Digital Commons Network^™

2022-2023 Faculty Senate Xxvii - December 12, 2022 Minutes Summary, Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Agendas & Minutes

No abstract provided.

Agentive Intertextual Insertions: (Re)Presentation Of Albinism In Nwelezelanga: The Star Child’S Subtext, Spemba E. Spemba

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The relationship between African traditional healers (sangomas) and persons with albinism is contradictory. Sangomas are rumoured to fuel the narrative that body parts of persons with albinism have magical powers, and so can be harnessed and used by quick wealth-seekers. That narrative has claimed lives and agency of many albinos. There is, however, an emerging trend for sangomas to revert this narrative through media. A good example is Unathi Magubeni, a South African practicing sangoma, who has authored the novel: Nwelezelanga: The Star Child (2016), on the topic. Borrowing from critical ideas on intertextuality, disability studies and agency, this study …

The Utah Statesman, December 12, 2022, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Censorship In Schools: Reading's Position In The Landscape Of Policy Creation, Rachel Beckham

Honors Theses

Censorship is not new to current issues. It has affected authors and speakers for centuries, but it is especially prevalent today, especially in schools. Teachers and librarians are often challenged for the materials they choose to provide to students. Concerned parents object to the materials for containing sexual content, profanity, or LGBTQ+ characters or themes. This study aims to answer the question, “What role, if any, do books containing controversial topics serve in the literature classrooms of today’s students?” To answer this question, the author of this study conducted a literary analysis on the top three most banned books of …

Developing And Utilizing Novel Biofluid N-Glycan Profiling Methods For The Classification Of Suspicious Mammogram Findings, Calvin Blaschke

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Biofluids are a great source of biomarkers because they reflect the immune and metabolic status of cells throughout the body and can be collected non-invasively. Changes in the levels and compositions of N-glycans released from serum and plasma glycoproteins have been assessed in many diseases across many large clinical sample cohorts. Assays used for N-glycan profiling in these fluids currently require multiple lengthy processing steps, thus diminishing their potential for use as standard clinical diagnostic assays. In response to this need for rapid, simple, and high-throughput biofluid analysis, a novel slide-based biofluid profiling platform was developed for the detection of …

Autonomic Responses During Animated Avatar Video Modeling Instruction Of Social Emotional Learning To Students With Adhd: A Mixed Methods Study, Jesse D. Rhodes

Theses and Dissertations

For those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), social interactions involving high levels of face-to-face interaction can raise stress levels and emotional dysregulation. Using animated avatar video models may mitigate potential emotional dysregulation while learning social skills in these populations. This study examined autonomic data of adolescents aged 7-13 diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), n=5 during avatar animated video modeling (AAVM) of social and emotional skills. This was a replication study with the addition of biofeedback data collection and a change of population. Participants were given three Nearpod training modules with AAVM and multiple-choice quizzes on self-awareness, social …

Developing A Quantitative Understanding Of U-Substitution In First-Semester Calculus, Leilani Camille Heaton Fonbuena

Theses and Dissertations

In much of calculus teaching there is an overemphasis on procedures and manipulation of symbols and insufficient emphasis on conceptual understanding of calculus topics. As such students to struggle to understand and use calculus ideas in applied settings. Research shows that learning calculus topics from a quantitative reasoning-perspective results in more powerful and flexible conceptions of calculus topics like integration. However, topics beyond introducing integrals and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, like u-substitution, have yet to be explored from a quantity-based perspective. In this study, I conducted a set of two clinical interviews where we discussed quantitative meanings of integrals, …

Testing Detrital Zircon Age Bias In Tectonic Provenance: Examples From Modern Alluvium In The South Island, New Zealand, Will Sparhawk Fisher

Theses - ALL

Detrital zircon (DZ) grains from 13 drainages across the South Island, New Zealand, were U-Pb dated to ascertain how accurately their ages reflect the geologic record of exposed bedrock. With the proliferation of inexpensive and easily accessible ion microprobes and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometers, DZ dating has become the dominant chronometer for elucidating tectonic systematics. Zircon’s physical and chemical resilience makes it an ideal candidate for U-Pb geochronometry, but is also a potential source of bias. Zircon’s resilience in sedimentary systems means it rarely occurs as first order detritus. N = 966 zircon grains from Modern alluvium …

Design Of Two Stage Bulk-Driven Operational Transconductance Amplifier (Ota) With A High Gain For Low Voltage Application, Pushkar N. Mishra

Theses - ALL

An Operational Transconductance Amplifier (further abbreviated as OTA) is a voltage controlled current source used to produce an output current proportional to the input voltage. A schematic architecture for a 180nm OTA is presented in this thesis with the goal of improving the open-loop gain for a 0.9V supply voltage with a rail-to-rail bulk-driven input stage. Results show an open loop gain 97.14 dB with a power consumption of 3.33uW. An OTA with over 90 dB open loop gain and lower power consumption is highly suitable for low-voltage applications. The slew rate of the OTA is 0.05V/uS with a unity-gain …

Teacher Perceptions Of Grades And Grading In A Pandemic, Michael V. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

A grade serves as the primary means of reporting feedback to teachers, students, and parents about the student's level of learning (Heflebower et al., 2014). Many schools have attempted to have teachers adopt standards-based grading, yet school leaders do not know teachers' perceptions about grades and grading. This quantitative study examines the perceptions of 1271 secondary teachers in one school district regarding grades and grading and how they may have changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collected from a survey reveals how changes in teacher perceptions about grades and grading may yield an opportunity for further standards-based …

Creation Of Preschool Evaluation For Children Experiencing Sensory Processing Disorders, Mary Vestal

Honors Theses

For our thesis project, we partnered with Dr. Michelle Suarez, the co-director of the Resiliency Center at Western Michigan University. When we first met with her, she informed us about the high rates of expulsion for Kalamazoo preschool students with various regulation challenges relating to sensory processing disorders, regulation, autism, and trauma. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, preschool students are expelled at three times the rate of children in K-12 (2022). Additionally, according to the Equal Justice Society, 250 preschool children get suspended or expelled each day nationwide (2021). The article continues to …

A Machine Learning Approach For Identification Of Low-Head Dams, Salvador Augusto Vinay Mollinedo

Theses and Dissertations

Identifying Low-head dams (LHD) and creating an inventory become a priority as fatalities continue to occur at these structures. Because obstruction inventories do not specifically identify LHDs, and they are not assigned a hazard classification, there is not an official inventory of LHD. However, there is a multi-agency taskforce that is creating an inventory of LHD. All efforts have been performed by manually identifying LHD on Google Earth Pro (GE Pro). The purpose of this paper is to assess whether a machine learning approach can accelerate the national inventory. We used a machine learning approach to implement a high-resolution remote …

Interactive White Boards In A Secondary Mathematics Classroom, Leann Bolhuis

Mathematics Graduate Theses

"A Formal Portfolio Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS & COMPUTER SCIENCE In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN MATHEMATICS".

Enhanced Structural Control Of Soft-Templated Mesoporous Inorganic Thin Films By Inert Processing Conditions, Maximilliano Jesus Jara Fornerod, Alberto Alvarez-Fernandez, Eric R. Williams, Miximillian W.A. Skoda, Beatriz Prieto-Simon, Nicolas H. Voelcker, Morgan Stefik, Marc-Oliver Coppens, Stefan Guldin

Faculty Publications

Mesoporous thin films are widely used for applications in need of high surface area and efficient mass and charge transport properties. A well-established fabrication process involves the supramolecular assembly of organic molecules (e.g., block copolymers and surfactants) with inorganic materials obtained by sol-gel chemistry. Typically, subsequent calcination in air removes the organic template and reveals the porous inorganic network. A significant challenge for such coatings is the anisotropic shrinkage due to the volume contraction related to solvent evaporation, inorganic condensation, and template removal, affecting the final porosity as well as pore shape, size, arrangement, and accessibility. Here, we show that …

Challenges And Prospects For The Rock Art Of Mumba Rock-Shelter, Pastory M. Bushozi

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The Mumba rock-shelter and its surrounding landscape are places where evidences for the evolution of human cognitive behaviour and other cultural practices have been uncovered. Deep and stratified archaeological deposits recorded at Mumba have shown unique distinctive technological and behavioural traits with possible connections between Middle Stone Age (MSA), Later Stone Age (LSA), Neolithic, and Iron Age cultures. Archaeological records were found associated with symbolic-revealing objects such as ochre pigments, beads, and stone rubber stained with red ochre, which express the cognitive ability of ancestors who inhabited Mumba rock-shelter and the surrounding landscape from the MSA to the present. Ochre …

Social Behavior And Youth Psychopathology During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study, Alexandra M. Rodman, Maya L. Rosen, Steven W. Kasparek, Makeda Mayes, Liliana Lengua, Andrew N. Meltzoff, Katie A. Mclaughlin

Neuroscience: Faculty Publications

The early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated stay-at-home orders resulted in a stark reduction in daily social interactions for children and adolescents. Given that peer relationships are especially important during this developmental stage, it is crucial to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social behavior and risk for psychopathology in children and adolescents. In a longitudinal sample (N=224) of children (7-10y) and adolescents (13-15y) assessed at three strategic time points (before the pandemic, during the initial stay-at-home order period, and six months later after the initial stay-at-home order period was lifted), we examine whether certain social …

Whalesong 2022-12-01 (V.42 No.5), Mike Flunker, Aj Schultz, Lucas Stewart, Teigan Akagi, Liz Fruechtnict, Carrie Kline, Shaelene Moler, Olive Brend

Whalesong

No abstract provided.

Designing For Best Use Of The Downtown I-345 Corridor In Dallas, Tx: Stakeholder Perspectives, Matthew Thornton

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses - Archive

What is a city? It’s more than a location where many people live and work. It is a conglomeration of shared experience over generations. One generation informs the next, which informs how each subsequent generation adds to the development of their shared home. This is what gives each city its own unique form, character, and identity. But what happens if a city repeatedly outgrows itself, disconnects its communities, and demolishes the physical memory of its own cultural history? Dallas, Texas is one such city confronting these issues and is perceived as one without significant place memory or culture (if not …

Clinical Characteristics And Electrophysiologic Properties Of Scn5a Variants In Fever-Induced Brugada Syndrome, Gan-Xiao Chen, Hector Barajas-Martinez, Giuseppe Ciconte, Cheng-I Wu, Michelle M Monasky, Hao Xia, Bian Li, John A Capra, Kai Guo, Zhong-He Zhang, Xiu Chen, Bo Yang, Hong Jiang, Gary Tse, Chloe Miu Mak, Yoshiyasu Aizawa, Michael H Gollob, Charles Antzelevitch, Arthur A M Wilde, Carlo Pappone, Dan Hu

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Background: Brugada syndrome (BrS) is a severe inherited arrhythmia syndrome that can be unmasked by fever.

Methods: A multicentre clinical analysis was performed in 261 patients diagnosed with fever-induced BrS, including 198 (75.9%) and 27 (10.3%) patients who received next-generation genetic sequencing and epicardial arrhythmogenic substrate (AS) mapping, respectively.

Findings: In fever-induced BrS patients, pathogenic or likely pathogenic (P/LP) SCN5A variant carriers developed fever-induced BrS at a younger age, and more often in females and those of Caucasian descent. They exhibited significant electrophysical abnormalities, including a larger epicardial AS area, and more prolonged abnormal epicardial electrograms. During a median follow-up …

Parental Warmth And Disciplinary Strategies In Two-Parent-Adoptive And Biological Families, Jordan Coburn

Theses and Dissertations

Adopted children enter families with parents who on average are older, have higher income, and have more education than other family structures. Because adopted children are moving into families with more resources, research suggests that they would do just as well as, and perhaps even better than, children in biological two-parent households. However, this is not always the case. Understanding how different variables could offset any negative results of adoption is a puzzle that researchers are continually exploring. Previous research has investigated differences in investments from adoptive and biological parents through multiple theoretical lenses. I seek to add to current …

Structural Reasoning With Rational Expressions, Dana Steinhorst

Theses and Dissertations

Many students struggle to make sense of algebraic expressions in math. This lack of understanding results in students making symbolic manipulation errors, hindering their procedural fluency. Researchers believe these errors are linked to students' lack of structural reasoning. While research has shown that students rarely engage in expert structural reasoning, little is known about how students actually reason structurally. In this study, I interviewed six high school calculus students to study the way they identified, matched, and evaluated structures as they solved problems involving rational expressions and equations. I analyzed the participant interviews and outlined the matching process they used …

Teaching Social-Emotional Learning To Children With Autism Using Animated Avatar Video Modeling, Emelie Davis

Theses and Dissertations

People with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have difficulties understanding or applying skills related to Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). An individual having a better understanding of SEL concepts is generally associated with more fulfilling connections with others and increased satisfaction in life. Since people with ASD tend to have greater success with learning in structured environments, we created a module to teach these skills using Nearpod. These modules were created with videos of a person embodying a cartoon dog face using Animoji for two reasons; because the animation was meant to appeal to children, and the creation was …

Determination Of A Catalytic Mechanism By Time Resolved Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy And Time Domain Analysis Of Data From Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry, Jacob T. Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Heterobimetallic catalysts offer large potential for efficient and selective catalysis of a wide range of reactions. Better understanding of these catalytic mechanisms could yield further improvement in their catalytic abilities. Cp(CO)2Fe-Cu(IPr) (IPr = N,N-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene) is a catalyst that has been reported to catalyze arene borylation. The catalytic mechanism of this catalyst that had been previously proposed had the initial step being a metal-metal cleavage. However, computational modeling suggested an alternate mechanism that could be more energetically favorable. Rather than a metal-metal cleavage as the initial step, we proposed a photoactivated carbonyl dissociation. To support this proposition, we performed time resolved …

Zeros Of A Family Of Complex-Valued Harmonic Rational Functions, Alexander Lee

Theses and Dissertations

The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra is a useful tool in determining the number of zeros of complex-valued polynomials and rational functions. It does not, however, apply to complex-valued harmonic polynomials and rational functions generally. In this thesis, we determine behaviors of the family of complex-valued harmonic functions $f_{c}(z) = z^{n} + \frac{c}{\overline{z}^{k}} - 1$ that defy intuition for analytic polynomials. We first determine the sum of the orders of zeros by using the harmonic analogue of Rouch\'e's Theorem. We then determine useful geometry of the critical curve and its image in order to count winding numbers by applying the harmonic …

Issues In Melanoma Detection: Semisupervised Deep Learning Algorithm Development Via A Combination Of Human And Artificial Intelligence, Xinyuan Zhang, Ziqian Xie, Yang Xiang, Imran Baig, Mena Kozman, Carly Stender, Luca Giancardo, Cui Tao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Automatic skin lesion recognition has shown to be effective in increasing access to reliable dermatology evaluation; however, most existing algorithms rely solely on images. Many diagnostic rules, including the 3-point checklist, are not considered by artificial intelligence algorithms, which comprise human knowledge and reflect the diagnosis process of human experts.

OBJECTIVE: In this paper, we aimed to develop a semisupervised model that can not only integrate the dermoscopic features and scoring rule from the 3-point checklist but also automate the feature-annotation process.

METHODS: We first trained the semisupervised model on a small, annotated data set with disease and dermoscopic …

A New Gtseq Resource To Facilitate Multijurisdictional Research And Management Of Walleye Sander Vitreus, Peter T. Euclide, Wesley A. Larson, Matthew Bootsma, Loren M. Miller, Kim T. Scribner, Wendylee Stott, Chris C. Wilson, Emily K. Latch

Purdue University Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund

Conservation and management professionals often work across jurisdictional boundaries to identify broad ecological patterns. These collaborations help to protect populations whose distributions span political borders. One common limitation to multijurisdictional collaboration is consistency in data recording and reporting. This limitation can impact genetic research, which relies on data about specific markers in an organism's genome. Incomplete overlap of markers between separate studies can prevent direct comparisons of results. Standardized marker panels can reduce the impact of this issue and provide a common starting place for new research. Genotyping-in-thousands (GTSeq) is one approach used to create standardized marker panels for nonmodel …

Regional Airline Pilot Profession Post Colgan 3407, Brett Maas

Honors Theses

Colgan Air Flight 3407 was a devastating aircraft accident that resulted in the loss of 50 lives (Beresnevicius, 2019). Multiple factors played into the accident, such as pilot credentials, pilot experience, weather, and fatigue. As a result of the accident, the regional airline pilot profession was changed entirely. Changes that spurred because of the accident were both regulatory and compensatory in nature. Regulatory changes include the introduction of the Pilot Records Database (online database that stores pilot training histories), increased flight experience requirements to become a First Officer at an air carrier, and the introduction of proactive rest rules with …

Black Holes, Disk Structures, And Cosmological Implications In E-Dimensional Space, Subhash Kak, Menas C. Kafatos

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We examine a modern view of the universe that builds on achieved successes of quantum mechanics, general relativity, and information theory, bringing them together in integrated approach that is founded on the realization that space itself is e-dimensional. The global and local implications of noninteger dimensionality are examined, and how it may have increased from the value of zero to its current value is investigated. We find surprising aspects that tie to structures in the universe, black holes, and the role of observations.

Bob Reich Oral History Interview, Bob Reich, Mathew Lin

Raymond College

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Climate Change On Firm Level Costs With Focus On Mena Region, Farah Osama Saieed

Theses and Dissertations

This paper has a main objective of identifying the relationship between environmental factors and climate change on operating costs incurred by firms. This paper also attempts to compare the direction and intensity of the effect on different sectors in order to analyze whether climate change effect differs based on the nature of the business operations. Several papers have previously addressed the relationship between climate change factors ad profits. This literature will add to previous studies by observing the effect on the cost rather than the profits. In addition to providing results that minimize endogeneity, which is found in a large …