Digital Commons Network^™

Spatiotemporal Variations Of Precipitation And Climate-Resilient Structure Design In Virginia, Xiaomin Yang

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

How to consider effects of climate change on the design and management of hydrology related infrastructure is crucial but remains a challenge for sustaining resilient society. To address this challenge, existing hydrologic design procedures may need to be revised and/or redeveloped to take into account the precipitation non-stationarity resulting from climate change. Using the state of Virginia as a testbed and advanced statistical techniques such as nonparametric test, spatial autocorrelation, linear regression, distribution fitting, and spatial interpolation, this dissertation developed an innovative framework to detect the historical spatiotemporal variations of various precipitation characteristics, namely maximum precipitation intensity, precipitation amount, simple …

The Effects Of Socio-Personal, Job-Related, And School-Related Factors On The Level Of Financial Support By Alumni Of Higher Education Institutions, Bosede Ozavogu Airhia

Dissertations (2016-Present)

This study presents an examination of the relationship and predictability of selected socio-personal, job-related, and school-related factors on the level of financial support by alumni at an historically black college and university (HBCU). In this study, the researcher specifically examined the predictive power of socio-personal, job-related, and school-related factors. These factors consisted of gender, ethnicity, marital status, age, income, occupation, years on the job since graduating, sense of belonging to university, engagement in student activities, and interaction with faculty and staff on the financial support of alumni of an historically black college and university by reviewing data from a modified …

Assigning Assessment Accommodations To English Learners: A Phenomenological Study, Heather May Villalobos Pavia

Dissertations

The English learner (EL) student population has grown steadily for the past 20 years. During this time, the use of standardized assessments has increased as well. Teacher understanding of assessment accommodations that best support ELs is low, despite the research that shows the unreliability of standardized achievement tests that measure the academic achievement of ELs. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to examine how 10 teachers engage in the assessment accommodation selection process. Teachers were intentionally selected from intermediate elementary grades where the most native (primary/home) language accommodations are available on state assessments. Data were collected through surveys, …

A Study In Applications Of Continued Fractions, Karen Lynn Parrish

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This is an expository study of continued fractions collecting ideas from several different sources including textbooks and journal articles. This study focuses on several applications of continued fractions from a variety of levels and fields of mathematics. Studies begin with looking at a number of properties that pertain to continued fractions and then move on to show how applications of continued fractions is relevant to high school level mathematics including approximating irrational numbers and developing new ideas for understanding and solving quadratics equations. Focus then continues to more advanced applications such as those used in the studies of number theory …

Human Resource Information Systems: Implementing Data Analytics Techniques In Human Resource Functions, Prachi Tembhekar

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This project investigated analytical techniques used by organizations across many industries for HR functions, and how data analytical techniques can help HR departments work efficiently. The goal was to look into the obstacles and opportunities that companies have when using HR analytics as a tool in their businesses. This project used secondary data acquired from earlier research articles, journals from the years 2016 to 2019, blogs, and websites to investigate theories and applications of HR analytics. It also examined the need of analytics to assist HR leaders in thinking about the implications of these technologies in future work and how …

Public Relations Of Inclusion: A Critical Reframing Of Autism Inclusion With Professors Of Teacher Candidates, Jessica Block Nerren

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

There is a problem when inclusion is broken in our communities and in our schools while preliminary teachers call out for more preparation for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) inclusion in their credential programs (Bryant, 2018; Busby et al., 2012; Finch et al., 2013; Loiacono & Valenti, 2010; Morgan, 2015; Robertson et al., 2003; Walters, 2012). The purpose of this study is to explore the framing of ASD inclusion by professors of multiple and single subject preliminary teacher candidates. At this stage in the research, the framing of inclusion is defined as a pre-conscious sensemaking of inclusion for individuals with ASD …

Symmetric Representations Of Finite Groups And Related Topics, Connie Corona

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In this thesis, we have presented our discovery of original symmetric presentations of a number of non-abelian simple groups, including several sporatic groups, linear groups, and classical groups.

We have constructed, using our technique of double coset enumeration, J2, M₁₂, J₁, PSU(3, 3):2, M₁₁, A₁₀, S(4,3), M₂₂:2, PSL(3, 4), S₆, 2:S₅, 2:PSL(3, 4) as homomorphic images of the involutory progenitors 2^*32:(2⁵:A₅), 2^*110: PSL(2, 11), 2^*5:A₅, 3^*4:D₈, 2^*110:PSL(2, 11), …

Understanding Mentoring Relationships And Career Advancement In Higher Education, Nelky Rodriguez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The development of administrators, faculty, and staff within higher education presumes an apprenticeship between an experienced individual (supervisor, tenured faculty, or friend within the field) and the employee (Reybold, 2003). Understanding the path to career advancement within higher education can assist in personal career aspirations (Rhoads & Tierney, 1993). However, many institutions do not recognize the need for a mentor as necessary for developing a person’s career. A professional roadmap to advancement within higher education usually consists of policies and procedures and social and cultural norms, yet without guidance, these can be difficult to master on one’s own. Studies have …

Beginning The Information Security Journey For Small And Medium Enterprises Through Business Continuity Planning And Infrastructure Automation, Aaron Chamberlain

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Technology has become an essential component of enterprises, driving productivity, innovation, and defining entire processes and product categories. However, these advances come with additional risk; the devices that drive an enterprise can fail at any time or be attacked by malicious actors. Larger enterprises have learned to deal with these risks, but small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been largely left behind. This project sought to investigate the cybersecurity-related problems SMEs experience and what SMEs can do to solve them. In addition, the project examines the types of information security incidents that occur within SMEs and their financial preparedness for …

Computational Analysis Of The Spin Trapping Properties Of Lipoic Acid And Dihydrolipoic Acid, Matthew Bonfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While the spin trapping properties of thiols have been investigated through EPR analysis and kinetics studies, few groups have studied these properties using strictly computational methods. In particular, α-lipoic acid (ALA) and its reduced form, dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA), one of the strongest endogenously produced antioxidants, show potential for being effective, naturally occurring spin traps for the trapping of reactive oxygen species. This research covers electronic structure calculations of ALA, DHLA, and their corresponding hydroxyl radical spin adducts, performed at the cc-pVDZ/B3LYP/DFT level of theory. The effects on DHLA introduced by other radicals such as ·OOH, ·OCH₃, …

Cloud Based Collaborative Road Surface Monitoring Using Deep Learning And Smartphones, Akshatha Ramesh

All Theses

Road accidents are one of the major causes of death in the United states of America. Vast majority of everyday deaths in US occur by road accidents. And poorly managed roads are one of the main reasons for it. Safety is the ultimate priority. Safety in this aspect can be ensured only with proper management of roads on a regular basis. Proper maintenance of road conditions can not only ensure safety but also increase rider comfort, fuel economy and provide better driving experience. Traditional methods of surveying is very time consuming, expensive, and require lot of human efforts. Existing methods …

Real-Time Battery Energy Storage Scheduling For An Educational Building, Armien Harrell

All Theses

Special electricity rates are offered by some utilities to incentivize certain energy consumption behaviors in an attempt to garner a cost effective demand profile to service. One area of concern for a utility is the maximum demand of a building during the times of day when electricity usage is typically at its peak. Regulated utilities are required to have the capacity to meet the electrical demand of customers, though, the peak demand of customers can oftentimes be relatively brief. Therefore, it is not cost effective for a utility to have generation units online to only cover momentary peak demands. Electricity …

Electronic Evidence Locker: An Ontology For Electronic Evidence, Daniel Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the rapid growth of crime data, overwhelming amounts of electronic evidence need to be stored and shared with the relevant agencies. Without addressing this challenge, the sharing of crime data and electronic evidence will be highly inefficient, and the resource requirements for this task will continue to increase. Relational database solutions face size limitations in storing larger amounts of crime data where each instance has unique attributes with unstructured nature.

In this thesis, the Electronic Evidence Locker (EEL) was proposed and developed to address such problems. The EEL was built using a NoSQL database and a C# website for …

Preparation And Study Of Bacterial Membrane Models, Enoch Asimbisa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fuel molecules are organic solvents that have disruptive effects on the bacterial membrane. This is a significant barrier in biofuel production, as it limits the fuel concentration that can be achieved through fermentation. One potential way of overcoming this barrier is to identify lipid compositions that can better withstand solvent stress, for which it is important to understand how organic solvents disrupt the membrane. Use of biophysical characterization techniques to quantify physical properties like fluidity and thickness will enable us to understand the mechanism by which solvents disrupt membranes. Native membranes are very complex, and we sought to develop in-vitro …

Functional Mixed Data Clustering With Fourier Basis Smoothing, Ishmael Amartey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Clustering is an important analytical technique that has proven to affect human life positively through its application in cancer research, market segmentation, city planning etc. In this time of growing technological systems, mixed data has seen another face of longitudinal, directional and functional attributes which is worth paying attention to and analyzing. Previous research works on clustering relied largely on the inverse weight technique and B-spline in smoothing data and assessing the performance of various clustering algorithms. In 1971, Gower proposed a method of clustering for mixed variable types which has been extended to include functional and directional variables by …

Synthesis Of Phosphatidylethanolamine Lipids For Model Studies Of The Cell Membrane, John Hayford G. Teye-Kau

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Concerns about global warming have resulted in a surge of research into alternatives to fossil fuels. In recent years, biofuels have gained traction due to their low environmental impact. Biofuel production most commonly employs microorganisms to convert biomass to fuel for industrial and transportation applications. Compounds made in biofuel production, however, are toxic to cell membranes and disrupt their integrity, harming the microorganisms and limiting biofuel yield. A key to overcoming this challenge is understanding how fuels interact with microorganisms’ cell membranes, which perform a host of functions, including transport, cell recognition, transduction, and movement. Phospholipids are the cell membrane’s …

Student Collaboration: Early Childhood Teachers' Roles And Perspectives, Kimberly Ballantyne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Early childhood environments can offer valuable opportunities for student collaboration. Social interactions allow students to practice listening to each other and learn how to work together. This study focused on the roles and perspectives of early childhood educators related to student collaboration in the classroom. Six educators from one elementary school in New Hampshire participated in two focus group discussions, the first of which included a presentation on student collaboration with first graders. Participants also completed four concept maps highlighting their perspectives about student collaboration and one written reflection comparing their perspectives before and after engaging in the focus group …

Synthesis Of Phytosulfokine Analogs As Probes For Studying Plant Signaling And Molecular Trafficking, Thomas Ntim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Plants are exposed to a wide range of biotic and abiotic stresses that hinder their growth and reduce crop productivity. In their adaptive response, plants use signaling molecules that are trafficked throughout the plant. This research focuses on the chemical synthesis and assessment of analogs of the plant signal phytosulfokine (PSK, a sulfated pentapeptide), its delivery to plants and its observation using a fiber-optic fluorescence microscope. PSK regulates growth, cell expansion, heat tolerance, and tissue longevity. Analogs of PSK were synthesized using solid-phase peptide synthesis. Pure PSK and TAMRA-labeled PSK were delivered into the wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0 and a …

Facile Nitrogen-Doping Of Screen-Printed Carbon Electrodes For Detection Of Hydrogen Peroxide, Emmanuel Nkyaagye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs) have garnered much attention as sensors due to their simplicity and relatively low cost. However, to impart necessary selectivity and sensitivity for specific applications, modification of the SPCE surface, which can involve time-consuming procedures or costly equipment/materials, is typically required. Here, a simple nitrogen-doping process based on NH₄OH was used to modify SPCEs prepared from commercially available ink for electrochemical detection of H₂O₂, a common target for biosensing strategies and indicator of cell stress. XPS studies showed that NH₄OH treatment of SPCEs led to a nearly 5-fold increase …

The Relationship Of L2 Proficiency And L1 Reading Academic Performance Prior To Formal L1 Literacy Instruction In Foreign Language Immersion Settings, Andrew David Mckay Jr

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the statistical nature of the linguistic interdependence hypothesis (Cummins, 1976, 2017) in the spring of 2nd grade of students in foreign language immersion programs. Specifically, the interdependent relationship between L2 language proficiency levels and L1 reading academic performance in an environment where L1 is the majority language and L2 is the target language for instruction with students who have yet to receive formal reading instruction in the L1. The Continua Model of Biliteracy was used to frame the existing research on language acquisition. An experimental ex post facto design using archival data …

Algorithmic Trading And Market Quality: International Evidence, Ekkehart Boehmer, Kingsley Fong, Juan (Julie) Wu

Department of Finance: Faculty Publications

We study the effect of algorithmic trading (AT) on market quality between 2001 and 2011 in 42 equity markets around the world. We use exchange co-location service that increases AT as an exogenous instrument to draw causal inferences of AT on market quality. On average, AT improves liquidity and informational efficiency but increases short-term volatility. Importantly, AT also lowers execution shortfalls for buy-side institutional investors. Our results are surprisingly consistent across markets and thus across a wide range of AT environments. We further document that the beneficial effect of AT is stronger in large stocks than in small stocks.

Reintegrating Biology Through The Nexus Of Energy, Information, And Matter, Kim L. Hoke, Sara L. Zimmer, Adam B. Roddy, Mary Jo Ondrechen, Craig E. Williamson, Nicole R. Buan

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Information, energy, and matter are fundamental properties of all levels of biological organization, and life emerges from the continuous flux of matter, energy, and information. This perspective piece defines and explains each of the three pillars of this nexus. We propose that a quantitative characterization of the complex interconversions between matter, energy, and information that compose this nexus will help us derive biological insights that connect phenomena across different levels of biological organization. We articulate examples from multiple biological scales that highlight how this nexus approach leads to a more complete understanding of the biological system. Metrics of energy, information, …

Preferential Flow In Riparian Buffers: Current Research And Future Needs., Derek M. Heeren, Lucie Guertault, Kyle Mankin

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Preferential flow in riparian buffers can substantially compromise their effectiveness in reducing contaminants from overland runoff. The objective of this article is to introduce a collection of five articles on current research into subsurface preferential flow measurement, visualization, modeling, and impacts on contaminant fate and transport at scales ranging from the subsurface pore scale to the plot scale to the watershed scale. This collection presents selected works from a broader invited session on “Preferential flow and piping in riparian buffers” at the 2020 ASABE Annual International Meeting. Major findings include: new methodologies, such as light transmission and geophysics, to characterize …

Voltage Controlled Néel Vector Rotation In Zero Magnetic Field, Ather Mahmood, Will Echtenkamp, Mike Street, Jun Lei Wang, Shi Cao, Takashi Komesu, Peter Dowben, Pratyush Buragohain, Haidong Lu, Alexei Gruverman, Arun Parthasarathy, Shaloo Rakheja, Christian Binek

Peter Dowben Publications

Multi-functional thin films of boron (B) doped Cr₂O₃ exhibit voltage-controlled and nonvolatile Néel vector reorientation in the absence of an applied magnetic field, H. Toggling of antiferromagnetic states is demonstrated in prototype device structures at CMOS compatible temperatures between 300 and 400 K. The boundary magnetization associated with the Néel vector orientation serves as state variable which is read via magnetoresistive detection in a Pt Hall bar adjacent to the B:Cr₂O₃ film. Switching of the Hall voltage between zero and non-zero values implies Néel vector rotation by 90 degrees. Combined magnetometry, spin resolved inverse …

Landscape Transformations Produce Favorable Roosting Conditions For Turkey Vultures And Black Vultures, Jacob E. Hill, Kenneth F. Kellner, Bryan M. Kluever, Michael L. Avery, John S. Humphrey, Eric A. Tillman, Travis L. Devault, Jerrold L. Belant

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Recent increases in turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) and black vulture (Coragyps atratus) populations in North America have been attributed in part to their success adapting to human-modified landscapes. However, the capacity for such landscapes to generate favorable roosting conditions for these species has not been thoroughly investigated. We assessed the role of anthropogenic and natural landscape elements on roosting habitat selection of 11 black and 7 turkey vultures in coastal South Carolina, USA using a GPS satellite transmitter dataset derived from previous research. Our dataset spanned 2006–2012 and contained data from 7916 nights of roosting. Landscape …

Sex And Nest Type Influence Avian Blood Parasite Prevalence In A High-Elevation Bird Community, Marina D. Rodriguez, Paul F. Doherty, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Kathryn P. Huyvaert

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Background: The prevalence of avian haemosporidian parasites and the factors influencing infection in the Colorado Rocky Mountains are largely unknown. With climate change expected to promote the expansion of vector and avian blood parasite distributions, baseline knowledge and continued monitoring of the prevalence and diversity of these parasites is needed.

Methods: Using an occupancy modeling framework, we conducted a survey of haemosporidian parasite species infecting an avian community in the Colorado Rocky Mountains in order to estimate the prevalence and diversity of blood parasites and to investigate species-level and individual-level characteristics that may influence infection.

Results: We estimated the prevalence …

Potential Use For Serosurveillance Of Feral Swine To Map Risk For Anthrax Exposure, Texas, Usa, Rachel M. Maison, Courtney F. Pierce, Izabela K. Ragan, Vienna R. Brown, Michael J. Bodenchuk, Richard A. Bowen, Angela M. Bosco-Lauth

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Anthrax is a disease of concern in many mammals, including humans. Management primarily consists of prevention through vaccination and tracking clinical-level observations because environmental isolation is laborious and bacterial distribution across large geographic areas diffi cult to confi rm. Feral swine (Sus scrofa) are an invasive species with an extensive range in the southern United States that rarely succumbs to anthrax. We present evidence that feral swine might serve as biosentinels based on comparative seroprevalence in swine from historically defi ned anthrax-endemic and non–anthraxendemic regions of Texas. Overall seropositivity was 43.7% (n = 478), and logistic regression revealed county endemicity …

Practical Studies Of Brand Management Based On The Factor Of Consumer Values, Ke Chen,

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

2021 will be the final year of the centenary goal of “building a moderately prosperous society in all respects”. Looking back over the past century, China has not only witnessed an increase in national income, but also ushered in abundant changes in social culture and people's spiritual world, and completed the transformation from a traditional single homogeneous cultural society to a flexible and diverse heterogeneous cultural society. In this process, brands become the product of values change and multicultural shock, and consumers shop not only to meet the needs of material functions, but also to express their personal values. To …

Research On The Impact Of Social Responsibility Of Chinese Real Estate Enterprises On Their Competitiveness, Yajiang Xing

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

The real estate industry has become the pillar industry of China's national economy and should perform more social responsibilities. Then how to guide enterprises to perform relevant social responsibilities, how to make full use of social responsibilities to enhance enterprise competitiveness, and how to measure the aspects in which corporate social responsibility promotes the development of competitiveness have aroused the discussion and research of the government and relevant academic circles.Therefore, this paper first puts forward a series of assumptions from the perspective of stakeholders.Secondly, establish the evaluation index system of social responsibility and social competitiveness of real estate enterprises through …

Using Sedimentary Mercury Geochemistry To Evaluate The Niagara-Salina Transition, Silurian Michigan Basin, Usa, Sara Hayes

Masters Theses

The Niagara-Salina boundary in the Michigan Basin is marked by an abrupt transition from carbonates to evaporites. Though the cause is uncertain, previous work suggests the onset of Salina evaporites was driven by basin restriction, but the presence of several global carbon isotope excursions (CIE) suggest a global driver. This study builds on this discussion using two relatively new geochemical proxies - elemental mercury concentrations [Hg] and Hg isotopes.

Mercury concentrations [Hg] were measured in 88 samples from the State Kalkaska #2-15 core from 6604.03 ft to 6797.42 ft. [Hg] ranges from 0.11 to 0.62 mg/kg and [Hg]/TOC from 0.038 …