Digital Commons Network^™

Extracting Implicit Suggestions From Students’ Comments: A Text Analytics Approach, Venky Shankararaman, Swapna Gottipati, Jeff Rongsheng Lin, Sandy Gan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

At the end of each course, students are required to give feedback on the course and instructor. This feedback includes quantitative rating using Likert scale and qualitative feedback as comments. Such qualitative feedback can provide valuable insights in helping the instructor enhance the course content and teaching delivery. However, the main challenge in analysing the qualitative feedback is the perceived increase in time and effort needed to manually process the textual comments. In this paper, we provide an automated solution for analysing comments, specifically extracting implicit suggestions from the students’ qualitative feedback comments. The implemented solution leverages existing text mining …

Btci: A New Framework For Identifying Congestion Cascades Using Bus Trajectory Data, Meng-Fen Chiang, Ee Peng Lim, Wang-Chien Lee, Agus Trisnajaya Kwee

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The knowledge of traffic health status is essential to the general public and urban traffic management. To identify congestion cascades, an important phenomenon of traffic health, we propose a Bus Trajectory based Congestion Identification (BTCI) framework that explores the anomalous traffic health status and structure properties of congestion cascades using bus trajectory data. BTCI consists of two main steps, congested segment extraction and congestion cascades identification. The former constructs path speed models from historical vehicle transitions and design a non-parametric Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) function to derive a measure of congestion score. The latter aggregates congested segments (i.e., those with …

Developing And Assessing The Drivers Of Usage Of Computer-Assisted-Audit-Techniques (Caats) And The Factors That Impact Audit Quality Perceptions In Government Internal Audit, Ashraf Alhabsi

Doctoral

This research aims to develop two models, the first of which is capable of predicting the internal auditor’s intention to adopt audit technologies, and second of which is to predict the factors that impact on the internal auditor’s perception of internal audit quality in the context of public sector auditing in Oman. The models proposed by this research are developed from existing research on technology adoption in general, as well as research on technology adoption specific to the internal audit context (Curtis & Payne, 2014; Dowling & Leech, 2014; Mahzan & Lymer, 2014). Given that Oman is only in the …

Research Based Interventions For Students Struggling With Oral Reading Fluency And Accuracy, Jamie Wredt

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Being able to read proficiently is a key skill that students must learn to be successful in school as well as being able to function in society. Three of the main interventions to help students reach proficiency in reading are repeated reading, listening passage preview, and error correction. Each intervention has been shown to provide some benefit to students who struggle with reading when done independently or combined with repeated reading. However, the current literature on repeated reading, listening passage preview, and error correction is sparse when comparing the three against each other. The current study examined repeated reading, listening …

Altering The Expression Of Artemisinin Through Osmotic Manipulation, Tyler Friesen

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Artemisinin is an anti-malarial drug used in combination therapy to treat all malarial parasites in the blood stage. The expression of artemisinin within the plant Artemisia annua is only 1% of the dry weight. Methods for increasing the level of artemisinin within the plant were proposed. This paper looks into finding homologous enzymes across multiple species in order to find species where genetic manipulations will be useful. The second part of this paper looks at the use of osmotic stress to increase the reactive oxygen species in order to increase the amount of artemisinin within the plant. The database portion …

Kdoqi Us Commentary On The 2017 Kdigo Clinical Practice Guideline Update For The Diagnosis, Evaluation, Prevention, And Treatment Of Chronic Kidney Disease-Mineral And Bone Disorder (Ckd-Mbd), Tamara Isakova, Thomas L. Nickolas, Michelle Denburg, Sri Yarlagadda, Daniel E. Weiner, Orlando M. Gutiérrez, Vinod Bansal, Sylvia E. Rosas, Sagar Nigwekar, Jerry Yee, Holly Kramer

Nephrology Articles

Chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD) encompasses laboratory and bone abnormalities and vascular calcification and has deleterious effects on clinical outcomes. KDOQI (Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative), an initiative of the National Kidney Foundation, addressed this issue with the publication of a clinical practice guideline for bone metabolism and disease in CKD in 2003, and 2 years later, a new definition and classification scheme for CKD-MBD was developed following a KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) Controversies Conference. The initial KDIGO guideline on CKD-MBD was then published in 2009. New evidence was subsequently reviewed at the 2013 KDIGO Controversies …

A Voice For One, Or A Voice For The People: Balancing Prosecutorial Speech Protections With Community Trust, Immanuel Kim

Fordham Law Review

Prosecutors, as representatives of the public in the criminal justice system, are the sole advocates for “the People” in a criminal case. Thus, prosecutors are expected to maintain a particular level of integrity that would ensure a fair and just representation of the People. Despite this expectation, the wide discretionary authority prosecutors hold makes it virtually impossible to regulate their conduct. Furthermore, the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects many expressions of viewpoints, and such protections extend—albeit to a limited degree—to prosecutors, thereby giving them even more discretion in how they decide to handle their own cases. Nonetheless, the …

The Influence Of Walking Speed On Hip Muscle Activity And Lumbopelvic Movement, Kate Tarver

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Prolonged standing induces low back pain (LBP) in at least 50% of study participants. It is hypothesized that people who develop LBP during standing have high gluteus medius co-activation; however, there is no research on how interventions, such as intermittent walking breaks, influence co-contraction. PURPOSE: Examine the effects of different walking speeds on gluteus medius co-contraction. METHODS: Four males and three females (mean age=22.5) have participated in this study. The exclusion criterion includes any previous low back or hip injury, surgery and an allergy to rubbing alcohol. Electromyography (EMG) of bilateral gluteus medius were recorded during a baseline standing trial …

The Effect Of Interaction With Therapy Horses On University Students' Perceived Stress Level, Alexa Chapman

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research project investigates how university students are affected by interacting with therapy horses. Stress is the factor that will be evaluated in this particular study. The self-rated stress scores will be acquired from University of Arkansas students both before and after interacting with specially trained therapy horses during an Equine Assisted Activity and Therapy (EAAT) class offered at the University. Stress will be evaluated by students taking a survey inquiring about daily stressors including finances, school, work and relationships. The data collected will be compared by pre- and post- interactions with the horses. We expect that the pre- and …

Informal Constitutional Change, Oran Doyle

Buffalo Law Review

In response to Richard Albert’s Quasi-Constitutional Amendments, 65 BUFF. L. REV. 739 (2017).

Two Examples Of “Quasi-Constitutional Amendments” From The Italian Constitutional Evolution—A Response To Richard Albert, Nicola Lupo

Buffalo Law Review

In response to Richard Albert’s Quasi-Constitutional Amendments, 65 BUFF. L. REV. 739 (2017).

Respecting The Mystery Of Constitutional Change, Jonathan L. Marshfield

Buffalo Law Review

In response to Richard Albert’s Quasi-Constitutional Amendments, 65 BUFF. L. REV. 739 (2017).

Turns Of The Contingent Fee Key To The Courthouse Door, Douglas R. Richmond

Buffalo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Quasi-Constitutional Change Without Intent—A Response To Richard Albert, Reijer Passchier

Buffalo Law Review

In response to Richard Albert’s Quasi-Constitutional Amendments, 65 BUFF. L. REV. 739 (2017).

Table Of Contents, Buffalo Law Review

Buffalo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Characterizing Coseismic Ionospheric Disturbance For Surface-Rupturing Earthquakes, Rebekah Faith Lee

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Coseismic ionospheric disturbances (CID) are commonly identified using global navigation space system (GNSS) satellites. Little research, however, has focused on using total electron content (TEC) observations to characterize acoustic sources on Earth's surface. For this thesis, I investigate the applicability of an analytical method to invert the TEC for the acoustic wave. The inversion is based on the modeling of a transfer function. Deconvolving the TEC by the transfer function gives the acoustic wave. Inverting for the acoustic wave in this way would remove phase differences in the TEC created by atmospheric-ionospheric coupling. I test the assumption in the model …

Increasing Retention Among First-Year Master's In Counseling Students: Evaluation Of A Social Integration Program, James David Jensen

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Comprised of three individual articles, this article-based dissertation represents different aspects of a study involving a program designed to increase retention among master’s level Counselor Education (CE) students. Chapter One provides an overview of the dissertation’s purpose along with a discussion of how the studies comprising the dissertation extend the current literature on student retention in CE programs. Chapter Two discusses a qualitative study that explores students’ perceptions of a Social Integration Program designed to increase program satisfaction and sense of belonging among first-year students in a Master of Arts in Counseling program. The article in Chapter Two presents findings …

Seismic Refraction And Electrical Resistivity Tests For Fracture Induced Anisotropy In A Mountain Watershed, Aida Mendieta

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The critical zone (CZ) is the earth’s layer where water, air, rock, and life meet. It is the zone with which humans interact most. The National Research council (2001) defines the CZ as a “heterogeneous, near surface environment in which complex interactions involving rock, soil, water, air, and living organisms regulate the natural habitat and determine the availability of life sustaining resources”. The CZ may extend roughly from the top of the vegetation canopy to the deepest part of the rock column where meteoric water circulates – this is often in the 10 – 30 m range. The upper 1-2 …

Monarchical Stability In The Gulf Coast States, Sean Miner

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The monarchies of the Gulf Cooperation Council are thriving today, despite the decline of monarchies everywhere else in the world. I explore the significant factors that allow these countries to maintain monarchy as a viable governing system. I find that Gulf Cooperation Council states employ a diverse set of tools to control the populace and provide stability. These tools include generous social welfare programs, a repressive state security apparatus, a large guest worker population, and strong ties and cooperation with other gulf monarchies. Using these tools allows these states to overcome the political challenges that threaten monarchical stability in our …

Application Of Hydrogeophysical Imaging In The Reynolds Creek Critical Zone Observatory, Travis Nielson

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The critical zone is defined as the upper most portion of the crust extending from the top of unweathered bedrock to the top of the vegetation canopy. It is the zone in which inorganic rock is transformed into biologically useful soils and saprolites in a process termed weathering. Because the critical zone is the connection between the subsurface and surface it plays a role in a wide variety of biological, hydrologic, and climatic processes. Understanding the critical zone though is inherently difficult because its scale and heterogeneity often means direct sampling methods, e.g. soil pits and cores, under represent the …

A Mixed Methods Exploratory Study Of Digital Literacies In Higher Education, Susan K. Shannon

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory study examines the assessment of digital literacy in higher education using Kurtz and Peled’s (2016) digital literacy framework and assessment instrument. As information and communications technologies have grown over the last part of the 20^th century and the first part of the 21^st century, so has the socio-cultural environment (Kurtz & Peled, 2016; Roxin & Rusitoru, 2016). Literacy has grown from a simple concept involving the ability to read and write to a complex concept that includes many more competencies. A review of the literature shows the emergence of many new literacies (Šorgo, Bartol, Dolničar, & …

Deriving Landscape-Scale Vegetation Cover And Aboveground Biomass In A Semi-Arid Ecosystem Using Imaging Spectroscopy, Andrew Poley

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Environmental disturbances in semi-arid ecosystems have highlighted the need to monitor current and future vegetation conditions across the landscape. Imaging spectroscopy provide the necessary information to derive vegetation characteristics at high-spatial resolutions across large geographic areas. The work of this thesis is divided into two sections focused on using imaging spectroscopy to estimate and classify vegetation cover, and approximate aboveground biomass in a semi-arid ecosystem.

The first half of this thesis assesses the ability of imaging spectroscopy to derive vegetation classes and their respective cover across large environmental gradients and ecotones often associated with semi-arid ecosystems. Optimal endmember selection and …

Mapping Soil Organic Carbon (Soc) In A Semi-Arid Mountainous Watershed Using Variables From Hyperspectral, Lidar And Traditional Datasets, Ryan Matthew Will

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Quantifying soil organic carbon (SOC) in complex terrain is challenging due to its high spatial variability. Generally, limited discrete observations of SOC data are used to develop spatially distributed maps of SOC by developing quantitative relationships between SOC and available spatially distributed variables. In many ecosystems, remotely sensed information on aboveground vegetation can be used to predict belowground carbon stocks. In this research, we developed maps of SOC across a semi-arid watershed based on discrete field observations and modeling using a suite of variables inclusive of hyperspectral and lidar datasets; these observations provide insights into the controls on soil carbon …

Acyl-Homoserine Lactone Based Modulators For Rhli, A Quorum Sensing Signal Synthase In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Daniel D. Shin

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Gram-negative bacteria use N-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) autoinducer based signal system, known as quorum sensing (QS), to modulate the gene expression for such traits as biofilm formation, toxin production, and antibiotic resistance. Therefore, there is great potential in pursuing quorum sensing inhibition (QSI) as a means of achieving antivirulence. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen commonly found in healthcare-related infections, use two LuxI/R type systems to regulate AHL-based quorum sensing: LasI/R and RhlI/R. LasI (initiator protein/signal synthase) and LasR (receptor) use 3-oxododecanoyl-L-homoserine lactone signal molecule while RhlI and RhlR use butanoyl-L-homoserine lactone autoinducer. Thus far, most of the studies have …

Grit As A Predictor Of Academic Success For First-Time Undergraduate Students, Sean M. Broghammer

Dissertations

A majority of institutions of higher education in the U.S. rely primarily on traditional academic factors of high-school grade point average (HSGPA) and standardized test scores to admit students to undergraduate studies. Recent research has supported the use of noncognitive variables in conjunction with traditional factors in predicting college student success. This study sought to investigate further if the noncognitive variable of grit could predict first-year college grade point average (FYGPA), first semester persistence, and first year retention beyond existing pre-collegiate indicators. Previous studies involving grit on college students were completed at highly selective institutions or highly competitive environments such …

A First-Order Autoregressive Hurdle Poisson Model, Gadir Abdulaziz Alomair

Dissertations

Count regression models are used when the response variable takes count or non-negative values. Poisson and negative binomial distributions are commonly used to model count data. A frequent matter with the count data is to have an excess number of zeros that can result in overdispersed data when using Poisson or negative binomial distributions. Appropriate approaches to use when modeling excess-zero data is to use either a hurdle or a zero-inated Poisson (ZIP) distribution. Recently, the hurdle models are commonly used in fields such as medicine, epidemiology, genetics, and marketing. Excess-zero data occur frequently as a series of data that …

The Role Of Middle School Building Leadership Teams In Professional Development, Celine Wicks

Dissertations

The role middle school building leadership teams have in professional development (PD), through a distributed leadership model, was explored in this multiple-case study. There is minimal research regarding the impact of middle school building leadership teams (BLTs) related to their responsibilities of professional development. The intent of this study was to add to the body of research regarding the role that middle school BLTs, beyond the principal alone, have on designing and delivering professional development. Through a qualitative research design, data were collected through one-on-one interviews, focus group interviews, observations, and document collection. The findings illuminated four major themes of …

Criminal Justice Majors: Are They Tougher On Crime?, Anthony Javornik

Honors College Theses

The United States of America incarcerates more individuals than any other nation in the world. Therefore, the United States has one of the most active correctional systems and it is imperative to examine the system thoroughly. Generally speaking, there have been 3 accepted models of the correctional system since the 1940’s: custodial, rehabilitation, and reintegration. Although it is possible to find institutions that subscribe to each of these models respectively, the custodial model is the most common in the United States. Therefore, this study seeks to examine college students’ perception of crime, in order to help explain why the general …

Eva: An Indicator Of Corporate Bankruptcy?, Amanda (Jinxian) Lu

Honors College Theses

Economic value added (EVA) analysis is one of the most common methods to evaluate company’s performance in terms of value creation, which involves ROIC (Return on Invested Capital) and WACC (Weighted Average Cost of Capital) as key drivers. Past studies evaluate the superiority of EVA over other measures of performance and relationship between EVA and stock returns. This paper analyzes the relationship between EVA and bankruptcy on 373 public traded companies in U.S. of which 178 companies filed for bankruptcy between the year of 2015 to October 2017. We present descriptive statistics, conduct univariae grouping tests and correlation between ROIC, …

The Mountains Are Calling, Alexis Brianne Collins

Honors College Theses

Mark Knapp’s Relationship Model in Communication Studies attempts to limit human relationships to a specific, linear array of stages and categories. This research project attempts to critique the rigidity of Knapp’s model, while simultaneously attempting to posit film as an incredibly influential tool (if not an alternative model entirely) for communication both diegetically – within the realm of the film – and in conversation with an audience. The silent nature of the creative filmed portion of this project is in direct opposition to Knapp’s model, which inadvertently roots human relationships in language.