Digital Commons Network^™

Impact Of Feature Proportion On Matching Performance Of Multi-Biometric Systems, Wencheng Yang, Song Wang, Guanglou Zheng, Craig Valli

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Biometrics as a tool for information security has been used in various applications. Feature-level fusion is widely used in the design of multi-biometric systems due to its advantages in increasing recognition accuracy and security. However, most existing multi-biometric systems that use feature-level fusion assign each biometric trait an equal proportion when combining features from multiple sources. For example, multi-biometric systems with two biometric traits commonly adopt a 50–50 feature proportion setting, which means that fused feature data contains half elements from each biometric modality. In this paper, we investigate the impact of feature proportion on the matching performance of multi-biometric …

"I Felt That I Could Be Whatever I Wanted": Pre-Service Drama Teachers' Prior Experiences And Beliefs About Teaching Drama, Christina C. Gray, Robin Pascoe, Peter Wright

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Pre-service drama teachers enter teacher training with established ideas and beliefs about teaching. These beliefs, based on experience, are informed by many hours spent in schools, and the pedagogies – both effective and ineffective – utilised by their teachers. This research explores the influence of some of these prior experiences on pre-service drama teachers’ beliefs about teaching drama, this being important in the way that not only shapes their practicum experiences, but also what will then influence their own teaching of drama. Individual interviews with four pre-service drama teachers revealed the complexity and dynamics of these participants’ lived experience with …

A Comparison Of Displacement And Energetic Variables Between Three Team Sport Gps Devices, Paolo Terziotti, Marc Sim, Ted Polglaze

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study compared the outputs of three different commercially-available GPS player-tracking devices for a range of commonly used displacement and energetic variables in activities replicating team sport movements. Professional male soccer players (n = 7), simultaneously wore three GPS devices (Catapult OptimEye S5, GPExe Pro 1, StatSport ViperPod) whilst completing four separate drills, comprising progressively more complex changes in speed and direction. Displacement (distance, speed) and energetic (energy cost, metabolic power, energy expenditure) variables were compared for each device. All three devices tended to under-estimate distance compared to the known value for each drill, with only minor and inconsistent …

A Comprehensive Review Of Fruit And Vegetable Classification Techniques, Khurram Hameed, Douglas Chai, Alexander Rassau

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Recent advancements in computer vision have enabled wide-ranging applications in every field of life. One such application area is fresh produce classification, but the classification of fruit and vegetable has proven to be a complex problem and needs to be further developed. Fruit and vegetable classification presents significant challenges due to interclass similarities and irregular intraclass characteristics. Selection of appropriate data acquisition sensors and feature representation approach is also crucial due to the huge diversity of the field. Fruit and vegetable classification methods have been developed for quality assessment and robotic harvesting but the current state-of-the-art has been developed for …

Attitudes Of Doctors And Nurses Toward Patient Safety Within Emergency Departments Of Two Saudi Arabian Hospitals, Naif Alzahrani, Russell Jones, Mohamed E. Abdel-Latif

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: A hospital culture that promotes and insures patient safety is a critical aspect for the effective delivery of hospital services and patient care. Yet there are significant patient health and safety issues in hospitals worldwide. This study aims to investigate doctors’ and nurses’ attitudes toward patient safety in the emergency departments (ED) of two Saudi hospitals.

Method: A cross-sectional survey using a validated Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ) was used. Total of 503 ED doctors and nurses completed SAQ. Correlation analysis, using Spearman’s Rho, was performed between the number of incidents reported and each dimension of the SAQ. …

Forest Type Influences Population Densities Of Nocturnal Lemurs In Manompana, Northeastern Madagascar, Alex Miller, Harriet R. Mills, Tantely Ralantoharijaona, Nicole A. Volasoa, Chantal Misandeau, Lounès Chikhi, Roberta Bencini, Jordi Salmona

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Forest loss, fragmentation, and anthropization threaten the survival of forest species all over the world. Shifting agriculture is one of these threatening processes in Madagascar. However, when its cycle is halted and the land is left to regenerate, the resulting growth of secondary forest may provide a viable habitat for folivorous and omnivorous lemur species. We aimed to identify the response of nocturnal lemurs to different successional stages of regenerating secondary, degraded mature, and mature forest across a mosaic-type landscape. We surveyed four nocturnal lemur species (Avahi laniger, Microcebus cf. simmonsi, Allocebus trichotis, and Daubentonia madagascariensis) in four forest types …

Homogenization And Growth Behavior Of Second-Phase Particles In A Deformed Zr-Sn-Nb-Fe-Cu-Si-O Alloy, Liang-Yu Chen, Peng Sang, Lina Zhang, Dongpo Song, Yanqiu Chu, Linjiang Chai, Laichang Zhang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Homogeneous distribution of fine second-phase particles (SPPs) fabricated by cycles of deformation and annealing in zirconium alloys is a critical consideration for the corrosion resistance of fuel claddings. Different deformation degrees of zirconium alloys would result in distinctive microstructures, leading to a distinct growth of SPPs during subsequent annealing. Unfortunately, the homogenization and growth behavior of SPPs in deformed zirconium alloys have not been well studied. In this work, a β-quenched Zr–Sn–Nb–Fe–Cu–Si–O alloy was rolled and annealed at 580◦C or 680◦C. The morphologies, distributions, and sizes of SPPs resulting from the different processing procedures were investigated. A linear distribution of …

Early Career Experiences Of Navigating Journal Article Publication: Lessons Learned Using An Autoethnographic Approach, Margaret K. Merga, Shannon Mason, Julia Morris

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The successful publication of peer reviewed academic journal articles is an essential achievement for early career researchers (ECRs) seeking to establish themselves in their profession. However, this journey can pose several significant challenges for ECRs. We use an autoethnographic approach that draws deeply on our lived experience as ECRs to capture our recent and current experiences of negotiating the academic journal article publication journey to explore the tensions, contradictions, and benefits encountered in the journey. We critically examine challenges we experienced in choosing a target journal and negotiating the follow‐up process; undertaking revisions; and our experiences of limitations and possibilities …

Rare Single Gene Disorders: Estimating Baseline Prevalence And Outcomes Worldwide, Hannah Blencowe, Sowmiya Moorthie, Mary Petrou, Hanan Hamamy, Alan Bittles, Stephen Gibbons, Matthew Darlison, Bernadette Modell, Congenital Disorders Expert Group .

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

As child mortality rates overall are decreasing, non-communicable conditions, such as genetic disorders, constitute an increasing proportion of child mortality, morbidity and disability. To date, policy and public health programmes have focused on common genetic disorders. Rare single gene disorders are an important source of morbidity and premature mortality for affected families. When considered collectively, they account for an important public health burden, which is frequently under-recognised. To document the collective frequency and health burden of rare single gene disorders, it is necessary to aggregate them into large manageable groupings and take account of their family implications, effective interventions and …

Suicidal Ideation In The Perinatal Period: A Systematic Review, Avril O'Connor, Sadie Geraghty, Gemma Doleman, Annemarie De Leo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective: To examine literature surrounding suicidal ideation and suicidality in the perinatal period. Design: Systematic Literature Review of published 15 research studies. Findings: There is a scarcity of prospective studies conducted in suicidal ideation during the perinatal period. More research is needed to ensure childbearing women at risk of suicidal ideation during pregnancy receive the appropriate care and maternity services required to support them throughout this period. Key conclusions: Midwives play an important role in screening women for possible emotional distress and mood disorders during pregnancy. Therefore, midwives need to have knowledge of risk factors so vulnerable women are monitored …

Functional Dissociation Of The Posterior And Anterior Insula In Moral Disgust, Xiaoping Ying, Jing Luo, Chi-Yue Chiu, Yanhong Wu, Yan Xu, Jin Fan

Publications and Research

The insula is thought to be involved in disgust. However, the roles of the posterior insula (PI) and anterior insula (AI) in moral disgust have not been clearly dissociated in previous studies. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging study, the participants evaluated the degree of disgust using sentences related to mild moral violations with different types of behavioral agents (mother and stranger). The activation of the PI in response to the stranger agent was significantly higher than that in response to the mother agent. In contrast, the activation of the AI in response to the mother agent was significantly higher …

Small And Medium Enterprises' Risk Exposures And Mitigation Approaches In Nigeria, Joshua Solomon Adeyele, Olubunmi Florence Osemene

The Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance

Risks militating against small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been on the increase due to how risks mitigations are conducted by the owners/operators. Although thorough understanding of businesses undertaken by the owners of SMEs enables them to have a clear picture of risks affecting their businesses so as to act in proactive manner in order to mitigate or avoid the impending risks. To assess the risk exposures of SMEs, a random sampling technique was used to select 209 SMEs within Lagos and Benin City. Both descriptive and inferential statistics such as Phi and Gamma were used to analyse the data …

Sunrise Presentations: A Study In Valuing And Divesting A Small Business, Cyndi Barrus, James C. Brau, Amy Cyr, Jessica West

The Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance

Sarah Barnett has decided to go back to school to earn an MBA. For several years she has run a graphic design business. Sarah has unexpectedly been accepted into the MBA program with a scholarship a year earlier than she planned. Classes begin in two weeks and the school she is attending does not allow first year MBAs to work outside of the school curriculum. Sarah has decided to divest her business and now must consider several options to do so. She is most concerned about making sure her customers continue to receive outstanding service, and secondarily concerned about selling …

Duratable Enterprises Inc., Spencer D. Evans, Hal B. Heaton

The Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance

In late 2017, DuraTable received a number of unsolicited inquiries regarding its interest in selling out in a going private transaction, mostly from private equity firms. Since the chairman of the board and founder, Gary Reynolds, was approaching retirement age and the largest single shareholder who had provided the seed capital to start the company was over 80 years old, Mr. Reynolds was willing to consider a sale and provided information to four or five of them to prepare bids. DuraTable was a closely held company with relatively few individuals holding the vast majority of shares. As such, DuraTable’s shares …

Navigating The Teen Years: The Adolescent Brain And Christ’S Atonement, Mark H. Butler, Genevieve L. Smith

Faculty Publications

Like other spiritually sincere youth, Caleb struggles with pornography use. At first, he was repulsed by it, but he found himself drawn back to it. The arousal was preoccupying and pleasurable. Pornography use became a habit. He still wanted to go on a mission, marry in the temple, be a worthy father. Repeatedly, he resolved to stop using pornography. He felt anger and shame every time he fell short. Caleb became discouraged and felt like he could never change. He felt that he didn’t deserve God’s or anyone else’s love and forgiveness because of all his broken promises.

Walking In Minimalist Shoes Is Effective For Strengthening Foot Muscles, Sarah T. Ridge, Mark T. Olsen, Dustin A. Bruening, Kevin Jurgensmeier, David Griffin, Irene S. Davis, A. Wayne Johnson

Faculty Publications

Introduction: Weakness of foot muscles may contribute to a variety of loading-related injuries. Supportive footwear may contribute to intrinsic foot muscle weakness by reducing the muscles’ role in locomotion (e.g., absorbing forces and controlling motion). Increased stimulus to the foot muscles can be provided through a variety of mechanisms, including minimalist footwear and directed exercise.

Purpose: To determine the effect of walking in minimalist footwear or performing foot strengthening exercises on foot muscle size and strength.

Methods: Fifty-seven runners were randomly assigned to one of three groups—minimalist shoe walking (MSW), foot strengthening (FS) exercise, or control (C). All groups maintained …

Comparison Of Varying Heel To Toe Differences And Cushion To Barefoot Running In Novice Minimalist Runners, Danny Moody, Iain Hunter, Sarah T. Ridge, J. William Myrer

Faculty Publications

There are many different types of footwear available for runners in today’s market. Many of these shoes claim to help runners run more efficiently by altering an individual’s stride mechanics. Minimalist footwear claims to aid runners run more on their forefeet whereas more traditional footwear provides more cushioning specifically for a heel first landing. The purpose of this paper was to determine if runners, who were accustomed to running in traditional footwear would alter their running mechanics while running acutely in various types of minimalist footwear. Twelve subjects, accustomed to running in traditional 12 mm heel/toe differential footwear, ran in …

Religious Discrimination Scale: Development And Initial Psychometric Evalutation, Kawika Allen, Kenneth T. Fuller, P. Scott Richards, Mason Ming, Han Na Suh

Faculty Publications

This study presents the development and initial psychometric evaluation of the Religious Discrimination Scale (RDS). This 11-item instrument identified three dimensions based on perceived discrimination experiences of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS): Perceived Prejudice, Closet Symptoms, and Negative Labels. The psychometric evaluations of the RDS indicated a strong and clear factor structure as well as good internal consistency reliability. The test of measurement and structural invariance across gender also suggested that the RDS scale is equally appropriate to be used with both men and women. Implications for practice and research as well as future …

Effects Of Parent-Implemented Interventions On Outcomes For Children With Developmental Disabilities: A Meta-Analysis, Tina Taylor, Timothy B. Smith, Byran B. Korth, Barbara Mandleco

Faculty Publications

A large body of literature exists related to parent-implemented interventions for children with disabilities, so it is helpful to synthesize the results of outcome-based interventions for children with developmental disabilities. Specifically, what are the effects of parent-implemented interventions intended to improve children’s (1) social behaviors, (2) life skills/adaptive behavior, and (3) communication skills? Using meta-analytic aggregation of effect sizes across 30 studies with a total of 1,356 participants, this review examined the association between parent-implemented interventions and intended outcomes for young children with developmental disabilities. Across all 30 studies comparing children’s outcomes to control groups, the random-effects-weighted average effect size …

Johannine Christology Through The Lens Of Three Of Its Dialogues, Gaye Strathearn

Faculty Publications

In comparison with the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the Gospel of John has a very different interpretive lens through which it answers the age-old question “Who is Jesus?” The Gospel itself identifies its purpose: “These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:31). While many individuals in the Synoptic Gospels declare Jesus to be the Son of God, there are very few accounts of Jesus himself declaring so until the latter part of his ministry. In this respect, …

“Can’T Live With Or Without Them:” Transitions And Young Adults’ Perceptions Of Sibling Relationships, Alexander C. Jensen Phd, Shawn D. Whiteman, Karen L. Fingerman

Faculty Publications

Extant research documents how siblings’ relationships develop from childhood through adolescence; yet, we know little about how sibling relationships change in young adulthood. Rooted in life course theory, this 2-wave longitudinal study investigated changes in sibling closeness and conflict, and the roles of life transitions and sibling similarity in life stage. Participants included 273 young adults from 180 families who reported on 340 sibling relationships (Time 1 M age = 24.45, SD = 5.33; Time 2 M age = 30.23, SD = 5.33). Multilevel repeated measures analysis of covariance indicated that, on average, siblings’ perceptions of conflict declined over the …

Exploring The Experiences Of Adolescent Students Attending A Virtual School, Allan G. Nelson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In the past 20 years distance education has evolved rapidly. The accessibility to online learning or virtual schools has become a viable option for many students. Virtual schools offer students instructional flexibility regarding time, place, and pace.

Improvements in distance education fostered rapid growth of online learning. The number of online learners grew nearly ten-fold from 2001 to 2015 (Clark, 2001; Watson et al., 2015). However, Watson (2016) estimated only 10% of online learners represented full-time virtual school students. Although face-to-face instruction is preferred by most K-12 learners, some learners argued their needs were best met by virtual schools (Green, …

3d Printed Relief Valve Analysis And Validation, John Anthony Dutcher Iii

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Additive Manufacturing allows for faster, lower cost product development including customization, print at point of use, and low cost per volume produced. This research uses Stereolithography produced prototypes to develop an improvement to an existing product, the internal pressure relief valve of a positive displacement pump. Four 3D printed prototype assemblies were developed and tested in this research. The relief valve assemblies consisted of additive manufacturing produced pressure vessel components, post processed, and installed on the positive displacement pump with no additional machining. Prototype designs were analyzed with Computational Fluid Dynamic simulation to increase flow through the valve. The simulation …

They That Go Down To The Sea In Ships: Richard Henry Dana, Jr.'S Two Years Before The Mast And The Sublime, Laurie Anne Lee

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In this thesis I incorporated the use of a two-fold lens to investigate the character development of the author Richard Henry Dana, Jr., who I met in his autobiography and his book Two Years Before the Mast, the written record of his 1834-1836 voyage aboard the Pilgrim and the Alert. In an effort to understand Dana the sailor and Dana the lawyer, I viewed his life and work, in part, through the lens of Edmund Burke’s Philosophical Enquiry into the Sublime and Beautiful, paying special attention to Burke’s definition of the sublime as encompassing pain and suffering. Through Burke’s Enquiry …

Instructors' Attitudes And Perceptions Toward Critical Thinking: A Case Study Of Interior Design Instructors In Saudi Arabia, Afnan Al Ramis

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate how critical thinking is defined by interior design female instructors in Saudi Arabia. Also, it aimed to examine instructors’ perceptions and attitudes toward critical thinking. In addition, it served to illuminate potential obstacles and biases that prevent female instructors from teaching critical thinking skills at the schools and universities in Saudi Arabia. The research targeted female Interior Design instructors in particular, to examine their perceptions toward critical thinking. There were three research questions:

1- What are female Interior Design instructors’ perceptions toward critical thinking? Do they teach critical thinking skills in the …

An Exploration Of Teacher Dispositions: Expectation Of Potential, Kathleen Louise Saleh

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This qualitative investigation of three, K-12, in-service special education teachers’ dispositions employs the pillars of Disability Studies in Education (Connor, Gabel, Gallagher, & Morton, 2008) and Villegas’ (2007) definition of disposition to interpret the observational and interview data. Central to the study are the teachers’ beliefs about their students’ learning potential and the impact of those beliefs on their instructional behaviors—dispositions—that support or hinder social justice. Consideration is also given to the educational and life experiences that the educators identify as contributing to their professional disposition. Analysis of the data demonstrated five primary themes. (1) Disposition, although influential in the …

Master's Recital In Jazz Pedagogy: A Performance-Demonstration Of Rhythm Section Instruments, Compositions And Arrangements By Nicholas Leo, Nicholas Leo

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The recital is presented to demonstrate skills and facility on the rhythm section instruments as well as to provide opportunity for the recitalist to present original compositions and arrangements. Proficiency on rhythm section instruments is necessary in that it offers, among other things, an understanding of the technical components and how they relate to the application of musical concepts of performance and education.

The curation of the recital program also functions as a representation of the recitalist’s artistic aesthetic, specifically in how it relates to pedagogy. The influential jazz educator and pianist Ran Blake asserts that an artist’s primary arsenal …

Graduate Recital In Violin, Naima Burrs

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Naima Burrs performed her Master of Music Recital in violin on April 2, 2018, at 8:00 pm in the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Art Center’s Davis Hall. She was assisted by pianist Mariya Akhadjanova. The program selected included César Franck’s Sonata in A Major for piano and violin (1886), Keith Jarrett’s Elegy for violin and string orchestra (2000), Three Pieces for Violin and Piano (1967) by Dorothy Rudd Moore, and Song (2002) from Tango, Song and Dance by Andre Previn.

The Metaphysics Of Arbitration: A Reply To Hensler & Khatam, Hiro Aragaki

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Beyond The Tipping Point: Modifying The Five C'S To Empower Transgender And Gender Expansive Youth, Jonah De Chants, Heather Kennedy, Yolanda Anyon

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Transgender people have entered an unprecedented moment of visibility in American society and across the globe. However, transgender and gender expansive youth remain vulnerable to family rejection, harassment at school, and discrimination in healthcare and employment. Positive Youth Development (PYD) is an established framework for strengths-based practice with young people that is focused on helping youth develop the skills they need to become healthy, productive adults. In this manuscript, we reconceptualize the 5 C's of PYD to address the unique needs and experiences of transgender and gender expansive youth. We also provide specific guidance for empowering service providers to help …