Digital Commons Network^™

Meaningful Access And Disability Discrimination: The Role Of Social Science And Other Empirical Evidence, Mark C. Weber

Cardozo Law Review

In cases alleging disability discrimination in the provision of state and local government services, courts frequently hold that plaintiffs' claims depend on the question whether, despite the disadvantage that government actions impose, the plaintiffs nevertheless receive meaningful access to the government services. Whether people with disabilities actually have meaningful access is in reality a factual question, one on which social science and other empirically supported facts should matter. But courts frequently ignore evidence about the nature and level of access that people with disabilities have to government programs when decisions regarding those programs are being challenged. This Article catalogues judicial …

Experimental Design And Data Analysis In Computer Simulation Studies In The Behavioral Sciences, Michael Harwell, Nidhi Kohli, Yadira Peralta

Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods

Treating computer simulation studies as statistical sampling experiments subject to established principles of experimental design and data analysis should further enhance their ability to inform statistical practice and a program of statistical research. Latin hypercube designs to enhance generalizability and meta-analytic methods to analyze simulation results are presented.

On Variance Balanced Designs, Dilip Kumar Ghosh, Sangeeta Ahuja

Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods

Balanced incomplete block designs are not always possible to construct because of their parametric relations. In such a situation another balanced design, the variance balanced design, is required. This construction of binary, equal replicated variance balanced designs are discussed using the half fraction of the 2n factorial designs with smaller block sizes. This method was also extended to construct another variance balanced design by deleting the last block of the resulting variance balanced designs. Its efficiency factor compared with randomized block designs was compared and found to be highly efficient.

Performance Evaluation Of Confidence Intervals For Ordinal Coefficient Alpha, Heather J. Turner, Prathiba Natesan, Robin K. Henson

Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods

The aim of this study was to investigate the performance of the Fisher, Feldt, Bonner, and Hakstian and Whalen (HW) confidence intervals methods for the non-parametric reliability estimate, ordinal alpha. All methods yielded unacceptably low coverage rates and potentially increased Type-I error rates.

A Monte Carlo Study Of The Effects Of Variability And Outliers On The Linear Correlation Coefficient, Hussein Yousif Eledum

Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods

Monte Carlo simulations are used to investigate the effect of two factors, the amount of variability and an outlier, on the size of the Pearson correlation coefficient. Some simulation algorithms are developed, and two theorems for increasing or decreasing the amount of variability are suggested.

Parameter Estimation In Weighted Rayleigh Distribution, M. Ajami, S. M. A. Jahanshahi

Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods

A weighted model based on the Rayleigh distribution is proposed and the statistical and reliability properties of this model are presented. Some non-Bayesian and Bayesian methods are used to estimate the β parameter of proposed model. The Bayes estimators are obtained under the symmetric (squared error) and the asymmetric (linear exponential) loss functions using non-informative and reciprocal gamma priors. The performance of the estimators is assessed on the basis of their biases and relative risks under the two above-mentioned loss functions. A simulation study is constructed to evaluate the ability of considered estimation methods. The suitability of the proposed model …

Jmasm 46: Algorithm For Comparison Of Robust Regression Methods In Multiple Linear Regression By Weighting Least Square Regression (Sas), Mohamad Shafiq, Wan Muhamad Amir, Nur Syabiha Zafakali

Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods

The aim of this study is to compare different robust regression methods in three main models of multiple linear regression and weighting multiple linear regression. An algorithm for weighting multiple linear regression by standard deviation and variance for combining different robust method is given in SAS along with an application.

Bayesian Hypothesis Testing Of Two Normal Samples Using Bootstrap Prior Technique, Oyebayo Ridwan Olaniran, Waheed Babatunde Yahya

Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods

The most important ingredient in Bayesian analysis is prior or prior distribution. A new prior determination method was developed under the framework of parametric empirical Bayes using bootstrap technique. By way of example, Bayesian estimations of the parameters of a normal distribution with unknown mean and unknown variance conditions were considered, as well as its application in comparing the means of two independent normal samples with several scenarios. A Monte Carlo study was conducted to illustrate the proposed procedure in estimation and hypothesis testing. Results from Monte Carlo studies showed that the bootstrap prior proposed is more efficient than the …

Identification Of Proteolytic Cleavage And Arginine Modifications By Chemical Labeling And Mass Spectrometry, Maheshika S.K. Wanigasekara

Chemistry & Biochemistry Dissertations - Archive

Post-translational modification of proteins plays a significant role in the regulation of cellular processes. During the translation, process proteins undergo different modifications, which are known as post-translational modifications (PTMs). Due to their low abundances, PTM analysis presents several challenges; therefore, efficient and sensitive PTM detection methods are required. Arginine is an essential amino acid in a cell, which undergoes several kinds of PTMs. Finding these functional arginine residues in a protein is a challenging task. The task was successfully addressed, and the findings are not only reported herein, but an assessment was recently reported covering the new chemical labeling methods …

Testing, Revisions, And Teacher Explanations: The Common Core State Standards In The United States Education System, Samantha Lindquist

Senior Honors Projects

In recent years, the United States has gone through some major reconstructions in education that will affect many generations to come. As of 2010, the country created an entirely new way to focus how schools teach Mathematics and English Language Arts. This set of standards and guidelines is known as the Common Core State Standards. They were meant to create a new set of standards that came from decades of different opportunities and ideas in order to create increasingly advanced ways to make education in the United States better. The history behind the Common Core showcases where the United States …

Let Them Eat Lunch: The Impact Of Universal Free Meals On Student Performance, Amy Ellen Schwartz, Michah W. Rothbart

Center for Policy Research

This paper investigates the impact of extending free school lunch to all students, regardless of income, on academic performance in New York City middle schools. Using a difference-in-difference design and unique longitudinal, student level data, we derive credibly causal estimates of the impacts of “Universal Free Meals” (UFM) on test scores in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics, and participation in school lunch. We find UFM increases academic performance by as much as 0.059 standard deviations in math and 0.083 in ELA for non-poor students, with smaller, statistically significant effects of 0.032 and 0.027 standard deviations in math and ELA …

Wide-Area Mapping Of Invasive Species Propagation And Containment Zones In Somaliland Using Phenometric Trends And Generalized Linear Modelling, Tobias Landmann, Olena Dubovyk, Gohar Ghazaryan, Jackson Kimani, Elfatih Abdel-Rahman

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Spatial information on the occurrence and propagation of invasive species is imperative in order to manage their risk and spread. In this contribution we used phenology and vegetation productivity trends (2001 to 2014) from 250-meter MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) EVI (Enhanced Vegetation Index) time-series data to map propagation and possible containment areas for Prosopis juliflora and Parthenium hysterophorus in western Somaliland (eastern Africa). Generalized Linear Modeling (GLM) with a binomial logistics function was used to link available reference data (Landsat-based) on both invasive species to the MODIS-based vegetation trends. Spread corridors and containment zones were, furthermore, identified for both …

Estimating The Location Of A Nuclear Source In A Three-Dimensional Environment With Unknown Background Radiation, Hangjin Liu

All Theses

Finding illicit nuclear sources in an urban environment plays an important role in reconnaissance research for domestic security. This work focuses on the problem of estimating the locations of radioactive sources that potentially exist in a three-dimensional search space using a network of sensors. The design of an estimation system to provide consistent surveillance is considered using drones equipped with sensors, Global Position System (GPS) devices and basic communication capabilities. In many environments, sensors cannot be placed in close proximity to the source, which makes estimating the location of a nuclear source especially difficult. In this work, we apply maximum-likelihood …

A Tidy Data Model For Natural Language Processing Using Cleannlp, Taylor B. Arnold

Department of Math & Statistics Faculty Publications

Recent advances in natural language processing have produced libraries that extract low level features from a collection of raw texts. These features, known as annotations, are usually stored internally in hierarchical, tree-based data structures. This paper proposes a data model to represent annotations as a collection of normalized relational data tables optimized for exploratory data analysis and predictive modeling. The R package cleanNLP, which calls one of two state of the art NLP libraries (CoreNLP or spaCy), is presented as an implementation of this data model. It takes raw text as an input and returns a list of normalized tables. …

Science Georgia Standards Of Excellence In Southwest Georgia: A Mixed Method Study Of Science Teachers' Perceptions Of Science And Engineering Practices And Administrative Support, Shereca R. Harvey

Theses and Dissertations

With the publication of A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas (National Research Council, 2012), the dominant instructional approach for science education in the United States changed from teaching science as a process of inquiry to teaching science as a practice, using science and engineering practices. Middle and high school science teachers in the State of Georgia implemented the practices for the first time during 2017-2018 school year while teaching the new Science Georgia Standards of Excellence. Teachers who have been successful at making such instructional changes have done so with the support of their …

Thermometry Of Bosonic Mixtures In Optical Lattices Via Demixing, F. Lingua, B. Capogrosso-Sansone, F. Minardi, V. Penna

Physics

Motivated by recent experiments and theoretical investigations on binary mixtures, we investigate the miscible-immiscible transition at finite temperature by means of Quantum Monte Carlo. Based on the observation that the segregated phase is strongly affected by temperature, we propose to use the degree of demixing for thermometry of a binary bosonic mixture trapped in an optical lattice. We show that the proposed method is especially sensitive at low temperatures, of the order of the tunnelling amplitude, and therefore is particularly suitable in the regime where quantum magnetism is expected.

The Z2 Toric-Code And The Double-Semion Topological Order Of Hardcore Bose-Hubbard-Type Models In The Strong-Interaction Limit, Wei Wang, Barbara Capogrosso-Sansone

Physics

We present a generic framework for the emergence of the {{\mathbb{Z}}}-{2} Z 2 toric-code and the double-semion topological order in a wide class of hardcore Bose-Hubbard-type models governed by density-density interaction and in the strong-interaction regime. We fix fractional filling factor and study under which conditions the density-density interaction gives rise to topological degeneracy. We further specify which dynamics determines the toric-code and the double-semion topological order. Our results indicate that the specifics of the density-density interaction determine the long-range entanglement of the model which possesses "restricted patterns" of the long-range entanglement realized in corresponding string-net models with the same …

Design Portfolio: Innovation Team Uncharted, Angelina Bartolotta, Michael Everix, Chance Colter, Sophia Hall, Kimberly Berry, Kiernan Pitts, Whitney Veldheer

Liberal Studies Undergraduate Research

Thank you for your interest in our team, Team Uncharted, and our work with the Grand Valley State University Frederik Meijer Honors College. At the time of undertaking the task of making the Honors College more “distinctive and distinguished,” we also bore in mind the greater task of creating a better experience and life for all stakeholders. Our ultimate hope is that these efforts radiate through the process and final innovation proposal.

The team working on this project consisted of 7 members: Angelina Bartolotta, Michael Everix, Chance Colter, Sophia Hall, Kimberly Berry, Kiernan Pitts, and Whitney Veldheer. Each member took …

Nematic Topological Superconducting Phase In Nb-Doped Bi₂Se₃, Junying Shen, Wen-Yu He, Noah Fan Qi Yuan, Zengle Huang, Chang-Woo Cho, Seng Huat Lee, Yew San Hor, Kam Tuen Law, Rolf Lortz

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

A nematic topological superconductor has an order parameter symmetry, which spontaneously breaks the crystalline symmetry in its superconducting state. This state can be observed, for example, by thermodynamic or upper critical field experiments in which a magnetic field is rotated with respect to the crystalline axes. The corresponding physical quantity then directly reflects the symmetry of the order parameter. We present a study on the superconducting upper critical field of the Nb-doped topological insulator Nb_xBi₂Se₃ for various magnetic field orientations parallel and perpendicular to the basal plane of the Bi₂Se₃ layers. The …

Savage V. Scandit Respondent's Brief Dckt. 45143

Idaho Supreme Court Records & Briefs, All

No abstract provided.

Distributions Of Krill And Antarctic Silverfish And Correlations With Environmental Variables In The Western Ross Sea, Antarctica, L. Brynn Davis, Eileen E. Hofmann, John M. Klinck, Andrea Piñones, Michael S. Dinniman

CCPO Publications

Antarctic krill Euphausia superba, crystal krill E. crystallorophias, and Antarctic silverfish Pleuragramma antarctica are key mid-trophic level species in the Ross Sea, connecting primary production to the upper trophic levels. Distributions of these species were constructed from observations made in the western Ross Sea from 1988 to 2004. Distributions of environmental conditions were obtained from a 5-km resolution circulation model (temperature, mixed layer depth, surface speed) and satellite-derived observations (chlorophyll, sea ice cover). A hierarchy of statistical methods determined correlations and relationships between species and environmental conditions. Each species occupies a localized habitat defined by different environmental characteristics. …

First Low-Frequency Einstein@Home All-Sky Search For Continuous Gravitational Waves In Advanced Ligo Data, Benjamin P. Abbott, Marco Cavaglia, For Full List Of Authors, See Publisher's Website.

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We report results of a deep all-sky search for periodic gravitational waves from isolated neutron stars in data from the first Advanced LIGO observing run. This search investigates the low frequency range of Advanced LIGO data, between 20 and 100 Hz, much of which was not explored in initial LIGO. The search was made possible by the computing power provided by the volunteers of the Einstein@Home project. We find no significant signal candidate and set the most stringent upper limits to date on the amplitude of gravitational wave signals from the target population, corresponding to a sensitivity depth of 48.7 …

On The Progenitor Of Binary Neutron Star Merger Gw170817, Benjamin P. Abbott, Marco Cavaglia, For Full List Of Authors, See Publisher's Website.

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

On 2017 August 17 the merger of two compact objects with masses consistent with two neutron stars was discovered through gravitational-wave (GW170817), gamma-ray (GRB 170817A), and optical (SSS17a/AT 2017gfo) observations. The optical source was associated with the early-type galaxy NGC 4993 at a distance of just ∼40 Mpc, consistent with the gravitational-wave measurement, and the merger was localized to be at a projected distance of ∼2 kpc away from the galaxy's center. We use this minimal set of facts and the mass posteriors of the two neutron stars to derive the first constraints on the progenitor of GW170817 at the …

Design And Development Of Flipped Classes Video Lectures For Secondary Level Education Of Nepal, Bijaya Shrestha, Nikita Gautam, Manoj Shakya

Education, Health & Behavior Studies Student Publications

Flipped classroom is a simple method to flip the things done inside the classroom with the things done at home. The prepared video lectures are delivered to the students prior to the students actually come and sit in the new class on following days. At the top of this, students will gain the opportunity to watch the video time and again until they understand the lesson.

Deerwalk Learning Center is developing the flipped classroom video lectures based on the syllabus prescribed by the Curriculum Development Centre, Nepal. The main objective of this development project is to make student easy to …

Writing For Keeps-Instruction And Achievement, Jason Adams

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The study was conducted in a small rural Texas district. Students within the district were struggling with successful writing initiatives. Achievement and accountability within the district were below state and regional averages consistently for many years. Writing instruction in the district needed attention to help students and teachers experience writing success. The study aimed to answer the following research questions: (1) What instructional practices do Frazier ISD teachers utilize to teach writing? (2) What aspects of writing do Frazier ISD students struggle to understand? (3) To what extent does the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test impact …

College And Career Ready Through Personalized Learning: Business And Industry Perspective Of The Don Tyson School Of Innovation, Joe R. Rollins

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study describes perceptions of Northwest Arkansas’ business, industry and post-secondary institutions as to the Don Tyson School of Innovation (DTSOI) and its ability to prepare students for Northwest Arkansas’ college and career needs. Designated as one of the first schools of innovation in Arkansas through ACT 601 of 2013 by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE), the DTSOI employs Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in every aspect of curriculum. The DTSOI represents the first school in Arkansas to hold the distinction of holding both school of innovation status as well as being a public, district- conversion …

Potential Relationships Of Community College Faculty Credentials And Measures Of Instructional Effectiveness: Student Survey Of Instruction And Grades, Marc Alan Willis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine what, if any, relationship existed when considering instructor credentials in relation to student surveys of instruction (SSOI), instructor credentials in relation to grade distribution, and the relationship between SSOI and grade distribution. The case study college is a two-year rural institution in Oklahoma employing 53 full-time faculty in Fall 2016. Eighteen of those faculty lack the adequate credentials as required by the Higher Learning Commission, the accrediting body for the college. Very little information was discovered verifying the impact of credentials on effectiveness, and what was located was anecdotal rather than data …

Free-Space Measurements Of Dielectrics And Three-Dimensional Periodic Metamaterials, Clifford E. Kintner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents the free-space measurements of a periodic metamaterial structure. The metamaterial unit cell consists of two dielectric sheets intersecting at 90 degrees. The dielectric is a polyetherimide-based material 0.001” thick. Each sheet has a copper capacitively-loaded loop (CLL) structure on the front and a cut-wire structure on the back. Foam material is used to support the unit cells. The unit cell repeats 40 times in the x-direction, 58 times in the y-direction and 5 times in the z-direction. The sample measures 12” × 12” × 1” in total. We use a free-space broadband system comprised of a pair …

Structural And Elastic Properties Of Degenerate Sno Monolayers At Finite Temperature, Afsana Sharmin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chalcogen-based layered superconductors with a litharge structure such as FeS and FeSe mono-layers undergo structural and superconducting phase transitions that are tunable by doping. Representing another material platform with a litharge structure but without valence d-electrons, SnO monolayers also display a structural ground state with a degenerate rectangular unit cell at zero temperature and a charge-tunable energy barrier that leads to a thermally-controllable structural phase change. Doped SnO monolayers with rectangular degenerate unit cells give rise to two-dimensional multiferroicity. Their two-dimensional elastic energy landscape adopts a basic analytic expression that is employed to discuss this structural transition. The results contained …

Paleozoic Sandstones In The Tri-State Region, Southern Ozarks: Tectono-Stratigraphic Sequence Development And Compositional Evolution, The Source And Delivery Conundrum, And The Regional Tectonic History, Elvis Chekwube Bello

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Paleozoic stratigraphic record of the Ozark Region, southern midcontinent has been divided into at least 33 formations, with the most significant thickness of 9692 feet preserved in northwest Arkansas. The potential thickness would have been much greater, but epeirogenic movements and sea-level rise and fall produced regional surfaces of erosion reducing the record. That interplay between tectonics (epeirogenic movements) and eustatic change (transgressive-regressive cycles) preserved in the Ozark sedimentary history provides the basis for recognition of five distinct, but related, tectonostratigraphic units designated TS 1 through TS 5: Late Precambrian-Middle Cambrian (TS 1), Late Cambrian-Earliest Ordovician (TS 2), Early …