Digital Commons Network^™

On Control Systems Of The Brain: A Study Of Their Connections, Activations, And Interactions, Haoxin Sun

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Implementation of daily functions in humans crucially relies on both the bottom-up moment-to- moment processing of relevant input and output information as well as the top-down controls that instantiate and regulate goal-directed strategies. The current dissertation focuses on different systems of brain regions related to task control. We are interested in investigating, in detail, some of the basic activity patterns that different control systems carry during simple tasks, and how differences in activity patterns may shed new insight onto the distinctions among the systems' functional roles. In addition, carefully coordinated interactions between brain regions specialized for control-related activity and regions …

Novel Contrasts In Photoacoustic Tomography, Ruiying Zhang

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) combines rich optical contrast and high ultrasonic resolution in optically scattering tissue at depths. Taking advantage of its 100% sensitivity to optical absorption, PAT has been widely applied to structural, functional and molecular imaging, with both endogenous and exogenous contrasts, at superior depths than pure optical methods. This dissertation explores novel absorption contrast mechanisms of PAT based on optical/thermal patterns, endogenous cellular chromophores, nanoparticles, small-molecule dyes and genetically-encoded proteins. With these novel contrasts, the proof-of-concept applications of PAT have been extended to include homogenous flow measurements, targeted angiogenesis imaging and therapy, label-free white blood cell imaging, 3D-whole-organ …

A Transactional Model And Platform For Designing And Implementing Reactive Systems, Justin Ross Wilson

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

A reactive program is one that has "ongoing interactions with its environment." Reactive programs include those for embedded systems, operating systems, network clients and servers, databases, and smart phone apps. Reactive programs are already a core part of our computational and physical infrastructure and will continue to proliferate within our society as new form factors, e.g. wireless sensors, and inexpensive (wireless) networking are applied to new problems.

Asynchronous concurrency is a fundamental characteristic of reactive systems that makes them difficult to develop. Threads are commonly used for implementing reactive systems, but they may magnify problems associated with asynchronous concurrency, as …

Distributed And Scalable Video Analysis Architecture For Human Activity Recognition Using Cloud Services, Cody Wilson Eilar

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

This thesis proposes an open-source, maintainable system for detecting human activity in large video datasets using scalable hardware architectures. The system is validated by detecting writing and typing activities that were collected as part of the Advancing Out of School Learning in Mathematics and Engineering (AOLME) project. The implementation of the system using Amazon Web Services (AWS) is shown to be both horizontally and vertically scalable. The software associated with the system was designed to be robust so as to facilitate reproducibility and extensibility for future research.

Research Express News, Georgia Southern University

Research & Economic Development

• Georgia Southern faculty continue excellence in 2015

An Assessment Of Data Related To Inspections Of Risk Factors For Public Swimming Pools, Shanita Shack, Maurice Redmond, R. Christopher Rustin

Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is mandated to ensure that public swimming pools are safe for those who use them. This mandate is carried out by the DPH and local environmental health professionals through regulations and inspections. In 2015, legislation was introduced proposing to reduce the authority of the DPH to inspect certain pool types (apartments, subdivision, condominiums) and thus reduce regulatory protections in place for swimmers. To ensure that the DPH had current information on the risks associated with pools, the EH team, with assistance from a graduate student, analyzed inspection data to evaluate risk factors …

Utilization Of Harmonics Current In Single Phase System, H Al-Bayaty, M Ambroze, Mz Ahmed

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Real-Space Mean-Field Theory Of A Spin-1 Bose Gas In Synthetic Dimensions, Hilary M. Hurst, Justin H. Wilson, J. H. Pixley, I. B. Spielman, Stefan S. Natu

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The internal degrees of freedom provided by ultracold atoms give a route for realizing higher dimensional physics in systems with limited spatial dimensions. Non-spatial degrees of freedom in these systems are dubbed "synthetic dimensions". This connection is useful from an experimental standpoint but complicated by the fact that interactions alter the condensate ground state. Here we use the Gross-Pitaevskii equation to study ground state properties of a spin-1 Bose gas under the combined influence of an optical lattice, spin-orbit coupling, and interactions at the mean field level. The associated phases depend on the sign of the spin-dependent interaction parameter and …

Cost Effectiveness Of Potential Art Adherence Monitoring Interventions In Sub-Saharan Africa, Andrew N. Phillips, Valentina Cambiano, Fumiyo Nakagawa, Loveleen Bansi-Matharu, Papa Salif Sow, Peter Ehrenkranz, Deborah Ford, Owen Mugurungi, Tsitsi Apollo, Joseph Murungu, David R. Bangsberg, Paul Revill

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background -Interventions based around objective measurement of adherence to antiretroviral drugs for HIV have potential to improve adherence and to enable differentiation of care such that clinical visits are reduced in those with high adherence. It would be useful to understand the approximate upper limit of cost that could be considered for such interventions of a given effectiveness in order to be cost effective. Such information can guide whether to implement an intervention in the light of a trial showing a certain effectiveness and cost.

Methods - An individual-based model, calibrated to Zimbabwe, which incorporates effects of adherence and resistance …

The Teaching Methods Of Jesus, John W. Mccoy, Ed.D.

The Journal of Biblical Foundations of Faith and Learning

Jesus was the Master Teacher. This was recognized by the great leaders of His day, by His followers, and through the ages by Christians right up to today. If we recognize our calling to teaching, even though we might have been trained via methods courses or have come to our positions because of experience and years of study, what better way to gauge our teaching ability than by finding out how Jesus taught and carrying that over into our classrooms today?

This paper will explore the methods Jesus used to get His message across to the people of His day …

The Great Controversy Paradigm For History: Scholarship And Teaching, Lisa Clark Diller, Ph.D.

The Journal of Biblical Foundations of Faith and Learning

Seventeenth century England was a time of profound Protestant faith. It was also the heyday of the Scientific Revolution and the early Enlightenment. The Scottish Anglican minister, Gilbert Burnet, was deeply committed to the scientific advances he was learning in mathematics and chemistry. He was just as deeply committed to promoting Protestantism against what he saw as a growing tide of Catholic power in England, Scotland, and, indeed, all of Europe. As part of his pastoral role, he wrote The History of the Reformation in England to remind his fellow Protestants, both Anglican and Nonconformists of all kinds, of how …

History Highlights The Fundamental Limitations Of Science, Kenneth E. Caviness, Ph.D.

The Journal of Biblical Foundations of Faith and Learning

The idea that science is the only valid guide to truth is not itself a scientific statement, but rather the fundamental dogma of scientism. It is the purpose of this paper to show this claim to be unwarranted and scientism untenable, through a consideration of what science can and cannot say, illustrated from the history of science itself. Discussion of criteria for selecting among models making equivalent predictions is highlighted by examples of common reactions of the scientific community when new observational data conflict with well-accepted theory: to deny the observations, to adapt or replace the theory (often at the …

Effect Of Vocabulary Test Preparation On Low-Income Black Middle School Students’ Reading Scores, Ingrid Mitchell, Nicolae Nistor, Beate Baltes, Michelle Brown

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Black middle school students in the United States continue to perform poorly on standardized reading achievement tests in comparison to other racial and ethnic groups. The purpose of this research study was to examine the effectiveness of a vocabulary-focused test preparation program for Black middle school students. The theoretical framework consisted of Thorndike’s concept of test-wiseness, a test-taking capacity. Teachers at the research site were trained on Larry Bell’s 12 Powerful Words strategy that aims to make students test-wise, that is, to familiarize them with key vocabulary terms related to tests. An intact-group comparison was conducted, involving a total of …

Recent Semantic Changes For The Term "Digital", Tore Brattli

Proceedings from the Document Academy

The term digital originates from the Latin word for finger/counting and has for many years been used to denote discrete signals and information, as opposed to analog. Discrete representation is an important principle, not only in computers, but also for (printed) text, music scores and even our genes. Recently however, the use of the term has increased and the meaning expanded to include almost everything related to information technology, e.g. digital natives and digital addiction. This study investigates the core principles of digital representation and compares this concept with the recent usage, with a focus on Norwegian media. The purpose …

If It Looks Like A *Uck: A Provocation On B*D Words, Jodi Kearns, Brian C. O'Connor

Proceedings from the Document Academy

For some decades, we’ve been considering (and using) “b*d” words. Such a large part of the document space is made up of words; it seems necessary, upon occasion, to explore the crooked little paths and messy gutters occupied by some words. We invite your company on such a little exploration now.

Toward Augmented Document: Expressive Function Of Catalog, Caroline Courbieres, Sabine Roux, Benoît Berthou

Proceedings from the Document Academy

A library catalog constitutes a communicational tool which allows access to a collection of documents. It contributes to the circulation of knowledge by signaling and locating informational objects. This referencing consists in deconstructing/reconstructing documents according to principles of standardization: the actualized document is then decomposed into diverse characteristics. With the development of online public access catalog (OPAC), catalogs diffuse their own content beyond the documentary space that they are supposed to represent. Thus the communicational models specific to the bibliographic catalog must be deepened. If a catalog could appear as a documentary showcase, the possibility to comment on documents extends …

We Are...Marshall, December 14, 2016, Office Of Marshall University Communications

We Are ... Marshall: the Newsletter for Marshall University 1999-2023

No abstract provided.

New Insights Into The Martian Crust And Angrite Parent Body Through Meteorites, Alison R. Santos

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

Petrologic studies of two new, unique meteorites were conducted in order to characterize the samples and provide insights into their parent bodies. The first sample, Northwest Africa 7034, is the first martian meteorite breccia to be discovered. In an effort to understand the martian crustal materials sampled by the breccia, we developed a classification scheme for the breccia clasts based on their texture, mineralogy, and chemistry. We then further investigated two clast groups which contained trends in mineralogy and chemistry that suggested a possible genetic relationship between the two. Our findings suggest they are not related by a simple igneous …

End-Capping Strategies For Triggering End-To-End Depolymerization Of Polyglyoxylates, Bo Fan, John Trant, Elizabeth Gillies

Chemistry Publications

Polymers that undergo end-to-end depolymerization in response to the cleavage of a stimuli-responsive end-cap are promising for diverse applications from drug delivery to responsive coatings and plastics. It is critical that the end-cap is designed to respond to an appropriate stimulus for the application. In the current work, end-caps for triggering the depolymerization of poly(ethyl glyoxylate) (PEtG) were explored. First, a phenylboronate, a disulfi de, and an azobenzene were utilized to impart redox-responsive properties to PEtG. Then, methoxy-substituted trityl groups were used to provide sensitivity to mild acid. A multiresponsive platform was also introduced, allowing PEtG to respond to multiple …

Tempered Experience: The Educational Foundation Of Democratic Ideology, Nicholas J. Schwarm

Philosophy Undergraduate

Democracy is a political ideology, one that requires a person to believe in that ideology for it to exist. The contemporary political landscape is dominated by democracies, and for this reason we need to understand how to build and sustain Them. There needs to be a well educated populace of citizens, who are able to engage in democratic actions, and aid the community. What they need is tempered experience, experience that is understood though the knowledge that a citizen already has.

How Can Science And Literacy Be Integrated In A Fifth Grade Cirriculum [Sic]?, Kathryn J. Hellen

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this capstone was, How can science and literacy be integrated in a fifth grade curriculum? This capstone describes current research in science education, reading motivation and engagement, and the science and literacy connection. The goal of this capstone was to create a unit that would captivate students’ interests in science and use that interest as a catalyst to grow their literacy skills. This unit is designed to be used in a 5th grade Spanish immersion classroom centered on the themes of life science and non-fiction reading. The accompanying curriculum utilizes the Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI) …

What Does Your Major Say About You? Selection, Socialization, And Person-Environment Fit In The Context Of Personality Development, Leah Schultz

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

A young adult’s years spent at a four-year undergraduate institution constitute a critical time in human development. With the vast array of social, academic, and extracurricular options available for an undergraduate to explore, it is unsurprising that during this time, individuals change in relatively drastic ways compared to other parts of the lifespan (Arnett, 2000; Donnellan, Conger, & Burzette, 2007). A dizzying array of factors may contribute to an individual’s development during the college years: being away from home for the first time, interacting with professors, TAs, friends, and romantic partners, and involvement in academic projects, internships, and university organizations …

Chapter 9: Biomechanics, Nicholas Stergiou, Daniel Blanke, Sara A. Myers, Ka-Chun Siu

Journal Articles

Biomechanics is a discipline. A discipline deals with understanding, predicting, and explaining phenomena within a content domain, and biomechanics is the study of the human body in motion. By applying

principles from mechanics and engineering, biomechanists are able to study the forces that act on the body and the effects they produce (Bates, 1991). Hay (1973) describes biomechanics as the science that examines forces acting on and within a biological structure and the effects produced by such forces, whereas Alt (1967) describes biomechanics as the science that investigates the effect of internal and external forces on human and animal bodies …

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite- R Series (Goes-R) 2016, Paige N. Dixon

Student Works

This is a report on the first NOAA GOES-R satellite, launched on November 19th, 2016. This report will cover some of the details of the GOES-R project, as well as discuss the collaborations that made the project possible. This document will also detail some of the new satellite’s capabilities including geostationary lightning detection, and space weather monitoring, and will focus on real-world application of such technology. Additionally, this report will list some of the current and projected GOES-R products, and the potential benefits if testing proves successful.

Addressing The Gender Workforce Gap In The Scientific Journal Editorial Hierarchy, Nishelli Ishti Ahmed

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Paradox Of Social Media Security: A Study Of It Students’ Perceptions Versus Behavior On Using Facebook, Zahra Y. Alqubaiti

Master of Science in Information Technology Theses

Social media plays an essential role in the modern society, enabling people to be better connected to each other and creating new opportunities for businesses. At the same time, social networking sites have become major targets for cyber-security attacks due to their massive user base. Many studies investigated the security vulnerabilities and privacy issues of social networking sites and made recommendations on how to mitigate security risks. Users are an integral part of any security mix. In this thesis, we explore the relationship between users’ security perceptions and their actual behavior on social networking sites. Protection motivation theory (PMT), initially …

Economic Reasoning And Fallacy Of Composition: Pursuing A Woods-Walton Thesis, Maurice A. Finocchiaro

Philosophy Faculty Research

Woods and Walton deserve credit for including (in all editions of their textbook Argument) a discussion of “economic reasoning” and its susceptibility to the “fallacy of composition.” Unfortunately, they did not sufficiently pursue the topic, and argumentation scholars have apparently ignored their pioneering effort. Yet, obviously, economic argumentation is extremely important, and economists constantly harp on this fallacy. This paper calls attention to this problem, elaborating my own approach, which is empirical, historical, and meta-argumentational.

Contextual Influences On The Relations Between Physical And Relational Aggression And Peer Victimization, Jonathan Santo, Ellyn Bass, Luz Stella-Lopez, William M. Bukowski

Psychology Faculty Publications

Previous studies have demonstrated that several contextual factors influence the relationship between aggression and peer victimization in early adolescence, including gender of the same-sex peer group and gender composition of the school. The current study replicated and expanded on this research by examining the moderating influences of gender of the same-sex peer group, same-sex peer group norms, and classroom gender composition in a sample of early adolescents from Barranquilla, Colombia. Multilevel modeling analyses indicated that both relational and physical aggression were positive predictors of peer victimization. Relationally aggressive girls were at a lower risk for victimization while physically aggressive girls …

Separation Of Nitrito- And Nitropentamminecobalt (Iii) Chloride By High Performance Liquid Chromatography, Tisha Hutchinson

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography, chosen because of its ability to collect many data points over a long period of time with minimal involvement, was used to separate pentaamminenitritocobalt(III) chloride and pentaamminenitrocobalt(III) chloride. Pentaamminenitritocobalt(III) chloride was prepared, made into a concentrated solution, divided into aliquots and allowed to isomerize to pentaamminenitrocobalt(III) chloride over a period of twelve to eighteen hours. An injection was made approximately every forty-five minutes. The samples were analyzed at three wavelengths, 254 nm, 460 nm and 490 nm. The absorbance was collected and was used to determine the kinetics of the reaction.

The isomerization from …

Mark Sykes, The British Arabists And The Enduring Consequences Of The Sykes-Picot Agreement, Nicholas Comaratta

Historical Perspectives: Santa Clara University Undergraduate Journal of History, Series II

No abstract provided.