Digital Commons Network^™

Entry-Level Workplace Competencies Needed By Graduates Of A Community College Agriculture Program: A Midwest Case Study Using The Delphi Technique, Blake Colclasure

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

Community colleges have a strong history of providing vocational education and occupational training to meet changing workforce demands of local industries. In the Midwest, agricultural industries have expressed an expanding need for middle-skilled workers with postsecondary, prebaccalaureate credentials. The 21st century agricultural landscape has changed as a result of the need for efficiency and sustainability, and resulting emergent agricultural technologies. Community colleges will be integral to establishing a qualified agriculture workforce for entry-level, middle-skilled positions. This study utilized a modified Delphi approach to identify entry-level workplace competencies needed by graduates of a community college agriculture program. Delphi panel experts represented …

3d Printed Microporous Collagen Constructs Using The Freeze-Fresh Methodology, Thais Sousa Senzano

Theses and Dissertations

Scaffold microporosity is known to play a critical role in governing cellular response including cell migration, proliferation, and tissue-specific differentiation. While fabrication approaches such as solvent leaching and freeze-casting are commonly used for the generation of microporous biomaterial scaffolds, these methods provide little control over scaffold geometry and creation of complex tissue structures. Extrusion-based 3D printing, an additive manufacturing method, is a highly versatile layer-by-layer printing approach that allows for the fabrication of easily customizable 3D scaffolds with complex architecture using a vast selection of polymeric bioinks. These 3D printed constructs are porous at the macroscale, but achieving microporosity (i.e., < 100 μm) in printed constructs is challenging due to the sub-optimal resolution of the extrusion-based printing method. A recent study using alginate inks introduced a new fabrication technique termed Freeze-FRESH(FF)that combines extrusion printing and freeze-casting approaches to generate 3D constructs with hierarchical microporosity. However, the porosity of the resultant alginate constructs was comparable despite changing the freezing temperature. In the current study, the FF method was modified to print collagen constructs with greater control of microporous architecture. Highly concentrated collagen type I ink was used to 3D print collagen constructs using the freeform reversible embedding of suspended hydrogels (FRESH)approach. Modification of the FF technique entailed melting of the FRESH bath post printing via incubation at 37 °C followed by freezing and lyophilization to allow for collagen gelation and better heat transport during the freezing process. The effect of freezing temperature on micropore size, swelling degree, degradation, and mechanical properties of printed constructs was assessed. Finite element (FE) models were generated to predict the mechanical properties of microporous scaffolds. In addition, the effect of microporosity on Saos-2 cell morphology, proliferation, infiltration, and ALP activity was evaluated. Results from the study showed that freezing temperature effectively modulated micropore size and that constructs with larger micropore size were more stable. Microporosity had no effect on swelling ratio yet caused a decrease in mechanical properties of collagen constructs; FE models confirmed experimental results. Cell metabolic activity and infiltration was enhanced in microporous constructs with larger pore size, yet there was no effect on cell morphology, and ALP activity. In conclusion, the modified FF technique can be effectively used to fabricate hierarchically porous 3D collagen constructs.

Forest Fragments In Costa Rica, North American Bird Bander

North American Bird Bander

No abstract provided.

What Does It Take? Reflections On Foundation Practice In Building Healthy Communities, 2010–2020, Prudence Brown, Tom David, Anand Sharma

The Foundation Review

Foundation practice — how a foundation goes about its work — plays a significant role in determining the results of the work, particularly for foundations that take on roles that position them as part of the action rather than solely as sources of funds.

This article aims to build upon the lessons from past place-based work by examining the practices of The California Endowment as it designed and implemented Building Healthy Communities, a 10-year initiative to promote health equity. The initiative combined intensive investment in 14 historically disinvested communities with sophisticated state- and regional-level policy campaigns and coalition-building strategies to …

Pennsylvania’S Covid-19 Response Vs. Homeland Security Frameworks And Research: Masking The Whole Community, Alexander Siedschlag

Publications

This essay offers an intermediate discussion of select policy, strategic, operational, and tactical issues that demonstrate where and how the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s novel coronavirus response on the one hand, and homeland security frameworks and research on the other, converge or—more often so—diverge, and how to narrow this gap. Although typically framed as a pandemic owned by the public health sector, the COVID-19 response falls directly within the homeland security mission space, whose core missions include “Ensuring Resilience to Disasters.” In some respects, Pennsylvania’s response exemplifies best practices suggested by research. In other dimensions, it is neither in line with …

Mount Carmel Area Community Center: Plan Of Action, Drew Delaney, Lucy Donovan, Jennifer Greenhalgh, Ruby Lee, Sam Pansky, Elizabeth Stack

Coal Region Field Station Student Projects

The purpose of this document is to provide a comprehensive Plan of Action for the Mount Carmel Area Community Center Board of Directors. This plan is designed as a strategic plan, grant application, and general information manual hybrid for the Center. As the Board finalizes the closing on the Phillips Mansion, the new Center’s home, it will be necessary for MCACC to take action in four major areas: building facilities, grant and funding opportunities, creation of partnerships, and potential programming.

Also attached is a copy of the powerpoint slides from a presentation made to MCACC in December 2020 outlining key …

Student Perceptions Of Personalized Learning In A Rural School District., Kathryn M. House

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This case study explored student perceptions of the implementation of personalized learning as a means of supporting student engagement and improved student outcomes. A review of research revealed a mismatch between the current instructional pedagogy utilized and the needs identified by the workforce. The world has evolved rapidly while education has slowly evolved, creating an ever-increasing relevance gap for students. We have transitioned to a global society and innovations in technology have led the way. Today’s workforce requires students to have soft skills and competencies to be able to think critically, problem solve, develop resiliency, be innovative and creative, communicate …

A 4-Base-Pair Core-Enclosing Helix In Telomerase Rna Is Essential For Activity And For Binding To The Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Catalytic Protein Subunit, Melissa A. Mefford

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

No abstract provided.

On The Value Of In-Class Lecture: Evidence From Introductory Corporate Finance Classes, Chien Chih Peng

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

This study examines whether the availability of in-class lectures can lead to difference in student peiformance between face-to-face and online introductory corporate finance classes. The ordinary least squares regression model is employed to analyze a sample of 284 students at a four-year state university in the Appalachian region. The results show that when assessed online, students receiving in-class lectures in face-to-face classes peiform significantly better than those receiving narrated PowerPoint slides on study aids in online classes. In addition, the results show that student's major and educational experience are significant determinants of student performance.

Private Law, Public Law, And The Production Of American Virtue, Cristina Carmody Tilley

NULR Online

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of A T-Trellis And A Rotating Cross-Arm Trellis For Arkansas Blackberry Production, Erika Henderson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As blackberry production in the southeastern United States expands, the need for updated cultural practices, like alternative trellis systems that enhance blackberry fruit yield, fruit quality, and economic viability for fresh-market growers are needed. There are challenges to producing high-quality blackberry fruit with high yields in the Southeast due to intense heat, high rainfall, humidity, and heavy pest pressure. Southeastern growers are interested in the rotating cross-arm (RCA) trellis due to its potential to increase yield and fruit quality, however there is minimal research of its use in blackberry production in the Southeast. In 2019 and 2020, a trial was …

Waiting Room, Adam Lefebvre

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Waiting can be exasperating, but sometimes that helplessness, knowing there is nothing to do but wait, is a comfort.

I have come to understand the value of the handmade through using and living with thoughtfully crafted objects. I am attracted to goods made by people who give voice to their material. When this is done well, I slow down and pay more attention to the object and the task they are performing.

Attraction and distraction. What are the differences between objects meant to attract our attention and those meant to distract? I would much rather lead a life full …

Engaging Empirical Dynamic Modeling To Detect Intrusions In Cyber-Physical Systems, David R. Crow, Scott R. Graham, Brett J. Borghetti, Patrick J. Sweeney

Faculty Publications

Modern cyber-physical systems require effective intrusion detection systems to ensure adequate critical infrastructure protection. Developing an intrusion detection capability requires an understanding of the behavior of a cyber-physical system and causality of its components. Such an understanding enables the characterization of normal behavior and the identification and reporting of anomalous behavior. This chapter explores a relatively new time series analysis technique, empirical dynamic modeling, that can contribute to system understanding. Specifically, it examines if the technique can adequately describe causality in cyber-physical systems and provides insights into it serving as a foundation for intrusion detection.

Dinosaur Representation In Museums: How The Struggle Between Scientific Accuracy And Pop Culture Affects The Public Perception Of Mesozoic Non-Avian Dinosaurs In Museums, Carla A. Feller

Museum Studies Theses

This thesis examines the struggle of museums to keep up with swiftly advancing scientific discoveries relating to the study and display of Mesozoic (approximately 250 million years to 65 million years ago) non-avian dinosaurs. The paper will explore the history of dinosaur discoveries, their display methodologies in museums, and how pop culture, including movies and video games, have influenced museum displays and public perception over time. The lack of updated dinosaur exhibits in smaller local museums leads to disbelief, or an outright denial, of new information such as feathered dinosaurs. Entertainment, such as movies and video games that have non-avian …

Online Interpretation Guideline For Historic House Museums, Olivia A. Weixlmann

Museum Studies Theses

What does it mean to be a museum in 2020? How do cultural institutions, charged with preserving our history, navigate the challenges of the modern world? Technological advances including the internet, quickly produce an abundance of media outlets baiting attention that impact the sociopolitical climate driving civil unrest, and ideological division. The surplus of competing information from technology driven outlets result in audiences being overwhelmed and left questioning if the information they're receiving is from a reliable source.

Reflections Of Female Band Directors: The Perceived Effect Of Sex, Gender, And Race On Career Experiences And Professional Practices, Robyn M. Olichwier Lawrence

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The purpose of this study was to examine the introspections of female band directors, and their perceived beliefs about the effect of sex, gender, and race on their own personal career experiences and professional practices. Participants (N=82) were all current members of Women Band Directors International. After contact through the organization’s website, participants were invited to complete an online survey that consisted of 39 multiple choice, Likert-scale based questions. An optional short answer question was included in the survey (totaling 40 questions), to offer participants the opportunity to share information about personal experiences if they felt comfortable. …

Holiday 2020

The Weldon Times

A student-run publication from the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University.

Co-Editors in Chief: Tiffany Leung, Madison Ranta

Graphic Design & Layout: Alexandra Fox

Gamanak – The Travel Planner With Social Media Mobile Application, L.C.S. Lokuliyanage, D. Dhammearatchi

Journal of Innovation in Science, Engineering and Technology

Travelling is an immensely popular hobby for most people nowadays since it allows them to be relieved of their stress and enjoy various activities among friends and family. It is a form of adventure which allows them to discover new places, meet people of various ethnicities, learn new languages and relish the beauty of the world. While all these make traveling sound amazing, planning such a journey can turn out to be a very tiresome task which requires a lot of time and effort. The modern world has many solutions for this and out of them, digital solutions come out …

Best Solution For The Graphic Problem: A Single Gpu Or A Multi-Gpu Or An Upgradable Gpu, R.M.C.L. Rathnayake, D. Dhammearatchi

Journal of Innovation in Science, Engineering and Technology

Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) or in general graphic cards or VGA (Video Graphic Array) cards become major hardware of the computer world. After the development of the Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) of Operating Systems (OSs), the most developed hardware after the processor is a graphic card. But a graphic card is consisting of a fixed amount of memory. It is the major limitation to use a graphic card for a certain big task because the memory limits the amount of data that can store in the graphic card. This paper briefly examines the possibility of installing more memory on a …

Factors Affecting For The Service Quality Of Three-Wheeler Transportation In Kurunegala City, S.M. Nuwarapaksha, C.A. Kankanamge, D.G.N.D. Jayarathna

Journal of Innovation in Science, Engineering and Technology

Public Transport service is vital to the wellbeing of any country. Three-wheeler transportation service in Sri Lanka has become poor in quality and unreliable due to the expectations of passengers. Therefore, the scope of this study was limited three-wheeler transportation in Kurunegala city. Quality service is a procedure of total evaluation of service or product. If the service provider is separate from the service it offers, then the passengers regularly get attached to the service quality. Transportation service in Sri Lanka is in poor quality because it does not meet the passenger expectations and needs. Quality three-wheeler service implementation in …

Environmental Regulation And The Cost Of Bank Loans: International Evidence, Amirhossein Fard, Siamak Javadi, Incheol Kim

School of Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

Using a sample of 27 countries between 1990 and 2014, we find that banks charge a higher interest rate on their loans when lending to firms that face more stringent environmental regulations. Further, we show that firms facing such regulations maintain lower financial leverage, incur more operating expenses, and have fewer banks participating in their loan syndicate. The results of the subsample analysis suggest that the increase in the cost of bank loans is more pronounced for financially constrained firms, firms in industries with high environmental litigation risk, and those located in bank-based economies. Overall, our results provide evidence that …

Identifying, Increasing Awareness, And Supporting Military-Connected Adolescents In Public Schools, Amanda Bushman

Theses and Dissertations

Of the nearly 1,000,000 children of active duty members of the military, around 80% attend civilian schools not affiliated with the Department of Defense Education Activity ([DoDEA] DoDEA, 2018; Department of Defense [DoD], 2018). This creates a need for schools to be aware of the challenges that military-connected (MC) students face and understand how best to support them. Recent research indicates that the prevalence of mental health problems in MC youth populations has been rising since the war on terrorism began (De Pedro et al., 2011). MC youth experience an array of internalizing and externalizing problems, including stress disorders (Gorman …

The Layered Frames Of Performed Tabletop: Actual-Play Podcasts And The Laminations Of Media, Brendan Decicio

Theses and Dissertations

Despite their sudden growth in popularity, the role-playing actual-play podcasts have either been ignored or grouped with the genre of audio drama in prior scholarly works. Examination using frame analysis shows, however, that these podcasts are distinct in their engagement of the audience on multiple, simultaneous levels; levels which correspond with well-known media genres such as Documentary, Fiction, and Game Play. Each frame has its own layer of identities, conduct, and avenue for appealing to audiences just as these genres have their own distinct appeals. Through the combinations of these frames, familiar tropes and techniques such as Short-Form Improv and …

C.L. Sonnichsen Special Collections Department Newsletter, C.L. Sonnichsen Special Collections Department

UTEP Library

E-newsletter of the Special Collections Department of the UTEP Library.

Deaf Cultural Capital And Its Conflicts With Hearing Culture: Navigational Successes And Failures, Ashley Greene-Woods, Natalie J. Delgado, Beverly Buchanan, Misty Sides, Abbas Ali Behmanesh, Brian Cheslik, Caroline K. Koo, M. Diane Clark

Communication Sciences & Disorders Faculty Publications

Despite the creation and implementation of laws intended to support and protect Deaf individuals, stories of limited opportunities and oppression within the workplace still exist and are pervasive. Current research in regard to Deaf individuals’ upward mobility includes a discussion of cultural capital, Imposter Syndrome, and navigational capital. To further understand the experiences of Deaf individuals, the research team conducted a mixed-methods study utilizing surveys and interviews. The results provided insight regarding challenges experienced by the participants in either-or-both their education and employment. The data suggests that the use of navigational capital was the most significant predictor for upward mobility.

Voice Therapy Techniques For Male-To-Female Versus Female-To-Male Transgender Individuals And Stereotypical Gender Beliefs That Affect These Techniques, Bailey Lyman

Honors College Theses

This research was conducted to determine the differences and similarities between the therapeutic techniques used with male-to-female versus female-to-male transgender voice clients resulting from their existing and potentially changing anatomy and physiology. It was also conducted to determine the potential impacts of gender stereotyping on therapeutic techniques and a client’s therapeutic course. A review of the literature suggests that although there are quite a few similarities between the therapeutic techniques of male-to-female and female-to-male voice clients, there are crucial differences in these techniques that must also be considered. A few of the differences include considering a degree of change based …

Voice Therapy Techniques For Male-To-Female Versus Female-To-Male Transgender Individuals And Stereotypical Beliefs That Affect These Techniques, Bailey Lyman

Honors College Theses

This research was conducted to determine the differences and similarities between the therapeutic techniques used with male-to-female versus female-to-male transgender voice clients resulting from their existing and potentially changing anatomy and physiology. It was also conducted to determine the potential impacts of gender stereotyping on therapeutic techniques and a client’s therapeutic course. A review of the literature suggests that although there are quite a few similarities between the therapeutic techniques of male-to-female and female-to-male voice clients, there are crucial differences in these techniques that must also be considered. A few of the differences include considering a degree of change based …

The Road To Inclusion: Special Education In The United States And Mexico, Elena Hammann

Honors College Theses

This report addresses the laws, views, funding, and school system policies in the United States and Mexico. Children with disabilities are typically subject to misrepresentation, prejudice, and a lack of opportunities. The best chance these children have to succeed is an adequate education. The intention of both countries for the last five decades is to provide an equitable and inclusive education for students with disabilities. Although educational planners and policy makers in each country pass federal legislation and educational policy, there is further work for improvement. The results of current research through a questionnaire shows continued negative social bias towards …

The Bridge Newsletter Winter 2020, Missouri University Of Science And Technology

The Bridge Newsletter

-Kummers give largest single gift in the history of Missouri higher education
-$1M gift from the Sunderland Foundation completes ACML lab
-Miner alumni step up
-Academy of Civil Engineers inducts 11 new members

High Sulfur-Content Materials From Free Fatty Acids, Ashlyn Dennis Smith

All Dissertations

The consumption of traditional plastics continues to climb to meet increasing consumer needs, despite growing awareness that these petrochemical-derived materials are detrimental to the environment. Sustainability scientists are faced with the task of trying to replace some of these materials with sustainably sourced compounds, leading the industry away from fossil fuel-derived monomers. Fatty acid derivatives have proven to be versatile sources for monomers. As constituents of several high-volume and low value waste streams and, given their origins in plant and animal sources, fatty acid derivatives are an ideal starting material. The presence of alcohol, carboxylic acid and olefin functional groups …