Digital Commons Network^™

The Efficacy And Usability Of Motivational Interviewing Just-In-Time Trainings For Youth Mentors, Mackenzie J. Hart, Samuel Mcquillin, Aidyn Iachini, Daniel K. Cooper, Mark D. Weist

Faculty Publications

Using youth mentors to deliver evidence-based psychosocial services has been proposed to increase the reach of treatments, in part given the affordability and ubiquity of mentors in youth settings. Further, tests of mentor-delivered motivational interviewing (MI) have shown increases in youth mentees' academic performance and wellbeing. Yet, traditional methods of training mentors to use MI can be costly and time-consuming. Previous work has suggested the value of asynchronous, brief, just-in-time training (JITT) to help offset these challenges; however, MI JITT for mentors has not yet been formally evaluated. As such, here, we report on a preliminary study of MI JITT …

Development Of Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia In Young Infants With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Preterm Birth, And Typical Development, Jessica Bradshaw, John E. Richards, Julia Yurkovic-Harding, Eilis Mclaughlin

Faculty Publications

Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) is a key index of parasympathetic function and environmental adaptability. Lower resting RSA has been linked to preterm (PT) birth in infancy and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in childhood, yet RSA across the first 2 years in young infants born PT or later diagnosed with ASD remains unknown. This study examined resting RSA and mean interbeat interval (IBI) development from 1 to 24 months in infants at varying ASD likelihoods, including infant siblings of children with ASD and those born PT. A longitudinal design tracked resting RSA and mean IBI in 137 infants from 1 to …

Sport Media Consumption In Ncaa Division І Fbs Subdivision: A Panel Regression Model Using X/Twitter, Seungbak Lee, Minsoo Kang, Wonson Lim, Ju-Pil Choe, Brennan K. Berg

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Athletic departments in collegiate sports have increasingly focused on enhancing sport consumer interest through social media. As social media usage continues to grow in college sports, understanding audience behavior on these platforms has become essential for athletic departments. This study examines the factors influencing consumer interest in Division I football teams’ X (formerly Twitter) accounts, utilizing a panel dataset comprising 18,221 team-day observations. Key determinants of changes in X followers were identified, including teams’ social media activity, on-field performance, scheduling events, and timing effects, with a focus on fan interest across temporal patterns such as month-to-month and day-to-day variations. The …

Exploring Different Metal-Oxide Cathode Materials For Structural Lithium-Ion Batteries Using Dip-Coating, David Petrushenko, Thomas Burns, Paul Ziehl, Ralph E. White, Paul T. Coman

Faculty Publications

In this study, a selection of active materials were coated onto commercially available intermediate modulus carbon fibers to form and analyze the performance of novel composite cathodes for structural power composites. Various slurries containing polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), active material powders, 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and carbon black (CB) were used to coat carbon fiber tows by immersion. Four active materials—lithium cobalt oxide (LCO), lithium iron phosphate (LFP), lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC), and lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA)—were individually tested to assess their electrochemical reversibility. The cells were prepared with a polymer separator and liquid electrolytes and assembled in 2025-coin …

Little Cigar And Cigarillo Graphic Health Warnings And Quitting Behaviors A Randomized Clinical Trial, Adam O. Goldstein, Kristen L. Jarman, Leah M. Ranney, Jennifer Cornacchione Ross, Sarah D. Kowitt, Chineme Enyioha, Sonia A. Clark, Paschal Sheeran, James F. Thrasher Ph.D., Ma, Ms, Desmond Jenson, Nadja A. Vielot

Faculty Publications

IMPORTANCE Although little cigars and cigarillos (LCCs) are common combustible tobacco products, the effects of LCC warning labels on behavioral outcomes remain untested.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of LCC graphic health warnings (GHWs) on promoting LCC quitting intentions and behaviors.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This randomized clinical trial included 1029 adult LCC users from a Qualtrics online panel who were randomized to (1) LCC GHWs (n = 339), (2) existing US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) text-only warnings (n = 346), or (3) no stimulus control (n = 344). Participants accessed messages via email from May 1 to August …

An Evidence-Based Intervention To Increase Trypanosoma Cruzi, A Neglected Parasitic Infection, Diagnosis In Rural And Moderate-Size-City Us Clinics, M K. Lynn, Hunter M. Boehme, Jeffrey Hall, Patrick Kent, Alain H. Litwin, Quang H. Pham, Melissa Nolan Ph.D., Mph, Prisma Chagas Team

Faculty Publications

Background

Chagas disease is a chronic, insidious parasitic infection (Trypanosoma cruzi) that slowly develops to irreversible organomegaly over several decades. The disease is traditionally acquired in endemic Latin American countries during childhood; < 1% of foreign-born adult residents in the United States have been diagnosed or treated with this potentially fatal disease. Low physician knowledge is a primary factor leading to misdiagnosis.

Methods

Starting in April 2022, a 4-part T cruzi clinical education intervention began, which included (i) 2 grand rounds presentations to >100 internal medicine providers; (ii) implementation of a “clinical Chagas champions program” incorporating 14 key clinical staff at varying departments and administrative levels educated on their specific role related to T cruzi screening, diagnosis confirmation, clinical management, and medical billing; ( …

Expanding Functionalities Of Immune Receptors Through Simultaneous Transfer Of Sensor And Helper Nlrs, Dongjiao Wang, Qibin Wu, Daowen Wang, Youxiong Que, Zheng Qing Fu

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Expanding Functionalities Of Immune Receptors Through Simultaneous Transfer Of Sensor And Helper Nlrs, Dongjiao Wang, Qibin Wu, Daowen Wang, Youxiong Que, Zheng Qing Fu

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Sex-Related Measurement Bias In Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms In The Baby Siblings Research Consortium, Catherine A. Burrows, Sooyeon Sung, Shuting Zheng, Greg S. Young, Tony Charman, Cherly Klaiman, Ami Klin, Natasha Marrus, Sally Ozonoff, Joseph Piven, Diana L. Robins, Rebecca J. Schmidt, A. J. Schwichtenberg, Sara Jane Webb, Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, Leslie J. Carver, Katarzyna Chawarska, Suzanne Curtin, Shafali S. Jeste, Jana M. Iverson, Jane E. Roberts

Faculty Publications

Importance Disparities exist in age of diagnosis and prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for female compared with male children. Correcting for sources of bias is critical for improving equitable ASD identification.

Objective To determine whether sex differences exist in measurement of ASD symptoms using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) among young children at high familial likelihood (HFL) and low familial likelihood (LFL) of ASD.

Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study collected longitudinal, prospective data from the Baby Siblings Research Consortium between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2021. Participants included 3106 children who had an older sibling …

Sex-Related Measurement Bias In Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms In The Baby Siblings Research Consortium, Catherine A. Burrows, Sooyeon Sung, Shuting Zheng, Tony Charman, Cheryl Klaiman, Ami Klin, Natasha Marrus, Sally Ozonof, Joseph Piven, Diana L. Robins, Rebecca J. Schmidt, A. J. Schwichtenberg, Sara Jane Webb, Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, Leslie J. Carver, Katarzyna Chawarska, Suzanne Curtin, Shafali S. Jeste, Jana M. Iverson, Rebecca J. Landa, Daniel S. Messinger, Jane E. Roberts, Wendy L. Stone, Helen Tager-Flusberg, Amy N. Esler, Meghan Miller, Somer L. Bishop, Jed T. Elison

Faculty Publications

IMPORTANCE Disparities exist in age of diagnosis and prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for female compared with male children. Correcting for sources of bias is critical for improving equitable ASD identification. OBJECTIVE To determine whether sex differences exist in measurement of ASD symptoms using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) among young children at high familial likelihood (HFL) and low familial likelihood (LFL) of ASD. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cohort study collected longitudinal, prospective data from the Baby Siblings Research Consortium between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2021. Participants included 3106 children who had an older sibling …

“I Want To Continue Athletics And I Also Want To Study”: Exploring International Student Athletes’ Transition Experiences To The Naia Affiliated Colleges, Kibaek Kim, Karina Jolly, Chris Corr, Jinwook Han

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

There are over a million international students pursuing their degrees in U.S. universities. Among them are 25,000 international student-athletes (ISAs) who are enrolled in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) affiliated Universities. While studies have been striving to foster and support this population’s successful transition to the U.S., few studies are available that deal with international student-athletes competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) affiliated universities. Hence, based on the transition theory, this study utilized focus group interviews to explore the transition experiences of ISAs competing in NAIA. Based on previous studies that explored the transition experiences of ISAs …

Do They Belong? Inquiries Into The Perceptions Of The Black Male College Athlete Identity In Higher Education, Marcis Fennell, Kayla Martinez, C.Keith Harrison, Whitney Griffin, Nick Kopka

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

This qualitative study examined attitudes about Black male college athletes (BMCA)in predominantly White higher education institutions. To investigate the experience in the classroom, the purpose of this study was to inquire into the perception of the BMCA identity from the identity of the non-college athletes (NCA). Using the social identity complexity model, we sought to understand the perceptions that influence group formation among college students. The present study employed the film elicitation technique to examine the NCAs’ perceptions of the legitimacy of the BMCA identity in higher education during faculty interactions and its correlation to ingroup formation. The findings from …

Absence Of Phonon Softening Across A Charge Density Wave Transition Due To Quantum Fluctuations, Yubi Chen, Terawit Kongruengkit, Andrea Capa Salinas, Runqing Yang, Yujie Quan, Fanghao Zhang, Ganesh Pokharel, Linus Kautzsch, Stephen D. Wilson, Sai Mu

Faculty Publications

Kagome metals have emerged as a frontier in condensed matter physics due to their potential to host exotic quantum states. Among these, CsV₃Sb₅ has attracted significant attention for the unusual coexistence of charge density wave (CDW) order and unconventional superconductivity, presenting an ideal system for exploring the emergent phenomena from the interplay of phonons, electronic fluctuations, and topological effects. The nature of CDW formation in CsV3Sb5 is unconventional and has sparked considerable debate. In this study, we examine the origin of the CDW state via ab initio finite-temperature simulations of the lattice dynamics. Through a comparative study …

Scaling Laws Of Political Regime Dynamics: Stability Of Democracies And Autocracies In The Twentieth Century, Paula Pirker-Diaz, Matthew Wilson, Soenke Beier, Karoline Wiesner

Faculty Publications

In light of the current rise of authoritarian regimes and the anti-liberal tendencies in some established democracies, understanding the dynamic and statistical properties of political regimes is of critical importance. Despite their relevance, a comprehensive quantitative assessment of these dynamics on a historical scale remains largely unexplored, and the notion that democratization is an irreversible process has gone mostly unchallenged. This study provides a rigorous and quantitative analysis of political regimes worldwide by examining changes in freedoms of expression, association and electoral quality throughout the twentieth century. Utilizing the multidimensional V-Dem dataset, which covers over 170 countries across more than …

Sccosmix: A Mixed-Effects Framework For Differential Coexpression And Transcriptional Interactions Modeling In Single-Cell Rna-Seq, Anderson Bussing, Giampiero Marra, Daping Fan, Russell Shinohara, Danni Tu, Yen-Yi Ho

Faculty Publications

Advancements in single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) technologies generate a wealth of gene expression data that provide exciting opportunities for studying gene-gene interactions systematically at individual cell resolution. Genetic interactions within a cell are tightly regulated and often highly dynamic in response to internal cellular signals and external stimuli. Evidence of these dynamic interactions can often be observed in scRNA-seq data by examining conditional co-expression changes. Existing approaches for studying these dynamic interaction changes in scRNA-seq data do not address the multi-subject hierarchical design commonly considered in single-cell experiments. In this paper, we propose a Mixed-effects framework for differential Coexpression and transcriptional …

The Relationship Between Hand Grip Strength And Cognitive Function In Middle-Aged And Elderly People In China: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Based On Charls Data, Haiwei Li, Jing Zhang, Peipei Cheng, Liwei Guo, Xuemei Sui M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

This study explores the relationship between hand grip strength (HGS) and cognitive function in China’s middle-aged and elderly population. We employed a cross-sectional design using data from 4535 participants aged ≥ 45 years from the 2015 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study national dataset. The relationships between HGS and various dimensions of cognitive function, as well as the association between HGS and cognitive impairment, were investigated using ordinary least squares regression models and logistic regression models. Dose–response relationships between HGS and cognitive impairment were modeled using restricted cubic spline curves. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the robustness …

Summary Of Taxonomy Changes Ratified By The International Committee On Taxonomy Of Viruses (Ictv) From The Bacterial Viruses Subcommittee, 2025, Dann Turner, Evelien M. Adriaenssens, Rudolf I. Amann, Pavol Bardy, Nina Bartlau, Jakub Barylski, Stanislaw Błażejak, Majid Bouzari, Ariane Briegel, Yves Briers, Daniel Carrillo, Xia Chen, Dennis Classen, Ryan Cook, Marco A. Crisci, Arnaud Dechesne, Paulina Deptula, Bas E. Dutith, Bert Ely, Lars Fieseler, Et. Al.

Faculty Publications

This article summarises the activities of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses Bacterial Viruses Subcommittee, detailing developments in the classification of bacterial viruses. We provide here an overview of all new, abolished, moved and renamed taxa proposed in 2024, approved by the Executive Committee, and ratified by membership vote in 2025. Through the collective efforts of 74 international contributors of taxonomy proposals in this round, 43 ratified proposals have led to the creation of one new phylum, one class, four orders, 33 families, 14 subfamilies, 194 genera and 995 species. These proposals mark significant progress in refining the taxonomy …

A Caffeine And Theacrine Combination Improves Cognitive Performance In Tactical Personnel Under Physically Fatiguing Conditions, Blaine S. Lints, Adam T. Harrison, Sten O. Stray-Gundersen, Gianna F. Mastrofini, Riccardo F. Romersi, Noah K. Nakagawa, Mackenzie B. Yonder, Chimaobim E. Martin-Diala, Alexa J. Chandler, R. Davis Moore, Shawn M. Arent Ph.D., Cscs*D, Fissn, Facsm, Fnak

Faculty Publications

Background

Optimizing human performance under stressful physical and cognitive conditions is paramount during high-stakes military operations. As such, interventions to improve warfighter performance by mitigating task-induced cognitive performance deficits are necessary. While caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance in the world, common side effects (i.e. anxiousness, micro-saccades, irritability) may be detrimental to warfighter operations. Theacrine, a purine alkaloid similar in structure to caffeine but with a longer half-life, less habituation, and fewer side effects, is proposed as a caffeine-alternative to enhance cognitive resilience.

Methods

Tactically trained participants (n = 20; F = 5; M = 16; age …

Predicting Sleep And Sleep Stage In Children Using Actigraphy And Heartrate Via A Long Short-Term Memory Deep Learning Algorithm: A Performance Evaluation, Robert Weaver Med, Phd, James White, Olivia Finnegan, Hongpeng Yang, Zifei Zhong, Keagan Kiely, Catherine Jones, Yan Tong, Srihari Nelakuditi, Rahul Ghosal, David E. Brown, Russell R. Pate Ph.D., Gregory J. Welk, Massimiliano De Zambotti, Yuan Wang, Sarah Burkart, Elizabeth L. Adams Phd, Bridget Armstrong, Michael Beets Med, Mph, Phd

Faculty Publications

Children's ambulatory sleep is commonly measured via actigraphy. However, traditional actigraphy measured sleep (e.g., Sadeh algorithm) struggles to predict wake (i.e., specificity, values typically < 70) and cannot predict sleep stages. Long short-term memory (LSTM) is a machine learning algorithm that may address these deficiencies. This study evaluated the agreement of LSTM sleep estimates from actigraphy and heartrate (HR) data with polysomnography (PSG). Children (N = 238, 5–12 years,52.8% male, 50% Black 31.9% White) participated in an overnight laboratory polysomnography. Participants were referred be-cause of suspected sleep disruptions. Children wore an ActiGraph GT9X accelerometer and two of three consumer wearables(i.e., Apple Watch Series 7, Fitbit Sense, Garmin Vivoactive 4) on their non-dominant wrist during the polysomnogram. LSTM estimated sleep versus wake and sleep stage (wake, not-REM, REM) using raw actigraphy and HR data for each 30-s epoch. Logistic regression and random forest were also estimated as a benchmark for performance with which to compare the LSTM results. A 10-fold cross-validation technique was employed, and confusion matrices were constructed. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated to assess the agreement between research-grade and consumer wearables with the criterion polysomnography. For sleep versus wake classification, LSTM outperformed logistic regression and random forest with accuracy ranging from 94.1to 95.1, sensitivity ranging from 94.9 to 95.9 across different devices, and specificity ranging from 84.5 to 89.6. The addition of HR improved the prediction of sleep stages but not binary sleep versus wake. LSTM is promising for predicting sleep and sleep staging from actigraphy data, and HR may improve sleep stage prediction.

An Upper-Mesopelagic-Zone Carbon Budget For The Subarctic North Pacific, Brandon M. Stephens, Montserrat Roca-Martí, Amy E. Maas, Vinícius J. Amaral, Samantha Clevenger, Shawnee Traylor, Claudia R. Benitez-Nelson, Philip W. Boyd, Ken O. Buesseler, Craig A. Carlson, Nicolas Cassar, Margaret Estapa, Andrea J. Fassbender, Yibin Huang, Phoebe J. Lam, Oliver Marchal, Susanne Menden-Deuer, Nicola L. Paul, Alyson E. Santoro, David A. Siegel, David P. Nicolson

Faculty Publications

Mesopelagic zone (MZ) carbon budgets comparing supply with demand can be difficult to constrain due to the temporal and spatial offsets between key sources and sinks, their associated uncertainties, and potential sampling biases. To address these challenges, the EXport Processes in the Ocean from RemoTe Sensing (EXPORTS) campaign increased the number and variety of simultaneous measurements to monitor temporal variability in the MZ carbon budget using both a Lagrangian frame of reference and long-term autonomous observations. In this study, we collate a comprehensive combination of new and previously published organic carbon supply and demand measurements collected from the surface (5 …

Electroexcitation Of Nucleon Resonances And Emergence Of Hadron Mass, Patrick Achenbach, Daniel S. Carman, Ralf Gothe, Kyungseon Joo, Victor I. Mokeev, Craig D. Roberts

Faculty Publications

Developing an understanding of phenomena driven by the emergence of hadron mass (EHM) is one of the most challenging problems in the Standard Model. This discussion focuses on the impact of results on nucleon resonance (N*) electroexcitation amplitudes (or γ_vpN*) obtained from experiments during the 6 GeV era in Hall B at Jefferson Lab on understanding EHM. Analyzed using continuum Schwinger function methods (CSMs), these results have revealed new pathways for the elucidation of EHM. A good description of the Δ (1232) 3/2⁺, N (1440) 1/2⁺, and Δ (1600) 3/2^{+ …}

The Digital Forum: A Pedagogical Approach To Teaching College English Composition, Thomas Edward Plichta

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study focused on the identification of ways to improve the curriculum of freshman Writing Intensive Seminars using an innovative multimodal pedagogical methodology, the Digital Forum, in addition to formal papers and in-class writing. The research examined a Writing Intensive Seminar with approximately 20 students; There were two Research Questions for the present study. RQ1: How does the incorporation of the Digital Forum as a pedagogical approach in college freshman writing classes influence students' levels of behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement? RQ2: How does the incorporation of Digital Forums in freshman English Composition courses affect the quality of …

Synthesis Of Inorganic Actinide Compounds With Neptunium, Plutonium, And Americium, Travis Kelly Deason

Theses and Dissertations

There is a rush of countries around the world making the switch to greener energy sources. Nuclear energy power plants are an integral part of the shift from fossil fuels, but there are concerns over the best way to handle nuclear waste. Most of the nuclear waste is currently disposed of by incorporating the waste into a glass form through vitrification, but research into alternative waste forms, such as promising crystalline materials, could provide a more robust method of containment. Research on actinide materials is lacking due to the dangers of working with radioactive material and there are few labs …

A Tailored Approach To Prep Screening For Awareness And Readiness, Keionda Crumblin Caldwell

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Problem Statement: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a serious health concern in the United States (U.S). Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is a vital intervention in the prevention of HIV, yet its uptake and adherence are suboptimal due to barriers in identifying individuals who are most at risk and would benefit most from this preventive measure.

Purpose: This evidence-based project aimed to evaluate whether implementing a PrEP readiness tool at a walk-in clinic would identify at-risk adults and adolescents and lead to an increase in referrals for PrEP initiation.

Method: A PrEP Questionnaire from the Department of Wisconsin Public Health was given …

Improving Depression Screening Of Correctional Institution Inmates, Thelma Chidimma Ozigbu

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Problem: Depression significantly impacted on the quality of life of incarcerated individuals within correctional facilities, where rates of the disorder far exceed those in the broader community, increasing self-harm and suicide risks.

Purpose: This quality improvement project aimed to improve early identification of depressive symptoms and facilitate timely mental health referrals by implementing the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) as a screening tool upon admission.

Method: Using the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice (Iowa Model) as a guiding framework, this project involved training nursing staff to administer the PHQ-9 during initial health assessments. PHQ-9 is a nine-item questionnaire that assesses depression …

Improving Completion Of Diabetes Management Measures In Primary Care, Ashley Tyner Divers

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Problem Statement: Adults with type 2 diabetes are at a risk of multiple comorbidities that can be prevented with proper screenings performed as recommended by the American Diabetes Association.

Purpose: Determine if using a checklist on the patient router will improve completion of urine microalbumin, diabetic eye exam, and diabetic foot exam.

Methods: The MA/LPN asked the patient about the last eye exam performed and requested a record from the previous provider if performed within the last year. If the microalbumin was not current, the MA/LPN obtained a urine specimen and placed the order into EPIC. If a diabetic foot …

Enhancing Glycemic Control, Patient Knowledge, And Self-Care Through Structured Diabetes Education, Amanda Suzanne Clark

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

The rising prevalence of diabetes, particularly in South Carolina, revealed a significant gap in structured diabetes education programs, contributing to poor glycemic control and elevated A1C levels. In response, this project aimed to assess the integration of a comprehensive diabetes education program into standard care, potentially reducing A1C levels while improving patient knowledge and self-care behaviors in adults with diabetes over four months. The study used a pretest-posttest design to evaluate the effectiveness of this innovative intervention by comparing participants' outcomes before and after the program. Purpose: To determine if a comprehensive diabetes education program could reduce Hemoglobin A1C levels …

The Effect Of An Interdisciplinary Project On Students’ Understandings Of Mathematical Interdisciplinarity: A Qualitative Action Research Study, Jaime Krause

Theses and Dissertations

The siloed nature of education has likely caused some high school students to not recognize the interdisciplinary nature of mathematics, leading them to misunderstand its relationship to other subject areas. A misunderstanding of mathematical interdisciplinarity can cause issues when these students approach interdisciplinary problems later in life. The purpose of this study was to observe, investigate, and analyze the ways in which students understand mathematical interdisciplinarity following a collaborative and interdisciplinary project. I implemented a descriptive qualitative action research approach to determine how a collaborative interdisciplinary project on NASA technology in a high school mathematics course affects students’ understandings of …

Causal Neuro-Symbolic Artificial Intelligence: Synergy Between Neuro-Symbolic And Causal Artificial Intelligence, Utkarshani Jaimini

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding and reasoning about cause and effect is innate to human cognition. In everyday life, humans continuously engage in causal reasoning and hypothetical retrospection to make decisions, plan actions, and interpret events. This cognitive ability allows us to ask questions such as: “What caused this situation?”, “What will happen if I take this action?”, or “What would have happened had I chosen differently?” This intuitive capacity to form mental models of the world, infer causal relationships, and reason about alternative scenarios, particularly counterfactuals, is central to our intelligence and adaptability. In contrast, current machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) …

Investigating The Ecology Of The Homeless Court: The Promise Of Quasi-Experimental And Statistical Learning Methods, Dylan Wong

Theses and Dissertations

Interactions with the legal system are a crucial factor in maintaining homelessness. Difficulties in addressing legal issues are barriers to accessing services and finding employment and housing. Across the United States, the homeless court is an emerging legal program that has been developed to break this cycle, but they appear to face numerous capacity and coordination problems. Few empirical and systematic investigations have been conducted on homeless court programs. Further, previous studies of homeless courts focus their process and outcome measures on the priorities of the legal system. An investigation into the ecology, or environmental context, of homeless persons would …