Digital Commons Network^™

All Living Organisms Are Sentient, Arthur S. Reber, Frantisek Baluska, William B. Miller Jr.

Animal Sentience

We argue that all living organisms, from the simplest unicellular prokaryotes to Homo sapiens, have valenced experiences—feelings as states of preference—and are capable of cognitive representations. Bacteria can learn, form stable memories, and communicate, hence solve problems. Rowan et al.'s statement that "Subjective feelings are just that — subjective — and are available only to the animal (or human) experiencing them" is true but irrelevant. When we see a fish flopping about in the bottom of a boat we immediately recognize suffering without having a glimpse of the nature of piscine distress. Some controlled anthropomorphism can go a …

Animals May Be More Reliably Emotional Than Humans, Gerben A. Van Kleef

Animal Sentience

Despite considerable advances in the study of animal sentience, reluctance to credit non-human animals with emotional capacities persists. I argue that this reluctance is untenable in light of (evolutionary) theory and empirical evidence. Humans may differ from animals in their ability to reflect on, reason about, and deliberately regulate their emotions. If anything, however, this implies animals’ emotional displays provide a more valid and reliable window into their internal states than do humans’, whose displays may be strategically altered. Any signs of pleasure or distress thus constitute direct readouts of animal wellbeing. It is time we start treating animals accordingly.

Media Framing Of Marriage Practices In Afghanistan, Hakima Afzaly

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Culturally, in Afghanistan, marriage is given much importance and seen as something that completes life. Through this study, I analyze how marriage practices, such as dowry (Mahr), bride price, and the “virginity ritual,” are described in newspapers and magazines of Afghanistan. In particular, I explore how the popular press, such as 8 Sobh and Khama Press in Afghanistan frame their discussion of marriage practices. The findings from this analysis reveal that newspapers and magazines of Afghanistan frame marriage as an economic issue and a major focus of the articles is on the financial pressure on poor families due to the …

When Cpr Is Needed, Robert E. Zdor

Faculty Publications

Column: Practical Pointers

Taking The Teaching Perspective, Janine Lim

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Band Gap Information Extraction From Materials Science Literature – A Pilot Study, Satanu Ghosh, Kun Lu

Faculty Publications

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a preliminary work on extracting band gap information of materials from academic papers. With increasing demand for renewable energy, band gap information will help material scientists design and implement novel photovoltaic (PV) cells.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected 1.44 million titles and abstracts of scholarly articles related to materials science, and then filtered the collection to 11,939 articles that potentially contain relevant information about materials and their band gap values. ChemDataExtractor was extended to extract information about PV materials and their band gap information. Evaluation was performed on randomly sampled information records …

Work Location Policy

Human Resources Policies

University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy in St. Louis (UHSP) recognizes the value of work location flexibility and utilizes this approach, when deemed appropriate, as part of its workforce staffing and planning strategies. Existing UHSP staff remote work policies and faculty remote work guidelines address data security, communications, management and approval processes for remote workforce management, but do not address how UHSP determines and approves these new business locations. This policy addresses work location factors, including business registration, tax matters, worker’s compensation, and other employment factors used in the decision-making process regarding approval for new work locations in municipalities, states …

With All Your Heart For A Lifetime, Jasmine Fraser

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Eight Tips For Teaching Through Tough Times, Glynis M. Bradfield

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Annual Report Of The Registrar 2021/2022, University Of Northern Iowa

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Contents:

--Definitions
--Some Comparisons
--Annual Report Data
--Summary of Attendance
--Attendance by Session
--Degrees Granted 2021/22
--Degree Summary 2021/22
--Program Certificates 2021/22
--Miscellaneous Enrollment Information
--Degrees Granted by College, Degree and Racial/Ethnic Classification

2021-2022 Graduating Senior Report, University Of Northern Iowa. Office Of Institutional Research And Effectiveness.

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Contents:

Survey Highlights --- 3
Survey Methodology --- 4
Respondent Demographics --- 5
Post-Graduation Plans --- 8
Educational Experiences and Skills --- 12
College of Business --- 15
College of Education --- 17
College of Humanities, Arts & Sciences --- 19
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences --- 21
Interdisciplinary --- 23
Academic and Social Environment --- 25
College of Business --- 27
College of Education --- 29
College of Humanities, Arts & Sciences --- 31
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences --- 33
Interdisciplinary --- 35
Other Activities --- 37
Comparison Across the Years --- 38
IE&P Office Contact …

Crowdfunding Non-Fungible Tokens On The Blockchain, Sean Basu, Kimaya Basu, Thomas H. Austin

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have been used as a way of rewarding content creators. Artists publish their works on the blockchain as NFTs, which they can then sell. The buyer of an NFT then holds ownership of a unique digital asset, which can be resold in much the same way that real-world art collectors might trade paintings. However, while a deal of effort has been spent on selling works of art on the blockchain, very little attention has been paid to using the blockchain as a means of fundraising to help finance the artist’s work in the first place. Additionally, while …

Characterizing The Feedback That Learning Assistants Give To Faculty, Sadhana Indukuri, Gina M. Quan

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Learning assistants are undergraduate peer educators that help facilitate learning in a university classroom environment. Jardine (2019) found that learning assistant feedback to faculty roughly fell into three categories: course logistics, student behavior, and student understanding. We built from this previous work by further characterizing the feedback given to faculty by learning assistants and found the following categories: student experience, classroom content, classroom structure, accessibility, empathy, and broad feedback. Using interview data with learning assistants and faculty working with learning assistants, we created a preliminary framework for the types of feedback and examples by learning assistants. This framework may be …

The 2022 Utah College Sexual Behavior Survey: Qualitative Report, Monti Douglas, Cris Meier, Julie Gast, Melissa Ferguson

All Current Publications

Purpose: The purpose of the 2022 Utah College Sexual Behavior Survey project was to use retrospective sexual behavior and education measures to gain a better understanding of the sexual behaviors and perceptions of sex education of Utah youth by asking students aged 18-21 years old about their sexual behaviors as youth. This supplement provides additional qualitative research that aids in understanding our quantitative findings.

Measures: The qualitative survey questions represented three topical areas. These areas included questions about consent, sex education satisfaction, and student’s parental preference when discussing topics about sex and health.

Method: A one-time survey …

The Impact Of A Gencyber Camp On In-Service Teachers’ Tpack, Kevin M. Thomas, Jessica Ivy, Kristin Cook, Robert R. Kelley

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a GenCyber camp curriculum on teachers’ technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge (TPACK). The camp was designed to engage participants in developing the knowledge and skills to incorporate GenCyber Cybersecurity First Principles and GenCyber Cybersecurity Concepts (GenCyber, 2019) into their curriculums. Participants (37 middle and high school teachers from a variety of disciplines) attended one of two weeklong camps held at a Midwestern liberal arts university. Using the TPACK Self-Reflection and TPACK Self-Assessment Surveys, pre- and post-camp data were collected from participants. Findings indicate that participants demonstrated an increase in …

Bouncing The Ball – A Novel Communication Framework For Pediatric Inpatient Rounding, Richard J. Mazzaccaro Md, Kristen M. Prendergast Md, Claudia F. Busse Md

Department of Pediatrics

No abstract provided.

Ransombuster Iot: A Intrusion Detection And Dataset Creation Tool For Ransomware Attacks Within Iot Networks, Jackson M. Walker

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

The proposed research follows the design-science guidelines(Hevner, 2004). This paper uses these design-science methods for developing the guidelines for the implementation of the proposed architecture, understanding previous research contributions, and evaluating of research. This paper proposes a network artifact for studying ransomware IoT intrusion detection techniques and offers a proposed network architecture to serve as a framework for creating a publicly available dataset for IoT research on ransomware.

Deepfakes: Ai Technology Of The Future, Hosanna Root

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

Deepfakes technology’s danger stems from its ability to create realistic but fake synthesized media that people often identify as something that is real. With this powerful technology in the wrong hands, deepfakes can cause devastating havoc through information warfare, election campaign disruptions, and more, creating distrust in society. Disinformation is already rampant today, even without wide deployments of deepfakes, which is concerning given the fact that deepfakes’ nefarious full potentials are yet to be reached.

Cyber Threat On The High Seas. A Growing Threat To Infrastructure, James Cummins

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

In a growing digital and cloud-connected world, all aspects of our lives are becoming interconnected. All these interconnections breed a possibility for ever-increasing cybersecurity threats. The oceans are not impervious to these attacks. In this research paper, we address the following questions.

What threats do commercial ships face today?

What actions are necessary to mitigate these threats?

Security Issues With Network Connected Scada Systems, Chad Holm

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

The use of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems has become common place and are being used in several different industries. These have evolved as the technology has progressed. The use of Internet of Things (IOT) devices makes for less human intervention to run daily operations in these industries. This can also allow hackers to gain access to these devices due to security holes that are overlooked. There have several different ways that have been exploited on SCADA networks and the goal is to recognize and secure them so hackers cannot gain access to them.

Writing Towards Radicalism: On Biased Reporting & Its Effects On U.S. Extremism, Martha Tyler

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

Perceived influxes in biased reporting, disparities in reporting versus reality, and other factors have led many Americans to question the legitimacy of their most-frequented sources. These sentiments have encouraged migration from traditional sources to alternative ones, exposing many Americans to polarizing media. This report argues that unaddressed inadequacies in reporting force Americans to contend with a distorted reality or try their luck on the path toward alternative media.

Book Review: Communicating With Our Families: Technology As Continuity, Interruption, And Transformation, Joy L. Daggs

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Data Transfers After Schrems Ii: The Eu-Us Disagreements Over Data Privacy And National Security, Monika Zalnieriute

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

In the long-awaited Schrems II decision, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) took a radical, although not an unexpected, step in invalidating the Privacy Shield Agreement, which facilitated data transfers between the European Union and the United States. Schrems II illuminates long-lasting international disagreements between the EU and the United States over data protection, national security, and the fundamental differences between the public and private approaches to the protection of human rights in the data-driven economy and modern state. This Article approaches the decision via an interdisciplinary lens of international law and international relations and situates it …

Artificial Waterways In International Water Law: An American Perspective, Tamar Meshel

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Freshwater is a fleeting natural resource that can never be fully harnessed or appropriated by humans. Nonetheless, under both domestic and international law, freshwater is a regulated resource and legal principles have developed to govern its allocation and use. But what of freshwater that, rather than flowing naturally, has been made to so flow by human intervention? Should artificial waterways be subject to the same legal principles that govern the ownership and use of waterways that are naturally occurring?

This Article takes a first step toward clarifying when and how international water law principles applicable to natural transboundary waterways should …

Johnston Family Papers - Accession 1217, American Civil War, Thomas Jefferson Johnston, Robert James Johnston, Johnston Family, Huber Family, Nesbit Family, Stassen Family

Manuscript Collection

The Johnston Family Papers is a collection primarily focused on genealogical materials. Much of the content was gathered by Andrew D. Johnston, with significant contributions from family members. The collection includes genealogical research conducted by both Andrew D. Johnston and Patricia Andrews Johnston Treadwell. This research comprises Family Tree Maker files, pedigree charts, descendant reports, ahnentafel reports, family unit charts, grave records, family narratives, published genealogical resources, marriage announcements, and obituaries. Prominent family names in the collection include Johnston, Huber, Nesbit, Stassen, Wiedderecht, Glass, Briegel, and Boese.

In addition to the genealogical materials, the collection contains the personal papers of …

A Three-Story Approach To Teaching Scripture, Scott R. Ward

Faculty Publications

As we interact with youmg people, we must remember that as Christian educators, our primary goal is to help them find their place in the story of God. We must show them where they appear and how choosing Jesus can change their lives. Then we must show them where they fit into the community of believers and provide opportunities for them to “live” their stories in mission and outreach opportunities in the world around them. We must play our part by being ready daily to share how our devotional times with Jesus each day are impacting our lives and decisions …

Verification Of Risc-V Processor Beyond Rv32i Isa, Yamini Santosh Awasthi, Aishwarya Mahesh, Lili He

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The RISC-V processor's open-source architecture provides designers with flexibility in implementing the architecture for a variety of applications. The same advantage, however, makes the verification process difficult because all variations must be verified. The proposed project will create a verification environment for the extended RISC V architecture. RISC-V supports both the "M" standard extension for integer multiplication and division and the "Zicsr" standard extension for control and status register instructions. The above-mentioned ISA classes will be tested using the RV32I ISA-based DUT with a UVM environment around the DUT to verify the M and Zicsr functionalities. The M and Zicsr …

Teacher Hiring And Selection Processes In Iowa Schools, Michael C. Fisher

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Relatively little is known regarding how Iowa public school principals conduct hiring and selection of their teachers. While there is national research that has a focus on these areas, this research is generally conducted in large urban settings outside of the context of smaller rural schools. It is widely accepted and empirically backed that classroom teachers have the biggest impact on student achievement (Boyd et al., 2007; Cranston, 2012; DeStefano, 2002; Gordon et al., 2006; Ingebrand, 2012). Yet there is a gap in the research identifying why and how Iowa public school principals hire and select while assessing this most …

Using Internet Reciprocal Teaching To Develop Second Graders' Online Text Evaluation Skills, Annika Buell

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study was designed to explore the relationship between Internet Reciprocal Teaching (IRT) and young students’ online text evaluation skills. It built upon previous research that identified four main online reading comprehension skills: locating, evaluating, synthesizing, and communicating information that are similar yet more complex than offline reading comprehension skills. In the majority of previous research, participants were in fifth grade or above. This study aimed to observe the processes younger students go through while reading online text. Participants were second grade students in a Midwestern suburban elementary school.

Qualitative methods were used to collect data while students participated in …

Master's Recital: Kyle Punt, Kyle Punt

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this recital is to partially fulfill the requirements for the Master of Music degree in Jazz Pedagogy, and to display musical proficiency on piano, bass guitar, and drum set. Kyle Punt scheduled his graduate recital for March 22, 2022 at 7:30 PM.