Digital Commons Network^™

Distinguishing Mustela From Neogale (Mustelidae) Through Both A Qualitative And Quantitative Analysis Of Skull And Tooth Morphology, Ronald W. Peery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Weasels and mink (Mustela and Neogale) can be difficult to distinguish osteologically due to similarities in morphology, thus suggesting the need for an accurate tool in distinguishing among taxa. This study utilized a combination of character state and stepwise discriminant function (DFA) analyses to examine potential distinguishing features of skull and tooth morphology. Measurements and ratios were collected from all 18 extant musteline species, as well as the extinct Neovison macrodon, Mustela rexroadensis, Mustela meltoni, Mustela gazini, and Mustela jacksoni. Unidentified musteline specimens from the Gray Fossil Site were also included. Results of …

Experiences With Flood And Perceptions Of Flood Risk Among Members Of The Filipino American Community In Virginia Beach, Virginia, Anjelica Pascual Petsch

Institute for the Humanities Theses

The Filipino Americans living in Hampton Roads, Virginia have comprised of almost 2% of the region’s overall population, and 5.3% of the population in Virginia Beach, Virginia (United States Census Bureau, 2019) (Greater Hampton Roads Connects, 2021). Filipino Americans in Hampton Roads, like the rest of the population, are equally vulnerable to experiencing flooding when commuting to and from work or simply traveling around town, but previous research and surveys from the Hampton Roads Region have failed in their ability to capture this cultural diversity within perception of flood risk. In this paper, a qualitative research design was used to …

Executive Functions And Student Success During Physical Therapist Education: An Exploratory Study, Jane Roitsch, Martha L. Walker, Anastasia M. Raymer

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Clinical reasoning relies on executive functions (EFs) that manage attention, inhibition, organization, and decision-making. Assessment of EFs may help identify students who excel at clinical reasoning, yet data showing this relationship in physical therapy (PT) education programs are lacking. The primary purpose of this exploratory study was to examine EFs in relationship to success in PT educational programs. METHODS: Thirteen third-year PT graduate students completed two EF tests which were compared to culminating scores in the program and admissions scores. RESULTS: A relationship existed between National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) and comprehensive exam results and one EF test score; …

The Role Of Emotional Attention Regulation In High Psychopathy Incarcerated Males, Michael K. Webb

Dissertations and Theses

This study examined the role of emotional attention regulation in men (N = 60) currently incarcerated in a Midwestern prison. Modern conceptualizations define psychopathy as a multifaceted and dimensional construct that includes atypical experience of affect, interpersonal problems, and remarkable social deviance. Attentional differences and deficient emotional experience have been shown to predict psychopathy and other outcomes related to the construct. However, attentional and emotional functioning in individuals high in psychopathy is complex and results have been shown to vary across discrete emotion states and experimental paradigms. The negative preception hypothesis (Kosson et al. 2018) suggests that these differences may …

Impacts Of Environmental And Anthropogenic Stressors On Amphibian Welfare, Diversity, And Distribution In The Upper Missouri River Basin, Kaitlyn Campbell

Dissertations and Theses

Climate change and anthropogenic stressors have contributed to rapid declines among various taxonomic groups; however, amphibian declines have been particularly intense and primarily stemmed from warming temperatures, habitat loss, exposure to contaminants, disease, and their subsequent interactions. Several climate mitigation strategies, like Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage, have been proposed to alleviate the impact of rising temperatures; however, these proposals often fail to recognize and quantify the true impact on fauna, including changes in species distributions. To address this critical gap in knowledge, this research identified current amphibian distributions in the Upper Missouri River Basin and projected distribution changes …

Statistical Mediation Analysis In Regression Discontinuity Design For Causal Inference, Donna Chen

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Regression discontinuity designs (RDDs) are the most robust quasi-experimental design, but current statistical models are limited to estimates for the simple causal relationship between only two variables: the independent and dependent variables. In practice, intervening variables (or mediators) are often observed as part of the causal chain. Mediators explain the why and how a treatment or intervention works. Therefore, mediation and RDD analysis combined can be a useful tool in identifying key components or processes that make intervention programs effective while making causal inferences for improving student achievement, despite natural constraints, limitations, and ethical considerations. Without an integrated framework of …

Current Literacy Interventions For Aac Users, Payton Proud

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Purpose: Literacy provides individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) with an avenue to share their original thoughts through generative communication. There is limited research regarding literacy intervention for AAC users, particularly in high school. This study sought to (a) identify literacy interventions used with high school AAC users, (b) determine the importance placed on literacy by SLPs for high school AAC users, and (c) compare the importance of literacy intervention in high school to other ages of AAC users and other areas of intervention.

Method: Ninety-two Nebraska school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) completed an online survey to answer the …

The Impact Of Beneficial Organisms In Corn Agroecosystems, Callie Rosalind Braley

Doctor of Plant Health Program: Dissertations and Student Research

Corn is one of the world’s, and Nebraska’s, most important crops. Millions of acres are planted to corn each year in the Cornhusker State. However, each year there are a plethora of arthropod, weed, and microorganism pests that rob farmers of reaching their maximum yield potential. There are many options available to manage these pests in corn agroecosystems, but one option is often underutilized: beneficial organisms. For each pest, there are a variety of natural enemies that can assist in mitigating the damage caused by pests.

Many beneficial organisms exist, and they can be grouped by the type of pest …

Examination Of Cajeput Oil (Melaleuca Cajuputi) Phytochemicals As Tools To Manage The Yellow Fever Mosquito (Aedes Aegypti L.), Ellis Johnson

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti L., is among the most important insects as it pertains to public health. It vectors several health-endangering pathogens, including yellow fever, dengue fever, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. Insecticides are among the most effective tools used to manage mosquito populations however, their efficacy to manage mosquito populations is being threatened by insecticide resistance. This ongoing threat warrants new chemical strategies to reduce or incapacitate a mosquito population capable of pathogen transmission. Plant essential oils are candidates for identifying novel management tools for disease-vectoring arthropods. Commercially, essential oils have been used for pharmaceuticals, flavoring, fragrances, cosmetics, …

Enhancement And Evaluation Of An Online Module On Functional Behavior Assessment Using Universal Design For Learning, Sacha Cartagena

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of UDL-based enhancements of an online module on functional behavior assessment. The UDL framework is an instructional design framework designed to enhance access, engagement, and learning using three overarching principles: multiple means of engagement, multiple means of representation, and multiple means of action and expression. The researcher utilized a two-group randomized control trial (RCT) with pre- and posttest measures. The control group completed a publicly available module on functional behavior assessment while the intervention group completed an enhanced version of the same module. Results demonstrate that both the intervention and …

An Educational Leader’S E-Mails To The Parents During Covid-19 Pandemic, Bilgen Kiral, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This study was conducted to determine what kinds of e-mails an education leader (school principal) sent to the parents of the students at the beginning, during, and end of the term during the COVID-19 pandemic process. In this study, the expression “educational leader” was used instead of the school principal.

The reason for this is that the school principal fully assumes the role of educational leadership during the pandemic period. The subject of the study is the transformation process in communication due to the pandemic. This transformation is e-mails, one of the digital communication tools that aim to reach everyone …

Contract Administration Process Improvements Developed And Applied To A Usda Forest Service, Chugach National Forest, Cordova Ranger District Hazmat Storage Facility Replacement, Cody Kapotak

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

Contract administration is a critical work component for United States federal government agencies. It ensures that contractors perform according to the contract requirements and deliver the scope of work as defined. Successful administration of a contract between the federal agency (project owner) and the contractor conducting the work is essential to deliver positive outcomes, reduce risk, and maintain a productive and collaborative workflow involving multiple people with different roles. Both new and experienced staff may have limited or inconsistent understanding of contract administration and how to initiate and manage this important process. Detailed and holistic representation of process workflows provides …

Does Technological Innovations Affect Unemployment In Nigeria?, Ebunoluwa O. Oyegoke, Wasiu A. Yusuf

Bullion

The study examines the effects of technological innovations on unemployment in Nigeria using annual time series data 1980-2018, Autoregressive Distributed Lag and cointegration bound testing approach, Technological innovations was provided by the inflow of FDI; importation of Machinery and Equipment as indicator for process innovation (ETC), Patent represents product innovation, while Total Factor Productivity serves as the exogenous technical progress in line with Solow. The result shows that the coefficient of the inward Foreign Direct Investments (INFDI) is positive (3.85), which is significant at 5%, indicating a strong positive effect of process innovation on Unemployment, Machinery and Equipment was also …

Is The Heterogeneity Of Expenditure Relevant To Economic Growth? The Case Of Nigeria, Efayena O. Oba, Ngozi P. Buzugbe

Bullion

With the Nigerian economy oscillating around financial quagmire and fast moving towards fiscal unsustainability, this study analysed the impact of disaggregated expenditures on economic growth. Employing data from 1980 to 2019, the study established through the autoregressive distributed lagged technique that heterogeneity in expenditure is relevant to economic growth, with recurrent expenditure contributing insignificantly to economic growth, while capital expenditure negatively impact economic. Thus, among other policy option, the study suggested appropriate expenditure over recurrent expenditure and that government should engage more in the provision of capital projects in the economy.

Oil Price And Foreign Direct Investment In Nigeria: New Evidence From Structural Breaks And A Nonlinear Analysis, Shehu Muhammad

Bullion

The study employed Nn-Linear and Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) method to analyse the link between oil price and foreign direct investment (FDI) using annual data from (1970 to 2018 Bai-Perman (2003) test revealed two structural break periods (1989 and 1995 showing a long-run relationship between oil price and FDI in Nigeria. The findings after NARDL estimation (short and long runs), showed that oil price, exchange rate and trade, negatively and insignificantly influenced FDI while GDP positively impacted on FDI, through insignificant too. The study concluded that though these variables slow down FDI efforts should be geared towards channeling oil funds …

Creasing Of Polyimide Thin Film For Use In Solar Sails, Andrew Allen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Polymer thin membranes are used in a variety of deployable structures that require large areas and compact stowage. Packaging membrane structures often involves creasing the membrane along predefined fold lines to enforce the desired kinematics under folding action. Inducing permanent deformation by folding to a high curvature is a common method to create creases, particularly in the design of solar sails. The distinct mechanical characteristics at the crease regions have a profound effect on the subsequent deployment and tensioning of the membrane structures. The mechanical and geometric properties at the crease are related to the crease formation process, but the …

How Does A Veteran Teacher Implement A Prekindergarten Math Curriculum?, Heidi Butterfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The purpose of this study was to explore how a veteran teacher implemented a state-approved commercial math curriculum in a prekindergarten classroom. In this action research study, guided by ethnographic principles, I employed Spradley's (2016) developmental research sequence to study what resources from the curriculum the teacher used, how the teacher adapted the curriculum, and what influenced the decisions the teacher made while implementing the curriculum. Data collected for this study included: the teacher guide provided by the commercial curriculum; teacher lesson plans; photographs of student created artifacts; the teacher's reflection journal and notes; and videos of a teacher implementing …

Tailoring Of The Left Ventricular Assist Device Cannula Implantation Using Coupled Multi-Scale Multi-Objective Patient Specific Optimization., Abubakar Dankano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Despite advancements in device design and anti-coagulation treatments, there are numerous adverse events that may occur following implantation of LVADs. The most devastating involves the embolization of thrombus into the brain causing a stroke, with incidence of up to 14-47% over a 6–12-month period. This study aims to elucidate ways to reduce this risk by surgical maneuvers guided by a multi-scale computational fluid dynamics analysis wrapped around a multi-objective shape optimization scheme which optimizes the anastomosis location of the VAD outflow graft (OG) along the ascending aorta to minimize the incidence of thrombi reaching the cerebral vessels and reduce particle …

Capsule Networks For Video Understanding, Kevin Duarte

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

With the increase of videos available online, it is more important than ever to learn how to process and understand video data. Although convolutional neural networks have revolutionized the representation learning from images and videos, they do not explicitly model entities within the given input. It would be useful for learned models to be able to represent part-to-whole relationships within a given image or video. To this end, a novel neural network architecture - capsule networks - has been proposed. Capsule networks add extra structure to allow for the modeling of entities and has shown great promise when applied to …

Change Sustainment Model (Csm) To Address Industry 4.0 In A Classified Environment, Hamilton Ervin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Business and engineering have long intersected with each other in industry. In actuality, they are inseparable. That notion drove the thought process and actions taken to observe phenomena within a U.S. Fortune 500, Aerospace & Defense industry, Department of Defense, independent contractor. In Aerospace & Defense, the ability to implement technology freely and change to address an ever-evolving technological landscape in the world has proven to be difficult given the nature of the work performed. U.S. national security must be protected at all times, therefore information sharing guided by a "need-to-know" basis create an inability to easily implement organizational change …

An Exploratory Investigation Of Grit And Its Relationship To Student Integration In Athletic Training Education Programs, Carlos Gual

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Students must enroll in rigorous accredited academic programs and pass the National Board of Certification (BOC) examination to become athletic trainers. Therefore, studies in athletic training and student achievement focus on student persistence/retention and BOC Examination pass rates. The majority of studies conclude that cognitive measures like grade point average (GPA) have a relationship with both retention and exam pass rates. However, research should also consider meta-cognitive factors (i.e., personality traits). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between athletic training students' grit (a metacognitive factor) and their academic, clinical, and social integration. The population for this …

Topology Optimization Of Internal Cooling Channels In Turbulent Flows, Shinjan Ghosh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Topology optimization, introduced by Bendsoe and Sigmund in 1988 has been a topic of research in the structural mechanics field for several decades. This technique is commonly used to optimize system performance of structural components with minimum material usage by varying the distribution of materials in a given domain. Fluid dynamic topology optimization, a relatively new research topic uses a method of adding or subtracting materials to a given flow domain to obtain an optimal flow-path for a given objective function. While the structural TO creates a solid structure by introducing holes into the domain, fluid TO introduces solid into …

Using Expectation Violation Theory To Evaluate Dialectal Bias In Courtroom Contexts, Christina Joseph

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

There is much evidence to indicate the role of speaker accent expectations and its impacts on the subsequent rating of the speaker. Additionally, examples including the Central Park Five as well as Rachel Jeantel of the Trayvon Martin case indicate the impacts of this speaker rating particularly in the context of the courtroom. This necessitates the further evaluation of the impact of dialectal bias on speaker ratings especially in the context of a courtroom due to the severity of the impacts. Utilizing a 4x2 between subjects experimental design manipulating on the basis of both dialect and speaker expectation, this study …

A Mixed-Methods, Grounded Theory Study Of Online Meaning-Making During The Pandemic, Kaitlyn Montcrieff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

To be human is to seek to understand the known and unknown world. The Covid-19 pandemic offers researchers the opportunity to examine online meaning-making on a more ubiquitous magnitude than ever experienced in history, without positioning the digital world as less authentic, or distinct, from the physical. Using mixed-methods grounded theory, this study posed the research question: (RQ) How do high school parents use an online community to (re)conceptualize aspects of contemporary society? The NRC Emotion Intensity lexicon (Mohammed, 2018) was used to score online forum posts from 2018-2021 using eight emotions to quantitatively represent changes over time. The qualitative …

The Effects Of A Tactile Display On First Responder Performance, Michael Schwartz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Firefighting is a dangerous and difficult task. Simulation affords researchers and practitioners the ability to examine performance and training in adverse conditions while preserving life, offering repeatable scenarios, and reducing costs. Multiple Resource Theory is used in this study as a model for assessing alternate sensory channels for information delivery when the optimal channel is not available. Specifically, this study tests the influence of a waist-worn vibrotactile display to assist navigation when visibility is reduced in a firefighter simulation. The present study measures participants' objective performance and self-reported workload while navigating a simulated fireground. Results from 70 research participants revealed …

Professional Development In Florida College System Institutions, Elizabeth Terranova

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This is a phenomenological study focused on a small, suburban Florida College System institution that has implemented a three-year induction program for new faculty, as part of its professional development program. It is related to retention of new faculty through the first five years. This study was undertaken to define and exemplify professional development and how it is utilized by practitioners. Secondly, it outlines induction programs and what works best to retain skilled faculty in FCS institutions. Members of several cohorts of the induction program were asked to participate in the study and were interviewed about their experiences in the …

The Banner - V. 156, No. 11 - (December 2021), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

No abstract provided.

Ai, On The Law Of The Elephant: Toward Understanding Artificial Intelligence, Emile Loza De Siles

Buffalo Law Review

Machine learning and other artificial intelligence (AI) systems are changing our world in profound, exponentially rapid, and likely irreversible ways.3 Although AI may be harnessed for great good, it is capable of and is doing great harm at scale to people, communities, societies, and democratic institutions. The dearth of AI governance leaves unchecked AI’s potentially existential risks. Whether sounding urgent alarm or merely jumping on the bandwagon, law scholars, law students, and lawyers at bar are contributing volumes of AI policy and legislative proposals, commentaries, doctrinal theories, and calls to corporate and international organizations for ethical AI leadership. Unfortunately, erroneous, …

Insight Into The Evolution Of Anuran Foot Flag Displays: A Comparative Study Of Color And Kinematics, Nigel K. Anderson, K. V. Gururaja, Lisa A. Mangiamele, Erin C. Netoskie, Sarah Smith, Matthew J. Fuxjager, Doris Preininger

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Understanding how complex animal displays evolve is a major goal of evolutionary organismal biology. Here, we study this topic by comparing convergently evolved gestural displays in two unrelated species of frog (Bornean Rock Frog, Staurois parvus, and Kottigehara Dancing Frog, Micrixalus kottigeharensis). This behavior, known as a foot flag, is produced when a male ?waves' his hindlimb at another male during bouts of competition for access to mates. We assess patterns of variation in the color of frog feet and the kinematics of the display itself to help pinpoint similarities and differences of the visual signal elements. We find clear …

Large-Scale Genome Sampling Reveals Unique Immunity And Metabolic Adaptations In Bats, Diana D. Moreno Santillán, Tanya M. Lama, Yocelyn T. Gutierrez Guerrero, Alexis M. Brown, Paul Donat, Huabin Zhao, Stephen J. Rossiter, Laurel R. Yohe, Joshua H. Potter, Emma C. Teeling, Sonja C. Vernes, Kalina T.J. Davies, Eugene Myers, Graham M. Hughes, Zixia Huang, Federico Hoffmann, Angelique P. Corthals, David A. Ray, Liliana M. Dávalos

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Comprising more than 1,400 species, bats possess adaptations unique among mammals including powered flight, unexpected longevity, and extraordinary immunity. Some of the molecular mechanisms underlying these unique adaptations includes DNA repair, metabolism and immunity. However, analyses have been limited to a few divergent lineages, reducing the scope of inferences on gene family evolution across the Order Chiroptera. We conducted an exhaustive comparative genomic study of 37 bat species, one generated in this study, encompassing a large number of lineages, with a particular emphasis on multi-gene family evolution across immune and metabolic genes. In agreement with previous analyses, we found lineage-specific …