Digital Commons Network^™

Privacy-Preserving Trajectory Data Publishing Via Differential Privacy, Ishita Dwivedi

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Over the past decade, the collection of data by individuals, businesses and government agencies has increased tremendously. Due to the widespread of mobile computing and the advances in location-acquisition techniques, an immense amount of data concerning the mobility of moving objects have been generated. The movement data of an object (e.g. individual) might include specific information about the locations it visited, the time those locations were visited, or both. While it is beneficial to share data for the purpose of mining and analysis, data sharing might risk the privacy of the individuals involved in the data. Privacy-Preserving Data Publishing (PPDP) …

Cultivating Community Interactions In Citizen Science: Connecting People To Each Other And The Environment, Bret Allen Finley

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Citizen science leverages a distributed user-base which participates in crowd-sourced scientific inquiry. Geotagger is a citizen science project that allows people to collaboratively investigate the natural world around them and share their findings. Citizens are rarely compensated for their work and individual contributors can feel isolated which leads to motivation problems. This thesis focuses on engaging citizen scientists and motivating their contributions via social interaction and engagement. As a part of this work, a number of social enhancements have been developed as extensions to the existing Geotagger project. These enhancements and their effect on social engagement were evaluated using in-field …

Research-Based Stem Educator Professional Development Rubrics For The Selection Of High-Quality Professional Development: A Mixed Methods Study Of Teacher Perceptions And Outcomes, Angela Hemingway

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Idahoans failed to recognize approximately $240M in 2016 when over 3,800 STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) jobs, with a median wage of $30 per hour, went unfilled. This further caused Idaho to lose $14M in state income tax receipts from these unclaimed positions (Idaho Department of Labor, 2016). To mitigate these economic losses, the Idaho STEM Action Center (STEM AC) was created to develop the STEM-skilled workforce that Idaho employers demand. High-quality, STEM-educator professional development (PD) is a critical component in ensuring students are equipped with the skills required to successfully thrive in the workforce and fill industry demands. …

Effects Of The Internal Magnetic Field On The Magneto-Mechanical Properties Of Magnetic Shape Memory Alloys, Anthony Hobza

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Shape memory alloys are a class of functional material which recover from large strains without permanent deformation. The strain is accommodated by the displacement of twin boundaries in the martensite phase. The shape memory alloy Ni-Mn-Ga is also ferromagnetic. Ni-Mn-Ga preferentially magnetizes along a certain crystallographic axis. This direction of easy magnetization changes across twin boundaries, such that the directions in neighboring twin domains are nearly perpendicular.

The interaction of magnetic moments and interfaces including the crystal surface and twin boundary interfaces has a large role in the magnetization process of the material. The goal of this study is to …

Variance: Secure Two-Party Protocol For Solving Yao's Millionaires' Problem In Bitcoin, Joshua Holmes

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Secure multiparty protocols are useful tools for parties wishing to jointly compute a function while keeping their input data secret. The millionaires’ problem is the first secure two-party computation problem, where the goal is to securely compare two private numbers without a trusted third-party. There have been several solutions to the problem, including Yao’s protocol [Yao, 1982] and Mix and Match [Jakobsson and Juels, 2000]. However, Yao’s Protocol is not secure in the malicious model and Mix and Match unnecessarily releases theoretically breakable encryptions of information about the data that is not needed for the comparison. In addition, neither protocol …

Effects Of Grouping On 4th Grade Mathematics Achievement, Brian Marinelli

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Questions involving the equitable distribution of mathematics instruction have been addressed since at least the early 1990’s. Since this time, little research has been conducted on the antecedents and effects of grouping elementary school students within homogenous mathematics groups. The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare the mathematics achievement of 4^th grade elementary school students who were grouped in either homogenous or heterogeneous mathematics classes. A causal-comparative design was utilized in an attempt to find relationships between the independent variables of mathematics grouping level, sex, and ethnicity and the dependent variable of mathematics achievement. Data were analyzed …

The Use Of Visual Arts In World Language Instruction To Increase Student Motivation And Attitude, Marilena Bevilacqua Martello

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Because of the complexity and changeability that characterize languages, language learners face a number of various factors in their quest to acquire a new language. Nevertheless, it is the level of motivation and personal attitude toward language learning that will determine their rate of success (Dörnyei & Csizér, 1998). The purpose of this study was to find out (1) whether there was a relationship between the use of visual art in world language instruction and student motivation, and (2) whether student writing skills improved when visual art was used for Content Based Instruction. The study used a mixed method research …

Seeking Mirrors: A Study Of Student Selection And Use Of Culturally Relevant Texts, Suzanne V. Kromer

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Despite a growing body of work involving culturally relevant pedagogy, methods for selecting culturally relevant literature, or involving students in the selection process, are poorly understood. The objective of this qualitative study of a seventh grade language arts classroom was to explore a process for students to assess and select culturally relevant literature. This study also probed how the implementation of culturally relevant literature impacted achievement, engagement, and interest. The resulting process utilized cultural relevancy rubrics and book previews, which led to a majority of students finding a culturally relevant novel. During the literature unit, student achievement rates were maintained, …

Oral Creatine Hydrochloride Supplementation: Acute Effects On Submaximal, Intermittent Bouts Of Bench Press And Vertical Jump Exercises, Daniel Mcdonough

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of oral creatine hydrochloride (CrHCl) supplementation on three repeated bouts of bench press and vertical jumping exercises and body composition measures (body weight (BW), fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM)). Methods: Fifteen resistance trained males completed 3 sets of the barbell bench press (70% 1RM) and 3 sets of the repeated counter-movement vertical jump (CMJ; 85% maximal CMJ height), with 2 min rest between sets, before and after a 7 d CrHCl intervention (4 g·day^-1). A two-factor repeated measures ANOVA was used to determine significant main …

Impacts Of Anthropogenic Noise On Litter Chemistry And Decomposition Processes In A Semi-Arid Ecosystem, Peggy Martinez

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Chronic anthropogenic noise in ecosystems can change avian/arthropod/plant interactions, but it is unclear how changes in herbivory pressure affects functional traits of plants. We asked how anthropogenic noise, mediated through changes in arthropod abundance, altered timing of leaf senesce, chemical composition (i.e. C/N ratios, total phenolics) and decomposition rates of leaf litter in Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata spp. wyo.). Additionally, we asked if changes in arthropod abundance altered secondary metabolites (i.e. monoterpenes) in foliage. We broadcasted recorded gas compressor station noise (24hrs/day) from April through October 2015 in a sagebrush steppe ecosystem of Idaho, USA. We quantified …

Aliasing Of The Schumann Resonance Background Signal By Sprite-Associated Q-Bursts, Anirban Guha, Earle Williams, Robert Boldi, Gabriella Sátori, Tamás Nagy, József Bór, Joan Montanyà, Pascal Ortega

All Works

© 2017 The Authors The Earth's naturally occurring Schumann resonances (SR) are composed of a quasi-continuous background component and a larger-amplitude, short-duration transient component, otherwise called ‘Q-burst’ (Ogawa et al., 1967). Sprites in the mesosphere are also known to accompany the energetic positive ground flashes that launch the Q-bursts (Boccippio et al., 1995). Spectra of the background Schumann Resonances (SR) require a natural stabilization period of ∼10–12 min for the three conspicuous modal parameters to be derived from Lorentzian fitting. Before the spectra are computed and the fitting process is initiated, the raw time series data need to be properly …

The Effects Of Language Simplification And Pictures On The Ability Of Emirati University Students To Comprehend And Solve Mathematics Word Problems, Mark Causapin, Timothy Groombridge

All Works

This paper presents a study of Emirati university students learning mathematics in a second language (English). The study focused on students' responses to mathematical word problems in different versions: simpler/more complex versions of the problem in English; an Arabic translation of the problem; and the addition of a picture to support the text of the problem. Our findings suggest that neither language simplification nor pictures significantly affect students' comprehension and performance on word problem assessments; the lexical and syntactic features of the word problems have little effect on their understanding and ability to answer the questions presented to them. In …

Optimizing Barrier Removal To Restore Connectivity In Utah’S Weber Basin, Maggi Kraft

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

River barriers, such as dams, culverts and diversions are important for water conveyance, but disrupt river ecosystems and hydrologic processes. River barrier removal is increasingly used to restore and improve river habitat and connectivity. Most past barrier removal projects prioritized individual barriers using score-and-rank techniques, neglecting the spatial structure and cumulative change from multiple barrier removals. Similarly, most water demand models satisfy human water uses or, only prioritize aquatic habitat, failing to include both human and environmental water use benefits. In this study, a dual objective optimization model identified in-stream barriers that impede quality-weighted aquatic habitat connectivity for Bonneville cutthroat …

Dealing A Neonate With Charge Syndrome: Anaesthesia Perspective Of Perioperative Care, Khalid M Siddiqui, Muhammad Ali Asghar, Amjad Nadeem

Department of Anaesthesia

CHARGE syndrome is a condition that can disturb numerous areas of human body. As an abbreviation CHARGE stands for: coloboma, heart defects, atresia choanae, and retardation of growth, genital, and ear abnormalities. The configuration of malformations differs among individuals with this disorder, and the various health issues can be life-threatening during infancy and childhood. Affected individuals typically have several main features or a combination of major and minor appearances. Here we are presenting a case report of a neonate with CHARGE syndrome who underwent successful repair of choanal atresia under general anaesthesia with invasive monitoring.

Routes To Drug Design Via Bioisosterism Of Carboxyl And Sulfonamide Groups, Alya A. Arabi

All Works

© 2017 2017 Future Science Ltd. Aim: The similarity in the biological function of the bioisosteric pair, carboxyl and sulfonamide functional groups, is studied using the quantitative tool, average electron density of the bioisosteric moiety in drug molecules and the qualitative tool, electrostatic potential. Results/methodology: Five different capping groups (methyl, phenyl, chlorine, hydrogen and amine) were considered to investigate the effect of the environment on the properties of the bioisosteres. The molecules were considered in their neutral and anionic forms to account for the change in pH depending on the medium of the drug-receptor interactions. Conclusion: The new developed approach, …

Generation Z Consumers' Expectations Of Interactions In Smart Retailing: A Future Agenda, Constantinos Vasilios Priporas, Nikolaos Stylos, Anestis K. Fotiadis

All Works

© 2017 The Authors Retailing is witnessing a transformation due to rapid technological developments. Retailers are using smart technologies to improve consumer shopping experiences and to stay competitive. The biggest future challenge for marketing and consequently for retailing seems to be generation Z, since members of this generation seem to behave differently as consumers and are more focused on innovation. The aim of this paper is to explore Generation Z consumers' current perceptions, expectations and recommendations in terms of their future interactions in smart retailing contexts. To do so, we used a qualitative approach by conducting a series of semi-structured …

Testing The Test: Expanding The Dialogue On Workplace Writing Assessment, Lindsay Elizabeth Tanner

Theses and Dissertations

This project is a case study of writing assessment practices in a particular workplace called "High Hits," a local search engine optimization (SEO) company. The writing tests given to new hires serve a parallel purpose to academic placement exams, in that they are a high-stress, high-risk situation that aims to evaluate writer ability rather than the quality of the completed task (Haswell 242, Elbow 83, Moss 110). However, while academic assessment measures ability with the aim to improve the students' learning, workplace assessment is driven by market forces and is seen in terms of return on investment. This case study …

Phased-Array Feed Instrumentation And Processing For Astronomical Detection, Interference Mitigation, And Transient Parameter Estimation, Richard Allen Black

Theses and Dissertations

Radio astronomy, the survey and study of naturally occurring astronomical radio signals, is a challenging field in terms of engineering requirements. The typical astronomical signal of interest is incredibly faint, resulting in very low signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) on the order of -30 dB or lower. To detect such signals, one must have an uncommonly low and stable receiver noise temperature, high gain through large aperture reflectors, and state-of-the-art signal processing algorithms. One must also be able to mitigate the effects of interference, the presence of which, even if extremely weak, can completely mask the faint astronomical signals of interest. To …

Evaporated Aluminum Fluoride As A Barrier Layer To Retard Oxidation Of Aluminum Mirrors, Margaret Miles

Theses and Dissertations

The aluminum oxide growth rate for aluminum protected with 2.4 nm of aluminum fluoride has been determined. We show that a 2.4 nm aluminum fluoride layer does not prevent aluminum from oxidation but does significantly retard the oxide growth – decreasing the oxide layer thickness from 1 nm in less than an hour to 0.9 nm over 116 hours. Additionally, the optical constants for aluminum oxide growing under an aluminum fluoride barrier layer have been determined – showing an increase in absorption at high energies for Al₂O₃ forming at room temperature as compared to highly ordered Al …

A Molecular Simulation Study Of Antibody-Antigen Interactions On Surfaces For The Rational Design Of Next-Generation Antibody Microarrays, Derek B. Bush

Theses and Dissertations

Antibody microarrays constitute a next-generation sensing platform that has the potential to revolutionize the way that molecular detection is conducted in many scientific fields. Unfortunately, current technologies have not found mainstream use because of reliability problems that undermine trust in their results. Although several factors are involved, it is believed that undesirable protein interactions with the array surface are a fundamental source of problems where little detail about the molecular-level biophysics are known. A better understanding of antibody stability and antibody-antigen binding on the array surface is needed to improve microarray technology. Despite the availability of many laboratory methods for …

Ground Reaction Forces For Irish Dance Landings In Hard And Soft Shoes, Sarah Elizabeth Klopp

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Irish dance has evolved to become more athletically demanding, thus making the art form very hard on dancers' bodies. Irish dancers must land from difficult moves without letting their knees bend or heels touch the ground, causing large amounts of force to be absorbed by the body. Past studies have found dancers landing with a range of 4.5–6 times body weight, potentially causing high amounts of overuse injury. The majority of injuries incurred by Irish dancers are due to overuse (79.6%). The landings that occur in Irish dance have been minimally evaluated in current literature. Obtaining values of vertical …

Machine Learning To Discover And Optimize Materials, Conrad Waldhar Rosenbrock

Theses and Dissertations

For centuries, scientists have dreamed of creating materials by design. Rather than discovery by accident, bespoke materials could be tailored to fulfill specific technological needs. Quantum theory and computational methods are essentially equal to the task, and computational power is the new bottleneck. Machine learning has the potential to solve that problem by approximating material behavior at multiple length scales. A full end-to-end solution must allow us to approximate the quantum mechanics, microstructure and engineering tasks well enough to be predictive in the real world. In this dissertation, I present algorithms and methodology to address some of these problems at …

Using Dr. Scratch As A Formative Feedback Tool To Assess Computational Thinking, Samuel Frank Browning

Theses and Dissertations

Scratch is one of the most popular ways to teach younger children to code in K–8 throughout the U.S. and Europe. Despite its popularity, Scratch lacks a formative feedback tool to inform students and teachers of a student's progress in coding ability. Dr. Scratch was built to fill this need. This study seeks to answer if using Dr. Scratch as a formative feedback tool accelerates the students' progress in coding ability and Computational Thinking (CT). Forty-one 4th-6th grade students participated in a 1-hour/week Scratch workshop for nine weeks. We measured pre- and posttest results of the Computational Thinking Test (CTt) …

Copper Mineralogy In The Oxide Zone Of The Lone Star Porphyry Copper Deposit, Eastern Arizona, Jeff G. Selck

Theses and Dissertations

The Lone Star porphyry copper deposit in the Safford District of southeastern Arizona was discovered in the late 1800's but never mined on a large scale. In addition to typical copper oxide species such as chrysocolla, the upper part of the deposit has zones of mineralization in which the chemical assays of core samples have higher amounts of copper than can be visually assigned to the observed copper-bearing minerals. The goal of this study is to identify the Cu-bearing minerals, which is crucial because the efficiency of the extraction processes is strongly dependent upon the mineralogy. Samples from seven cores …

Multiple Target Tracking In Realistic Environments Using Recursive-Ransac In A Data Fusion Framework, Jeffrey Dyke Millard

Theses and Dissertations

Reliable track continuity is an important characteristic of multiple target tracking (MTT) algorithms. In the specific case of visually tracking multiple ground targets from an aerial platform, challenges arise due to realistic operating environments such as video compression artifacts, unmodeled camera vibration, and general imperfections in the target detection algorithm. Some popular visual detection techniques include Kanade-Lucas-Tomasi (KLT)-based motion detection, difference imaging, and object feature matching. Each of these algorithmic detectors has fundamental limitations in regard to providing consistent measurements. In this thesis we present a scalable detection framework that simultaneously leverages multiple measurement sources. We present the recursive random …

The Role Of Wisdom Leadership In Increasing Job Performance: Evidence From The Egyptian Tourism Sector., My Haddoud, Elbaz Ahmed

Plymouth Business School

The paper aims to explore the intervening role of wisdom leadership in the link between leadership styles and employees’ team performance, in the context of travel agents. Drawing on the leadership theory and the strategic leadership model, we develop an integrative model exploring the relationships between four distinct leadership styles and their influence on employees’ satisfaction and team performance, through the mediating role of wise leadership. Using data collected from 505 travel agents operating in Egypt, we show that not all leadership styles have a positive influence on employees’ satisfaction. We also show that a positive influence takes place through …

"What More Could I Have Done?" A Graduate Student's Experience Teaching Writing About Writing, Lena May Harper

Theses and Dissertations

As writing about writing (WAW) research enters its "second wave," characterized not only by an increase in data-driven studies that theorize and assess the effectiveness of WAW curricula (Downs) but also by an increase in its prominence and adaptation, particularly among emerging writing studies scholars and teachers (e.g., Bird et al.), a space has opened for more and varied types of research, especially empirical research, to determine its effectiveness and to produce more solid recommendations for training and curriculum development, especially for those who are new to the field. This case study, which highlights how a novice teacher responds to …

Reliability Of Feqdrain For Modeling Performance Of Sand Treated With Large-Diameter Prefabricated Drains For Liquefaction Mitigation, Travis Hatch Meservy

Theses and Dissertations

Finite element modeling of laminar shear box testing that consisted of loose sand treated with large diameter prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs), was performed. The objective of the modeling was to evaluate the reliability of the computer program FEQDrain for predicting excess pore pressure ratios (Ru) at sites treated with prefabricated drains. FEQDrain was found to be capable of successfully modeling measured excess pore pressure ratio time histories from the laminar shear box experiment, as long as an appropriate combination of €˜number of equivalent cycles and €˜shaking duration was chosen, and sensitive parameters were in the range of measured values. Hydraulic …

Faculty Perceptions Of Open Educational Resources Quality By Peer Review, Olga Maria Belikov

Theses and Dissertations

In this paper, 936 faculty free response reviews of open textbooks from the Open Textbook Library were analyzed for content and themes. The reviews were completed by faculty members at institutions in the United States and Canada. The textbooks were evaluated regarding their comprehensiveness, content accuracy, relevance longevity, clarity, consistency, modularity, organization structure flow, interface, grammatical errors, and cultural relevance. The results of the reviews found that the across 9360 comments regarding the quality of open textbooks, of these comments 97.3% reflected adequate or exceptional reviews of the textbooks. Faculty often compared the texts to traditional textbooks and in all …

Response Inhibition To High Calorie Food Cues Among Adolescents Following Active And Sedentary Video Game Play Using A Go/No-Go Task: A Randomized Crossover Study, Joshua L. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Sedentary behaviors, such as leisure time computer use and sedentary video games, are significant barriers to regular physical activity and contribute to high rates of overweight and obesity among adolescents. Sedentary screen time can adversely affect food intake and food selection. Active video games may be a promising way of increasing daily physical activity levels among adolescents. Active video games may help modulate response inhibition and food intake. PURPOSE: Compare the effects of an acute bout of active and sedentary video gaming on N2 amplitudes (while viewing high calorie and low calorie images), Stroop Color Word Test (Stroop test) performance …