Digital Commons Network^™

Writing As A Science Educator, Emily K. Faulconer

Publications

As scientists, we write to record observations and procedures. We write to analyze and present our data. We write to evaluate the works of others. My training in scientific writing started in earnest as an undergraduate student where I dutifully wrote lab reports and literature reviews. I learned how to write objectively. I practiced evidence-based arguments. After years of practice, this writing style is second nature. I see hints of it in my e-mail communication style. I even hear its echo in my administrative documents. This style is efficient and clear.

Sustainability Programs In Business, Universities, And K-12: Educating Students And Leaders Toward A Sustainability Mindset, Danielle J. Camacho, Jill M. Legare

Publications

The purpose of this article is to contribute to the growing body of research that focuses on best practices for environmental sustainability education in K-12 classrooms. A review of related literature included emerging trends, commitment by business leaders to engage in CSR activities in the community, and opportunities for education at the K-12 level. The review of existing literature provides examples as to how sustainability-based environmental programs may provide educational foundations for business leaders and educators. Adopting sustainability course work, programs and projects allows students and educators to acquire knowledge and the competencies necessary for the 21st century. Administrators, business …

On Dust: Memory As Performance And Materiality, Natasha Lushetich

Contemporary Aesthetics (Journal Archive)

The world's "worldliness" is, to a large extent, perceptually constructed through touch, kinaesthetics, and proprioception. Gesture, too, is embedded in sedimentations of the body's prior sensory exchanges with the environment. Materiality is transitive; it triggers sensory landscapes through performance. Consisting of particles of pollen, human and animal skin, hairs, minerals, soil, and burnt meteorites, dust is usually seen as the antithesis of the performative-material nexus. In this paper, I propose a different view: that dust is and acts as a connective tissue. Borrowing from Hélène Cixous's écriture blanche, Quentin Smith's degree presentism, and theorizing nostalgia as a structuring absence, …

Fatum Ad Benedictum: Moscow-Petushki, Homo Sovieticus, Postmodernism And The Fatidic Post-Soviet Irony Of Venedikt Vasilevich Erofeev, Paul N. Kleiman

Honors Papers

The following honors thesis is structured into two parts, four chapters apiece.

The first part is a philological study of the Soviet dissident and writer Venedikt Vasilevich Erofeev’s magnum opus, Moscow-Petushki (1969-70). This half of the thesis investigates Petushki in light of its thematic development of fate, or, more particularly, the fate of homo sovieticus—the ironic term devised by Soviet sociologist Aleksandr Zinovyev (1922-2006) to describe a typical conformist citizen of the Soviet Union. I will focus predominantly on Petushki’s connection to the end of the Khrushchev “Thaw” in the early-mid-1960s and the beginning of Brezhnev “Stagnation” in the late-1960s, …

Comparing Two Thickened Cycles: A Generalization Of Spectral Inequalities, Hannah E. Pieper

Honors Papers

Motivated by an effort to simplify the Watts-Strogatz model for small-world networks, we generalize a theorem concerning interlacing inequalities for the eigenvalues of the normalized Laplacians of two graphs differing by a single edge. Our generalization allows weighted edges and certain instances of self loops. These inequalities were first proved by Chen et. al in [2] but our argument generalizes the simplified argument given by Li in [8].

Testing The Production Of Scintillation Arcs With The Pulsar B1133+16, Stella Koch Ocker

Honors Papers

Pulsars are extremely dense, highly magnetized stars that emit pulses of radio emission every millisecond or so. The arrival times of their radio signals at Earth observatories can be used as a clock precise enough to detect gravitational waves. Performing such a detection requires the mitigation of interference effects from the interstellar medium: the slightly ionized, mostly hydrogen gas that the radio waves traverse as they travel from the pulsar to Earth. We investigate radio wave delays using a powerful tool: scintillation arcs, fluctuations in frequency and time of the pulsar signal intensity that are manifested as parabolic arcs in …

A Computational Introduction To Elliptic And Hyperelliptic Curve Cryptography, Nicholas Wilcox

Honors Papers

At its core, cryptography relies on problems that are simple to construct but difficult to solve unless certain information (the “key”) is known. Many of these problems come from number theory and group theory. One method of obtaining groups from which to build cryptosystems is to define algebraic curves over finite fields and then derive a group structure from the set of points on those curves. This thesis serves as an exposition of Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC), preceded by a discussion of some basic cryptographic concepts and followed by a glance into one generalization of ECC: cryptosystems based on hyperelliptic …

Hydrogen Isotope Separation In Metal-Organic Frameworks, Naiyuan Zhang

Honors Papers

In this thesis we present our research on hydrogen isotope separation using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Deuterium is one of the two stable isotopes of hydrogen. Despite its wide range of application, currently there is no ideal industrial method that can separate deuterium in a fast and efficient fashion. MOFs are a class of porous materials consisting of metal ions or clusters connected by organic ligands. They have shown great potential in separating hydrogen isotopes via quantum sieving effect. In this thesis, we first provide background on two state-of-art MOFs, Co-MOF-74 and Cu(I)-MFU-4l. Then we elaborate on the statistical theory of …

Aerocom: Winter 2018, John D. Odegard School Of Aerospace Sciences

Aerocom: John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences Alumni Magazine

No abstract provided.

Risk Assessment And Spread Of The Potentially Invasive Ceratitis Rosa Karsch And Ceratitis Quilicii De Meyer, Mwatawala & Virgilio Sp. Nov. Using Life-Cycle Simulation Models: Implications For Phytosanitary Measures And Management, Chrysantus Mbi Tanga, Fathiya Mbarak Khamis, Henri E.Z. Tonnang, Ivan Rwomushana, Gladys Mosomtai, Samira A. Mohamed, Sunday Ekesi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Integrative taxonomy has resolved the species status of the potentially invasive Ceratitis rosa Karsch into two separate species with distinct ecological requirements: C. rosa “lowland type” and the newly described species Ceratitis quilicii De Meyer, Mwatawala & Virgilio sp. nov. “highland type”. Both species are tephritid pests threatening the production of horticultural crops in Africa and beyond. Studies were carried out by constructing thermal reaction norms for each life stage of both species at constant and fluctuating temperatures. Nonlinear functions were fitted to continuously model species development, mortality, longevity and oviposition to establish phenology models that were stochastically simulated to …

A Coated Spherical Micro-Resonator For Measurement Of Water Vapor Concentration At Ppm Levels In Very Low Humidity Environments, Arun Mallik, Gerald Farrell, Dejun Liu, Vishnu Kavungal, Qiang Wu, Yuliya Semenova

Conference Papers

This paper presents a novel approach to measurements of low relative humidity (RH) values based on the whispering gallery modes (WGMs) effect in a small silica microsphere coated with a thin layer of Agarose hydrogel. The light from a narrow-linewidth tunable laser with a few GHz tuning range is launched into an adiabatic tapered fiber, which excites WGMs in the Agarose layer via evanescent coupling. Adsorption and desorption of water vapor by the Agarose layer in response to changes in ambient humidity lead to changes in the layer’s refractive index, which in turn leads to a spectral shift of the …

A Parallel Mesh Generator In 3d/4d, Kirill Voronin

Portland Institute for Computational Science Publications

In the report a parallel mesh generator in 3d/4d is presented. The mesh generator was developed as a part of the research project on space-time discretizations for partial differential equations in the least-squares setting. The generator is capable of constructing meshes for space-time cylinders built on an arbitrary 3d space mesh in parallel. The parallel implementation was created in the form of an extension of the finite element software MFEM. The code is publicly available in the Github repository

Gvsu Undergraduate And Graduate Catalog, 2018-2019, Grand Valley State University

Course Catalogs, 1963 - Current

Grand Valley State University 2018-2019 undergraduate and/or graduate course catalog published annually to provide students with information and guidance for enrollment.

Campus Sustainability Office Annual Report, 2017-2018, Campus Sustainability Office

Campus Sustainability Office Publications, Reports and Presentations

The Campus Sustainability Office 2017-2018 annual report.

Oregon Lake Watch Program: Training Manual, Rich Miller, Crysta Gantz, Vanessa Morgan, Angela L. Strecker, Mark D. Sytsma

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Oregon is fortunate to have a wide variety of beautiful and enjoyable lakes and reservoirs. The Oregon Lake Watch Program (OLWP), a citizen science volunteer based program, was created to help protect these natural resources. Specifically, the goal of the OLWP is to help protect Oregon’s lakes and reservoir through having citizen volunteers survey for invasive species and gather water quality data, and then disseminating this information to the public and resource managers.

This OLWP training manual provides protocols for collecting important water quality data, surveying for invasive plants and animals, photo documentation and preservation of invasive species, and recording …

Mat 2675 Calculus Iii, Spring 2019, Oer Syllabus, Caner Koca

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Faculty Perceptions Of What Makes A Student Successful In The Mathematical Sciences, Casey E. George, Lisa Skultety, Randi Congleton

Journal of Excellence in College Teaching and Learning

Faculty members play a key role in facilitating student outcome, including their learning, persistence, and degree completion. Through analyses of online survey data, this study investigates the views of faculty mentors involved in a nationwide mentoring program that aims to support underrepresented students' transition from undergraduate to graduate studies in the mathematical sciences. Specifically, faculty member's perceptions of what factors contribute to students' success or lack of success in mathematics, statistics, and biostatistics are examined. Reasons for success cited by faculty are highly individualized, such as innate ability, motivation, and dedication, yet some contextual and structural factors, including research opportunities …

Study Of Förster Resonance Energy Transfer To Lipid Domain Markers Ascertains Partitioning Of Semisynthetic Lipidated N-Ras In Lipid Raft Nanodomains, Anna K. Shishina, Elizaveta A. Kovrigina, Azamat R. Galiakhmetov, Rajendra Rathore, Evgenii L. Kovrigin

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

Cellular membranes are heterogeneous planar lipid bilayers displaying lateral phase separation with the nanometer-scale liquid-ordered phase (also known as “lipid rafts”) surrounded by the liquid-disordered phase. Many membrane-associated proteins were found to permanently integrate into the lipid rafts, which is critical for their biological function. Isoforms H and N of Ras GTPase possess a unique ability to switch their lipid domain preference depending on the type of bound guanine nucleotide (GDP or GTP). This behavior, however, has never been demonstrated in vitro in model bilayers with recombinant proteins and therefore has been attributed to the action of binding of Ras …

Navigating Identities In The Classroom: International Graduate Teaching Assistants' Perspectives, Crystle Lacroix

Research Papers

In this project, I centerr the narratives and experiences of international graduate teaching assistants (IGTAs) to explore how the triumphs and challenges that they experience may create pedagogical im(possibilities). My work is guided by two primary research questions: 1) how do international Graduate Teaching Assistants communicate about their identities in the classroom? And 2) how am I, as a U.S. American, white instructor, able to practice critical communication pedagogy in ways that differ from international GTAs?

Scholarly Program Notes To Accompany A Graduate Flute Recital, Alex Carpenter

Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to provide scholarly program notes for a graduate flute recital performed on April 21, 2018. The composers and pieces examined in this paper are respectively Gabriel Fauré’s Fantaisie, Op. 79, Mario Pilati’s Sonata for flute and pianoforte, Otar Taktakishvili’s Sonata for flute piano, and Edgard Varèse’s Density 21.5. Each chapter provides a brief biographical section and an analysis with performance practice commentary.

From Worldviews To Classrooms: Framing Evolution Acceptance In Pre-Service Science Teachers In The Southeastern United States, Amanda Glaze

Georgia Educational Researcher

Research demonstrates that teachers' acceptance or rejection of evolution impacts whether they teach evolution in their classrooms. Furthermore, factors such as religiosity and nature of science understanding impact acceptance or rejection. What is absent from the literature is an exploration of experiences that inform choices made regarding acceptance or rejection, experiences that illuminate the counter-intuitive relationships demonstrated in quantitative studies. For this reason, we explore the lived experiences that inform the worldviews of Pre-Service Secondary Science Teachers (PSSTs) and how those worldviews might inform their acceptance or rejection of evolution. Coding and pattern analysis informed themes within the data explaining …

2018 Program, University Of Missouri-St. Louis

Undergraduate Research Symposium

University of Missouri-St. Louis Undergraduate Research Symposium Program

Classification Of High-Dimensional Data Based On Multiple Testing Methods, Chong Ma

Theses and Dissertations

Supervised and unsupervised classification are common topics in machine learning in both scientific and industrial fields, which usually involve three tasks: prediction, exploration, and explanation. False discovery rate (FDR) theory has a close connection to classical classification theory, which must be employed in a sophisticated way to achieve good performance in various contexts. The study aims to explore novel supervised classifiers and unsupervised classification approaches for functional data and high-dimensional data in genome study by using FDR, respectively. One work develops a novel classifier for functional data by casting the classification problem into a multiple testing task, which involves using …

Solving Dynamic Addition Math Word Problems Using The Start-Change-Result Strategy, Deborah S. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to examine the impact the Start-Change-Result strategy had on the ability level of first-grade students working to solve dynamic addition math word problems. During an eight-week period, a class of 15 first-grade students from a high poverty setting participated in this study. These students struggled with correctly answering dynamic addition math word problems in which the unknown could be in any of three positions: the start, the change, or the result even though they had the computational skills to answer these questions accurately. All of these students had mastered solving basic addition …

Estimation Procedures For Complex Survival Models And Their Applications In Epidemiology Studies, Jie Zhou

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, we aim to address three important questions in practice, which can be solved through complex survival models. The first project focuses on studying the longitudinal fitness effect on cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. In the second project, we study the disease-death relation between CVD and all-cause mortality and evaluate important covariate effects on the disease or death transitions. In the third project, we compare antiretroviral treatment (ART) for HIV patients and consider both treatment effect and side effect of the drugs. The first two projects are motivated by the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study (ACLS) datasets and the third …

Assessment Of Upper Cretaceous Strata For Offshore Co2 Storage: Southeastern United States, Khaled F. Almutairi

Theses and Dissertations

This is the first assessment of Upper Cretaceous strata for offshore CO2 storage resources in the southeastern United States outer continental shelf. This research focuses on Upper Cretaceous geological units using legacy industry 2-D seismic reflection and well data. It provides an integrated description and reliable subsurface evaluation of Upper Cretaceous potential storage reservoirs. In addition, it provides a detailed evaluation on how rock porosities and permeabilities are distributed across the Upper Cretaceous strata restricted to the South Georgia Embayment (SGE). Structure and thickness (isochore) maps were generated for the main potential reservoirs and seals on a regional and local …

Smallholder Farmers, Environmental Change And Adaptation In A Human-Dominated Landscape In The Northern Highlands Of Rwanda, Apollinaire William

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Climate change and crop intensification are key challenges to the livelihoods and wellbeing of the majority of rural smallholder farmers in developing countries, particularly in human-dominated, climate-sensitive landscapes such as the northern highlands of Rwanda where issues of fluvial floods, soil erosion pose serious threats to the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. In this mixed methods study conducted between August and December 2015, I explored smallholder farmers’ perceptions by examining what barriers might hinder the process of agroforestry adoption by smallholder farmers, what socio-economic and physical factors and attitudes influence crop choices, motivations for smallholder farmers’ willingness to plant trees within …

Lenstra-Hurwitz Cliques In Real Quadratic Fields, Daniel S. Lopez

Master's Theses

Let $K$ be a number field and let $\OO_K$ denote its ring of integers. We can define a graph whose vertices are the elements of $\OO_K$ such that an edge exists between two algebraic integers if their difference is in the units $\OO_K^{\times}$. Lenstra showed that the existence of a sufficiently large clique (complete subgraph) will imply that the ring $\OO_K$ is Euclidean with respect to the field norm. A recent generalization of this work tells us that if we draw more edges in the graph, then a sufficiently large clique will imply the weaker (but still very interesting) conclusion …

Application Of Model Predictive Control In Modular Multilevel Converter For Mtpa Operation And Soc Balancing, Mohit Sharma

Master's Theses

In this thesis, a one-step horizon model predictive control strategy (MPC) is implemented in a multilevel modular converter (MMC) to control the speed of an electric vehicle (EV) motor. Maximum torque per ampere (MTPA) and field weakening (FW) control strategies are used to generate reference signals for maximum torque output. The proposed control scheme aims to track the reference signal by independently regulating voltages from the MMC modules. To achieve this, the switches of the MMCs are directly controlled, eliminating the need for a pulse width modulator. A one-step horizon implementation of MPC ensures the robustness of the control system …

The Design And Detailing Of Discontinuous Timberframe Lateral-Force-Resisting Systems, Rhett Kenneth Carlsen

Master's Theses

Discontinuous lateral-force-resisting systems (LFRS) are a type of LFRS in which the path of resistance does not continue directly to the foundation. Discontinuous systems are defined as either in-plane, where the LRFS shifts in the plane of resistance, or out-of-plane, where the shift is perpendicular to the plane of resistance. Discontinuous systems are especially prevalent in lightweight, woodframe structures. Design penalties exist for discontinuous systems, resulting in the specification of larger connections and structural elements. This research includes a review of past experiments to identify any discontinuous LFRS experiments that have been conducted. Through the identification of the existence and …