Digital Commons Network^™

Determination Of Plant Architecture And Component Phenotyping Based On Time-Lapse Image Analysis, Srinidhi Bashyam

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Plant breeding and the development of new food production depend on accurate measurement of different phenotypes (observable physical traits) of a plant. The plant phenotypes play a very important role in the agronomic production. The successful computation of plant phenotypes largely depends on the determination of the architecture of the plant, i.e., the arrangement of its parts (leaves, stems, flowers, etc.) relative to each other, and how the size, shape, and positions of those parts change over time. Researchers and breeders extract valuable information from these types of data to make an informed decision on which individuals to advance to …

Towards Building A Review Recommendation System That Trains Novices By Leveraging The Actions Of Experts, Shilpa Khanal

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Online reviews increase consumer visits, increase the time spent on the website, and create a sense of community among the frequent shoppers. Because of the importance of online reviews, online retailers such as Amazon.com and eOpinions provide detailed guidelines for writing reviews. However, though these guidelines provide instructions on how to write reviews, reviewers are not provided instructions for writing product-specific reviews. As a result, poorly-written reviews are abound and a customer may need to scroll through a large number of reviews, which could be up to 6000 pixels down from the top of the page, in order to find …

The Effects Of Active Learning Technology On Instructors’ Practices And Students’ Engagement And Grades: A Mixed Methods Study, Jeremy C. Van Hof

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

Partly in response to university teachers’ changing pedagogies marked by flipping instruction, lecture capture technologies are evolving into active learning systems. Little published research exists on the effects of active learning technology on either teachers or students. This two-phase sequential explanatory mixed methods study details the effects that active learning systems have on instructor practices and on student grades and engagement. Phase one combined quantitative data collection with instructor interviews. Phase one findings show higher student engagement levels correlate with the use of the active learning system only in the presence of very specific, flipped classroom practices. Phase two, a …

The Impact Of Gifted Schools On The Academic Self- Concept Of Gifted Students In Saudi Arabia, Mohammad Alhanaya

Dissertations

Academic self-concept and gifted education are of particular importance to the field of education. Positive academic self-concept is correlated with several favorable educational outcomes but can be impacted by various educational factors such as ability grouping. The purpose of this study was to investigate the academic self-concept of gifted students in mixed ability schools and gifted schools in Saudi Arabia and determine the predictors of academic self-concept including school type, grade point average (GPA), grade level, class ranking, and gender. The sample of this study was 147 male and female gifted students in grades seven, eight, and nine enrolled in …

Preschool Teacher Self-Efficacy In An Urban School District, Charles Joseph Infurna

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this research was to assess the relationships between preschool teacher self-efficacy, as measured by the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) of years of early childhood teaching experience, and teacher outcomes as measured by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS). Also considered was whether or not self-efficacy differed as a function of program setting. Early prekindergarten program (EPK) and universal prekindergarten program (UPK) (n = 89) lead teachers completed the TSES, representing a cross-section of all 3 and 4-year-old preschool lead teachers in a mid-sized urban district. Teachers completed the TSES via SurveyMonkey. CLASS observations were conducted …

A Survey Of The Educational Practices Of The Haudenosaunee Confederacy And The Implications For Cultural Sovereignty, Kimberly Lyman-Wright

Education Doctoral

The Indian Self-Determination and Educational Assistance Act of 1975 allowed American Indian students an education in public school systems in the United States. However, colonization has threatened the survival of and called into question the need and validity of traditional American Indian languages and Haudenosaunee culture. Although American Indian students have access to a public school education, research has documented achievement gaps in the academic success of American Indian students. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore, understand, and describe the educational practices of Haudenosaunee educators, and whether a strong cultural awareness has an impact on academic success. …

An Exploratory Analysis Of The Perceptions Of Persistence Factors Among High-Achieving Black Male Students In Stem Majors At A Four-Year Public College, Anthony D. Andrews Jr.

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this phenomenological focus-group study was to gain insight into perceptions of persistence factors among successful Black male college students who major in the rigorous STEM field majors, at a 4-year college. Nine high-achieving Black male STEM majors reported that when it comes to academic persistence, they: (a) have an intrinsic motivation to succeed, which was instilled by their parents; (b) credited family or church influence in helping them to excel in academics; (c) believed that leadership requires certain characteristics that can be acquired through leadership training, and this can assist with persistence and future academic/career aspirations; (d) …

Simulation Of Aircraft Sortie Generation Under An Autonomic Logistics System, Gunduz Bingol

Theses and Dissertations

Parallel to the developments in diagnostic and prognostic technology, autonomic logistics systems (ALS) have been a potential improvement for the aircraft sortie generation process. Currently, Lockheed Martin and the Joint Program Office are developing a new autonomic logistics system for the multibillion F-35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighter project, which is named the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS). Generally, researchers make an analogy between the ALS and the human bodys autonomic nervous system since both of them monitor, control, and adjust autonomic responses to external stimuli. Based on this perspective, ALS aims to switch the Air Force logistics mentality from a …

Evolution And Rationale For United States Department Of Defense Electromagnetic Pulse Protection Standard, George H. Baker Iii

School of Integrated Sciences - Faculty Scholarship

The United States (US) Department of Defense (DoD) Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) protection standard offers a solid basis for protecting commercial communication, data, and control facilities. Because of the standard’s shielded barrier and test requirements, it is not surprising that there is a strong temptation within industry and government to dismiss the MIL-STD 188-125 approach in favor of less rigorous protection methods. It is important to understand that US DoD EMP protection standard for fixed facilities, MIL-STD-188-125, reflects an evolution by trial and error that spanned a period of decades beginning with the acquisition of the Minuteman Missile System in the …

Morrison Green, Dennis Jordan, Lance Maxwell, Josh Mitchell

Master of Real Estate Development

No abstract provided.

A Mathematical Model For Micropolar Fluid Flow Through An Artery With The Effect Of Stenosis And Post Stenotic Dilatation, R. B. Vijaya, K. M. Prasad, C. Umadevi

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

The effects of both stenosis and post stenotic dilatation have been studied on steady flow of
micropolar fluid through an artery. Assuming the stenosis to be mild, the equations governing the
flow of the proposed model are solved. Closed form expressions for the flow characteristics such
as velocity, pressure drop, and volumetric flow rate, resistance to the flow and wall shear stress
are derived. The effects of various parameters on resistance to the flow and wall shear stress
have been analyzed through the graphs. It is found that the resistance to the flow increases with
the height and length of …

Matching Transversal Edge Domination In Graphs, Anwar Alwardi

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

Let G =(V,E) be a graph. A subset X of E is called an edge dominating set of G if every edge in E - X is adjacent to some edge in X . An edge dominating set which intersects every maximum matching inG is called matching transversal edge dominating set. The minimum cardinality of a matching transversal edge dominating set is called the matching transversal edge domination number of G and is denoted by γ_mt(G). In this paper, we begin an investigation of this parameter.

Projective-Planar Graphs With No K3,4-Minor. Ii., John Maharry, Dan Slilaty

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications

The authors previously published an iterative process to generate a class of projectiveplanar K3,4-free graphs called ‘patch graphs’. They also showed that any simple, almost 4-connected, nonplanar, and projective-planar graph that is K3,4-free is a subgraph of a patch graph. In this paper, we describe a simpler and more natural class of cubic K3,4- free projective-planar graphs which we call M¨obius hyperladders. Furthermore, every simple, almost 4-connected, nonplanar, and projective-planar graph that is K3,4-free is a minor of a M¨obius hyperladder. As applications of these structures we determine the page number of patch graphs and of M¨obius hyperladders.

Understanding Poetry: Integrating Creative Movement And Dance To Enhance The Learning Process For Middle And High School Students, Toni C. Duncan

Doctoral Scholarly Projects & Capstones

The focus of this thesis project is the integration of creative movement and dance to enhance the learning process for students studying poetry. This project was a descriptive pilot project designed to evaluate a piece of dance curriculum. The researcher posed the following three essential questions: How can creative movement and dance in middle and high school students’ classes be used to enhance their understanding of poetry in terms of its structure? How will creative movement and dance help middle and high school students understand the meaning of poetry? Which creative movement and dance techniques can be used to help …

How Can Self-Regulated Learning Be Supported In E-Learning 2.0 Environment: A Comparative Study, Hong Zhao, Li Chen

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

As a critical factor that affects the learning performance in distance education, self-regulated learning (SRL) has elicited considerable interest. Self-regulated learners can manage their learning activities efficiently but researchers indicate that learners have difficulties in SRL behavior. Thus, providing support to facilitate self-regulatory processes is important. E-learning has the potential to be a learning tool to examine students’ self-regulatory skills. New advances in technology, especially the development of Web 2.0 technology, have provided effective support for self-regulated learning. This study addresses the following research question: How can SRL be supported properly in E-learning environment? Because learning processes cannot be conceptualized …

Photosensitivity, Grating Strength And Thermal Endurance Of Fibre Bragg Gratings / Dinusha Serandi Gunawardena, Gunawardena Dinusha Serandi

Student Works (2010-2019)

Fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs) are wavelength selective fibre structures composed of periodic refractive index changes which occur in the fibre core due to high intensity UV irradiation. FBGs are considered to be the backbone of optical fibre technology. Thus, the main goal of this thesis is to conduct a comprehensive investigation on the photosensitivity, the grating strength and the thermal endurance of fibre Bragg gratings. This thesis elaborates on the photosensitivity and thermal properties of a new type of optical fibre known as gallosilicate fibre. Gallosilicate fibre provides enhanced photosensitivity compared to the widely used germanosilicate fibre when exposed to …

Gastrointestinal Health As A Stimulus For Native American Attraction To Medicinal Asteraceae And Further Implications For Human Evolution, Christopher David Stiegler

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Asteraceae, or the daisy family, is the largest family of flowering plants in the world, and its ethnobotanical, medical, and economic value is readily apparent cross-culturally. The aim of this thesis is to examine why constituent genera of the Aster family have remained such an integral part of human medicinal plant knowledge, and thereby to reveal any potential physiological, biological, or evolutionary mechanisms underlining human patterns of use regarding the Asteraceae. The present study focuses specifically on Native American plant knowledge made available by the expansive database in the works Daniel Moerman (Moerman 2003). Frequencies of plant use and …

Analysis Of Break-Points In Financial Time Series, Jean Remy Habimana

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A time series is a set of random values collected at equal time intervals; this randomness makes these types of series not easy to predict because the structure of the series may change at any time. As discussed in previous research, the structure of time series may change at any time due to the change in mean and/or variance of the series. Consequently, based on this structure, it is wise not to assume that these series are stationary. This paper, discusses, a method of analyzing time series by considering the entire series non-stationary, assuming there is random change in unconditional …

An Improved Micro Artificial Immune Algorithm Utilizing Employed Honey Bees For The Identification Of Nonlinear Systems, Omar Farouq

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

This paper presents an improved micro artificial immune (IMAI) algorithm utilizing basic concepts from swarm intelligence. In particular, to enhance the searching capability of the recently developed micro artificial immune system (Micro-AIS) algorithm, employed honey bees are recruited to provide high-quality antibodies for the working population of the IMAI algorithm. The proposed algorithm is used to find the optimal kernel values for the Volterra series model to identify nonlinear systems. To demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method, three different types of nonlinear systems are considered, including a highly nonlinear rational system, a heat exchanger, and a continuous stirred tank …

Common Core In Tennessee: An Analysis Of Eighth Grade Mathematics Standards, Hayley Little

Honors Theses

Since their introduction in 2010, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have been a highly controversial topic in educational reform. Though the standards are not a product of the federal government and are not federally mandated, they do represent a push towards national academic standards in America. For states such as Tennessee, educational policies of the past pushed them to lower their academic standards in order to create the illusion of success. Those states are now some of the places that have seen the most change with the adoption of the CCSS. It still remains somewhat unclear, however, which changes …

Pcor Partnership Atlas, Wesley D. Peck, Earl P. Battle, Megan M. Grove, Kyle A. Glazewski, Joyce M. Riske, Charles D. Gorecki, Edward N. Steadman, John A. Harju

EERC Maps and Infographics

The Plains CO₂ Reduction (PCOR) Partnership Atlas provides a regional profile of CO₂ sources and potential CO₂ storage locations across the PCOR Partnership region. The fifth edition provides an up-to-date look at PCOR Partnership activities, including additional regional characterization and updates on full-scale demonstration projects. Additional background information on carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is included to give a better understanding of how CCUS addresses concerns about climate change while allowing future energy needs to be met.

Inhibitory Activity Of Andrographolide And Andrograpanin On The Rate Of Pgh2 Formation, Sri A. Sumiwi, Eli Halimah, Nyi M. Saptarini, Jutti Levita, As’Ari Nawawi, Abdul Mutalib, Slamet Ibrahim

Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Research

Cyclooxygenase (COX) or prostaglandin H2 synthase (PGHS) catalyzes the conversion of arachidonic acid into prostaglandins. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) work by inhibiting both COX-1 and COX-2 isoforms, thus disturbing this reaction. In Indonesia, Andrographis paniculata (local name: sambiloto), is empirically used to reduce inflammation by consuming the herb tea of this plant. This work studied the inhibitory activity of andrographolide and andrograpanin, diterpenoids of the plant, on the rate of prostaglandin formation. Previous works have proven that andrographolide inhibited PGE2 production in LPS-induced human fibroblast cells. This study was performed by measuring the absorbance of TMPD (tetramethyl-p-phenyldiamine) oxidized by andrographolide …

Markov Chain Profit Modelling And Evaluation Between Two Dissimilar Systems Under Two Types Of Failures, Saminu I. Bala, Ibrahim Yusuf

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

No abstract provided.

Cyclically-Forced Hyperpycnites Of The Ancient Colorado River Proximal Prodelta, Sandra R. Waresak

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Prodeltaic deposits record a distal, minimally reworked archive of dominant processes active at the fluvial-marine interface. The Fish Creek-Vallecito Basin (CA, US) preserves an ~3 km-thick, lower Pliocene, progradational deltaic succession formed when the ancestral Colorado River infiltrated the early Gulf of California. The interpreted prodeltaic unit in this succession (Mud Hills Member of the Deguynos Formation) contains an ~40 m-thick interval of rhythmic bedding with consistently alternating silt- to fine sand-dominated and clay-dominated beds forming couplets with an average thickness of 12 cm. Sedimentological analysis of the rhythmites reveals the couplets are laterally persistent with gradational to sharp, flat …

Carbon And Nitrogen Dynamics Of Anthropogenically Disturbed Seagrass Ecosystems, Alison Shepherd

Theses and Dissertations

As atmospheric CO2 concentrations continue to rise, understanding factors that influence size and longevity of carbon (C) pools within coastal and marine ecosystems (i.e., “blue carbon”) is critical. In 2013, the global average atmospheric CO2 concentration reached 396 ppm, which was the highest recorded level in the last 800,000 years. Recent research acknowledges the importance of “blue carbon” in the global C cycle, finding that these ecosystems capture up to 70% of organic C in the marine realm, rendering them one of the most efficient C sinks on the planet. Specifically, seagrass ecosystems are critically important to the global C …

Pacific Islands Literacy And Numeracy Assessment : Collaboration And Innovation In Reporting And Dissemination, Michelle Belisle, Elizabeth Cassity, Ratieli Kacilala, Mere T. Seniloli, Torika Taoi

Assessment and Reporting

This case study examines the Pacific Islands Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (PILNA), which has developed as a regional model designed to enable the negotiation of a high degree of consensus among the participating countries. Commitment to a collaborative approach pervades all aspects of PILNA, from governance, operation and development through to data sharing, reporting and dissemination of results. The efforts undertaken to reach consensus, enhanced transparency and public dissemination of results have stimulated countries in the region to investigate how data on student learning outcomes may be used and shared in a common endeavour to improve the standards of education …

Bioenergy And Carbon Farming Opportunities In The Pilbara, Robert Sudmeyer, Kim Brooksbank, David Rogers

Bulletins 4000 -

The Pilbara region covers 270 000 square kilometres of north-west Western Australia. Its main agricultural land use is pastoralism, with beef cattle grazing native pastures. Currently, only 24km² is under irrigation, with irrigated fodder the principal crop, but this could expand to 100km². This expansion has the potential to significantly broaden the economic base of the Pilbara.

Irrigation and the opportunities for changing land use and management may facilitate greater participation in the carbon economy by Pilbara land managers. Bioenergy feedstocks could be sourced from purpose-grown crops or agricultural wastes. Carbon farming activities may be facilitated by …

Fluorine Atom Influence On Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonding, Isomerization And Methyl Group Rotation In Fluorinated Acetylacetones, Brett De Vries, Mark Muyskens

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

1-Fluoro-pentane-2,4-dione (monofluoroacetylacetone, MFAA) is an asymmetric β-diketone with a strong intramolecular hydrogen bond similar to acetylacetone (AA) and its fluorinated analogs 1,1,1-trifluoro-(TFAA), and 1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoroacetylacetone (HFAA). The presence of a fluorine atom in MFAA has the potential to open an HF elimination channel in its gas-phase photochemistry motivating this study of MFAA hydrogen bonding by computer modeling using Density Functional Theory (DFT). As a context, we also report DFT modeling of AA and selected fluorinated acetylacetones: 1,1-difluoro-pentane-2,4-dione (difluoroacetylacetone, DFAA), TFAA, and HFAA. The most stable molecular structure for all three asymmetric β-diketones (MFAA, DFAA and TFAA) is the isomer with the …

Glutathione Species And Metabolomic Prints In Subjects With Liver Disease As Biological Markers For The Detection Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Juan R. Sanabria, Rajan S. Kombu, Guo Fang Zhang, Yana Sandlers, Jizhou Ai, Rafael A. Ibarra, Rime Abbas, Kush Goyal, Henri Brunengraber

Chemistry Faculty Publications

© 2016 The Authors Background The incidence of liver disease is increasing in USA. Animal models had shown glutathione species in plasma reflects liver glutathione state and it could be a surrogate for the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods The present study aimed to translate methods to the human and to explore the role of glutathione/metabolic prints in the progression of liver dysfunction and in the detection of HCC. Treated plasma from healthy subjects (n = 20), patients with liver disease (ESLD, n = 99) and patients after transplantation (LTx, n = 7) were analyzed by GC- or LC/MS. …

Using Relationship Theory To Improve Stem Outreach To Corporations: A Case Study For Starbase Los Alamitos, Mark Gibson

Journalism

The goal of this study was to improve corporate outreach efforts for an educational program called Starbase Los Alamitos. This Starbase program is part of a larger effort by the Department of Defense to improve STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education in the United States.

This study was guided by the following research question: How can STEM programs use relationship management theory to improve corporate outreach? A review of the literature was performed and this study used relationship theory to design eight questions for a four person focus group. Control and treatment websites were identified. Participants were shown the …