Digital Commons Network^™

Computational Tools For Modeling And Simulation Of Sooting Turbulent Non-Premixed Flames, Victoria B. Stephens

Theses and Dissertations

Turbulent combustion systems are physically complex processes that involve many interdependent phenomena---including turbulent fluid dynamics, multi-component mass transfer, convective and radiative heat transfer, and multiphase flow---that occur over a wide range of length and time scales. Modeling and simulation studies complement experimental work by implementing and validating models and providing predictive capabilities, but current software tools are often limited by a lack of standardization and best practices, non-robust implementation, or over-specialization. Some topics in combustion CFD research, notably radiative heat transfer and soot modeling, are critically underrepresented in simulation studies as a result of software limitations. This project establishes and …

Incorporating Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Principles Into Our Metadata, Nicole Lewis, Allie Mccormack, Rachel Jane Wittmann

Faculty Publications

This presentation was given as part of the Best of Core Forum Webinar Series.

In early 2021, a group of librarians at two university libraries embarked on a journey to review and update harmful subject headings and other metadata in their catalog, digital library, and finding aids. This session will discuss the background of the project and where the librarians currently stand in the process of remediating these records, including their efforts to create student internships to address problematic language in archival finding aids as well as create a community user advisory group. Special attention will be given to creating …

The Effect Of Daily Fluency On Algebraic Procedural Fluency In Students, Osman Mohamoud

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Abstract

Algebra 1 students in the ninth grade struggled to follow procedural steps to answer elementary algebraic problems. An early pre-test found that the majority of pupils lacked the necessary fundamental knowledge to comprehend and investigate algebra's abstract concepts, patterns, and relationships. Fifteen students from one of the researcher's algebra one classes participated in a daily fluency skill-building intervention program to investigate whether daily fluency practice will affect students' procedural fluency skills. They engaged in 50 minutes of daily fluency practice for five weeks. During each 50-minute session, students practiced specific skills to develop procedural fluency competencies, such as solid …

Comparison Of Clinical And Biomechanical Characteristics Between Individuals With Lower Limb Amputation With And Without Lower Back Pain: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Szu-Ping Lee, Shawn Farrokhi, Jenny A. Kent, Jason Ciccotelli, Lung-Chang Chien, Jo Armour Smith

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Lower back pain is a debilitating condition common to individuals with lower limb amputation. It is unclear what risk factors contribute to the development of back pain. This study systematically reviewed and analyzed the available evidence regarding the clinical and biomechanical differences between individuals with amputation, with and without lower back pain.

Methods

A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and CINAHL databases in November 2020 and repeated in June 2021 and June 2022. Studies were included if they reported comparisons of demographic, anthropometric, biomechanical, and other clinical variables between participants with and without LBP. …

Influence Of Emotional Intelligence And Leadership Behavior In The Construction Industry., Zeeshan Akther Mohammed

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explores the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI), work engagement, and project success among mid-level management in the construction industry. Multiple sources, including journals and research papers, were examined to establish the importance of EI and its impact on work engagement. The study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of EI and its influence on the work engagement of mid-level employees. The findings highlight the correlation between EI and work engagement, quantifying the threshold of EI required for optimal contribution to organizational success. The research questions address the relationship between EI and work engagement in the construction industry, as …

Observation Of The Ξ_B^-→Λ_B^0 Π^- Decay And Measurement Of B(Ξ_B^-→Λ_B^0 Π^-), Zhuoming Li

Dissertations - ALL

We present the first observation of the weak decay Ξ−b → Λ0b π−, which is mediated by an s → u ̄ud transitionwithin the Ξ_b^- baryon. The analysis uses a pp collision data sample at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV corresponding to 5.5 fb^(−1) of integrated luminosity. The sample of Λb0 baryons used in this analysis are reconstructed through their decays to Λ+c π− and Λ+c π−π+π−. From a fit to the Ξ−b → Λ0b π− mass spectrum, the Ξ−b → Λ0b π− decay is observed with a significance of 11.3 standard deviations, thus establishing observation of this decay. …

Does Science Need Intersubjectivity? The Problem Of Confirmation In Orthodox Interpretations Of Quantum Mechanics, Emily Adlam

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Any successful interpretation of quantum mechanics must explain how our empirical evidence allows us to come to know about quantum mechanics. In this article, we argue that this vital criterion is not met by the class of ‘orthodox interpretations,’ which includes QBism, neo-Copenhagen interpretations, and some versions of relational quantum mechanics. We demonstrate that intersubjectivity fails in radical ways in these approaches, and we explain why intersubjectivity matters for empirical confirmation. We take a detailed look at the way in which belief-updating might work in the kind of universe postulated by an orthodox interpretation, and argue that observers in such …

Vietglish - A Reluctant Acceptance Of The Close-Minded Literate Society, Ngọc Hải Nguyễn '26

Best First-Year Seminar Writing

The portmanteau Vietglish refers to the combination of specific aspects belonging to both the Vietnamese language and the English language in particular ways, of which this paper will focus on two divisions. The first is a combination of English words in the day-to-day Vietnamese communication, signifying a lack of correct vocabulary. The speaker usually maintains the Vietnamese accents to keep the conversation mainly in Vietnamese, despite the difficulties that they have to deal with finding the lexicon needed. The other is the “incomplete” formation of Vietnamese conversation, mixing in English grammatical structures, making each sentence sound less “natural” to the …

Computational Studies Of Dinuclear Catalytic Reaction Mechanisms, James Curtis Coombs Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Heterodinuclear and homodinuclear metal complexes with a direct metal-metal interaction offer the potential for unique catalysis due to cooperativity effects that impact reaction mechanisms, reactivity, and selectivity. Quantum-chemical density functional theory (DFT) calculations can directly examine the origin of dinuclear reactivity and selectivity effects. Chapter 1 provides a short overview of heterodinuclear and homodinuclear catalysts that have been experimentally and computationally examined. Chapter 2 reports our study using DFT methods to understand the mechanism and reactivity of a heterodinuclear Co-Zr catalyst with phosphinoamide ligands that catalyzes a Kumada coupling between alkyl halides and alkyl Grignards. Chapter 3 reports DFT calculations …

A Comparison Of Methods Of Rating Creative Writing: A Many-Facets Rasch And User Experience Analysis, Alicia Mcintire

Theses and Dissertations

The use of analytic rubrics remains popular in the field of writing assessment. Previous work in second-language writing assessment and other fields like economics suggest that ratings produced using this method may have lower reliability on average than other methods. Currently, there is little research on the reliability of ratings of creative writing, specifically creative writing authored by adults. This study evaluated the reliability of ratings from an analytic rubric against those produced by a comparative method called Randomly Distributed Comparative Judgment and the rater experience of the methods. The author administered a science fiction and fantasy contest in which …

Developing An Accurate Simulation Model For Predicting Friction Stir Welding Processes In 2219 Aluminum Alloy, Kennen Brooks

Theses and Dissertations

Modeling of friction stir welding (FSW) is challenging, as there are large gradients in both strain rate and temperature that must be accounted for in the constitutive law of the material being joined. Constitutive laws are most often calibrated using flow stresses from hot compression or hot torsion testing, where strain rates are much lower than those of the FSW process. As such, the current work employed a recently developed method to measure flow stresses in AA 2219-T67 at the high strain rates typical of FSW. These data were used in the development of a finite element simulation of FSW …

Detection Of Stroke With Retinal Microvascular Density And Self-Supervised Learning Using Oct-A And Fundus Imaging, Samiksha Pachade, Ivan Coronado, Rania Abdelkhaleq, Juntao Yan, Sergio Salazar-Marioni, Amanda Jagolino, Charles Green, Mozhdeh Bahrainian, Roomasa Channa, Sunil A Sheth, Luca Giancardo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Acute cerebral stroke is a leading cause of disability and death, which could be reduced with a prompt diagnosis during patient transportation to the hospital. A portable retina imaging system could enable this by measuring vascular information and blood perfusion in the retina and, due to the homology between retinal and cerebral vessels, infer if a cerebral stroke is underway. However, the feasibility of this strategy, the imaging features, and retina imaging modalities to do this are not clear. In this work, we show initial evidence of the feasibility of this approach by training machine learning models using feature engineering …

Foreign Language Learners’ Beliefs And Use Of Language Learning Strategies Foreign Language Learners’ Beliefs And Use Of Language Learning Strategies, Adel Abu Radwan

Journal of Arts and Social Sciences

Variation in individuals’ success in learning a foreign/second language is often attributed to a host of cognitive, psychological and socio-cultural factors. Learners’ language learning strategies and preconceived beliefs have been explored as possible factors contributing to this variation. Research suggests that successful language learners usually utilize, whether consciously or subconsciously, more effective strategies than less proficient learners (Chamot, 2004). Similarly, learners’ beliefs are thought to shape the course of their linguistic development and their whole language learning experience (Debreli, 2012). Thus, any mistaken beliefs could have prolonged detrimental and negative effects on the learners’ learning experience (Peacock, 2001). Hence, this …

The Community Collaboration Model For School Improvement: A Scoping Review, Dawn Anderson-Butcher, Samantha Bates, Hal A. Lawson, Tasha M. Childs, Aidyn Iachini Ph.D., Msw, Lsw

Faculty and Staff Publications

Schools worldwide are developing innovative models in response to, and in anticipation of, societal changes. Aiming to address non-academic barriers to learning, while capitalizing on out-of-school time, some school and community leaders have prioritized family and community partnerships, especially in the United States (U.S.). The Community Collaboration Model (CCM) is one such U.S. partnership-oriented model of expanded school improvement. In contrast to some partnership-oriented models, the CCM prioritizes improvements in classrooms and communities, aiming to support students, assist teachers, and improve relationships beyond the typical school day. This scoping review examines 14 peer-reviewed articles which describe CCM-centered innovations and documented …

Essential Components For Maximizing Paraprofessionals In The Special Education Field, Marissa Bader

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The capstone project researched how paraprofessionals are being trained and monitored within one elementary school. The research was conducted through a survey sent to 20 paraprofessionals within an elementary level school, grades Kindergarten through 4th grade. There were 10 survey questions that focused on paraprofessionals training methods, paraprofessionals ability to implement interventions, paraprofessionals ability to support a variety of student needs, and how special education teachers can improve their ability to work with paraprofessionals in order to maximize students with disabilities outcomes. The survey results suggested focus areas as improvements in training methods, collaboration among the paraprofessional and special education …

Development Of A Passive And Compact Solid Metal Heat Switch, Steve Park

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study

The main purpose of the independent study was to test and optimize a passive solid metal thermal heat switch. Based on the results from my summer research internship, a new metal prototype was machined. Multiple thermal tests were conducted to validate the functionality of the heat switch and to measure the thermal performance. Experiments were conducted in the vacuum chamber to minimize heat loss and improve the switching ratio. From the thermal data measurement, although the off-state thermal conductance decreased from 0.19 W/K to 0.075 W/K compared to previous trials, this conductance value is still higher than expected. Self-consistent and …

Music Therapy Interventions And Their Outcomes On Hematology And Oncology Patients, And Outpatient Groups, Alexandra Paque

Honors Theses

There is a variety of research published about the use of music therapy interventions and their outcomes for the pediatric hematology-oncology and outpatient groups, however the research is not combined to put together a description of the most effective interventions utilized in one place. This scoping review addressed the questions of what music therapy interventions are used in the pediatric hematology/oncology and outpatient settings, and what the outcomes of music therapy were respectively. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were established to determine what articles to include in the review. Three databases including Google Scholar, WMU Library, and PubMed were searched to …

The Effect Of Gut Microbiota On Overwintering Success In Mule Deer, Emma Wilcox

Theses and Dissertations

Mule deer are an important rangeland grazer, large prey species, and game animal for the state of Utah, so herd size is monitored and managed actively. A significant cause of population decline is poor overwintering survival, including from the lack of available forage during winter months. Mule deer energy storage is correlated with greater overwintering success, so physical estimates of energy storage including body condition score (BCS), rump fat (RF), and loin thickness (LT), can be used to track and predict a herd's health. Current methods of collecting deer information are costly, time consuming, and cause physical stress to deer, …

Wildfire Modeling With Data Assimilation, Andrew Johnston

Theses and Dissertations

Wildfire modeling is a complex, computationally costly endeavor, but with droughts worsening and fires burning across the western United States, obtaining accurate wildfire predictions is more important than ever. In this paper, we present a novel approach to wildfire modeling using data assimiliation. We model wildfire spread with a modification of the partial differential equation model described by Mandel et al. in their 2008 paper. Specifically, we replace some constant parameter values with geospatial functions of fuel type. We combine deep learning and remote sensing to obtain real-time data for the model and employ the Nelder-Mead method to recover optimal …

Advanced Isogeometric Discretization Techniques, Kyle Dennis Richardson

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I provide a robust, efficient inverse mapping algorithm for use in immersed simulation methods, specifically in the Flex Representation Method. I also explore a structural theory that unifies the theories of solids, shells, beams, and rigid bodies. As part of this, I preform a preliminary exploration of applying the Flex Representation Method to shells. Finally, I explore why higher order elements suffer from small critical time steps in explicit dynamics. I then propose a simple method of remedying this issue by exploiting the properties of U-splines.

With The Screenwriter's Pen: An Analysis Of The Representation Of Gifted Children In The Family Film, Sarah Williams

Master of Arts in Professional Writing Capstones

Family films are something that have been enjoyed for many decades. They often create a fantastic world that will enchant audiences and eventually become beloved stories. A big aspect often seen in these films is a protagonist that possesses some kind of gift. Where does this gift come from? How does it grow? Most importantly, how do the screenwriters who are responsible for bringing these gifted heroes to life go about it?

Using the screenplays of Kubo and the Two Strings, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Encanto, and Coraline, I take a deep dive into the portrayal of …

Future Colorado River Basin Drought And Surplus, Rama Bedri, Thomas Piechota

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Historical and future drought and surplus periods in the Colorado River basin are evaluated based on eight climate scenarios. Unimpaired streamflow from 17 stations in the Colorado River are evaluated based on U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Reclamation, and Coupled Modeled Intercomparison Projection 5 downscaled data from 1950–2099. Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5 emission scenarios are considered for four climate models (HadGEM2-ES, CNRM-CM5, CanESM2, MI-ROC5). Drought (surplus) quantities, magnitudes, severities, and water year flows are compared for the historical and future periods. Results indicate that there is a significant difference between the historical record and future projections. The …

Determining Figure Skating Jump Under-Rotation In Real-Time Using Imu Sensors During Practice, Duncan O. Furgeson

Theses and Dissertations

We explore the use of machine learning to detect under-rotation in figure skating jumps. Under- rotation in jumps is difficult for the skater to sense but learning to recognize under-rotation is an impor- tant part of learning proper jump technique. To address this difficulty, we present the Under-rotation Monitor, or UR Monitor, a system for detecting under-rotated figure skating jumps in real-time. UR Monitor uses a single inertial measurement unit (IMU) attached to the skater's waist that sends a stream of accelerometer and gyroscope data to a mobile phone via Bluetooth. The mobile phone creates and sends an input vector …

The Culture War Over Girls' Sports: Understanding The Argument For Transgender Girls' Inclusion, Kimberly A. Yuracko

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

The Second Amendment Is History: Ninth Circuit Takes Originalist Approach In Finding No Right To Public Carry In Young V. Hawaii, Scott Kingsbury

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

Too Narrow, Too Bad: A Loophole The Adam Walsh Act Did Not Foresee In United States V. Icker, Sophie Davish

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

In Re Weinstein Company Holdings Llc: An Overly Systematic Approach To Executory Contracts Limits Much-Needed Flexibility, Thomas Hauk, Andrew Schwartz

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

Kengerski V. Harper: The Third Circuit Clarifies The Scope Of Title Vii's Protection For Associational Discrimination Claims, Maureen O'Kane

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

Supporting English Learners In The General Classroom, Stephanie L. Gamble

Masters Projects

The American public school classroom is rapidly changing, and as a result the needs in the classroom are changing. According to the NYU Steinhart school of culture, the average K-12 public school classroom is made up of about 20% English language learners. Researchers predict that percentage will climb to 25% by the year 2025, making EL students the fastest growing population in American public schools (Staff, 2021). The purpose of my research was to find ways that educators can better reach these students and decrease the opportunity gap between these students and their peers. Teachers across the country are struggling …

The Cholera-Fiend: Cheap Fiction, Medical Professionals, And Entertainment, Sariah Fales Harrington

Theses and Dissertations

First published in 1849, Charles Averill’s The Cholera-Fiend follows three villains as they attempt to artificially propagate cholera for their own villainous purposes in New York City. Gumbo, a Black servant to one of the villains, is meant to be the humorous relief in the text, but Gumbo experiences a calculated dehumanization from human to disabled, which causes him to be more at-risk for a health crisis—such as a tapeworm or cholera—than his white counterparts. Through analyzing the genre of cheap fiction, the views of medical professionals towards Black bodies, and other ways Black bodies were used as entertainment, I …