Digital Commons Network^™

Eureka: Euphemism Recognition Enhanced Through Knn-Based Methods And Augmentation, Sedrick Scott Keh, Rohit Bharadwaj, Emmy Liu, Simone Tedeschi, Varun Gangal, Roberto Navigli

Computer Vision Faculty Publications

We introduce EUREKA, an ensemble-based approach for performing automatic euphemism detection. We (1) identify and correct potentially mislabelled rows in the dataset, (2) curate an expanded corpus called EuphAug, (3) leverage model representations of Potentially Euphemistic Terms (PETs), and (4) explore using representations of semantically close sentences to aid in classification. Using our augmented dataset and kNN-based methods, EUREKA was able to achieve state-of-the-art results on the public leaderboard of the Euphemism Detection Shared Task, ranking first with a macro F1 score of 0.881.

Rare Gems: Finding Lottery Tickets At Initialization, Kartik Sreenivasan, Jy Yong Sohn, Liu Yang, Matthew Grinde, Alliot Nagle, Hongyi Wang, Eric Xing, Kangwook Lee, Dimitris Papailiopoulos

Machine Learning Faculty Publications

Large neural networks can be pruned to a small fraction of their original size, with little loss in accuracy, by following a time-consuming “train, prune, re-train” approach. Frankle & Carbin [9] conjecture that we can avoid this by training lottery tickets, i.e., special sparse subnetworks found at initialization, that can be trained to high accuracy. However, a subsequent line of work [11, 41] presents concrete evidence that current algorithms for finding trainable networks at initialization, fail simple baseline comparisons, e.g., against training random sparse subnetworks. Finding lottery tickets that train to better accuracy compared to simple baselines remains an open …

Exploring The Relationship Between College Mathematics Remediation Status And Continued Persistence In Mathematics Of Community College Students, Morvarid Javadi Pourhassan

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This study analyzed the relationship between community college students’ math remediation status and their continued persistence in math. Continued persistence outcomes included college math course completion, seeking a STEM degree pathway, degree attainment (STEM or any degree), and degree completion time (STEM or any degree). Demographic variables and math-placement- level were investigated as predictors. The study used secondary data from students enrolled in math courses at a large Pacific Northwest college between Fall 2016 and Fall 2019. Exploratory data analysis, logistic regression, and chi-square were used to analyze the secondary data. The analysis found a statistically significant impact of age …

2022 Fall Engr333 Poster, Section B, Nicholas Paternoster, Nick Grossman, Jared Ruba, Zac Runhaar, Caleb Styf, Anne Ghata, Micah Lee, Thomas Noble, Liam Austin, Kai Barboza, Mark Bekhet, Jordan Tuter, Jacob Tanis, Sara Vansolkema, Aidan Bakker, Ben Casey, Sarah Maccarthy, Elise Miera, Christine Vanoyen

ENGR 333

• “What would it take to eliminate Calvin's natural gas-related net CO2 emissions?”
• Former Calvin President Michael Le Roy signed the President’s Climate Commitment on Dec 6, 2017
• Pledged carbon neutrality by 2057
• Results so far have been mixed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but gains have come from: Improved lighting efficiency, Reduced enrollment, Renewable electricity is already being tackled through partnerships with companies like Sun FundED.

Predictions And Drivers Of Sub-Reach-Scale Annual Streamflow Permanence For The Upper Missouri River Basin: 1989–2018, Kendra E. Kaiser

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The presence of year-round surface water in streams (i.e., streamflow permanence) is an important factor for identifying aquatic habitat availability, determining the regulatory status of streams, managing land use change, allocating water resources, and designing scientific studies. However, accurate, high resolution, and dynamic prediction of streamflow permanence that accounts for year-to-year variability at a regional extent is a major gap in modeling capability. Herein, we expand and adapt the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) PRObability of Streamflow PERmanence (PROSPER) model from its original implementation in the Pacific Northwest (PROSPER_PNW) to the upper Missouri River basin (PROSPER_UM), a …

The Formation Of The 8˚20’ N Seamount Chain, East Pacific Rise, Dorsey Wanless

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Near-axis seamounts provide a unique setting to investigate three-dimensional mantle processes associated with the formation of new oceanic crust and lithosphere. Here, we investigate the characteristics and evolution of the 8˚20’N Seamount Chain, a lineament of seamounts that extends ~ 175 km west of the East Pacific Rise (EPR) axis, just north of the fracture zone of the Siqueiros Transform Fault. Shipboard gravity, magnetic, and bathymetric data acquired in 2016 are utilized to constrain models of seamount emplacement and evolution. Geophysical observations indicate that these seamounts formed during four distinct episodes of volcanism coinciding with changes in regional plate motion …

What Technologies And Barriers Are Present In Sustainable Heating And Cooling, Mason D. Nibbe

Environmental Studies Student Work

Sustainable heating and cooling practices can save homeowners money and reduce their carbon emissions. In the cold upper Midwest, Minnesota specifically, there are ways houses can be more efficient in terms of heating. The most efficient and practical are heat pumps systems, passive solar designs, and proper insulation of the building. This study is targeted at both existing buildings and the construction of new buildings. This project focuses on what sustainable heating and cooling practices, technologies, and barriers are present in the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) industry. I find that using any sustainable solution is helpful, but multiple solutions …

(R1969) On The Approximation Of Eventual Periodicity Of Linearized Kdv Type Equations Using Rbf-Ps Method, Hameed Ullah Jan, Marjan Uddin, Asma Norin, Tamheeda .

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

Water wave propagation phenomena still attract the interest of researchers from many areas and with various objectives. The dispersive equations, including a large body of classes, are widely used models for a great number of problems in the fields of physics, chemistry and biology. For instance, the Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation is one of the famous dispersive wave equation appeared in the theories of shallow water waves with the assumption of small wave-amplitude and large wave length, also its various modifications serve as the modeling equations in several physical problems. Another interesting qualitative characteristic of solutions of some dispersive wave …

Interview With Richard Cutler, Utah State University Special Collections & Archives

Utah State University COVID-19 Oral History Collection

No abstract provided.

How Infectious Is Your Twitter Feed? Disease Modeling Applied To The Dynamics Of Twitter, Kai-Jia Yue

Honors Projects in Science and Technology

This study aims to use compartmental disease-models to explore Twitter dynamics. Applying an epidemiology model to Twitter tweets can give deeper insights into the factors that make a tweet go viral. In addition, this study explored the differences between a stochastic and a dynamic compartmental model. This research connects the world of diseases with the internet and explored if a disease model will accurately model Twitter dynamics. We found that stochastic models were better at fitting to smaller populations of data than dynamic models were. Dynamic models ended up predicting larger populations better. Furthermore, we found that although a topic …

Oak Savanna Restoration And Climate Change Mitigation Through Silvopasture In Minnesota, James Siems

Environmental Studies Student Work

Reducing emissions of world food systems will be critical to combatting climate change. Silvopasture systems, which integrate managed forests with pastureland, have been shown to be a more sustainable alternative to traditional livestock production and have the ancillary benefit of diversifying the sources of income for farmers. Silvopasture may also have the capacity to serve as a mechanism for ecological restoration. This paper combines existing literature with an interview of a farmer who is engaging in silvopasture to evaluate the potential of silvopasture as means to restore Minnesota’s disappearing oak savanna ecosystem, while improving the sustainability of food production within …

The Ins And Outs Of Undergraduate Research And Leadership: A Student's Perspective, Regina F. Hockert

Kinesiology and Public Health

This manuscript is a reflective write-up of Regina Hockert’s experience in completing KINE 462, Honors Kinesiology Senior Project, during the 2022 Fall Quarter. It describes their experience as an undergraduate research leader, including specific milestones and artifacts related to a broader replication study and the daily activities of Dr. Jafrā Thomas’ lab. This essay was designed to be a written reflection around their senior project presentation and the insights shared through that medium about the senior project experience. It is created to showcase lessons learned in relationship with the tasks and responsibilities required of working in-depth on student-led research. …

Standard Interval Computation Algorithm Is Not Inclusion-Monotonic: Examples, Marina Tuyako Mizukoshi, Weldon Lodwick, Martine Ceberio, Olga Kosheleva, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

When we usually process data, we, in effect, implicitly assume that we know the exact values of all the inputs. In practice, these values comes from measurements, and measurements are never absolutely accurate. In many cases, the only information about the actual (unknown) values of each input is that this value belongs to an appropriate interval. Under this interval uncertainty, we need to compute the range of all possible results of applying the data processing algorithm when the inputs are in these intervals. In general, the problem of exactly computing this range is NP-hard, which means that in feasible time, …

Aquaculture In Africa: Aquatic Animal Welfare, Impact On The Environment And The Sustainability Of The Sector, Mwenda M. Mbaka, Janice H. Cox, Stephen Ronan

Aquaculture

The African aquaculture sector recorded the fastest growth in the world between 2006-2018, averaging 10% or more, and is expected to partially fill the growing fish supply-demand gap up to 2063. In 2018, there were about 1.2 million aquafarmers across the continent, an increase from 920 thousand in 2014. According to the African Development Bank, expansion of aquaculture in Africa is hampered by "the overwhelming predominance of tilapia farming, which relies heavily on the production of fingerlings from a limited number of genetically improved strains that are resistant to the many diseases affecting this species, and on the production of …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Climate Change Science Communication In An Online Carbon Footprint Assessment, Jack Dimmock

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

Climate change literacy and knowledge are influential in enabling people to take climate change mitigation and adaptation actions. Education about climate change usually takes place through two avenues, formal education and informal institutions, such as museums, television shows, and websites. To help residents reduce their household greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the local impacts of climate change, the San Luis Obispo Climate Coalition is using the carbon footprint website Bright Action (https://resilientslo.org). Bright Action calculates household carbon footprints, suggests ways to reduce carbon footprints, and provides educational material about climate change mitigation and adaptation. This study seeks to assess …

Assessing Selective Export Of Fluorescent Ssa4 Reporters, Caroline Firmin, Rebecca Adams

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

The process of creating proteins from mRNA is necessary for cell viability. Importantly, the proteins that are generated are differentially regulated so that the cell makes specific proteins in response to its environment. For example, mRNA is selectively exported during stress conditions to allow response to this stress. During heat shock at 42°C, in which proteins are denatured, the gene SSA4 encodes a selectively transported protein chaperone that allows refolding of denatured proteins. This study sought to explore the mechanisms of this selective export. To do this, I analyzed the expression of a fluorescent reporter wherein GFP is expressed with …

Literacy Coaching For Instructional Change In Guided Reading: Navigating Form And Function, Denise N. Morgan, Celeste C. Bates, Robin Griffith

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The purpose of this research was to examine how one teacher’s guided reading instruction evolved while engaged in a job-embedded professional development experience across the school year. The teacher taught and debriefed multiple guided reading lessons per visit with a literacy coach. The authors employed qualitative methods to analyze the transcripts from interviews and pre- and postconferences, written reflections, and field notes from the lessons. Findings demonstrate that the teacher shifted from being hyper-focused on the form of guided reading to the actual function of guided reading. Initially, she concentrated on text level, time and planning, and management, which the …

Cocreation In Health Workforce Planning To Shape The Future Of The Health Care System In The Philippines, Harvy Joy Liwanag, Jhanna Uy, Mary Ruth Politico, Mary Joy Padilla, Ma. Catherine Arzobal, Kaycee Manuel, Angeli Loren Cagouia, Pretchell Tolentino, Annika Frahsa, Kenneth Ronquillo

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

The Philippines passed landmark legislation in 2019 on universal health coverage, including reforms in the development of its health workforce, an essential building block of responsive health care systems.

Health Workforce Planning Cocreation Process

We based our planning process on a model of cocreation defined as sharing power and decision making to solve problems collaboratively and build consensus around action. Through cocreation with policy makers, researchers, and other stakeholders, we performed projection studies on 10 selected health professions and estimated the need for primary care at national and subnational levels, which was the most extensive health workforce projection carried …

Independence Testing-Based Approach To Causal Discovery Under Measurement Error And Linear Non-Gaussian Models, Haoyue Dai, Peter Spirtes, Kun Zhang

Machine Learning Faculty Publications

Causal discovery aims to recover causal structures generating the observational data. Despite its success in certain problems, in many real-world scenarios the observed variables are not the target variables of interest, but the imperfect measures of the target variables. Causal discovery under measurement error aims to recover the causal graph among unobserved target variables from observations made with measurement error. We consider a specific formulation of the problem, where the unobserved target variables follow a linear non-Gaussian acyclic model, and the measurement process follows the random measurement error model. Existing methods on this formulation rely on non-scalable over-complete independent component …

(R1958) On Deferred Statistical Convergence Of Fuzzy Variables, Ömer Kişi, Mehmet Gürdal, Ekrem Savaş

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In this paper, within framework credibility theory, we examine several notions of convergence and statistical convergence of fuzzy variable sequences. The convergence of fuzzy variable sequences such as the notion of convergence in credibility, convergence in distribution, convergence in mean, and convergence uniformly virtually certainly via postponed Cesàro mean and a regular matrix are researched using fuzzy variables. We investigate the connections between these concepts. Significant results on deferred statistical convergence for fuzzy variable sequences are thoroughly investigated.

The Approximation Of Weighted Hölder Functions By Fourier-Jacobi Polynomials To The Singular Sturm-Liouville Operator, Habeeb A. Aal-Rkhais, Ahmed H. Kamil, Khalid Fanoukh Al Oweidi

Baghdad Science Journal

In this work, a weighted H lder function that approximates a Jacobi polynomial which solves the second order singular Sturm-Liouville equation is discussed. This is generally equivalent to the Jacobean translations and the moduli of smoothness. This paper aims to focus on improving methods of approximation and finding the upper and lower estimates for the degree of approximation in weighted H lder spaces by modifying the modulus of continuity and smoothness. Moreover, some properties for the moduli of smoothness with direct and inverse results are considered.

Phase Transitions In Evolutionary Dynamics, Adam D. Scott, Dawn M. King, Stephen W. Ordway, Sonya Bahar

Physics Faculty Works

Sharp changes in state, such as transitions from survival to extinction, are hallmarks of evolutionary dynamics in biological systems. These transitions can be explored using the techniques of statistical physics and the physics of nonlinear and complex systems. For example, a survival-to-extinction transition can be characterized as a non-equilibrium phase transition to an absorbing state. Here, we review the literature on phase transitions in evolutionary dynamics. We discuss directed percolation transitions in cellular automata and evolutionary models, and models that diverge from the directed percolation universality class. We explore in detail an example of an absorbing phase transition in an …

A Comparison Of Logistic, Ridge, And Lasso Regression With Heart Failure Risk Data: Effects Of Sample Size, Predictor Correlation, And Predictor Weight On Outcome Accuracy, Mahmoud M. Aljuhani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Logistic Regression (LR), LASSO regression, and RIDGE regression are standard classification techniques for predicting a dichotomous output. Since these methods are applied for similar purposes and have different features, it is crucial to evaluate the performance of these methods under different controlled conditions. With this information, researchers can apply the optimal method for specific conditions.

Following previous research, which reported the effects of conditions such as sample size and multicollinearity on the performance of the classification methods, this research focused on the effects of when sample size, level of predictor collinearity, and predictor variable weight are controlled on the performance …

Modeling Of Population Dynamics In Spatially Continuous And Heterogeneous Environments Using Partial Differential Equations, Ryan T. St. Clair

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis provides an expansion of existing reaction diffusion population ecology models into patchy landscapes with greater spatial heterogeneity. The Sturm-Loiville eigenvalue problem for a heterogeneous 3 patch landscape is solved implicitly and the population growth rate and migration dynamics on such a landscape are thoroughly discussed. In addition a system of interface equations is found whose greatest solution is the dominant eigenvalue of an N-patch landscape. The results of this model agree well with previously published results and show the mathematical equivalence of two published approaches for incorporating organism behavior at habitat interfaces. Increased modeling capabilities in heterogeneous environments …

2022 Fall Engr333 Poster, Section A, Dat Cao, Izuchi Ebeku, Samuel Hoover, Sawyer Masselink, Ian Vanderkooi, Matthew Carlson, Jacob Heeres, Anthony Nykamp, Jacob Vanwyngarden, Nate Anderson, Anna Giboney, Gia Mien Le, Jonathan Washburn, Jess Camp, Ryan Macintyre, Aubree Peters, Alin Stoica, Drew Stoneburner, Claire Sheppard, Alayna Spiering, Reid Veneman, James Viel

ENGR 333

In 2017 President Michael K. Le Roy signed Second Nature’s President Climate Commitment. This commitment outlines that Calvin’s governing body will ensure Calvin University is a carbon neutral educational institution by 2057. In June of 2022, Calvin University’s presidential seat was passed from Dr. Michael K. Le Roy to Dr. Wiebe Boer. In his short time as the president of Calvin University, Dr. Boer has put many projects into motion to help Calvin achieve its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2057. This past fall Dr. Boer tasked the ENGR 333 class with answering the following question: What would it …

Carbon Cycling And Critical Zone Dynamics In An Urbanized Karst Groundwater System, Amy Hourigan

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentrations are correlated to rising global temperatures. Investigating the cumulative global carbon cycling processes is important to understand and quantify the global carbon cycle. By investigating basic geochemical parameters, EpCO₂, DIC, and δ¹³C_DIC, at four sites along Lost River Cave (LRC), in Bowling Green, Kentucky, concentrations, fluxes and sources of C dissolved in groundwater were determined. Urban karst groundwater systems, compared to more natural karst landscapes, typically exhibit widespread impervious, heat-absorbing surfaces, urban heat island effects, and increased anthropogenic groundwater inputs and localized CO₂ emissions. Carbonate hydrogeochemical …

Effective Practices Of Feedback Of Elementary School Administrators During The Post-Observation Conference, Michael Galvin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Research identifies two purposes for teacher evaluation: measurement and professional growth; however, the literature provides limited research on the impact of the post-observation conference in teacher evaluation on professional growth (Marzano, 2012). The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study is to examine the perceptions of Indiana public elementary school principals on the impact of the post-observation conference on professional growth of teachers. The study uses an Elementary Administrators’ Background Questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to gather an in-depth understanding of administrators’ perceptions.

Four research questions framed this study as I examined public elementary school administrators’ perceptions of post-observation feedback within the …

Near-Infrared Dye-Glycogen Conjugates For Photodynamic And Photothermal Therapy, Farbod Shirinichi

Master's Theses

Near-Infrared (NIR) dyes are small organic molecules emerging as promising imaging agents and therapeutics for anticancer application. However, their small size inevitably resulted in several drawbacks, including low in vivo stability, inherent toxicity, and lack of targeting ability, which compromise their potential for clinical use. This project aims to address those issues by developing a novel “macromolecular” NIR dye. By covalently engineering the glycogen surface with indocyanine green (an FDA-approved NIR dye), we will create a series of glycogen-NIR dye conjugates with a size of 100-200 nm. In addition, this NIR dye is not stable in water for a long …

Post Pandemic Cyberbiosecurity Threats From Terrorist Groups, Haley D. Dodge

Master's Theses

The research in this thesis explored the research question: Are United States (US) health systems accessible to cyber-bio terrorist attacks post-pandemic, within the context of the emerging discipline of cyberbiosecurity? Key findings of the analysis demonstrated how US health systems are more accessible to cyber-bio terrorist attacks specifically from cyber hacking groups based on the increasing sophistication of their cyber capabilities and the lack of cyber protection for biological systems. The concept of cyberbiosecurity was first introduced in 2018 by researchers exploring the converging threat landscape of the cyber and biology domains. As biology is growing more dependent upon vulnerable …

Increased Child Initiated Activity In Child-Centered Learning Environments, Angela Robinson

Graduate Teacher Education

Child-initiated activity in child-centered learning environments benefits the development of the whole child. Current research lends evidence that the early relationships and experiences of a child directly impact learning success (Nitecki, 2017; Fyffe et al., 2022). The indoor and outdoor environment are positioned as places for learning providing freedom and space to support health and well-being (Maynard et al., 2013). Classrooms have largely removed free play to address academic standards and high-stakes testing (Pistrova & Slutsky, 2018). This has been demonstrated by the implementation of scripted curriculum, the removal of toys such as unit blocks that foster creativity and imagination, …