Digital Commons Network^™

Scalable Algorithms And Hybrid Parallelization Strategies For Multivariate Integration With Paradapt And Cuda, Omofolakunmi Elizabeth Olagbemi

Dissertations

The evaluation of numerical integrals finds applications in fields such as High Energy Physics, Bayesian Statistics, Stochastic Geometry, Molecular Modeling and Medical Physics. The erratic behavior of some integrands due to singularities, peaks, or ridges in the integration region suggests the need for reliable algorithms and software that not only provide an estimation of the integral with a level of accuracy acceptable to the user, but also perform this task in a timely manner. We developed ParAdapt, a numerical integration software based on a classic global adaptive strategy, which employs Graphical Processing Units (GPUs) in providing integral evaluations. Specifically, ParAdapt …

Smart Sensors With Dual Modes Of Signal Transduction For Monitoring Molecules Pertinent To Health And The Environment, Jared T. Wabeke

Dissertations

The dissertation focuses on the design and synthesis of smart materials for the detection of molecules pertinent to environmental protection and healthcare. The use of computational simulations is pivotal toward advancing molecular design for targeted applications. Research was conducted to investigate the use of simulations to develop novel sensors with dual modes of signal transduction. The molecular properties were determined using computational modelling, and then used to elucidate the binding mechanism of the corresponding sensor complexes. Several molecules were produced that respond to important organic analytes, such as glucose and fenthion, an organophosphorus pesticide. Glucose is an exceedingly important biological …

Special Education Teachers Use Of Reading Strategies To Support Students With Learning Disabilities In Reading, Ali A. Alhamdan

Dissertations

This research captures how special education teachers select, use, and monitor reading strategies for 4^th and/or 5^th grade students who have learning disabilities in reading. A multiple case study, the research focused on five different southwest Michigan classrooms where special education teachers teach students with learning disabilities in reading. Data was collected through teacher interviews, classroom observations, and document review. The study results include that small group instruction is the approach teachers value most for Tier II instruction, while direct instruction is valued most for Tier III instruction. At both Tier II and III, teachers select interventions and …

Simultaneous X-Ray Emission Accompanying Two Electron Capture For Fluorine On Gas Targets, David S. La Mantia

Dissertations

The collision between a charged ion and an atom resulting in the capture of two electrons, simultaneous with the emission of a single photon is referred to as radiative double electron capture (RDEC). For ion-atom collisions, this process can be considered the inverse of double photoionization. The study of either process, where just two electrons are involved without influence from neighboring electrons, promises new insight into electron correlation and the role it plays in quantum mechanics. Such a study for photoionization has not yet been done experimentally for two-electron ions because the only target system for which two electrons are …

Toward Self-Reconfigurable Parametric Systems: Reinforcement Learning Approach, Ting-Yu Mu

Dissertations

For the ongoing advancement of the fields of Information Technology (IT) and Computer Science, machine learning-based approaches are utilized in different ways in order to solve the problems that belong to the Nondeterministic Polynomial time (NP)-hard complexity class or to approximate the problems if there is no known efficient way to find a solution. Problems that determine the proper set of reconfigurable parameters of parametric systems to obtain the near optimal performance are typically classified as NP-hard problems with no efficient mathematical models to obtain the best solutions. This body of work aims to advance the knowledge of machine learning …

Objective Sleep Quality As A Predictor Of Mild Cognitive Impairment In Seniors Living Alone, Brian Chen, Hwee-Pink Tan, Irus Rawtaer, Hwee Xian Tan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Singapore has the fastest ageing population in the Asia Pacific region, with an estimated 82,000 seniors living with dementia. These figures are projected to increase to more than 130,000 by 2030. The challenge is to identify more community dwelling seniors with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), a prodromal state, as it provides an opportunity for evidence-based early intervention to delay the onset of dementia. In this paper, we explore the use of Internet of Things (IoT) systems in detecting MCI symptoms in seniors who are living alone, and accurately grouping them into MCI positive and negative subjects. We present feature extraction …

A Discussion And Mathematical Formula For The Impact Of Working Hours And Overtime Pay After The Residents Included In The Labor Standard Law In Taiwan, Ming-Yu Hsieh, Kuo-Shu Huang, Tzu-Ling Wang, Hui-Ying Low

Journal of Medical Education

To the inclusion of residents in Labor Standard Law, the first step is to figure out different combinations of working hours and numbers of duty in residents under the latest regulations. This study mainly converts the latest resident working hours regulations into mathematical formulas to check the different combinations of duty numbers and working hours, and the overtime pay. According to the guidelines announced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, we formulated them as mathematic formulas. We also conducted the concepts of expected value to deal with the effect of saving time by PM off in different combinations of …

Twenty Years Of Open Source Software: From Skepticism To Mainstream, Gregorio Robles, Igor Steinmacher, Paul Adams, Christoph Treude

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Open source software (OSS) has conquered the software world. You can see it nearly everywhere, from Internet infrastructure to mobile phones to the desktop. In addition to that, although many OSS practices were viewed with skepticism 20 years ago, several have become mainstream in software engineering today: from development tools such as Git to practices such as modern code reviews.

Perceptions Of Higher Education Faculty Of The Quality, Benefits, And Consequences Of Dual Enrollment Participation, John Philip Mcelveen

Theses and Dissertations

In this qualitative study, the researcher sought to address a gap in the literature related to identifying and understanding perceptions of collegiate faculty of the quality, benefits, and consequences of dual enrollment participation upon students, their higher educational organization, and their own career paths. Study participants included 36 collegiate faculty and administrators with faculty standing employed full-time by Columbus State University who have taught dual enrollment students in college settings, high school settings, or in both settings. The sequential qualitative design identified perceptions of the participants through application of a survey instrument. The initial phase of data collection was followed …

Assisting School Level Teams To Identify And Address The Needs Of Struggling Learners Through A Tiered Intervention And Aligned Professional Development Model, Tammy Dionne Person

Theses and Dissertations

The adoption of the IDEA charged schools with the responsibility of identifying students who have disabilities and special needs and then providing them with appropriate educational services so that they progress academically. Schools have adopted, implemented, and revised a variety of screening processes to identify these students. The process of trying to help students who are experiencing difficulties is often referred to as RTI. The RTI framework is comprised of a multi-tiered educational system that outlines instructional practices based on student needs. Many schools have formed teams and devised policies to explore options for student assistance. This study involved designing …

The Relationship Between Elementary School Administrators' And Teachers' Perceptions Of The Influence Of Male Teachers And Schools' Male Student Achievement Growth In English Language Arts, Kathleen Elizabeth Kaump Truitt

Theses and Dissertations

There is a national achievement gap between male and female students in the United States. A common recommendation to reduce this achievement gap has been to hire more male teachers. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions that elementary administrators and teachers have of male teachers’ influence on male student growth in English Language Arts. In order to measure perceptions, a five-point Likert scale survey was adapted from an existing qualitative questionnaire. A pilot study was conducted, an Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses were performed, and the survey was found valid and reliable to measure four constructs …

Mal-Who? Mal-What? Mal-Where? The Future Cyber-Threat Of A Non-Fiction Neuromancer: Legally Un-Attributable, Cyberspace-Bound, Decentralized Autonomous Entities, Jonathan A. Schnader

North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology

For decades, science fiction writers have tackled philosophical and existential questions arising from the creation of artificial intelligence (“AI”) by human beings. AI, however, is no longer a fictional concept, but rather an evolving part of modern society. How will AI systems impact United States’ national security interests? Considering the increased national security threat coming from actors in cyberspace, policymakers should consider the cybersecurity risk of AI systems that operate entirely in cyberspace. This article opines that a serious threat to national security will arise from a cyberspace-bound, decentralized autonomous entity (“CyDAE”) because of the “unexplainability” of current AI system …

The Influencers: Facebook's Libra, Public Blockchains, And The Ethical Considerations Of Centralization, Michele Benedetto Neitz

North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology

The theoretical promise of blockchain technology is truly extraordinary: a peer-to-peer distributed immutable ledger that could revolutionize economies, societies, and even our daily lives. But what if blockchain technology is not as decentralized as people think? What are the ramifications if, in reality, a blockchain’s core decisions are actually influenced by small groups of people or corporations?

This short article seeks to answer that question, by demonstrating that decentralized public blockchains are only as immutable as the decentralization of their governance. Moreover, the announcement of Libra, Facebook’s new permissioned blockchain, shows a growing trend of centralized control around decentralized technologies. …

Characterizing Dryland Ecosystems Using Remote Sensing And Dynamic Global Vegetation Modeling, Abdolhamid Dashtiahangar

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Drylands include all terrestrial regions where the production of crops, forage, wood and other ecosystem services are limited by water. These ecosystems cover approximately 40% of the earth terrestrial surface and accommodate more than 2 billion people (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005). Moreover, the interannual variability of the global carbon budget is strongly regulated by vegetation dynamics in drylands. Understanding the dynamics of such ecosystems is significant for assessing the potential for and impacts of natural or anthropogenic disturbances and mitigation planning, and a necessary step toward enhancing the economic and social well-being of dryland communities in a sustainable manner (Global …

Geomorphology And Geochronology Of Sand Ramps Adjoining The Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Kane County, Utah, Kerri E. Spuller

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Projected climate change is expected to have widespread impacts on arid regions of the world. Inland, continental dune fields are sensitive to changes in climate and the surrounding environment and are an important source for understanding interactions between Earth’s surface, atmosphere, and biosphere in drylands. Reconstructing past periods of aeolian activity from dune fields can provide insights into how landscapes have responded to previous changes in climate. However, the nature of aeolian systems to recycle older deposits leads to a preservation bias towards only the youngest deposits. Targeting geomorphic settings that are conducive to preserving older records is critical to …

The Spatial Distribution Of Elevated Uranium In The Treasure Valley Aquifer System, Southwest Idaho, Lloyd A. Womeldorph

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The Treasure Valley Aquifer System (TVAS) in southwestern Idaho contains well-documented uranium concentrations over the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level of 30 µg/L. With a population in the Treasure Valley projected to reach 1.6 million by 2065, in-depth horizontal and vertical spatial knowledge of the contaminant is needed. This study evaluates the horizontal and vertical spatial nature of uranium in the TVAS and interprets those observations to provide both a conceptual model of uranium behavior, and recommendations for water resource management. A large water quality dataset was compiled, and supplemented by data collected during a field sampling campaign, …

Informing Field Management Decisions To Enhance Alfalfa Seed Production Using Remote Sensing, Thomas V. Van Der Weide

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The development rate of alfalfa seed crop depends on both environmental conditions and management decisions. Crop management decisions, such as determining when to release pollinators to optimize pollination, can be informed by the identification of plant development stages from remote sensing data. I first identify what electromagnetic wavelengths are sensitive to alfalfa plant development stages using hyperspectral data. A Random Forest regression is used to determine the best Vegetation Index (VI) to monitor how much of the plant is covered in flower. The results indicate that Blue, Green, and Near-Infrared are the important electromagnetic wavelengths for the VI. Imagery collected …

Demand-Side Load Management Using Single-Phase Residential Static Var Compensators, Muhammad Kamran Latif

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Distribution systems are going through a structural transformation from being radially-operated simple systems to becoming more complex networks to operate in the presence of the distributed energy resources (DERs) with significant levels of penetration. It is predicted that the share of electricity generation from DERs will keep increasing as the world is moving away from the power generation involving carbon-emission and towards cleaner energy sources such as solar, wind, and biofuels. However, the unstable behavior of the renewables resources presents challenges to the already existing distribution systems. One such problem is when the distribution feeder experience variable power supply due …

A Tale Of Two Schools And Their One Journey To Improvement, Catherine M. Jarnot

Dissertations

In accordance with the accountability measures required for public education by the United States Federal Government, the State of Colorado has developed a system for ranking school performance based on academic achievement, academic growth, and postsecondary and workforce readiness (Colorado Department of Education, 2016b). Schools are rated as Turnaround, Priority Improvement, Improvement, or Performance status (Colorado Department of Education, 2016b). Schools in Turnaround or Priority Improvement status must move to Improvement or Performance status in less than five years (Colorado Department of Education, 2016e). The focus of the study was on the leadership skills and behaviors of principals in schools …

Increasing Undergraduate Student Engagement In Academics: An Ecological Momentary Intervention, Kerry Douglas Duck

Dissertations

As students enter the university environment, they are presented with various commitments that may or may not impede academic performance. With the issues of student attrition and retention, there is a need to provide further tools for students to use to monitor their performance. As students’ progress to higher level coursework, expectations and time commitments increase, and self-regulation of learning becomes even more important. Researchers may be able to deliver information to help students with self-regulation of learning by leveraging new affordances in technology in students’ daily lives. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the feasibility and associated …

The Relationship Between State College Readiness Policy And Student Outcomes: A Multilevel Growth Model, Rachel Christeson

Dissertations

This study examined whether policies related to college readiness have a relationship with student outcomes of college-going, student retention rates, and graduation rates for the overall state population as well as the rates specifically for European American and non-European American students. Specifically, a multilevel modeling approach was employed to determine whether significant relationships exist between the presence of state college readiness policies and change in student outcomes over time when controlling for state- and institutional-level factors. Several policies were considered, including: (a) the existence of a college-readiness definition, (b) a requirement for students to take college-prepatory courses in order to …

Using Online Communities To Prepare Teachers To Operate As Transformative Intellectuals, Zachary Morgan Clancy

Dissertations

Online communities have the potential to help teacher education programs inform and prepare future teachers to teach children equitably and confront social injustices. Online communities of scholars, activists, and artists can be used as a resource for teacher educators to prepare teacher-candidates and in-service teachers to participate in teacher inquiry and practitioner research. In turn, the research that they generate can be used by preservice and in-service teachers in the future. Online communities can also be used by classroom teachers as a form of professional development. My study included six participants – undergraduate college students, classroom teachers, and teacher-educators – …

Factors That Influence Student-Athlete Academic Major Selection, Priya Sen

All Theses And Dissertations

This secondary research study explored four identified factors that influence student-athlete academic major selection. The purpose of this study was to explore how each identified factor influenced student-athlete academic major selection, including athletic coaches, student-athlete identity, academic advising, and career exploration (Amran, 2013; Andrews, et al., 2017; Henrion, 2009; Kelly, 2009). There were no participants in this study and data collection was based on a content analysis of 20 peer-reviewed studies. Several themes were identified in relation to attributes directly and indirectly influencing the academic major selection for each of the four factors (Amran, 2013; Andrews et al., 2017; Henrion, …

Nonlinear Cointegrating Power Function Regression With Endogeneity, Zhishui Hu, Peter C.B. Phillips, Qiying Wang

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

This paper develops an asymptotic theory for nonlinear cointegrating power function regression. The framework extends earlier work on the deterministic trend case and allows for both endogeneity and heteroskedasticity, which makes the models and inferential methods relevant to many empirical economic and financial applications, including predictive regression. Accompanying the asymptotic theory of nonlinear regression, the paper establishes some new results on weak convergence to stochastic integrals that go beyond the usual semi-martingale structure and considerably extend existing limit theory, complementing other recent findings on stochastic integral asymptotics. The paper also provides a general framework for extremum estimation limit theory that …

Neural Network Classification Of Brainwave Alpha Signalsin Cognitive Activities, Ahmad Azhari, Adhi Susanto, Andri Pranolo, Yingchi Mao

Knowledge Engineering and Data Science

The signal produced by human brain waves is one unique feature. Signals carry information and are represented in electrical signals generated from the brain in a typical waveform. Human brain wave activity will always be active even when sleeping. Brain waves will produce different characteristics in different individuals. Physical and behavioral characteristics can be identified from patterns of brain wave activity. This study aims to distinguish signals from each individual based on the characteristics of alpha signals from brain waves produced. Brain wave signals are generated by giving several mental perception tasks measured using an Electroencephalogram (EEG). To get different …

Optimisation Of Rice Fertiliser Composition Using Genetic Algorithms, Retno Dewi Anissa, Wayan Firdaus Mahmudy, Agus Wahyu Widodo

Knowledge Engineering and Data Science

There are so many problems with food scarcity. One of them is not too good rice quality. So, an enhancement in rice production through an optimal fertiliser composition. Genetic algorithm is used to optimise the composition for a more affordable price. The process of genetic algorithm is done by using a representation of a real code chromosome. The reproduction process using a one-cut point crossover and random mutation, while for the selection using binary tournament selection process for each chromosome. The test results showed the optimum results are obtained on the size of the population of 10, the crossover rate …

Handwriting Character Recognition Usingvector Quantization Technique, Haviluddin Haviluddin, Rayner Alfred, Ni’Mah Moham, Herman Santoso Pakpahan, Islamiyah Islamiyah, Hario Jati Setyadi

Knowledge Engineering and Data Science

This paper seeks to explore Learning Vector Quantization (LVQ) processing stage to recognize The Buginese Lontara script from Makassar as well as explaining its accuracy. The testing results of LVQ obtained an accuracy degree of 66.66 %. The most optimal variant of network architecture in the recognition process is a variation of learning rate of 0.02, a maximum epoch of 5000 and a hidden layer of 90 neurons which was the result of recognition based on feature 8. Based on these variations, the obtained performance with a mean square error (MSE) of 0.0306 and the time required during the learning …

The Effectiveness Of Augmented Reality For Astronauts On Lunar Missions: An Analog Study, Godfrey Valencio D’Souza

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The uses of augmented reality and head-up displays are becoming more prominent in industries such as aviation, automotive, and medicine. An augmented reality device such as the Microsoft HoloLens can project holograms onto the user’s natural field of view to assist with completion of a variety of tasks. Unfortunately, only a little research and development has begun in the space sector for astronauts using these head-up displays. Future lunar missions could incorporate augmented reality for astronauts to ease task load and improve accuracy. This study evaluated the usability, subjective workload, and task performance of 22 participants using the Microsoft HoloLens …

Development Of A Research Spacecraft Test-Bed With Implementation Of Control Laws To Compensate Undesired Dynamics, Yomary Angélica Betancur Vesga

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The development of research spacecraft systems has a significant impact on the preparation and simulation of future space missions. Hardware, software and operation procedures can be adequately tested, validated and verified before they are deployed for the actual mission. In this thesis, a spacecraft vehicle test-bed named Extreme Access System (EASY) was developed. EASY aims at supporting validation and verification of guidance, navigation and control algorithms. Description of EASY spacecraft systems, sub-systems and integration is presented in this thesis along with an analysis of results from numerical simulation and actual implementation of control laws. An attitude control architecture based on …

Fuel Shortages During Hurricanes: Epidemiological Modeling And Optimal Control, Sabique Ul Islam

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Hurricanes are powerful agents of destruction with significant socioeconomic impacts. A persistent problem due to the large-scale evacuations during hurricanes in the southeastern United States is the fuel shortages during the evacuation. Fuel shortages often lead to stranded vehicles and exacerbate the evacuation efforts. Computational models can aid in emergency preparedness and help mitigate the impacts of hurricanes. In this thesis, the hurricane fuel shortages are modeled using the Susceptible-Infected-Recovered (SIR) epidemic model. Crowd-sourced data corresponding to Hurricane Irma and Florence are utilized to parametrize the model. An estimation technique based on Unscented Kalman filter (UKF) is employed to evaluate …