Digital Commons Network^™

Ancient Marine Sediment Dna Reveals Diatom Transition In Antarctica, Linda Armbrecht, Michael E. Weber, Maureen E. Raymo, Victoria L. Peck, Trevor Williams, Jonathan Warnock, Yuji Kato, Iván Hernández-Almeida, Frida Hoem, Brendan Reilly, Sidney Hemming, Ian Bailey, Yasmina M. Martos, Marcus Gutjahr, Vincent Percuoco, Claire Allen, Stefanie Brachfeld, Fabricio G. Cardillo, Zhiheng Du, Gerson Fauth, Chris Fogwill, Marga Garcia, Anna Glüder, Michelle Guitard, Ji Hwan Hwang, Mutsumi Iizuka, Bridget Kenlee, Suzanne O’Connell, Lara F. Pérez, Thomas A. Ronge, Osamu Seki, Lisa Tauxe

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Antarctica is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change on Earth and studying the past and present responses of this polar marine ecosystem to environmental change is a matter of urgency. Sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) analysis can provide such insights into past ecosystem-wide changes. Here we present authenticated (through extensive contamination control and sedaDNA damage analysis) metagenomic marine eukaryote sedaDNA from the Scotia Sea region acquired during IODP Expedition 382. We also provide a marine eukaryote sedaDNA record of ~1 Mio. years and diatom and chlorophyte sedaDNA dating back to ~540 ka (using taxonomic marker genes SSU, LSU, …

Obstacles In Learning Algorithm Run-Time Complexity Analysis, Bailey Licht

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Algorithm run-time complexity analysis is an important topic in data structures and algorithms courses, but it is also a topic that many students struggle with. Commonly cited difficulties include the necessary mathematical background knowledge, the abstract nature of the topic, and the presentation style of the material. Analyzing the subject of algorithm analysis using multiple learning theories shows that course materials often leave out key steps in the learning process and neglect certain learning styles. Students can be more successful at learning algorithm run-time complexity analysis if these missing stages and learning styles are addressed.

Advances In Nlp Algorithms On Unstructured Medical Notes Data And Approaches To Handling Class Imbalance Issues, Hanna Lu

Computational and Data Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

This dissertation is composed of three research projects, each addressing one aspect of the text classification tasks on unstructured medical notes.

The first study investigated the model performance of sequence deep learning models that are widely used in NLP tasks such as RNN, GRU, LSTM, Bi-LSTM, as well as CNN and the novel and more advanced attention-based algorithms such as the Transformer Encoder and BERT-Base. The model performances of these algorithms were evaluated with and without pre-trained word embeddings. The Transformer Encoder model stood out as the best model for all tasks and the CNN model produced comparable performance when …

Effect Of Chlorine Dioxide Gas On The Properties Of Packaging Materials And Effect Of Chlorine Dioxide Gas To Maintain The Quality Of Fresh Strawberries, Duleeka Kuruwita, Duleeka Prasadani Kuruwita Arachchige

All Dissertations

ClO₂ as an antimicrobial gas in the headspace of produce package is a relatively novel approach. Gaseous ClO₂ is more effective than aqueous ClO₂ and can be used in the headspace of fresh food packages. ClO₂ gas can diffuse into product surfaces and films. As an oxidizer, it can react with and change polymeric package components, possibly affecting the product’s shelflife.

This research studied effects of ClO₂ gas treatments on produce packaging materials (APET, two PE types, Nylon). The treatment group (with ClO₂) and the control group (without ClO₂) of packaging …

2022-December-01-Nine Innovators, Leaders Named To Business And Technology Hall Of Fame.Pdf, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY – East Tennessee State University’s College of Business and Technology inducted eight individuals into its Hall of Fame at an awards ceremony held earlier this month. The college presented awards in four categories – Horizon, Excellence, Faculty Lifetime Achievement and Lifetime Achievement Awards – to individuals with noteworthy achievements in business, technology, and public or community service. 

Jane Gaby, Brandon L. Milhorn and Jim L. Wilson received the Lifetime Achievement Award. 
Gaby has over 40 years of experience in computer science and software development, and earned an M.S. degree in computer science with a concentration in software engineering …

2022-December-01-Etsu Unveils Limited Edition Holiday Ornament, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY – East Tennessee State University has unveiled a hand-painted, limited-edition ornament for sale this holiday season.

By Artist Penny Lee Livingston

A new annual tradition, this year’s ornament features Gilbreath Hall – the building where it all began in 1911 in what was then East Tennessee State Normal School. Named for Sidney Gilbreath, the college’s first president, Gilbreath Hall is where many alumni enjoyed a performance in the Bud Frank Theatre or took their first mathematics or computer science course.  

The ornament is only available at: 

• 
  
  Bowman Jewelers, 401 W. Oakland Ave., (423) 282-8101.
• Monkee’s of Johnson …

Form From Color: Color Generated Form, Kyra Vreeland

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

Form From Color: Color Generated Form evaluates the ability of color to be a three-dimensional and architectural space creator. While complex in history and connotations, color within this capstone is assigned a theoretical characteristic by which forms are generated from color solely. The produced results suggest that color can be a form generator and can have more spatial applications in design. This capstone has the mode of inquiry of a Creative Artistic Inquiry.

There are three series of tests within this capstone. All of which are based on Johannes Itten’s belief that primary colors correspond with primary shapes. The first …

Mental Health Needs Among Minority Aviation Students, Jorge L. D. Albelo Ph.D., Stacey Mcintire

Publications

Higher education, including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, benefit our society and economic growth. However, overcoming gender disparity and increasing the retention of underrepresented minorities within these programs is challenging. Mental health across higher education has shown to be on the rise, and when it comes to the mental health needs of aviation students, research shows that underrepresented minorities experience unique challenges in achieving academic success. This paper focused on identifying aviation minority students' unique challenges in a small STEM university. This mixed-methods action research study collected quantitative data using an adapted version of the Counseling Center Assessment …

Spacecraft Charging Test Considerations For Composite Materials, Allen Andersen, Wousik Kim, J. R. Dennison, Brian Wood, Todd A. Schneider, Jason Vaughn, Kenneth H. Wright Jr., Nelson W. Green, Eric Suh, Joel Schwartz, Abdul-Majeed Azad

Journal Articles

Composite materials present a growing challenge for spacecraft charging assessments. We review some recent lessons learned for charging tests of composite materials using both parallel-plate and electron beam test geometries. We also discuss examples of materials that exhibit significant variations between samples, despite them all having the same trade name.

Foreword, Timothy Chartier

The Mathematics Enthusiast

Deep and broad work is being done by undergraduates, with a significant increase in the last three decades. The growth in undergraduate research opportunities has important effects in the STEM community. In particular, course-based research is a means toward attaining more inclusivity in the research community. This article provides some practical advice and resources for getting started, and describes the author’s own efforts to integrate sports analytics work, service-based learning and social justice research into his undergraduates’ research experiences.

Recommendations For Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences In Mathematics, Rommel J. Miranda

The Mathematics Enthusiast

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have benefits for course instructors, undergraduate STEM students, and underrepresented students. CUREs consist of five essential components which include the use of science practices, discovery, broadly relevant or important work, collaboration, and iteration (Auchincloss et al., 2014). Over the past decade, a broad range of CUREs have been developed within and across STEM disciplines. However, resources to assist instructors to develop CUREs in mathematics are limited. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the extant literature on course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), especially in mathematics, to provide future directions for reforming …

A Mathematics Pipeline To Student Success In Data Analytics Through Course-Based Undergraduate Research, Kristin P. Bennett, John S. Erickson, Amy Svirsky, Josephine C. Seddon

The Mathematics Enthusiast

This paper reports on Data Analytics Research (DAR), a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) in which undergraduate students conduct data analysis research on open real- world problems for industry, university, and community clients. We describe how DAR, offered by the Mathematical Sciences Department at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), is an essential part of an early low-barrier pipeline into data analytics studies and careers for diverse students. Students first take a foundational course, typically Introduction to Data Mathematics, that teaches linear algebra, data analytics, and R programming simultaneously using a project-based learning (PBL) approach. Then in DAR, students work in teams …

Undergraduate Research In An Applied Probability & Statistics Course, Michael Smith

The Mathematics Enthusiast

The author modified a course entitled Applied Probability and Statistics to engage students in performing their own hypothesis tests in a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE). This paper discusses the structure of the course, what it does to encourage undergraduate research, and changes one could make to tailor this experience to their own institutional needs.

Math And The Mouse: Explorations Of Mathematics And Science In Walt Disney World, Elizabeth L. Bouzarth, John M. Harris, Kevin R. Hutson

The Mathematics Enthusiast

Math and the Mouse is an intensive, collaborative, project-driven, study away course that runs during the three-week May Experience term at Furman University and has many of the attributes of a course-based undergraduate research experience in mathematics. We take twelve students to Orlando, Florida to study the behind-the-scenes mathematics employed to make Walt Disney World operate efficiently. Students learn techniques of mathematical modeling (mostly resource allocation, logistics, and scheduling models), statistical analysis (mostly probability, clustering, data collection, and hypothesis testing), and ow management (queuing theory and some beginning ow dynamics) in an applied setting. Through planned course modules, collaborative activities, …

Design, Fabrication, And Characterization Of Conjugated Polymeric Electrochemical Memristors As Neuromorphic/Integrated Circuits, Benjamin Grant

All Dissertations

Organic materials are promising candidates for future electronic devices compared to the complementing inorganic materials due to their ease of processability, use, and disposal, low cost of fabrication, energy efficiency, and flexible nature toward implementation as flexible and non-conformal devices.With that in mind, electrochemical materials have been widely demonstrated with commercial use as sensors, displays, and a variety of other electronic devices. As Moore's law predicts the increase in the density of transistors on a chip, the requirement to create either smaller transistors or the replacement of the transistor device entirely is apparent. Memory resistors, coined ``memristor", are variable resistive …

Encountering American Higher Education: First-Year Academic Transition Of International Undergraduate Students In The United States, Masha Krsmanovic

Journal of Global Education and Research

This study explored how international undergraduate students perceive their academic transition into American higher education. Schlossberg’s (1984) 4S Transition Theory served as the framework for exploring what academic challenges, if any, international students experience during their first year of undergraduate studies in a new cultural and educational setting. The findings revealed that students’ academic transition into the U.S. higher education was characterized by difficulties in understanding the academic system of their new environment; overcoming educational, instructional and pedagogical differences; building social relationships with domestic students; and receiving the support necessary from the appropriate institutional services.

Sex Differences In The Disease Progression Of Ftd Vs Ad, Abigail Mitchell, Danielle Frances, Chase Metzger

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Abigail Mitchell, Danielle Frances, Chase Metzger

Sex Differences in the Disease Progression of FTD vs AD.

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases are on the rise in aging populations due to the upper tier of the population getting larger in that age group (Zheng & Chen, 2022). Knowing this, there is great benefit in more accurate and early diagnosis of conditions like frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Particularly, it is important to understand which variables may contribute to differences in disease burden and progression of associated sequalae, with one of those variables being biological sex. The current study investigated sex differences …

The Impact Of Emotionally Charged Music On Attentional Bias Towards Color, Abigail Mitchell, Khanh Nguyen

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

This study examines the relationship between listening to music with an emotional valence and attentional bias towards emotion-associated colors. The variables considered in this study are valence of music (positive, negative, or neutral sound), color-emotion association (based on the literature or chosen by the individual), and attentional bias towards color, as measured by a dot-probe task. Previous research suggests that from a young age, humans are able to perceive music as happy or sad and show an emotional response to musical valence (Dalla Bella, Peretz, Rousseau, & Gosselin, 2001). Additionally, bright colors are more often associated with positive emotions, while …

Comparison Of Kanamycin-Resistant Bacteria In Earthworm Digestive Tracts And Soil From Compost Bins, Samantha Dooyema, Martin Dolan, Abigal Morse

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are becoming more prevalent in soil as humans have increased impacts on the environment. Previous research proposed that earthworms could affect bacteria distribution as soil is ingested and filtered through their bodies. This research aims to see if kanamycin-resistance bacteria is the same in earthworm digestive tracts as in the soil the earthworms inhabit. We expect that the gut contents and soil will vary in the occurrence of kanamycin-resistant bacteria. Earthworms and composted soil samples were collected from compost bins at a residential home in Nashville, Tennessee. Digestive tracts were dissected from the earthworms and homogenized. Kanamycin-resistant bacteria …

The Role Of Muscle Damage On Joint Tissue, Logan Nicholas Moore

Kinesiology Dissertations - Archive

The musculoskeletal system is a highly diverse network of tissue that operates in conjunction to one other, both mechanically and biochemically. In states of disorder such as musculoskeletal disorders, this cross-communication between tissues is pivotal in the progression of disease state in other tissues, or the prevention and healing of the effected tissue. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSkD) are a broad term encompassing disorders to bones, joints, muscles and connective tissues. These disorders include Osteoarthritis, Osteopenia, Sarcopenia, Tendonitis, Myopathies, and muscle weakness. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disorder, characterized as damage to the articulating cartilage and alterations in other joint …

A Comprehensive Analysis Of The Evolution Of Coastal Flooding In Texas And Louisiana For Application In Risk Assessment, Joshua Pulcinella

Earth & Environmental Sciences Dissertations - Archive

Coastal communities of the northern Gulf of Mexico have historically been at risk of flooding from tropical cyclone induced storm surge and extreme precipitation. Relative sea level rise resulting from a combination of increasing global mean sea level and regional subsidence presents an escalating threat that requires a comprehensive assessment of changing flood risks for the area. This study examines how coastal flooding events are changing and focuses on the future risks to communities and infrastructure in Texas and Louisiana. Utilizing historic tide gauge observations, tropical cyclone records, and associated storm tide data, the frequency, duration, and magnitude of events …

A Continuously Renewed Copper Electrode For Constant-Potential Amperometry, Andrew T. Franklin

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses - Archive

Pulsed amperometric detection (PAD) is a well-established technique used for the detection of electroactive compounds following Ion Chromatography (IC). Target analytes, such as carbohydrates and amino acids, typically have no suitable chromophores and are not detectable by suppressed conductivity following IC separation. While direct current (DC) amperometry is simpler, the formation of oxidation products quickly fouls the electrode surface; PAD removes these products extending electrode longevity for up to ~2 weeks of operation. To further extend electrode lifespans, a new strategy is introduced herein using DC amperometry on a sacrificial copper wire anode. The wire face continually dissolves under oxidative …

Analysis Of U.S. Epa’S Green House Gas Equations C-8, Y-4, H-1, And C-1, F. Gregory Hayden

Department of Economics: Faculty Publications

EPA’s GREEN HOUSE GAS EQUATION (C-8) FOR METHANE Methane is a crucial greenhouse gas that substantially affects the environment. And that is why there are several mentions of methane under different subparts of 40 CFR Part 98. Even though there are several different formulas to calculate the methane emission, all of those somehow represent the same approach behind them.

MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS OF EQUATION C-8

GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF EQUATION C-8

CRTICAL ANALYSIS OF EQUATION C-8

MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS OF EQUATION Y-4

GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF EQUATION Y-4

CALCULATING GHG EMISSION FROM CEMENT PRODUCTION

MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS OF EQUATION H-1

GHG EMISSION FROM ETHANOL

A Multiple Case Study To Understand How Students Experience Science And Engineering Practices, Chris Schaben, Justin Andersson, Christine Cutucache

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), amid recent shifts in science curriculum, call for students to learn science through the practices of scientists and engineers (science and engineering practices, or SEPs). SEPs, related to inquiry learning, are ways students learn science content by doing science. Students have varied experiences learning science and engineering practices, including exposure in the classroom, from media, and in science fairs. Using a qualitative, multiple case study design, we analyzed public school educators’ and middle and high school students’ (ages 12–18) interview transcripts about learning through the science and engineering practices. Findings demonstrate that students learn …

Graph Representation Learning For Heterogeneous Multimodal Biomedical Data, Nhat Chau Tran

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The emergence of high-throughput sequencing technology has generated a wealth of “multi-omics” data, capturing information about different types of biomolecules at multiple levels. Since large-scale genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics data are becoming publicly available, integrated systems analysis utilizing these data sources has taken the front seat in deriving valuable insights for identifying cancer biomarkers or predicting interactions and functions for novel molecules such as LncRNAs. The graph representation learning paradigm can address these challenging tasks as among the most promising approaches to improve predictions over sparsely annotated molecular entities and to provide representation capacity and interpretability over heterogeneous and hierarchically …

Understanding Human Actions: Cognitive Assessment And Action Segmentation Using Human Object Interaction, Saif Sayed

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Automatic understanding of human behavior has several applications in medicine and surveillance. Analysing human actions can enable cognitive assessment of children by measuring their hyperactivity and response inhibition which can give physicians better understanding of their cognitive state. Automatic and non-invasive assessment for cognitive disorders will increase the affordability and reach for these detection methods and can prove life-changing in child’s development. Human activity can also be analysed in common settings such as cooking in kitchen and understanding the information of human object interaction can give priors on the underlying activity they are performing. In the first section, we focus …

Mgrre_Thinsections_Mgrre-129_9, Mgrre

Thin Sections

No abstract provided.

Mgrre_Thinsections_Mgrre-129_10, Mgrre

Thin Sections

No abstract provided.

Mgrre_Thinsections_Mgrre-129_13, Mgrre

Thin Sections

No abstract provided.

173rd Commencement, Fall

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.