Digital Commons Network^™

Delivery, Facilitas, And Copia : Job Market Preparation And The Revival Of The Fifth Canon., Joseph Turner

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

This essay argues that English Studies departments should implement training programs in oral delivery strategies for graduate students seeking tenure track employment. A sample a 13-week training program, modeled on elements of classical rhetorical pedagogy, can help students develop and refine stills in oral delivery necessary for academic job interviews.

Dismantling Structural Inequality: Lock Ups, Systemic Chokeholds, And Race-Based Policing - A Symposium Summary, Cedric Merlin Powell, Laura R. Mcneal

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The prominence of the carceral state in American society serves to undermine basic principles of democracy and justice, disproportionately displacing people of color and excluding them from all viable avenues of citizenship.

Personal Universes: A Solution To The Multi-Agent Value Alignment Problem, Roman V. Yampolskiy

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

AI Safety researchers attempting to align values of highly capable intelligent systems with those of humanity face a number of challenges including personal value extraction, multi-agent value merger and finally in-silico encoding. State-of-the-art research in value alignment shows difficulties in every stage in this process, but merger of incompatible preferences is a particularly difficult challenge to overcome. In this paper we assume that the value extraction problem will be solved and propose a possible way to implement an AI solution which optimally aligns with individual preferences of each user. We conclude by analyzing benefits and limitations of the proposed approach.

An Explainable Autoencoder For Collaborative Filtering Recommendation, Pegah Sagheb Haghighi, Olurotimi Seton, Olfa Nasraoui

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Autoencoders are a common building block of Deep Learning architectures, where they are mainly used for representation learning. They have also been successfully used in Collaborative Filtering (CF) recommender systems to predict missing ratings. Unfortunately, like all black box machine learning models, they are unable to explain their outputs. Hence, while predictions from an Autoencoderbased recommender system might be accurate, it might not be clear to the user why a recommendation was generated. In this work, we design an explainable recommendation system using an Autoencoder model whose predictions can be explained using the neighborhood based explanation style. Our preliminary work …

The Frequency Of Dust Lanes In Edge-On Spiral Galaxies Identified By Galaxy Zoo In Kids Imaging Of Gama Targets, Benne W. Holwerda, Lee Kelvin, Ivan Baldry, Chris Lintott, Mehmet Alpaslan, Kevin A. Pimbblet, Jochen Liske, Thomas Kitching, Steven Bamford, Jelte De Jong, Maciej Bilicki, Andrew Hopkins, Joanna Bridge, R. Steele, A. Jacques, S. Goswami, S. Kusmic, W. Roemer, S. Kruk, C. C. Popescu, K. Kuijken, L. Wang, A. Wright

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Dust lanes bisect the plane of a typical edge-on spiral galaxy as a dark optical absorption feature. Their appearance is linked to the gravitational stability of spiral disks; the fraction of edge-on galaxies that displays a dust lane is a direct indicator of the typical vertical balance between gravity and turbulence: a balance struck between the energy input from star formation and the gravitational pull into the plane of the disk. Based on morphological classifications by the Galaxy Zoo project on the Kilo Degree Survey (KiDS) imaging data in the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) fields, we explore the relation …

Quantum Metalanguage And The New Cognitive Synthesis, Alexey V. Melkikh, Andrei Khrennikov, Roman V. Yampolskiy

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Problems with mechanisms of thinking and cognition in many ways remain unresolved. Why are a priori inferences possible? Why can a human understand but a computer cannot? It has been shown that when creating new concepts, generalization is contradictory in the sense that to be created concepts must exist a priori, and therefore, they are not new. The process of knowledge acquisition is also contradictory, as it inevitably involves recognition, which can be realized only when there is an a priori standard. Known approaches of the framework of artificial intelligence (in particular, Bayesian) do not determine the origins of knowledge, …

Emergence Of Addictive Behaviors In Reinforcement Learning Agents, Vahid Behzadan, Roman Yampolskiy, Arslan Munir

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

This paper presents a novel approach to the technical analysis of wireheading in intelligent agents. Inspired by the natural analogues of wireheading and their prevalent manifestations, we propose the modeling of such phenomenon in Reinforcement Learning (RL) agents as psychological disorders. In a preliminary step towards evaluating this proposal, we study the feasibility and dynamics of emergent addictive policies in Q-learning agents in the tractable environment of the game of Snake. We consider a slightly modified version of this game, in which the environment provides a “drug” seed alongside the original “healthy” seed for the consumption of the snake. We …

Why Are Sheep Sheepish? How Perception Affects Animal Stereotyping, Robert G. Franklin Jr.

Animal Sentience

Marino & Merskin present compelling evidence that many stereotypes of sheep are incorrect. One factor that may play an important role in animal stereotyping is the physical appearance of animals, which can directly lead to stereotyping through automatic mental processes. Sheep have a round and babyish appearance that directly evokes judgments of warmth and docility. Depictions of sheep in art, and especially cartoons, reinforce this stereotype.

Tangled Twilight. Destiny, Horror, And Transformation In Nature: American Culture Of Progress During The Vietnam War 1965-1975, Alexander Newkirk

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This work is an exploration of shifting American attitudes toward key cultural myths during and after the Vietnam War from 1965-1975. Using sources such as memoir, film, and relevant historiography of the time this thesis emphasizes an exploration of the shifting attitudes of Americans during the Cold War. An epoch defined by a “utopian” vision of American history that was codified in a Post War period. This included a tradition of enlightenment values, liberal consensus, a technocratic order, and a deep abiding myth in progress. While this period has been extensively studied, I suggest there has not been enough attention …

Influence Of External And Internal Factors On Financial Advisors' Guidance Of Clients In The Area Of Charitable Giving, Angela J. Gorsuch Widner

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Charitable giving plays a vital role in the ability of nonprofit organizations to carry out their missions to contribute to the well-being of society. Research suggests that most wealthy Americans have an interest in being philanthropic and giving to nonprofit organizations. Financial advisors often play a substantial role in helping their clients understand the complex policies related to charitable giving. As the experts, financial advisors play an important consultative role in making sense of the benefits that can come as a result of charitable giving.

The purpose of this study was to explore how financial advisors work with clients in …

Beyond "Born This Way": Reconsidering Trans Narratives, Ashley Elizabeth Meyers

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

When most Americans hear the words “trans” or “transgender”, celebrities like Caitlyn Jenner, Chaz Bono, or Laverne Cox likely come to mind along with their highly public stories of medical and social transition. While these celebrity representations have served to increase visibility for the trans community throughout the United States over the past decade, trans representation remains limited in terms of intersectionality and a narrow focus on celebrity stories and themes of essentialization, dysphoria, and medical transition. At the same time, research on trans narratives also remains focused almost exclusively on trans women and men who experience dysphoria and undergo …

William Stokes Papers - Accession 882, William Stokes, American Civil War

Manuscript Collection

The William Stokes Papers mainly consist of personal correspondence from William Stokes (1833-1905) to his wife, Eliza Jane Boulware Stokes (1837-1916), during the American Civil War. William Stokes served in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War with the 4^th Regiment South Carolina Calvary as Lieutenant Colonel. After the conclusion of the war he would be given the rank of Brigadier General by then Governor Wade Hampton. He was born on October 20, 1833, and died on June 30, 1905. The collection includes pre-Civil War, Civil War, and post-Civil War letters and military orders. Also includes writings by …

Acute Effects Of Ballistic And Non-Ballistic Bench Press On Plyometric Push-Up Performance, David Bodden, Timothy J. Suchomel, Alexandra Lates, Nicholas G. Anagnost, Matthew F. Moran, Christopher Taber

Exercise Science Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a ballistic or non-ballistic concentric-only bench press (COBP) on subsequent plyometric push-up performance. Fourteen resistance trained men completed two separate one-repetition-maximum (1RM) testing sessions followed by three randomized experimental explosive push-up sessions. These sessions combined a heavy concentric bench press with plyometric push-ups. Using a series of 3 × 10 (condition × time) repeated measures ANOVA, comparisons were made between the effects of ballistic and non-ballistic bench presses on performance of plyometric push-ups to investigate push-up performance variables. Compared with the control condition, both ballistic and non-ballistic bench presses …

Intermittent Pneumatic Compression Boot Use Elevates Blood Lactate During Subsequent Exercise, Richard T. Marcello, Lucas Fortini, Beau K. Greer

Exercise Science Faculty Publications

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) boot use between submaximal cycling trials on heart rate (HR) and blood lactate concentrations. Ten healthy participants (9M; 1F) performed two consecutive 60 minute rides at 60% of functional threshold power with a 30 minute rest between rides. The rest period was spent in a supine position using IPC boots (BOOT) or sitting in a similar position without boots (CON). HRs were collected every 15 minutes during cycling rides, and lactate was measured at the 30-minute mark during both rides. An identical trial was …

Medical Condition Or Childcare Choice? Breastfeeding And Lactation Discrimination After Young V. Ups, Madeleine Gyory

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

Women returning to work after giving birth, and who wish to breastfeed their child often need modest adjustments to their job or workplace that allow them to pump breast milk at work, such as break time and a clean, private room. But what if an employer denies this request or fires a woman for asking? The federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act ("PDA") prohibits employers from discriminating against workers based on their pregnancy, childbirth, or "related medical conditions." Under the PDA, as interpreted by the Supreme Court in Young v. UPS, employers must grant pregnant workers accommodations only if they grant similar …

What Am I Really Saying When I Open My Smartphone: A Response To Orin S. Kerr, Laurent Sacharoff

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

In his forthcoming article in the Texas Law Review, Compelled Decryption and the Privilege Against Self-Incrimination, Orin S. Kerr addresses a common question confronting courts. If a court orders a suspect or defendant to enter her password to open a smartphone or other device as part of a law enforcement investigation, does that order violate the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination?

To answer this question, Kerr appropriately looks by analogy to existing Fifth Amendment case law as applied to document subpoenas, the “act of production” doctrine, and its mysterious cousin, the “foregone conclusion” doctrine. From these materials, he gleans a …

Effects Of Online Aba Training On Stress Levels Of Parents With A Child With Autism, Kristen Duffney

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study investigated the effects of an online training program in applied behavior analysis (ABA) on stress levels of parents that have a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The online ABA training program is comprised of 22 videos which take a total of 4½ hours to complete. Parenting stress levels were assessed using the Parenting Stress Inventory Short Form (PSI-SF, Abidin, 1995) and general stress levels were self-reported scores immediately before and after the training. The assessment and questionnaire were completed online immediately before the ABA training was made available and immediately after the ABA training was completed. …

A Study On Erosion Resistance For Microbially Induced Calcite Treated Beach Sand, Abigail Chek

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Microbial induced calcite precipitation (MICP) was used to treat several sandboxes filled with naturally occurring beach sand collected from Atlantic Beach, FL. Unlike most previous MICP studies, a surface-spray technique was used to treat these sandboxes where relatively high-concentration bacteria solution and high concentration calcium chloride/urea solutions were applied directly to the boxes’ surfaces. Several different treatment combinations were tested whereby bacterial optical density, bacteria/urea/calcium chloride volume relative to void space, and bacteria/urea/calcium chloride ratio were manipulated. Treated sandboxes were tested for erodibility using a pocket erodometer and for calcification using a wash method. In addition, sandboxes were dissected after …

Evaluating The Performance Of Cooperative Merging Assistance System For Aging Drivers, Flavius Matata

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Freeway merging maneuvers demand considerable attention by drivers and are among the more complex operations drivers must perform on freeways. Aging drivers, a growing population in the United States, face added challenges when merging. This study utilized Vissim models created in a previous study that modeled the behavior of aging drivers during freeway merging. An algorithm for Cooperative Merging Assistance System (CMAS) that utilizes Connected Vehicle (CV) technology was developed in this study. The Vissim models were created for two interchanges on I-75 in Fort Myers, Florida, each with different geometric characteristics. Acceleration lane lengths of 1000ft and 1500ft were …

Leadership Skills, Promoting Flow And Generating Profit: A Study Of Millennial Managers Through Gamification, Junior Badibanga

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An increased number or organizations are shifting away from traditional hierarchical, command and control business strategies which focus solely on generating profit to focusing on both people and profit. In this study, Csíkszentmihályi’s flow state (1975/2000) is considered to correspond with the people side of the social enterprise model, where organizations focus on both people and profit. Csíkszentmihályi (1990) describes the flow experience as a mental state which occurs when a person is motivated and fully immersed in an activity, resulting in feelings of energized focus and profound enjoyment. The current study analyzed secondary data from 1,184 millennial managers that …

Exploring Applicability Of Blockchain To Enhance Single Sign-On (Sso) Systems, Samuel Matloob

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Single-Sign-On (SSO) systems usage has been on the rise exponentially. One of the major benefits of having an SSO system is to have a central authentication service, which other applications can use. However, SSO services are also prone to failure. If an SSO service becomes unavailable due to failure, every application that uses the SSO service become simultaneously inaccessible to users. The goal of this research is to explore a technique to mitigate the availability issue of the SSO by customizing its functionality, and distributing its data using blockchain technology over the network. The Blockchain data structure possesses inherent properties …

Front Matter - Table Of Contents

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Resign!!!: Acrimony And Protest On President Trump's @Realdonaldtrump Twitter Account, Saman Talib

Iowa Journal of Communication

A major feature of the Trump election and presidency is President Trump's use of Twitter. He has used @realdonaldtrump, his personal Twitter account, to state policy positions, berate various people, and even announce firings. While news coverage focuses on President Trump's tweets, the account itself has been and continues to be the recipient of copious numbers of negative posts from ordinary citizens. The court 's designation of this Twitter account as a 'designated public space' and the large number of negative posts warrants a closer examination of these tweets. This study employed the grounded theory method to analyze the account …

Front Matter - Table Of Contents - Preface

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

The Rhetoric Of Rhetorical Reactance: Pork Producers' Responses To The Animal Activist Movement, Kathleen German, Adam Rottinghaus

Iowa Journal of Communication

Animal activists made inroads against the fur industry, laboratory research, veal production, and horse slaughter during the 1980s and 1990s. While pork producers were not directly targeted, they nevertheless reacted, perceiving a dire threat to their own industry and a bleak future for pork production. This fear was magnified by their sense that activists were supported by a broad population of non/armers who were naively susceptible to irrational and emotional appeals. This case study points out the complexity of public discourse rippling outward from the animal rights movement. As animal activists raised their voices against fur ranchers, animal researchers, and …

Partisanship, Provocation, Protest, And Pugnacity: Communication In A Context Of Conflict - Introduction To The Special Issue, Rachel C. Murdock

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Why? Because I Like You: Effects Of Familiarity On Perceptions Of Media Trustworthiness, Stephanie G. Shartel Dunn

Iowa Journal of Communication

Familiarity and parasocial relationships (PSR) play a definitive role on perceptions of trustworthiness and credibility. In this study, the role PSR play in the evaluation of political commentators is tested. Research presented demonstrates familiarity and PSR allow commentators to cultivate perceptions of trustworthiness and overcome retraction/corrective messages. Findings suggest increased familiarity and higher PSR generate more positive message evaluations, higher assessments of source credibility, and increased likelihood of persuasion.

The Dilemma Of Being Colin Kaepernick: An Examination Of The #Takeaknee Protest Using Heider's Balance Theory, Ashley A. Hanna Edwards, M. Elizabeth Thorpe

Iowa Journal of Communication

Colin Kaepernick and the #takeaknee protest have been simultaneously criticized and praised. Critics argue that Kaepernick disrespects veterans and the country, while supporters suggest he is an advocate for social justice in the mistreatment of people of color, particularly by law enforcement. Beyond partisan politics, this paper shows that critics and supporters alike are evaluating Kaepernick's protest on the basis of perceived consistency between his identity and behavior. Drawing on Heider 's balance theory, we argue that individuals who focus on Kaepernick 's identity as a professional athlete will be critical of the protest because it is out of balance …

The Influence Of Goals On Sexual Initiation, Shawna Harris

Iowa Journal of Communication

In an effort to utilize theory to understand sexual communication, this study examined if the Goals-Plans-Actions Theory's conceptualization of goals would relate to the use of direct and indirect sexual initiation strategies. We surveyed 111 participants and asked them to identify the salient goals and strategies used when initiating sex with a partner. Although relational resource goals and identity goals were rated high, they had no effect on the use of direct or indirect initiation strategies. However, the primary goal of having sex and conversation management goals positively correlated with the use of direct and indirect initiation strategies.

Speaking For Another Polis, Rebecca Townsend

Iowa Journal of Communication

With the ending of the historic practice of town meeting legislature in Amherst, Massachusetts in 2018, this essay studies one practice that had been a source of tension: the deliberative body's foreign policy rhetoric. This essay examines one deliberation on a resolution concerning Nigeria for how participants use presence (Perelman & Olbrechts-Tyteca, 1971) and ventriloquism (Cooren, 2016) to construct a sense of authority for speaking for themselves and for others as democratic agents. It contributes to literature on public meetings and on rhetorical authority.