Digital Commons Network^™

Interannual Variability And Seasonal Dynamics Of Evapotranspiration Of Arundo Donax L. And Populations Of Its Biological Control Agent (Tetramesa Romana), Alexis Racelis, Pradeep Wagle, Jose R. Escamilla Jr., John A. Goolsby, Prasanna Gowda

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Giant reed (Arundo donax L.), a woody grass native to the Mediterranean, has become a cause of concern for national water security in its invaded range of the arid southwestern United States, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The main objective of this study was to provide the first, landscape-level estimates of water use by giant reed. The study utilized the eddy covariance method to quantify evapotranspiration (ET) throughout the 2014 and 2015 growing seasons along the Rio Grande River in Eagle Pass, Texas. We monitored ET concurrently with the implementation of a biological control program targeting giant reed. …

A Bim+Blockchain Approach To Ensure Transparency In The Strategic Housing Development Planning System, Carlo Orani, Malachy Mathews Dr

Conference papers

The introduction of the fast-tracking housing regulations in Ireland has modified the dynamics in which democratic participation is deployed in planning decisions. The resulting planning process has favoured inequality phenomena and has strengthened the position of construction lobbies in large-scale developments. This paper enforces citizen engagement in the Strategic Housing Development (SHD) framework using Building Information Modelling (BIM) and blockchain technologies to build digital trust. Digital tools have enormous potential to deliver more transparent planning by establishing proven accountability for building permissions and promoting trusted interactions between citizens and local administrations. This study first describes all the reasoning underpinning the …

Energy-Efficient Dynamic Directional Modulation With Electrically Small Antennas, Adam Narbudowicz, Abel Zandamela, Nicola Marchetti, Max Ammann

Articles

This letter proposes a compact and energy-efficient directional modulation scheme for small and power constrained devices (e.g., Internet of Things wireless sensors). The scheme uses a uniform circular array of monopole antennas, with a single radiofrequency chain and antenna active at a time. The antennas can be located in close proximity, offering significant size reduction. Furthermore, the schemewas demonstrated to operate successfully with an array of 0.6 λ diameter. The system does not generate additional artificial noise, limiting interference to other systems. Finally, the antenna switching sequence can be randomly generated and without fine-tuned synchronization with the transmitter.

Measurement Of Orientation And Distance Change Using Circularly Polarized Uwb Signals, Janusz Przewocki, Max Ammann, Adam Narbudowicz

Articles

The article proposes methodology to use circularly polarized (CP) ultra-wideband (UWB) signals for simultaneous measurement of orientation and distance changes between transmitter and receiver. The proposed technique uses the rotational Doppler effect on CP pulsed communication. The amplitude of a CP signal is immune to polarization misalignment in the presence of rotation; however, the phase is subjected to a frequency-invariant shift proportional to the rotation angle. This significantly distorts the pulse shape in the time domain and can be used for the measurement of the rotated angle. By combining the technique with the well-known localization capability of UWB systems, one …

Boundary Resource Interactions In Solution Networks, Ruiqi Wei, Roisin Vize, Susi Geiger

Articles

Purpose – This study aims to explore the interactions between two different and potentially complementary boundary resources in coordinating solution networks in a digital platform context: boundary spanners (those individuals who span interorganizational boundaries) and boundary interfaces (the devices that help coordinate interfirm relationships, e.g. electronic data interchanges, algorithms or chatbots).

Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted a multiple case study of three firms using digital platforms to coordinate solution networks in the information communication technology and lighting facility industries. Data were collected from 30 semi-structured interviews, which are complemented by secondary data.

Findings – As task complexity increases, smarter digital …

Extensive Thiol Profiling For Assessment Of Intracellular Redox Status In Cultured Cells By Hplc-Ms/Ms, Jiandong Wu, Anna Chernatynskaya, Annalise Pfaff, Huari Kou, Nan Cen, Nuran Ercal, Honglan Shi

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Oxidative stress may contribute to the pathology of many diseases, and endogenous thiols, especially glutathione (GSH) and its metabolites, play essential roles in the maintenance of normal redox status. Understanding how these metabolites change in response to oxidative insult can provide key insights into potential methods of prevention and treatment. Most existing methodologies focus only on the GSH/GSH disulfide (GSSG) redox couple, but GSH regulation is highly complex and depends on several pathways with multiple redox-active sulfur-containing species. In order to more fully characterize thiol redox status in response to oxidative insult, a high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry …

Bcmnet: Cross-Layer Extraction Structure And Multiscale Downsampling Network With Bidirectional Transpose Fpn For Fast Detection Of Wildfire Smoke, Jiayong Li, Guoxiong Zhou, Aibin Chen, Chao Lu, Liujun Li

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

At present, the wildfire smoke detection algorithm based on YOLOv3 has problems, such as low accuracy and slow detection speed. In this article, we propose a cross-layer extraction structure and multiscale downsampling network with bidirectional transpose FPN (BCMNet) for fast detection of wildfire smoke. First, a cross-layer extraction module, which combines linear feature multiplexing and receptive field amplification, is designed. It can improve the speed and accuracy of wildfire smoke detection. Second, a multiscale downsampling module with different convolution kernels and maximum pooling operation is designed to preserve the details of the image while downsampling. Then, a bidirectional transposed FPN …

Extraction Of Stripline Surface Roughness Using Cross-Section Information And S-Parameter Measurements, Zeyi Sun, Jian Liu, Xiaoyan Xiong, Victor Khilkevich, Donghyun Kim, Darvl Beetner

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

To characterize additional conductor loss introduced by conductor surface roughness, various models have been proposed to describe the relationship between foil roughness levels and surface roughness correction factor. However, all these empirical or physical models require a PCB sample to be manufactured and analyzed in advance. The procedure requires dissecting the PCB and is time- and labor-consuming. To avoid such a process, a new surface roughness extraction process is proposed here. Only the measured S-parameter and nominal cross-sectional information of the board are needed to extract the roughness level of conductor foils. Besides, this method can also deal with boards …

Disaggregating Slavery And The Slave Trade, Jocelyn Getgen Kestenbaum

FIU Law Review

International law prohibits slavery and the slave trade as peremptory norms, customary international law prohibitions and crimes, humanitarian law prohibitions, and non-derogable human rights. Human rights bodies, however, focus on human trafficking, even when slavery and the slave trade—and not human trafficking—are enumerated within their mandates. International human rights law has conflated human trafficking with slavery and the slave trade. Consequently, human trafficking has subsumed the slave trade and, at times, slavery prohibitions, increasing perpetrator impunity for slavery and the slave trade abuses and denying full expressive justice to survivors. This Article disaggregates slavery from the slave trade and slavery …

Crisis, Rupture And Structural Change: Re-Imagining Global Learning And Engagement While Staying In Place During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Shruti Rana, Hamid R. Ekbia

FIU Law Review

The COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented closures of national borders and the withdrawal of much of the social and cultural activities of society into the walls of the home. For us, educators focused on global engagement and analyzing international law and society, the abrupt retreat into the shelter of domestic walls disrupted the very subjects we were studying—inside and outside the classroom. In the pandemic’s first wave, most study abroad and international experiential programs were cancelled indefinitely, and the programs that continued had to operate in an environment of social distancing and uncertainty. We were forced to scramble to accommodate …

(In)Dependent Contractors: Combatting Employee Misclassification In Title 26, Kyle T. Macdonald

FIU Law Review

This comment addresses the use of 26 U.S.C. § 7434 as an alternative remedy for individuals who are misclassified by their employers as independent contractors for federal tax purposes. Historically, misclassified employees have used more well-known employment laws such as the Fair Labor Standards Act to sue employers who engage in employee misclassification. 26 U.S.C. § 7434 provides an underutilized, alternative means for misclassified employees to recover damages for wrongful misclassification. Originally enacted in 1996 as part of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, 26 U.S.C. § 7434 is a tax fraud statute that allows a taxpayer to seek civil damages …

Section 230 Is Not Broken: Why Most Proposed Section 230 Reforms Will Do More Harm Than Good, And How The Ninth Circuit Got It Right, Christian Sarceño Robles

FIU Law Review

In 1996, Congress enacted 47 U.S.C. § 230 (“Section 230”) as part of the Communications Decency Act (“CDA”), essentially protecting online services from any liability for content produced by third parties. With the hope to encourage internet service providers (“ISPs”) to moderate the content on their platforms so that minors would be less often exposed to indecent material online, the CDA authorized ISPs and users of interactive computer services to restrict access to inappropriate materials without risking liability from being classified as publishers. Section 230 quickly grew to become so central to US internet law that it has been cited …

Systematic Approach To Recruiting And Retention Of Instrumental Students In Division One University Marching Band, Michael G. Yopp

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examines recruitment and retention in Division One (D1) university marching bands, while understanding high school and university directors’ perspectives and impact on student choice. This project surveyed university band directors, seeking commonalities for recruiting and retention of instrumental students. Based on the results, universities will have better strategies on what, how, and why recruitment and retention issues should be addressed. Student enrollment is important to the well-being, development, and continuity of marching band programs. They may result in better recruitment and retention for other university ensembles, applied studios, the music department, and the university enrollment overall. This study …

Case Study Of Lived Experiences: Three Male Peer Recovery Coaches At A Community-Based, Spiritual, Residential Substance Abuse Recovery Program, Vicki Lynn Moak

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Substance use disorder is one of the most universal clinical and public health concerns in the United States. A shift in the behavioral health field from short-term cures to long-term recovery found peer-based recovery services to be a notable asset. The peer recovery coach (PRC), experientially equipped through personal substance use disorder history and recovery, is the fastest growing role in peer services. Very limited research exists into the lived experience of PRCs and the impact of the PRC role on personal recovery. This investigation aimed to fill gaps in the literature related to PRCs’ lived experience and personal recovery. …

Using Heidisongs Music As An Instructional Tool In The Elementary School Classroom: A Case Study, Leia Denise Jobe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study is to understand how teachers use HeidiSongs music as an instructional tool in the elementary school classroom. HeidiSongs uses multisensory structured language education to teach by engaging multiple senses simultaneously to increase retention. The theories guiding this study include Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, which involves kinesthetic intelligences among other types of intelligences, and Krashen’s theory of second language acquisition. HeidiSongs uses both musical and kinesthetic activities to enhance literacy. The central research question focused on how teachers use HeidiSongs music as an instructional tool in the elementary school classroom. The sub-questions …

Christian Devotional Meditation And Holistic Well Being, Raymond D. Paxton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Holistic well-being is a concept that implies humans are multidimensional and require a broad approach to help them achieve life contentment and satisfaction. Spirituality, relationships, emotional functioning, and biology all play a part in achieving this life balance and satisfaction. Interpersonal neurobiology suggests that early life experiences can contribute to underdeveloped brain structures resulting in the diminished ability to form meaningful attachment relationships that help foster contentment as an adult. This ability to engage in positive and supportive relationships has impact on life and holistic well-being. Further, the inability to form close relationships, engage, and emotionally connect with others has …

Using The “Teach-Back” Education Method With Type Ii Diabetic Patients And Health Literacy: An Integrative Review, Sonia Romero

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Effective communication provides healthcare providers and patients an opportunity to address issues or concerns. Effective communication is linked to improving patient outcomes. Patients with low health literacy are unable to understand, read, comprehend, or discuss the information provided by their healthcare providers. Poor health literacy directly affects disease management and leads to poor patient outcomes. The increase rate of obesity worldwide has quadrupled, the unhealthy lifestyle is one of the risk factors causing adults to develop Type II Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). T2DM is a condition in where the pancreas does not produce sufficient insulin to absorb the glucose consumed. T2DM …

A Model For Identifying, Developing, And Installing Elders In The Church: The Path Family Church Has Taken, Stephen Harrison

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem is that Family Church does not identify, develop, and install their potential elders well. This intervention research project addressed this problem by establishing prerequisites for elder identification, a seven-week elder training workbook, and guidelines for installation after the research project. Current elders at Family Church completed a questionnaire, participated in case studies, and evaluated their intervention project in a focus group to establish an effective method of identifying, developing, and installing potential elders. This intervention research project produced a list of prerequisites for identifying potential elders, a seven-week elder training manual, and clear guidelines for ordaining elders at …

Leadership Adaptability Within The Higher Education Industry, Rebecca Niemeyer Rens

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Dynamism in the higher education industry (HEI) has created unprecedented complexity and uncertainty for leaders at colleges and universities across the globe. The challenges to competitive advantage and sustainability created by dynamic conditions have been exacerbated and accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and health crisis. HEI leaders are struggling to adapt antiquated and traditionally held methods and practices to navigate the rapid changes and survive the resulting chaos. The ability of leaders to adapt to dynamism in contemporary industry conditions is influenced by the external and internal environments; in term, these leaders’ capacity for change impacts the adaptability of the …

A Prototype Design For A Self-Balancing Tray, Daniel Andre, Samuel Neall, Christopher Martin

Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering & Computing Student Research Symposium (2022)

Self-balancing platforms are used in a variety of industries such as in construction to ensure a level place to pour concrete, in NASA’s design of the Apollo 13 rocket to ensure the Rocketship maintains a certain orientation, and in photography for camera stabilization on drones and handheld devices like the DJI Osmo. The purpose of these kinds of platforms is to ensure stability in an environment that is not typically stable so that tasks, such as construction or working in outer space, can be done easily and safely. The purpose of our Prototype is to create a smaller self-balancing platform …

Genetic And Genomic Architecture In Eight Strains Of The Laboratory Opossum Monodelphis Domestica, Xiao Xiong, Paul B. Samollow, Wenqi Cao, Richard Metz, Chao Zhang, Ana C. Leandro, John L. Vandeberg, Xu Wang

School of Medicine Publications

The gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica) is an established laboratory-bred marsupial model for biomedical research. It is a critical species for comparative genomics research, providing the pivotal phylogenetic outgroup for studies of derived vs ancestral states of genomic/epigenomic characteristics for eutherian mammal lineages. To characterize the current genetic profile of this laboratory marsupial, we examined 79 individuals from eight established laboratory strains. Double digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing and whole-genome resequencing experiments were performed to investigate the genetic architecture in these strains. A total of 66,640 highquality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified. We analyzed SNP density, average heterozygosity, nucleotide …

Problems In Csf And Ophthalmic Disease Research, Ryan Machiele, Benjamin Jay Frankfort, Hanspeter Esriel Killer, David Fleischman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

There has been significant interest and progress in the understanding of cerebrospinal fluid pressure and its relationship to glaucoma and other ophthalmic diseases. However, just as every physiologic fluid pressure fluctuates, cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSFP) is similarly dynamic. Coupling this with the difficulty in measuring the pressure, there are many obstacles in furthering this field of study. This review highlights some of the difficulties in CSFP research, including fluid compartmentalization, estimation equations, and pressure fluctuation. Keeping these limitations in mind will hopefully improve the quality and context of this burgeoning field.

Systematic Profiling Of Dnmt3a Variants Reveals Protein Instability Mediated By The Dcaf8 E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Adaptor, Yung-Hsin Huang, Chun-Wei Chen, Venkatasubramaniam Sundaramurthy, Mikołaj Słabicki, Dapeng Hao, Caroline J Watson, Ayala Tovy, Jaime M Reyes, Olga Dakhova, Brielle R Crovetti, Christina Galonska, Minjung Lee, Lorenzo Brunetti, Yubin Zhou, Katrina Tatton-Brown, Yun Huang, Xiaodong Cheng, Alexander Meissner, Peter J M Valk, Lionel Van Maldergem, Mathijs A Sanders, Jamie R Blundell, Wei Li, Benjamin L Ebert, Margaret A Goodell

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Clonal hematopoiesis is a prevalent age-related condition associated with a greatly increased risk of hematologic disease; mutations in DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) are the most common driver of this state. DNMT3A variants occur across the gene with some particularly associated with malignancy, but the functional relevance and mechanisms of pathogenesis of the majority of mutations are unknown. Here, we systematically investigated the methyltransferase activity and protein stability of 253 disease-associated DNMT3A mutations, and found that 74% were loss-of-function mutations. Half of these variants exhibited reduced protein stability and, as a class, correlated with greater clonal expansion and acute …

The Third International Hackathon For Applying Insights Into Large-Scale Genomic Composition To Use Cases In A Wide Range Of Organisms, Kimberly Walker, Divya Kalra, Rebecca Lowdon, Guangyi Chen, David Molik, Daniela C Soto, Fawaz Dabbaghie, Ahmad Al Khleifat, Medhat Mahmoud, Luis F Paulin, Muhammad Sohail Raza, Susanne P Pfeifer, Daniel Paiva Agustinho, Elbay Aliyev, Pavel Avdeyev, Enrico R Barrozo, Sairam Behera, Kimberley Billingsley, Li Chuin Chong, Deepak Choubey, Wouter De Coster, Yilei Fu, Alejandro R Gener, Timothy Hefferon, David Morgan Henke, Wolfram Höps, Anastasia Illarionova, Michael D Jochum, Maria Jose, Rupesh K Kesharwani, Sree Rohit Raj Kolora, Jędrzej Kubica, Priya Lakra, Damaris Lattimer, Chia-Sin Liew, Bai-Wei Lo, Chunhsuan Lo, Anneri Lötter, Sina Majidian, Suresh Kumar Mendem, Rajarshi Mondal, Hiroko Ohmiya, Nasrin Parvin, Carolina Peralta, Chi-Lam Poon, Ramanandan Prabhakaran, Marie Saitou, Aditi Sammi, Philippe Sanio, Nicolae Sapoval, Najeeb Syed, Todd Treangen, Gaojianyong Wang, Tiancheng Xu, Jianzhi Yang, Shangzhe Zhang, Weiyu Zhou, Fritz J Sedlazeck, Ben Busby

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

In October 2021, 59 scientists from 14 countries and 13 U.S. states collaborated virtually in the Third Annual Baylor College of Medicine & DNANexus Structural Variation hackathon. The goal of the hackathon was to advance research on structural variants (SVs) by prototyping and iterating on open-source software. This led to nine hackathon projects focused on diverse genomics research interests, including various SV discovery and genotyping methods, SV sequence reconstruction, and clinically relevant structural variation, including SARS-CoV-2 variants. Repositories for the projects that participated in the hackathon are available at https://github.com/collaborativebioinformatics.

Initial Experiences Using Plasma Rich In Growth Factors To Treat Keratoneuralgia, Margaret Wang, Sowmya Yennam, Stephen Pflugfelder

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Keratoneuralgia, a clinical diagnosis of sensitized corneal pain without visible ocular surface damage, generally has minimal response to conventional therapies. Causes include refractive surgery and chronic dry eye. We evaluated the efficacy of Plasma Rich in Growth Factors (PRGF), a novel treatment prepared using a commercially available kit, in patients with keratoneuralgia. A retrospective chart review identified patients who had the clinical diagnosis of keratoneuralgia and were treated with PRGF for at least 3 months from October 2015 to April 2020 at a single academic institution. Both objective eye exam findings and concurrent treatments were obtained at baseline, 3 months, …

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.

Mathematics Learning, Teaching, And Equity In Policy And Programs: The Case Of Secondary Mathematics Teacher Education In The United States, Eryn M. Stehr Maher, Hyunyi Jung, Jill Newton

Mathematical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Professional organizations have provided recommendations for mathematics teaching and learning; however, few studies have investigated the practical integration of those recommendations into mathematics teacher education programs. In this study, we examine how the reported “big ideas” of courses in secondary mathematics teacher education programs emphasized the content and teaching practices necessary for future mathematics teachers, as recommended by policy documents. As part of a larger study, we conducted a series of interviews in secondary mathematics teacher education programs at four universities (names are descriptive pseudonyms): Great Lakes University (GLU), Midwestern Research University (MRU), Midwestern Urban University (MUU), and Southeastern Research …

An Introductory Point-Of-Care Ultrasound Curriculum For An Anesthesiology Residency Program, Susan C Lee, Edward C Yang, Jovany Cruz Navarro, Charles G Minard, Xiaofan Huang, Yi Deng

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: The use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a growing trend in the field of anesthesiology. However, formal POCUS curriculums are still not widely implemented in residency programs. As the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the American Board of Anesthesiology have both incorporated POCUS into their educational aims and expectations for graduates, we recognized the need for a formal POCUS curriculum for our residency program. We developed and implemented a comprehensive 3-week POCUS curriculum for our first-year anesthesiology residents (CA1s) in the latter half of their academic year.

METHODS: Twenty CA1s participated in this educational activity. The POCUS …

Use Of Technology And Its Impact On Higher Order Thinking In The Science Classroom, Mauree Angelina Haage

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study focuses on examining the impact of technology on higher order thinking in the science classroom by first examining the impact of a teacher’s knowledge of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy on the integration of higher order thinking activities and then by examining what levels of higher order thinking exist when technology was utilized. Previous research has found correlations between the levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy exhibited when using technology, particularly probeware, simulations/virtual labs, and special software like LoggerPro. In addition, previous research has shown a trend of teachers inaccurately categorizing their lessons and activities as having a higher order thinking level …

Psychopathy And Emotion Regulation: The Mediating Role Of Motives And Goals, Morning S. Baker

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between psychopathy and emotion regulation as serially mediated by emotional motives and goals in an all-male sample. Six serial mediation models were proposed, three for each motive-type (i.e., hedonistic, instrumental), and two for each emotion (i.e., anger, fear, joy). Eight-hundred and seventy-eight participants were recruited via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Results indicate that male MTurk workers with greater levels of psychopathy have poorer emotion regulation, emotion goals for experiencing anger and fear, hedonistic and instrumental motives for experiencing anger and fear, emotion goals for not experiencing joy, and hedonistic and …