Digital Commons Network^™

Mis-Institutionalization: Accounting Information Systems (Ais) And Decision Making In Higher Education, Cory Allen Campbell

Student Scholarship

The state of higher education is moving from a slow rate of change to a faster rate of change because external expectations are rising. External forces are influencing sources of funding that impact both public and private schools and schools need to react. As institutions of higher learning adapt to change in the external environment, schools must adopt more efficient ways to use information to make strategic decisions. Schools recognize the need to create better use of data and are striving to achieve that, but this study demonstrates that the degree of decentralization prevalent in institutions of higher learning hinders …

Case Watch: Royston, Rayzor, Vickery & Williams Llp V. Lopez, Ramona L. Lampley

Faculty Articles

The Texas Supreme Court effectively gave a “thumbs-up” to attorney-client arbitration agreements in Royston, Rayzor, Vickery, & Williams, LLP v. Lopez, 467 S.W.3d 494 (Tex. 2015), reh’g denied (Sept. 11, 2015). The plaintiff, Frank Lopez, hired Royston, Rayzor to represent him in a divorce. As part of the representation agreement, Lopez agreed to arbitrate any disputes arising out of the attorney-client relationship, but the law firm excluded from the arbitration agreement any claims it might have against Lopez for expenses or fees. Lopez later sued Royston, Rayzor and the firm moved to compel arbitration.

Lopez contended that the arbitration agreement …

Dimensions Underlying Assistive Technology (At) Practices And Quality Of At Outcomes From The Perspective Of Special Education Professors, Soonhwa Seok, Boaventura Dacosta, Brian Bryant

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This study validated items for assistive technology (AT) evaluation and, accordingly, identified dimensions underlying AT practices and the quality of AT outcomes from the perspective of professors preparing preservice teachers for careers in special education. The statistical approach of multidimensional scaling was used, in which the proximity of similarity and dissimilarity between items was compared. Participants rated 4,851 comparisons, resulting in a dataset of 19,404 pairwise comparisons (4,851*4). Stress and fit measures showed that the normalized raw stress was .07136, S-stress was .19190, dispersion was .92864, and Tucker’s coefficient of congruence was .96366. These results revealed four underlying dimensions— Dependability …

Big Data Ethics In Education: Connecting Practices And Ethical Awareness, Xiaojun Chen, Chen Ying Liu

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

The purpose of this paper is to discuss big data ethics in education. To achieve this goal, this paper first discusses big data from its origin, and then discusses big data ethics from its philosophical perspectives of cyberethics and the emphasis on privacy issues in using big data in researching and teaching. Cases, policies, and code of conduct regarding big data and privacy are discussed with ethical considerations from data ownership and privacy, as well as instructor and learner responsibilities perspectives. Key privacy preserving data mining techniques are also discussed, and the authors recommend using a hybrid approach to address …

Applying Data Mining Methods To Understand User Interactions Within Learning Management Systems: Approaches And Lessons Learned, Ji Eun Lee, Mimi M. Recker, Hongkyu Choi, Won Joon Hong, Nam Ju Kim, Kyumin Lee, Mason Lefler, John Louviere, Andrew Walker

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This article describes our processes for analyzing and mining the vast records of instructor and student usage data collected by a learning management system (LMS) widely used in higher education, called Canvas. Our data were drawn from over 33,000 courses taught over three years at a mid-sized public Western U.S. university. Our processes were guided by an established data mining framework, called Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (KDD). In particular, we use the KDD framework in guiding our application of several educational data mining (EDM) methods (prediction, clustering, and data visualization) to model student and instructor Canvas usage data, and …

Analyzing And Comparing Online Learning Experiences Through Micro-Level Analytics, Sanghoon Park

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Learning analytics collects and uses observations of interactions, which allow course instructors to search for the underlying patterns of a student’ learning progress and to accordingly optimize the student’ learning progress at a micro-level. Understanding the online learning experience through the learning analytics approach is essential to inform future pedagogical decisions in online learning design. This paper attempts to define the concept of an online learning experience in three dimensions. In addition, the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) is suggested as a supplement to Web log analysis (WLA) to collect data on cognitive involvement and learning emotion as well as to …

Transforming C Openmp Programs For Verification In Civl, Michael Rogers

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

There are numerous way to express parallelism which can make it challenging for developers to verify these programs. Many tools only target a single dialect but the Concurrency Intermediate Verification Language (CIVL) targets MPI, Pthreads, and CUDA. CIVL provides a general concurrency model that can represent pro- grams in a variety of concurrency dialects. CIVL includes a front-end that support all of the dialects mentioned above. The back-end is a verifier that uses model checking and symbolic execution to check standard properties.

In this thesis, we have designed and implemented a transformer that will take C OpenMP programs and transform …

Routing Optimization In Interplanetary Networks, Sara El Alaoui

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Interplanetary Internet or Interplanetary Networking (IPN) is envisaged as a space network which interconnects spacecrafts, satellites, rovers and orbiters of different planets and comets for efficient exchange of scientific data such as telemetry and images. IPNs are classified among challenged networks because of the unpredictable changes in the network and the large varying delays in communication. These networks are hard to model using static graphs and do not behave optimally when operated using the standards and techniques of static networks. Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN), in its different implementations, is one of the suggested solutions to overcome these challenges. DTN has …

Using Software-Defined Networking To Improve Campus, Transport And Future Internet Architectures, Adrian Lara

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Software-defined Networking (SDN) promises to redefine the future of networking. Indeed, SDN-based networks have unique capabilities such as centralized control, flow abstraction, dynamic updating of forwarding rules and software-based traffic analysis. SDN-based networks decouple the data plane from the control plane, migrating the latter to a software controller. By adding a software layer between network devices and applications, features such as network virtualization and automated management are simpler to achieve.

In this dissertation, we show how SDN-based deployments simplify network management at multiple scales such as campus and transport networks, as well as future Internet architectures. First, we propose OpenSec, …

Bandwidth Estimation For Virtual Networks, Ertong Zhang

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Cloud computing is transforming a large part of IT industry, as evidenced by the increasing popularity of public cloud computingservices, such as Amazon Web Service, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Windows Azure, and Rackspace Public Cloud. Manycloud computing applications are bandwidth-intensive, and thus the network bandwidth information of clouds is important for theirusers to manage and troubleshoot the application performance.

The current bandwidth estimation methods originally developed for the traditional Internet, however, face great challenges in clouds dueto virtualization that is the main enabling technique of cloud computing. First, virtual machine scheduling, which is an importantcomponent of computer virtualization for processor …

Misrepresentation Of Carbohydrate For Exercise: ‘It Is Time To Bust The Myth Of Physical Inactivity And Obesity: You Cannot Outrun A Bad Diet’, Patrick B. Wilson

Athletic Performance Research

The contention from Malhotra et al1 regarding the unimportance of carbohydrate for exercise is misguided. First, the reference they provide is an editorial2 that should not be viewed as high-quality evidence. Several oft-cited exercise studies showing benefits with high-fat diets simultaneously utilized carbohydrate restoration strategies,3 which involves “carbohydrate loading” after a high-fat diet. Thus, the evidence provided does not contradict the established belief that carbohydrate is an important fuel for endurance exercise. Second, the authors’ use of the term “carbohydrate loading” is misleading in this context. No public health organizations advocate a diet containing carbohydrate in amounts used in “carbohydrate …

Legal Aspects Of Coastal Adaption & Resilience In Rhode Island: A Workshop For Municipal Solicitors And Staff, Roger Williams University School Of Law, Marine Affairs Institute, Sea Grant Rhode Island, Coastal Resources Management Council, University Of Rhode Island Graduate School Of Oceanography

School of Law Conferences, Lectures & Events

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of At-Risk College Students Through Data Mining And Implementation Of Predictive Analysis, Nicole Alaine Cresse

Kutztown University Masters Theses

This project will encompass an in-depth study of at-risk college students that implements both predictive analysis and data mining techniques. At-risk students are students with a specific set of demographics, study habits, and historical academic performance. Using predictive analysis, factors that directly correlate with student performance will be used to create a detection algorithm for particular student characteristics. From this data, it will be determined if a student is deemed “at-risk” academically, and if action needs to be taken by faculty or the student themselves.

The goal of this study is to determine the optimal algorithm that identifies at-risk students …

Application Of Starch-Based Nanoparticle Colloidal Dispersion In Curtain Coating, Ting Chen

Dissertations

In this research, a conventional petro-based latex was partially replaced with a biobased latex in a curtain coating. A common petro-based rheology modifier used in curtain coatings, which is relatively costly and difficult to disperse, was also replaced with two inorganic rheology modifiers. The influence of these materials on coating rheology and curtain stability was thoroughly examined.

In the rheological study, the interactions between biopolymer nanoparticles and inorganic rheology modifiers were found to improve the rheological properties of the biobased latex coatings. Changes in the rheological properties of the coatings were found to depend on the type of rheology modifier …

Numerical Simulation And Modeling Of Combustion In Scramjets, Ryan James Clark

Dissertations

In the last fifteen years the development of a viable scramjet has quickly approached the following long term goals: responsive sub-orbital space access; long-range, prompt global strike; and high-speed transportation. Nonetheless, there are significant challenges that need to be resolved. These challenges include high skin friction drag and high heat transfer rates, inherent to vehicles in sustained, hypersonic flight. Another challenge is sustaining combustion. Numerical simulation and modeling was performed to provide insight into reducing skin friction drag and sustaining combustion.

Numerical simulation was used to investigate boundary layer combustion, which has been shown to reduce skin friction drag. The …

Development Of A Capacity Deployment Model For Disrupted Supply Chain Networks, James D. Burns

Dissertations

The increasing complexity of modern supply chains is widely accepted as one of the many drivers of risk that can leave organizations vulnerable to the effects of a disruption. This acceptance has contributed to an emerging interest in Supply Chain Resilience in the literature. Resilient supply chains are able to both resist the effects of a disruption and recover efficiently if the disruption is severe. This new body of literature is still in a formative phase and has thus far focused on defining Supply Chain Resilience, proposing frameworks for its implementation, exploring factors that contribute to resilience, and investigating methods …

Design Of Oppnet Virtual Machine For Opportunistic Resource Utilization Networks: A Universal Standard For Application-Level Resource Sharing, Mai A. Alduailij

Dissertations

Opportunistic resource utilization networks or oppnets are a paradigm for specialized ad hoc networks. The Oppnet Virtual Machine (OVM) is a collection of primitives designed to create a middleware for application-level resource acquisition by oppnets and oppnet-enabled systems and devices (where the latter are defined as the computational entities able to communicate with other oppnets or oppnet-enabled entities). Acquisition of communication resources is the foundation for acquisition of other resources.

The OVM primitives can be downloaded by any computational entity—making entity oppnet-enabled. OVM ensures that oppnet-enabled entities can communicate and acquire resources in an opportunistic and ad hoc manner. This …

Assessment And Comparison Of The Electronic Properties Of Group 10 Bimetallic Nanoparticles Relative To Their Monometallic Counterparts, Ali Bolandi

Dissertations

Group 10 transition metals with nanoscale dimensions offer significant advantages over their bulk counterparts. Significant work has been devoted toward studying the benefits of their catalytic efficiencies, however, less has been dedicated toward understanding their electronic properties and how such changes influence charge storage and sensor efficiency. The dissertation work focuses on designing metallic and bimetallic nanoparticles consisting of nanoscale Group 10 transition metals with welldefined structures, prepared using a facile synthetic procedure. The nanoparticles were characterized by electron microscopy, spectroscopic and x-ray techniques. The efficiency of monometallic and bimetallic nanoparticles toward electron storage was investigated electrochemically and by optical …

Outcomes Of Prediabetes And Diabetes Education Programs Tailored For Vulnerable Popuations, Diana Al Sayed Hassan

Dissertations

Diabetes is a debilitating disease and if not managed properly it can lead to multiple complications and even premature death. Diabetes continues to disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. The purpose of this three-paper method dissertation was to examine the implementation of a prediabetes and diabetes programs in a community setting to serve vulnerable populations in addition to understanding future diabetes-related educational needs.

The first paper is an evaluation of a shortened five-week diabetes prevention program for older adults with prediabetes or at a high risk for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Chang in nutrition knowledge, eating and physical activity behaviors, …

Implementation Of A Staff Management System To Increase Consumer Engagement In Group Homes, Jeana L. Koerber

Dissertations

A multi-component staff management system was implemented in three residential group homes for adults with disabilities to examine if it would increase consumer (resident) engagement in leisure activities. The design was a non-concurrent and concurrent multiple baseline design across homes. Participants included consumers who lived in the homes and the direct care staff (DCS) who worked with them: a total of 35 participants. Sessions were an hour in length and occurred twice a day, Monday through Friday. The study lasted approximately 17 weeks in each group home.

There were four phases: (phase A) baseline assessment of consumer engagement and affect, …

Power Relations At The Cistercian Abbey Of St. Mary At Rushen: With Special Interest In Connections At Furness And Influence Through The Kingdom Of The Isles, Valerie Dawn Hampton

Dissertations

The Isle of Man is an island situated in the Irish Sea at the geographical center of the British Isles. During the Middle Ages, the Isle of Man, which was only two hundred and twenty-two square miles, surprisingly was the seat of an important Viking kingdom that controlled and patrolled the Irish Sea and Hebrides. Rushen Abbey, a Savigniac monastery, was founded in 1134 near Ballasalla, in the parish of Malew, in the southeast of the Isle of Man.

This dissertation focuses on the influence that Rushen Abbey exerted on the ecclesiastical institutions and secular personas within the area of …

“A Difficult And Dangerous Thing”: Religious Reform In Late Medieval Ulm, 1434-1532, Jamie Mccandless

Dissertations

This work examines the relationship between mendicant Orders and the city council of Ulm in the period of religious reforms from the fifteenth century to the early Reformation in the sixteenth century. It challenges the view that the Observant reforms were unsuccessful because they failed to reform substantially their Orders, that their reforms were too conservative to respond to current trends in religion, or that they failed to prevent, in some way, the development of the antifratneral or anticlerical policies of the Reformation. This work also considers that nature of the Observant reforms themselves, the problems that religious Order’s had …

Novel Software Defined Radio Architecture With Graphics Processor Acceleration, Lalith Narasimhan

Dissertations

Wireless has become one of the most pervasive core technologies in the modern world. Demand for faster data rates, improved spectrum efficiency, higher system access capacity, seamless protocol integration, improved security and robustness under varying channel environments has led to the resurgence of programmable software defined radio (SDR) as an alternative to traditional ASIC based radios. Future SDR implementations will need support for multiple standards on platforms with multi-Gb/s connectivity, parallel processing and spectrum sensing capabilities. This dissertation implemented key technologies of importance in addressing these issues namely development of cost effective multi-mode reconfigurable SDR and providing a framework to …

Defining Equity And Addressing The Social Determinants Of Equity In International Development Evaluation, Kelly N. Robertson

Dissertations

The purpose of equity-focused evaluation is to examine the relationship between the evaluand and (1) experiences of social groups with different levels of advantage/disadvantage, and (2) the social determinants of equity, which shape those experiences. Equity-focused evaluation has emerged within the field of international development evaluation because of an increased emphasis on equity in the achievement of international development goals. However, empirically based theoretical and practical guidance on equity-focused evaluation is limited. There has not been a detailed examination of how equity—the conceptual root of equity-focused evaluation—is defined and differentiated from similar concepts in the field, despite having important implications …

The Impact Of Uncertainty On Data Revision, Pei-Ju Sung

Dissertations

Initial estimates of macroeconomic variables based on incomplete source data can be unreliable. Because of the methodology used by reporting agencies and the presence of reporting errors in the survey data, I argue that initial-released output estimates tend to be irrational and unreliable under uncertainty. Using U.S. nominal and real output real time data from 1985 to 2014 and the Economic Policy Uncertainty (EPU) index proposed by Baker et al. (2013), I investigate the impact of economic policy uncertainty on aggregate output data revisions, modeling the output revisions, and the effect of output data revision on inflation forecasts.

In Chapter …

Effects Of Resistance Exercise Training On Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity, Keith B. Pfannenstiel

Dissertations

In recent decades cancer survivorship has steadily increased; however, the adverse side effects associated with chemotherapy treatment can diminish a patient’s overall quality of life. One of the most effective and widely used chemotherapeutic agents is doxorubicin (DOX). Though highly effective, its use is limited by a dose-dependent cardiotoxicity. While it is known that exercise preconditioning with endurance training models provide a cardioprotective effect to DOX treatment, little focus has been placed on the effects of a resistance training (RT) model on DOX-induced cardiac dysfunction. The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of a 12-week RT model …

Effects Of Exercise Training And Doxorubicin On Myogenic Regulatory Factors, Colin Joseph Quinn

Dissertations

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a widely used anthracycline antibiotic used to treat a number of hematological and solid tumor cancers. Dosage; however, is limited due to its toxic effects in healthy tissues. Negative consequences include myotoxicity in skeletal muscle, which may limit mobility and activities of daily living. The capacity for skeletal muscular regeneration relies heavily of the activity of myogenic regulatory factor (MRF) proteins. In vitro experiments with DOX depress expression of MRFs but in vivo treatment may elicit different responses. Endurance exercise has been shown to elevate MRF expression, and may preserve MRFs following in vivo DOX-treatment. Purpose: To …

The Musical Theater Style Of Jason Robert Brown, Kathryn Laura Voelker

Dissertations

Jason Robert Brown is emerging as one of Broadway’s top musical theater composers. The majority of musical theater scholarship focuses on extra-musical elements; the only composer who has been examined by the music academy is Stephen Sondheim. Brown has been described as a “disciple” of Sondheim, and is on his way to equaling his predecessor’s longevity and fame. This study examines the compositional style of Brown, and explores his ability to use musical elements to enhance the drama of the musical through his first four productions: Songs For A New World, Parade, The Last Five Years, and 13. Brown’s treatment …

Students’ Development Of Geometric Reasoning About The Derivative Of Complex-Valued Functions, Jonathan David Troup

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the nature of students’ reasoning about the derivative of a complex-valued function, and to study ways in which they developed this reasoning while working with Geometer’s Sketchpad (GSP). The participants in this study were four students from one undergraduate complex analysis class. The development of participants’ reasoning about the derivative of a complex-valued function was captured via video-recording and screen-capture software in a four-day interview sequence consisting of a two-hour-long interview each day. This reasoning was interpreted through the theoretical perspective of embodied cognition. The findings indicated that students manifested embodied reasoning …

The Jazz Saxophone Style Of Charles Mcpherson: An Analysis Through Biographical Examination And Solo Transcription, Don Wilbur Norton Iii

Dissertations

This study provides an overview of the musical style of Charles McPherson, one of the most artistically accomplished and highly regarded saxophonists to emerge from the post-bebop era. It includes biographical information that is relevant to his musical development and career and an analysis of key stylistic features of his saxophone playing and improvising. These stylistic features are represented in ten accompanying solo transcriptions. The musical analysis in this study is divided into the following categories: Sonic Characteristics; Rhythmic Approach; Melodic and Harmonic Elements; and Phrasing and Solo Organization. Elements from these categories are presented with theoretical explanations, general descriptions …