity across a large dimensional variation while preserving single-mode operation. Our devices are characterized in a Fabry-Perot interferometer configuration and …

Agent-Based Resilient Transportation Infrastructure With Surrogate Adaptive Networks, Andre Aaron Apostol

All Theses

Connected autonomous intelligent agents (AIA) with enhanced decision making through machine learning can improve intersection performance and resilience for the transportation infrastructure. An agent is an autonomous decision maker whose decision making is determined internally but may be altered by interactions with the environment or other agents. Implementing agent-based modeling techniques to advance communication for more appropriate decision making will provide great benefits to autonomous vehicle technology.

A new algorithm is proposed to improve the decision-making process of autonomous vehicles and intelligent traffic signals, specifically at city like intersections. This is completed by understanding vehicle to vehicle (V2V), vehicle to …

Investigation Of The Variability Of Asphalt Dynamic Modulus In South Carolina And Its Influence In The Mepdg, Srinivasan Nagarajan

All Theses

The objective of this study was to characterize the variability of dynamic modulus of asphalt mixes in South Carolina. High priority mixes Surface Type B, and C; Intermediate Type B and C and Base Type A from three different days of production were collected from two different contractors each having a different aggregate source. The dynamic modulus was measured using the Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester (AMPT) at temperatures of 40, 70, 100 and 130℉ (4.4, 21.1, 37.8, and 54.4℃) and at frequencies of 25, 10, 5, 1, 0.5, and 0.1 Hz. The dynamic modulus from the AMPT is then used …

Differential Gene Expression In Tendinopathy: Insights Into The Failure Of Wound Healing, Michael Maggio

All Theses

Tendon injury can occur from activity-induced overuse, complete laceration or aging-related degeneration and these injuries commonly fail to wound heal without clinical treatment. Moreover, activity-induced overuse accounts for approximately half of all sports injuries and has highest occurrence rates in athletes playing football, baseball and basketball. Current non invasive technique to rest and ice the damaged tissue in combination with either oral NSAIDS or corticosteroid injections has shown little promise with only ~60% of cases regaining functionality of the tendon (Paterno et al., 2013).

From the literature, this seems to be caused by a combination of poorly perfused tissue along …

Stochastic Simulation Of Hurricane Wind And Rain Hazards, Prashant Rawal

All Dissertations

Quantification of hurricane hazard, which includes wind, rainfall and storm surge, is essential for engineering design as well as financial loss assessment. The objective of this study is to develop a stochastic simulation framework which integrates the simulation process of hurricane rainfall and wind hazard. This study is divided into two parts. The main objective of the first part is to develop a method for the estimation of the hurricane wind field parameters radius to maximum wind speeds (R_max) and Holland B parameter (B). The second part develops a stochastic model to simulate hurricane rainfall, which is named the ‘NormRain’ …

Novel Optimization Approaches For Integrated Design And Operation Of Smart Manufacturing And Energy Systems, Alphonse Hakizimana

All Dissertations

This dissertation contributes novel theoretical results that enable the use of efficient optimization algorithms for the design of energy and manufacturing systems with high operational flexibility. Operational flexibility is a central theme of the smart grid and smart manufacturing paradigms because it enables systems to optimally adapt to highly dynamic and uncertain operating environments. Such environments are increasingly prevalent in the energy and manufacturing industries due to factors such as the increasing use of variable renewable energy resources (e.g., wind and solar) and the potential benefits of responding quickly to variations in product demands, real-time electricity markets, etc. For systems …

Testing The Retrospective Pretest With High School Youth In Out-Of-School Time Programs, Jill Young, Leanne Kallemeyn

Journal of Youth Development

Practitioners and evaluators face several constraints in conducting rigorous evaluations to determine program effect. Researchers have offered the retrospective pretest/posttest design as a remedy to curb response-shift bias and better estimate program effects. This article presents an example of how After School Matters (ASM) tested the use of retrospective pretest/posttest design for evaluating out-of-school time (OST) programs for high school youth participants. Differences between traditional pretest and retrospective pretest scores were statistically significant, but effect sizes were negligible, indicating that both pretests yielded similar results. Interviews with youth led to 3 key findings that have implications for ASM using retrospective …

Using Experience Industry Strategies To Increase Quality Of Youth Program Experiences, Allen Taggart, Gary Ellis, Jingxian Jiang, Andrew Lacanienta

Journal of Youth Development

We evaluated 4 “experience industry” strategies for enhancing the quality of immediate experiences for 4-H youth: theming, adding multisensory experiences, personalizing interactions, and providing memorabilia. These strategies are commonly used by theme parks, restaurants, resorts, attractions, and other experience industry organizations, but their application to youth services is sporadic. 4-H youth (n = 30) participated in a series of 8 outdoor recreation activity sessions. Each activity session, 1 per week for 8 consecutive weeks, was structured using a unique combination of the 4 strategies. Participants completed questionnaires measuring 5 dimensions of experience quality after each activity session. Theme and personalization …

Lesson Study Model Of 4-H Professional Development: Data-Driven Improvements To Educator Practice, Lynn Schmitt-Mcquitty, Steven Worker, Martin Smith

Journal of Youth Development

Educator professional development in the 4-H Youth Development Program needs improvement. Lesson study, an iterative and educator-centered approach to professional development, has proven to be effective in school-based settings; however, research on the model in youth development programs is limited. The present study investigated the use of lesson study with professional Cooperative Extension staff, adult 4-H volunteers, and teenage 4-H volunteers in different 4-H contexts in 3 state programs. Findings revealed improvements in educators’ data-driven decision-making, content knowledge, lesson planning and implementation, and social connections across all contexts. To work effectively within the 4-H context, however, some adaptations to the …

Teens In The Somali Diaspora: An Evaluative Program Study, Jennifer Skuza

Journal of Youth Development

Program evaluation is a critical part of program sustainability because evaluation can inform improvements and document impact. Here, 2 Minnesota organizations came together in partnership with the Somali American community to work toward a shared vision, which was to develop a new sustainable program that prepared refugee and immigrant youth for their educational and workforce futures while supporting their cultural way of being. This article shares the evaluative study of this program, which reached teens in the Somali diaspora living in Minnesota. The program team had a long-term interest in developing an evidence-based model to suit this special population; this …

A Residential Camp’S Impact On Youths’ Leadership Skills And Natural Resource Knowledge, Shandra Nicole Frey, Vernon Parent

Journal of Youth Development

Learning transcends the classroom. To better understand the natural world around them, it is critical that youth have opportunities to make connections and apply their learning in real-world settings. Improving youths’ perceived skills and knowledge contributes to increased academic motivation and continued leadership development. Multi-day residential natural resource camps have shown the ability to teach ecological concepts and develop land management skills, critical thinking skills, and decision-making skills. We tested the ability of a remotely located residential camp to improve leadership skills and natural resource knowledge, using a pre- and post-camp self-assessment, combined with a pre- and post-camp knowledge test. …

A Survey Of Mathematical Models Of Human Performance Using Power And Energy, Vijay Sarthy Mysore Sreedhara, Gregory M. Mocko, Randolph E. Hutchison

Publications

The ability to predict the systematic decrease of power during physical exertion gives valuable insights into health, performance, and injury. This review surveys the research of power-based models of fatigue and recovery within the area of human performance. Upon a thorough review of available literature, it is observed that the two-parameter critical power model is most popular due to its simplicity. This two-parameter model is a hyperbolic relationship between power and time with critical power as the power-asymptote and the curvature constant denoted by W′. Critical power (CP) is a theoretical power output that can be sustained indefinitely by …

Stem Professional Development For Youth Workers: Results Of A Triangulated Study, Melissa Pearman Fenton, Leslie Hawley, Saundra Wever Frerichs, Kathleen Lodl

Journal of Youth Development

To increase the quality of informal science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning opportunities, many youth development professionals working in out-of-school time (OST) programs need professional development focused on facilitating these types of activities. Nebraska Extension developed an open-access repository of resources that support an ongoing, blended approach to STEM professional development for youth workers. The current study evaluated the impact on staff, programs, and youth achieved by implementing Click2Science resources in sites at a large youth serving organization. Data sources included site or program director/coordinator and frontline staff perceptions about their experiences during the professional development events, observations of …

Teens In The Somali Diaspora: An Evaluative Program Study, Jennifer Skuza

Journal of Youth Development

Program evaluation is a critical part of program sustainability because evaluation can inform improvements and document impact. Here, 2 Minnesota organizations came together in partnership with the Somali American community to work toward a shared vision, which was to develop a new sustainable program that prepared refugee and immigrant youth for their educational and workforce futures while supporting their cultural way of being. This article shares the evaluative study of this program, which reached teens in the Somali diaspora living in Minnesota. The program team had a long-term interest in developing an evidence-based model to suit this special population; this …

Asphalt Pavement Evaluation To Support The Calibration Of The Aashto Mepdg For South Carolina Conditions, Clifton Dale Hurley

All Theses

The South Carolina Department of Transportation recognizes the need for a local calibration of the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide to provide a more accurate and efficient pavement design process for the state. A large part of this calibration revolves around determining actual pavement performance throughout South Carolina. Surface evaluations involving performance indicators such as bottom-up fatigue cracking, top-down fatigue cracking, transverse cracking, and surface rut depths were completed at four locations across the state. Asphalt cores were retrieved from each location as well. Retrieving asphalt cores allowed further detail such as pavement structure and cracking origin to be determined. Collecting …

Application And Parameterization Of A Semi-Analytical/Numerical Method For Modeling Matrix Diffusion Effects In Groundwater Chemical Transport, Wesley Prater

All Theses

The back diffusion of dissolved chemicals from low permeability zones to aquifers can cause contaminant plumes to persist long after remediation (Chapman and Parker, 2005). Because of the complicated nature of some field sites, the effect of back diffusion on plume persistence can sometimes be ambiguous. A novel approach for simulating matrix diffusion effects was previously adapted from geothermal reservoir modeling, which combines numerical and analytical methods by discretizing only the high permeability parts of the aquifer and treating the matrix diffusion flux into the high permeability gridblocks as a concentration dependent source/sink term (Falta and Wang, 2017; Muskus and …

Numerical Simulation Of Droplet Formation In A Microfluidic Ice Nucleating Particle Measurement Device, Ali Mohammadi Nafchi

All Theses

Ice nucleating particles have a great impact on weather and climate by affecting the freezing process of water in the atmosphere. Therefore, INP measurements are essential to developing more accurate climate models. Despite of the importance of INP measurements, available measurement techniques are costly, which leads to scarcity of available data. Microfluidic technology offers unique features including small scales and low fabrication costs; thus, can be used to design and develop an INP instrument with lower operation costs, which can enhance the number of INP measurements. In this study, we used a microfluidic platform that can be further developed to …