Digital Commons Network^™

Designing Moocs With Little, Hengtao Tang, Yingxiao Qian Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have been touted as a disruptive innovation with a low-cost and flexible option for opening up higher education. However, existing barriers of MOOCs such as a low retention rate and a low forum participation rate have limited their capacity of serving learners. To strengthen the potential of MOOCs, a compelling design that enables an effective learning experience is needed. This article is aimed to propose a series of design guidelines for MOOCs, namely the LITTLE, as a preliminary design framework for an effective MOOC. The LITTLE includes guidelines such as learner-centered, inquiry-based, technology-enriched, trophy-driven, literature-guided, …

Neural Correlates Of Impaired Vocal Feedback Control In Post-Stroke Aphasia, Roozbeh Behroozmand, Leonardo Bonilha, Chris Rorden, Gregory Hickok, Julius Fridriksson

Faculty Publications

We used left-hemisphere stroke as a model to examine how damage to sensorimotor brain networks impairs vocal auditory feedback processing and control. Individuals with post-stroke aphasia and matched neurotypical control subjects vocalized speech vowel sounds and listened to the playback of their self-produced vocalizations under normal (NAF) and pitch-shifted altered auditory feedback (AAF) while their brain activity was recorded using electroencephalography (EEG) signals. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were utilized as a neural index to probe the effect of vocal production on auditory feedback processing with high temporal resolution, while lesion data in the stroke group was used to determine how brain …

Social Capital, Urbanization Level, And Covid-19 Vaccination Uptake In The United States: A National Level Analysis, Shan Qiao, Zhenlong Li, Jiajia Zhang, Xiaowen Sun, Camryn Garrett, Xiaoming Li

Faculty Publications

Vaccination remains the most promising mitigation strategy for the COVID-19 pandemic. However, existing literature shows significant disparities in vaccination uptake in the United States. Using publicly available national-level data, we aimed to explore if county-level social capital can further explain disparities in vaccination uptake rates when adjusting for demographic and social determinants of health (SDOH) variables, and if association between social capital and vaccination uptake may vary by urbanization level. Bivariate analyses and a hierarchical multivariable quasi-binomial regression analysis were conducted, where the regression analysis was stratified by urban–rural status. The current study suggests that social capital contributes significantly to …

Do We Trust The Government? Attributes Of Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy And Acceptance In Nigeria, Osmond C. Ekwebelem, Helen Onyeaka, Ismaeel Yunusa Ph. D., Taghi Miri, Yahwedalu M. Onwuneme, Ayeni T. Eunice, Amara Anyogu, Bright Obi, Ngwogu Ada Carol

Faculty Publications

Objectives:

A significant percentage of the population must be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity. Therefore the success of a vaccination program relies on the level of acceptance. This present study seeks to understand COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy in Nigeria by assessing the public's willingness to get vaccinated.

Study design:

This is a population-based cross-sectional study. Data were derived through a structured online survey.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was conducted among adult residents in Nigeria in March 2021 using a structured online questionnaire. The questionnaire surveyed participants' demographic characteristics and perception of COVID-19 and the COVID-19 vaccine. Descriptive statistics and …

Chimney Identification Tool For Automated Detection Of Hydrothermal Chimneys From High-Resolution Bathymetry Using Machine Learning, Isaac Keohane, Scott White

Faculty Publications

Identifying the locations of hydrothermal chimneys across mapped areas of seafloor spreading ridges unlocks the ability to research questions about their correlations to geology, the cooling of the lithosphere, and deep-sea biogeography. We developed a Chimney Identification Tool (CIT) that utilizes a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to classify 1 m gridded AUV bathymetry and identify the locations of hydrothermal vent chimneys. A CNN is a type of Machine-Learning model that is able to classify raster data based on the shapes and textures in the input, making it ideal for this task. The criteria that have been used in previous manual …

Search Of The Early O3 Ligo Data For Continuous Gravitational Waves From The Cassiopeia A And Vela Jr. Supernova Remnants, Ligo Scientific Collaboration, Virgo Collaboration, Tiffany Z. Summerscales

Faculty Publications

We present directed searches for continuous gravitational waves from the neutron stars in the Cassiopeia A (Cas A) and Vela Jr. supernova remnants. We carry out the searches in the LIGO detector data from the first six months of the third Advanced LIGO and Virgo observing run using the weave semicoherent method, which sums matched-filter detection-statistic values over many time segments spanning the observation period. No gravitational wave signal is detected in the search band of 20–976 Hz for assumed source ages greater than 300 years for Cas A and greater than 700 years for Vela Jr. Estimates from simulated …

Controls On Buffering And Coastal Acidification In A Temperate Estuary, Christopher W. Hunt, Joseph Salisbury, Douglas Vandemark

Faculty Publications

Estuaries may be uniquely susceptible to the combined acidification pressures of atmospherically driven ocean acidification (OA), biologically driven CO2 inputs from the estuary itself, and terrestrially derived freshwater inputs. This study utilized continuous measurements of total alkalinity (TA) and the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) from the mouth of Great Bay, a temperate northeastern U.S. estuary, to examine the potential influences of endmember mixing and biogeochemical transformation upon estuary buffering capacity (β–H). Observations were collected hourly over 28 months representing all seasons between May 2016 and December 2019. Results indicated that endmember mixing explained most of the observed variability …

Canonical Sentence Processing And The Inferior Frontal Cortex: Is There A Connection?, Nicholas Riccardi, Chris Rorden, Julius Fridriksson, Rutvik H. Desai

Faculty Publications

The role of left inferior frontal cortex (LIFC) in canonical sentence comprehension is controversial. Many studies have found involvement of LIFC in sentence production or complex sentence comprehension, but negative or mixed results are often found in comprehension of simple or canonical sentences. We used voxel-, region-, and connectivity-based lesion symptom mapping (VLSM, RLSM, CLSM) in left-hemisphere chronic stroke survivors to investigate canonical sentence comprehension while controlling for lexical-semantic, executive, and phonological processes. We investigated how damage and disrupted white matter connectivity of LIFC and two other language-related regions, the left anterior temporal lobe (LATL) and posterior temporal-inferior parietal area …

Integrated Nonmarital Property Rights, E. Gary Spitko

Faculty Publications

Nonmarital cohabitation has become a mainstream family structure in the United States. Yet, despite the increasing prevalence of nonmarital cohabitants, American family property law generally fails to support nonmarital couples. This inequality under the law disproportionately disadvantages persons of color, those with relatively less education, and couples with relatively fewer economic resources. This Article considers the post-Obergefell need for law reform to better support nonmarital families, examines the principles that should ground nonmarital property rights reform, and proposes a novel approach to nonmarital property rights that integrates the law of dissolution with the law of succession, unifies the law governing …

An Exploration Of How Biophilic Attributes On Campuses Might Support Student Connectedness To Nature, Others, And Self, Susana Alves, Gowri Betrabet Gulwadi, Pia Nilsson

Faculty Publications

University Campuses remain important settings for nurturing and supporting student health and quality of life (QoL). Research shows the health benefits of nature experiences may be facilitated by campus spaces and activities that afford connectedness. Connectedness to nature, others, and self may allow students to cope with mental fatigue, stress, and a constant need for restoration. Despite recent encouraging trends, we still lack an integrative conceptual framework to describe the mechanisms involved in achieving connectedness for making recommendations for campus design. In this conceptual review, we examine students’ connectedness in campus settings in relation to biophilic elements and attributes. We …

Cross-Cultural Validation And Psychometric Testing Of The Debriefing Experience Scale (Des): A Cross-Sectional Study, Ya Dian Xie, Xin Yi Li, Qian Liu, Run Huang, Ting Li, Ya Xuan Fang, Dan Luo, Yonghui Wan, Bing Xiang Yang, Shelly J. Reed

Faculty Publications

Background

The Debriefing Experience Scale (DES) is a tool that is used to explore nursing students’ subjective experiences during a debriefing and to help determine best debriefing practices. A Chinese version of the scale has not been found; its development can enhance learning in simulation activites in Chinese healthcare education programs.

Methods

A simplified Chinese version of the DES was developed and tested using 34 Chinese undergraduate (second year) nursing students. They participated in six simulation scenarios and debriefings. Eight experts were consulted to determine the content validity of the scale. Critical ratio method, Cronbach’s alpha, intraclass correlation coefficient, correlation …

Predicting Coral Metapopulation Decline In A Changing Thermal Environment, Daniel M. Holstein, Tyler B. Smith, Ruben Van Hooidonk, Claire B. Paris

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Interneuronal Network Model Of Theta-Nested Fast Oscillations Predicts Differential Effects Of Heterogeneity, Gap Junctions And Short Term Depression For Hyperpolarizing Versus Shunting Inhibition, Guillem Via, Fernando R. Fernandez, John A. White, Carmen C. Canavier

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Interplay Between Hydrogen Sulfide And Phytohormone Signaling Pathways Under Challenging Environments, Muhammad Saad Shoaib Khan, Faisal Islam, Yajin Ye, Matthew Ashline, Daowen Wang, Biying Zhao, Zheng Qing Fu, Jian Chen

Faculty Publications

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) serves as an important gaseous signaling molecule that is involved in intra- and intercellular signal transduction in plant–environment interactions. In plants, H₂S is formed in sulfate/cysteine reduction pathways. The activation of endogenous H₂S and its exogenous application has been found to be highly effective in ameliorating a wide variety of stress conditions in plants. The H₂S interferes with the cellular redox regulatory network and prevents the degradation of proteins from oxidative stress via post-translational modifications (PTMs). H₂S-mediated persulfidation allows the rapid response of proteins in signaling networks …

Nh’S Workforce: The Youth Retention Initiative For Educational, Occupational And Residential Futures In New Hampshire, Andrew D. Coppens, Sarah Jusseaume, Cindy L. Hartman, Jayson Seaman, Erin H. Sharp, Molly Donovan

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Tell Or Retell? The Role Of Task And Language In Spanish-English Narrative Microstructure Performance, Mary Claire Wofford, Jessica Cano, Lisa A. Fitton Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Purpose:

This study examined performance of dual language learners (DLLs) on Spanish- and English-language narrative story retells and unique tells. Transcription and analysis focused on comparisons of common microstructural language sample measures in Spanish and English across tasks. Each language sample measure was evaluated for its possible convergence with norm-referenced standardized assessments for DLL children.

Method:

Spanish–English DLLs (N = 133) enrolled in English-only kindergarten or first-grade classrooms completed two-language sample tasks (one in each language), which were transcribed and analyzed using Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (Miller & Iglesias, 2017) for measures of syntactic complexity (mean length of …

Simplified Thermal Runaway Model For Assisting The Design Of A Novel Safe Li-Ion Battery Pack, Paul T. Coman, Eric C. Darcy, Ralph E. White

Faculty Publications

This paper presents a simplified thermal runaway model (FEM) used to guide the design of a novel battery pack designed to resist thermal runaway propagation passively. The model is based on the heat equation for a 2D geometry with a heat generation term based on the maximum amount of energy measured using a custom-made calorimeter. The model was validated against experimental data using a 48-cell subscale of a full-scale battery pack for three different runs with three trigger cells with Internal Short Circuit Devices (ISCD) implanted in the separators. One trigger cell was placed at the edge, one placed in …

Virtual Teaching Rehearsals And Repeated Teaching Simulations: Impact On Pre-Service Teachers Efficacy, Lori Imasiku, Michelle K. Bacchiocchi

Faculty Publications

Due to the nature of in-person K-12 classrooms, opportunities for PTs to engage in a cycle of teaching, reviewing/reflecting, and reteaching is limited. Teaching simulations, unlike live K-12 classroom clinical experience, allow for PTs to practice their teaching, with the potential for repeating that experience once or multiple times to advance effectiveness. Repeating teaching simulations can be a repeat of an exact lesson taught with necessary modifications made or can be a new lesson, but with a focus on the successful implementation of a selected instructional strategy. In the repeated teaching simulations, PTs have an opportunity to practice teaching content …

Thalamic Shape Abnormalities Differentially Relate To Cognitive Performance In Early-Onset And Adult-Onset Schizophrenia, Derin J. Cobia, Chaz Rich, Matthew J. Smith, Pedro Engel Gonzalez, Will Cronenwett, John G. Csernansky, Lei Wang

Faculty Publications

Early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) shares many biological and clinical features with adult-onset schizophrenia (AOS), but may represent a unique subgroup with greater susceptibility for disease onset and worsened symptomatology and progression, which could potentially derive from exaggerated neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Neurobiological explanations of schizophrenia have emphasized the involvement of deep-brain structures, particularly alterations of the thalamus, which have been linked to core features of the disorder. The aim of this study was to compare thalamic shape abnormalities between EOS and AOS subjects and determine whether unique behavioral profiles related to these differences. It was hypothesized abnormal thalamic shape would be observed in …

Beam-Spin Asymmetry Σ For Σ- Hyperon Photoproduction Off The Neutron, N. Zachariou, E. Munevar, B. L. Berman, P. Bydžovský, A. Cieplý, G. Feldman, Y. Ilieva, P. Nadel-Turonski, D. Skoupil, A. V. Sarantsev, D. P. Watts, M. J. Amaryan, G. Angelini, W. R. Armstrong, H. Atac, H. Avakian, L. Barion, M. Bashkanov, M. Battaglieri, Steffen Strauch, Et. Al.

Faculty Publications

We report a new measurement of the beam-spin asymmetry, Σ, for the γn → K ⁺ Σ− reaction using quasi-free neutrons in a liquid-deuterium target. The new dataset includes data at previously unmeasured photon energy and angular ranges, thereby providing new constraints on partial wave analyses used to extract properties of the excited nucleon states. The experimental data were obtained using the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS), housed in Hall B of the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab). The CLAS detector measured reaction products from a liquid-deuterium target produced by an energy-tagged, linearly polarised photon beam with energies in …

Beyond Profitable Shifts To Green Energies, Towards Energy Sustainability, Farboud Khatami, Erfan Goharian

Faculty Publications

The traditional carbon-based approach towards sustainability has long caused the concepts of green and sustainable energies to be used interchangeably. Recent studies have tried to advance this archaic view by considering more aspects of sustainability. However, almost all major studies have been concerned with only the economic and environmental aspects of electricity generation, whereas the concept of sustainability is beyond these two criteria. In this paper, we seek to provide a methodology for a more comprehensive definition of electricity generation sustainability based on the lessons learned from previous studies and additional metrics suggested by them. The main characteristics of select …

Materialsatlas.Org: A Materials Informatics Web App Platform For Materials Discovery And Survey Of State-Of-The-Art, Jianjun Hu, Stanislav Stefanov, Yuqi Song, Sadman Sadeed Omee, Steph-Yves Louis, Edirisuriya M.D. Siriwardane, Yong Zhao, Lai Wei

Faculty Publications

The availability and easy access of large-scale experimental and computational materials data have enabled the emergence of accelerated development of algorithms and models for materials property prediction, structure prediction, and generative design of materials. However, the lack of user-friendly materials informatics web servers has severely constrained the wide adoption of such tools in the daily practice of materials screening, tinkering, and design space exploration by materials scientists. Herein we first survey current materials informatics web apps and then propose and develop MaterialsAtlas.org, a web-based materials informatics toolbox for materials discovery, which includes a variety of routinely needed tools for exploratory …

Predicting Post-Heart Transplant Composite Renal Outcome Risk In Adults: A Machine Learning Decision Tool, Mutlu Mete, Mehmet U.S. Ayvaci, Venkatesh K. Ariyamuthu, Alpesh Amin

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Electrochemical Pumping For Challenging Hydrogen Separations, Gokul Venugopalan, Deepra Bhattacharya, Evan Andrews, Luis Briceno-Mena, José Romagnoli, John Flake, Christopher G. Arges

Faculty Publications

Conventional hydrogen separations from reformed hydrocarbons often deploy a water gas shift (WGS) reactor to convert CO to CO2, followed by adsorption processes to achieve pure hydrogen. The purified hydrogen is then fed to a compressor to deliver hydrogen at high pressures. Electrochemical hydrogen pumps (EHPs) featuring proton-selective polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) represent an alternative separation platform with fewer unit operations because they can simultaneously separate and compress hydrogen continuously. In this work, a high-temperature PEM (HT-PEM) EHP purified hydrogen to 99.3%, with greater than 85% hydrogen recovery for feed mixtures containing 25-40% CO. The ion-pair HT-PEM and phosphonic acid …

Association Of Age-Related Macular Degeneration With Prior Hyperthyroidism And Hypothyroidism: A Case-Control Study, Shih-Han Hung, Sudha Xirasagar, Tung-Mei Tammy Kuang, Wei-Wen Chang, Yen-Fu Cheng, Nai-Wen Kuo, Herng-Ching Lin

Faculty Publications

Prior studies suggest a possible association between thyroid disease and the subsequent development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), although it remains inconclusive. This study aimed to evaluate the association of AMD with prior hyper-/hypothyroidism based on nationwide population-based data. We retrieved records of the study patients from the National Health Insurance Research Database, 7522 patients with a first-time diagnosis of AMD and 7522 propensity score-matched controls. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to explore the association of neovascular AMD with previously diagnosed hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. The Chi-square test shows that there was a statistically significant difference in the prevalence of …

Pro-Inflammatory Diet Pictured In Children With Atopic Dermatitis Or Food Allergy: Nutritional Data Of The Lina Cohort, Olivia Schütte, Larissa Bachmann, Nitin Shivappa Mbbs, Mph, Ph.D., James R. Hébert Scd, Janine F. Felix, Stefan Röder, Ulrich Sack, Michaek Borte, Wieland Kiess, Ana C. Zenclussen, Gabriele I. Stangl

Faculty Publications

Background: Lifestyle and environmental factors are known to contribute to allergic disease development, especially very early in life. However, the link between diet composition and allergic outcomes remains unclear. Methods: In the present population-based cohort study we evaluated the dietary intake of 10-year-old children and analyses were performed with particular focus on atopic dermatitis or food allergy, allergic diseases known to be affected by dietary allergens. Dietary intake was assessed via semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires. Based on these data, individual nutrient intake as well as children’s Dietary Inflammatory Index (C-DII™) scores were calculated. Information about atopic manifestations during the first …

Limited Opportunities And Numerous Barriers To Ocean Science Careers In Under-Resourced Nations, Tashiana Osborne, Charitha Pattiaratchi, Erin L. Meyer-Gutbrod

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

State Estimation—The Role Of Reduced Models, Albert Cohen, Wolfgang Dahmen, Ron Devore

Faculty Publications

The exploration of complex physical or technological processes usually requires exploiting available information from different sources: (i) physical laws often represented as a family of parameter dependent partial differential equations and (ii) data provided by measurement devices or sensors. The amount of sensors is typically limited and data acquisition may be expensive and in some cases even harmful. This article reviews some recent developments for this “small-data” scenario where inversion is strongly aggravated by the typically large parametric dimensionality. The proposed concepts may be viewed as exploring alternatives to Bayesian inversion in favor of more deterministic accuracy quantification related …

Lis1 And Ndel1 Regulate Axonal Trafficking Of Mitochondria In Mature Neurons, Jai P. Pandey, Liang Shi, Remi A. Brebion, Deanna S. Smith

Faculty Publications

Defective mitochondrial dynamics in axons have been linked to both developmental and late-onset neurological disorders. Axonal trafficking is in large part governed by the microtubule motors kinesin-1 and cytoplasmic dynein 1 (dynein). Dynein is the primary retrograde transport motor in axons, and mutations in dynein and many of its regulators also cause neurological diseases. Depletion of LIS1, famous for linking dynein deregulation to lissencephaly (smooth brain), in adult mice leads to severe neurological phenotypes, demonstrating post-developmental roles. LIS1 stimulates retrograde transport of acidic organelles in cultured adult rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) axons but findings on its role in mitochondrial …

Mapping Yellow Fever Epidemics As A Potential Indicator Of The Historical Range Of Aedes Aegypti In The United States, Nicole S. Fijman, Donald A. Yee

Faculty Publications

Background: Yellow fever (YF) plagued the United States from the 1690s until 1905, resulting in thousands of deaths. Within the US, Aedes aegypti is the only YF vector and almost no data exists for the location of this species prior to the early 1900s.

Objectives: To determine the historical range of Ae. aegypti we examined the occurrence of YF epidemics across time and space. We hypothesized that historically Ae. aegypti was driven by human population density, like its contemporary range suggests.

Methods: To test this hypothesis, we compiled a list of YF cases in the US, human population density, location, …