Digital Commons Network^™

Synthesis And Characterization Of Nanozeolite From Sugarcane Bagasse Ash And Its Nutrient Loading Potential, Quincy Ybañez, Pearl Sanchez, Marcial Ii Buladaco, Joy Eloiza Rosales

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Sugarcane bagasse, a known agricultural waste product in the Philippines with 88% silica (SiO₂) content based on elemental analysis, is a viable starting material for zeolite synthesis. In this study, silica derived from sugarcane bagasse ash (SBA) collected from La Carlota, Negros Occidental, Philippines, was extracted via an alkaline extraction method using 2M NaOH and precipitation with 5 N H₂SO₄ under constant stirring at elevated temperature. Sodium aluminate was added as aluminum source then subjected to ageing at 80°C for 72 h to form the clinoptilolite-type zeolite crystals. Characterization using Scanning Electron Microscopy – Energy …

Rheological Properties And Postharvest Behavior Of Onion (Allium Cepa L. 'Superex') Subjected To Different Preharvest Treatments To Control Armyworm [Spodoptera Exigua (Hubner Lepidoptera: Noctuidae], Daphne Cassandra Gonzales, Ryan Anthony Lualhati, Kim John Nate, Cielo Azul Dumlao, Emmanuel Amatorio, Elda Esguerra, Bonifacio Cayabyab

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Heavy reliance on synthetic pesticides has led to insecticide resistance of pests such as the onion armyworm, leading to the use of alternative strategies such as biopesticides. While studies on the efficacy of these biopesticides on pest control and yield exist, their subsequent effects on the quality and postharvest behavior of bulb onions during cold storage need to be determined. Allium cepa L. ‘Superex’ yellow type onion plants were subjected to preharvest treatments of microbial (NPV crude), botanical (neem oil), synthetic insecticide (chlorfenapyr), and Farmer’s Practice (control) for the control of onion armyworm (Spodoptera exigua (Hubner)). Bulbs were then …

Identifying Dis/Misinformation On Social Media: A Policy Report For The Diplomacy Lab Strategies For Identifying Mis/Disinformation Project, Bethany S. Mcgowan, Matthew Hannah, Sofia Babcock, Katelyn Biggs, Lara Chuppe, Christina Galiatsatos, Jannine Huby, Michael Kuczajda, Bennet Miller, Stephanie Perun, Amanda Shie, Alicia Stevance, Andrew Yason, Charlotte Yeung

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Dis/misinformation was a major concern in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and has only worsened in recent years. Even though domestic actors often spread dis/misinformation, actors abroad can use it to spread confusion and push their agenda to the detriment of American citizens. Even though this report focuses on actors outside the United States, the methods they use are universal and can be adapted to work against domestic agents. A solid understanding of these methods is the first step in combating foreign dis/misinformation campaigns and creating a new information literacy paradigm.

This report highlights the primary mechanisms of dis/misinformation: multimedia …

Big Data Security And Privacy Issues With Nosql Movement, Young B. Choi

KAUPA Letters

As the growth rate of data storage caused by Big Data-oriented IT environment is becoming exponential, the security and privacy issues of Big Data are emerging on the horizon significantly. Big Data security and privacy, NoSQL movement, and feasible big data security and privacy solutions and future security and privacy software development trends of IT industry to enhance Big Data security and privacy are discussed.

Native America: Universities As Quasi-Cities, Sovereignty And The Power To Name, Victoria Sutton

American Indian Law Journal

Universities as quasi-cities have an obligation to reflect on their educational mission, and public universities have a responsibility to Native America through the unique federal trust responsibility owed to Native Nations by the federal government. The naming of buildings and transitioning to responsible adulthood requires universities, administrators, and students to reflect on who we were, who we are now, and whom we hope to be. Collaborative efforts to work with Native Nations should be undertaken with regard to naming issues.

Sovereigns possess power to control historical narratives and outcomes through their sovereign power to (1) name geographical places; (2) protect …

Immobilized Algae For Produced Water Treatment And Desalination, Shibin Nadersha, Ashraf Aly Hassan

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Produced water (PW) is the effluent generated during oil mining and extraction. On average, for every barrel of oil, 4-5 barrels of PW are generated worldwide. The presence of various contaminants in PW makes it toxic. Disposal of untreated PW into oceans and water bodies can cause adverse effects on human health and the environment. Taking into account the large volumes of it being generated, and its effects on the environment, proper treatment is required before reuse or disposal. Microalgal treatment is an effective method for the bioremediation and biodesalination of produced water when acclimatized algal biomass is used for …

National Identity Predicts Public Health Support During A Global Pandemic, Jay J. Van Bavel, Aleksandra Cichocka, Valerio Capraro, Hallgeir Sjåstad, John B. Nezlek, Tomislav Pavlović, Mark Alfano, Michele J. Gelfand, Flavio Azevedo, Michèle D. Birtel, Aleksandra Cislak, Patricia L. Lockwood, Robert Malcolm Ross, Koen Abts, Elena Agadullina, John Jamir Benzon Aruta, Sahba Nomvula Besharati, Alexander Bor, Becky L. Choma, Charles David Crabtree, William A. Cunningham, Koustav De, Waqas Ejaz, Christian T. Elbaek, Andrej Findor, Daniel Flichtentrei, Renata Franc, Biljana Gjoneska, June Gruber

Dartmouth Scholarship

Changing collective behaviour and supporting non-pharmaceutical interventions is an important component in mitigating virus transmission during a pandemic. In a large international collaboration (Study 1, N = 49,968 across 67 countries), we investigated self-reported factors associated with public health behaviours (e.g., spatial distancing and stricter hygiene) and endorsed public policy interventions (e.g., closing bars and restaurants) during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic (April-May 2020). Respondents who reported identifying more strongly with their nation consistently reported greater engagement in public health behaviours and support for public health policies. Results were similar for representative and non-representative national samples. Study 2 …

Strategic Petroleum Reserve: Origins And Evolution, Bert Chapman

FORCES Initiative: Strategy, Security, and Social Systems

The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) is located on the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coasts and has served as a national emergency petroleum supply resource since 1975. Contents of this report include:

• Information on the historical origins of U.S. national petroleum reserves dating back to 1910.
• The U.S.’ increasing growth as a petroleum consumer and its energy policy interactions with other countries.
• How the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo forced drastic changes in U.S. energy policy leading to the SPR’s establishment.
• The SPR’s legal purpose being creating and maintaining a strategic oil reserve to mitigate against future oil import interruptions or …

Examining Users’ Information Disclosure And Audience Support Response Dynamics In Online Health Communities: An Empirical Study, Joseph A. Manga, Francis Andoh-Baidoo, Emmanuel Wusuhon Yanibo Ayaburi, Diego Escobari

Information Systems Faculty Publications

Online healthcare communities (OHCs) facilitate two-way interaction. Examining users’ information disclosure-audience support response dynamics can reveal insights for fostering a supportive environment, community engagement, bond formation, knowledge sharing, and sustained participation in OHCs. We propose a structural vector autoregression (SVAR) model of user disclosure and response dynamics in OHCs. Based on the health disclosure decision-making model and daily time series data, we examine the two-way interaction of two dimensions of disclosure efficacy with audience support response acceptance. Findings of the impulse response functions reveal that user information density leads to positive support response acceptance, whereas support response acceptance reduces the …

Unveiling The Process Of Collaborative Learning Through The Use Of Digital Whiteboard Historical Action Logs, Hua Leong Fwa

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced many educational institutions to transit from face-to-face to online delivery of lessons. Precluded from meeting face-to-face in a classroom due to pandemic curbs, a digital whiteboard affords both teacher and learners to be collaborating and completing a task from home instead. In this paper, we first used a survey to assess learner’s acceptance and use of digital whiteboard. We next web-scraped and visualized historical action logs recorded by the digital whiteboarding tool to uncover the process of problem-solving between and within the teams. This is significant as social-loafing and free-riding are typically difficult to detect …

Prompting For Multimodal Hateful Meme Classification, Rui Cao, Roy Ka-Wei Lee, Wen-Haw Chong, Jing Jiang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Hateful meme classification is a challenging multimodal task that requires complex reasoning and contextual background knowledge. Ideally, we could leverage an explicit external knowledge base to supplement contextual and cultural information in hateful memes. However, there is no known explicit external knowledge base that could provide such hate speech contextual information. To address this gap, we propose PromptHate, a simple yet effective prompt-based model that prompts pre-trained language models (PLMs) for hateful meme classification. Specifically, we construct simple prompts and provide a few in-context examples to exploit the implicit knowledge in the pretrained RoBERTa language model for hateful meme classification. …

A Logistic Regression And Linear Programming Approach For Multi-Skill Staffing Optimization In Call Centers, Thuy Anh Ta, Tien Mai, Fabian Bastin, Pierre L'Ecuyer

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We study a staffing optimization problem in multi-skill call centers. The objective is to minimize the total cost of agents under some quality of service (QoS) constraints. The key challenge lies in the fact that the QoS functions have no closed-form and need to be approximated by simulation. In this paper we propose a new way to approximate the QoS functions by logistic functions and design a new algorithm that combines logistic regression, cut generations and logistic-based local search to efficiently find good staffing solutions. We report computational results using examples up to 65 call types and 89 agent groups …

Violin Performance Influences Of Fritz Kreisler, Walter Daniel White

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study explores elements contained or implied in the question of what can the modern performer of violin literature learn and apply from the life, creative output, and career of Fritz Kreisler, a successful performer and composer of a past era. It is now the twenty-first century, and Fritz Kreisler, who lived from the final quarter of the nineteenth century beyond the first half of the twentieth century continues as a name widely recognized and associated with excellence in violin performance. His name is legendary among violinists, and he left a lasting legacy in the compositions that he created for …

Buong Isyu, Katipunan 10.1

Katipunan

No abstract provided.

Associations Between Stakeholder Perceptions Of School Climate And Fidelity Of Implementation Of Key Features Of The Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports Framework In Rural Schools, Nathan Florin Anderson

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

School climate can be complex to measure and to change, but it is clear that it is a critical component of an effective school. One practice that has been shown to positively influence school climate is Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). PBIS is a framework of evidence-based practices and its power for initiating change has been shown to come from fidelity of implementation of its key components. Although there is a lot of research on PBIS implementation, not a lot is known about implementation in rural schools and the unique challenges that setting provides. This study measures baseline levels …

Nutrient Recovery From Wastewater By A Consortium Of Algae Species For Biofuel Production, Edgardo Ayala

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Current energy sources are predominantly petroleum-based and their use increases greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As the global population grows, and along with it the demand for energy, there is a need to further develop renewable energy sources to avoid the effects of increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentrations on the climate. Biofuels, a renewable energy source, have gained significant interest as a replacement for petroleum-based fuels due to their environmental benefits and carbon neutrality. Biofuels are expected to make up 9.0% of the total fuel consumption in the U.S. by 2040, up from 7.3% in 2019 [1]. Currently, terrestrial crop-based biofuels …

Sexually Selected Preferences For Human Altruism Across Sexual Orientation, Gender, Age, And Reproductive Status, Katherine Valinske Kappelman

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Prior studies have attempted to establish how human altruism has evolved, including theories of kin selection, reciprocal altruism, and costly signaling. Recent investigations have explored the evolution of altruism as the result of sexual selection, where individuals may exhibit altruistic behavior because it is preferred by potential mates. In this study, I examine how altruistic behavior toward different people (family, friends, strangers, or general altruistic acts) is preferred when considering potential short-term and long-term mates. While previous research has examined this question using college-aged heterosexual participants, this study uses a more diverse sample, including individuals who identify as LGBTQ, those …

Dna Origami Scaffold Development For Digital Nucleic Acid Memory, Sarah Elizabeth Kobernat

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Recently, DNA nanotechnology has emerged as a promising and rapidly expanding method to utilize nucleic acids as a nanoscale building material. DNA origami is a major structural application of DNA nanotechnology, using DNA to construct two- and three-dimensional shapes. These structures have been employed for a variety of uses including DNA data storage. DNA is a promising material to address the impending shortage of silicon-based storage as data demands increase. There are many sequence-based methods of data storage, but digit Nucleic Acid Memory (dNAM) uses DNA origami as a breadboard and is read by super-resolution microscopy instead. dNAM uses DNA …

Literate Change Agents Working In Oral Communities: Navigating Paradigm Shifts, Regina Marie Manley

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This research documents the experience of 12 local leaders implementing an oral curriculum over 13 months in Karnataka, India. These leaders were Change Agents interested in influencing a community with new information. They created audio materials referred to as “content” in their group’s mother tongue: In a Kannada-Telegu mix for the Madiga group (a Scheduled Caste); in Vaagri Booli for the Hakkipikki group (a Scheduled Tribe); and in Kannada for the Kannadiga group. The first two languages are unwritten. The Kannada language is the official language of Karnataka state. The oral curriculum followed the Spoken Worldwide® model. Each team of …

Hate Speech Detection Using Textual And User Features, Rohan Raut

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Social media platforms provide users with a powerful platform to share their ideas. Using one’s right to expression to incite hatred toward a particular group of people is inappropriate. However, hate speech is pervasive in our society. Spreading hate through online social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Tiktok, and Instagram is commonplace in today’s milieu. One such case is the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, which engendered anti-Asian hate.

In current literature, there is limited study on using user features in conjunction with textual features to detect hate. This thesis aims to combine textual features with user features to improve the state-of-the-art hate …

Structure, Function, And Immunogenic Applications Of Ab5-Type Adp-Ribosylating Bacterial Toxins, Elise Marie Overgaard

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Bacterial mono-ADP-ribosyltransferases (ARTs) catalyze the singular transfer of an ADP-ribose moiety from an NAD+ molecule onto a target molecule. ARTs contain an ancient and highly conserved tertiary structure and have a wide variety of intracellular targets and effects. Some, but not all, bacterial ARTs have an AB₅-type multimeric structure consisting of an enzymatically active subunit non-covalently situated atop of a non-toxic pentamer. The active, or A, subunit of AB₅-type toxins has a catalytic action that contributes to bacterial pathogenicity, and it is sometimes, but not always, an ART. ArtAB is an ART with AB₅-type …

Optimization And Enhancement Of Co2 Sequestration In Industrial Wastes For Environmental Applications, Maisa El Gamal, Ameera F. Mohammad

All Works

This paper explores carbon capture and storage (CCS) through carbide lime waste (CLW), a by-product of acetylene production, under different conditions. This process is specifically designed to provide an onsite waste management solution for several industries that can easily be integrated into existing systems. In addition, the effect of the carbonation process on collected solids morphology and average particle size was studied. The structural and chemical characteristics of the carbonated carbide lime samples were investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, TGA analysis, and Raman spectroscopy. The effect of carbonation conditions on the total dissolved solids and change in pH …

Addressing The Teacher Shortage: A Study Of Local School Human Resource Efforts In Illinois, Sean C. Potts

Dissertations

Shortages of highly qualified teachers may be one of the greatest challenges school districts face today. This study is an exploration of how eight school districts in Illinois, ranging from rural to suburban and encompassing elementary, high school, and unit organizations, experienced the effects of a teacher shortage in 2021. The three primary research questions of this study included: (1) To what degree were local districts feeling the impact of the teacher shortage in Illinois, and how did those shortages manifest themselves?; (2) What factors did local human resource directors believe to be contributing most to any obstacles they may …

Integrating Media Literacy Into General Education Core Courses For Undergraduates, Christen Embry

Dissertations

This study aimed to understand the essential nature of media literacy, evaluate pre-developed higher education classes for existing media literacy context, and recommend best practices for incorporating media literacy into an undergraduate curriculum. This mixed-methods study of media literacy in undergraduate college courses explored the presence and absence of media literacy lessons within core classes by auditing 15 online course shells accessed through the university’s Learning Management System (LMS). Specifically, all the courses surveyed included the first skill of media literacy, Access; 33% of the classes included Analyze; 27% included Creation; 20% included Reflection; and 20% included Action. Once the …

Survey For Usage Of And Interest In Personalized Nutrition As A Possible Health Approach, Kimberly Garrett

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Dietary factors can lead to chronic diseases and impact certain health factors such as sleep and mood. Personalized nutrition is based on an individual’s phenotype and genotype to meet specific dietary needs. This approach could be an intervention to benefit an individual’s health. This study surveyed a population to analyze the population’s view on and usage of personalized nutrition. The use of personalized nutrition was minimal, but there was interest within the population. In addition, a relationship between health and mood was found. However, the sample size was a limiting factor for this study. Future directions could include studying why …

Il-1Β Enhances Cell Viability And Decreases 5-Fu Sensitivity In Novel Colon Cancer Cell Lines Derived From African American Patients, Marzia Spagnardi, Jenny Paredes, Jovanny Zabaleta, Jone Garai, Tiana Reyes, Laura A. Martello, Jennie L. Williams

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: In the U.S., African Americans (AAs) present with the highest incidence and mortality rates for Colorectal Cancer (CRC). When compared to Caucasian American (CA) patients, AAs also have reduced response to the first line standard of care chemotherapeutic agent 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU). Previously, we observed differential gene expression between the two populations, suggesting that colon tumors from AA patients display a decreased antitumor immune response and an increased expression of genes encoding proteins involved in inflammatory processes, such as Interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Here, we investigate the role of IL-1β in modifying chemotherapeutic response and altering expression of proteins in novel AA …

Implementing Screening For Depression And Anxiety For Patients With Thyroid Disease, Sarah Maria Drake

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Background: Thyroid dysfunctions are the most common endocrine-specific disorders found in the clinic setting. Symptoms of hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism overlap with anxiety/depression symptoms. Research shows a relationship between individuals with thyroid disorders and people with anxiety/depression. Mental health disorders are typically managed in the primary care setting. However, screening for depression and anxiety are low in primary care settings and often go unidentified. Purpose: To implement validated, evidence-based depression and anxiety screening tools in a Texas endocrine clinic to improve the management of patients with concomitant thyroid and mental health disorders. Objectives: The project objectives include initiating screening for anxiety/depression and referral …

An Exploration Into The Lived Experiences Of African American Women Healthcare Executives: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study, Twiggy M. Eure

Education Doctoral

This qualitative, interpretive phenomenological study aimed to explore the lived experiences of six African American women in healthcare leadership. It reveals how they identify with race and gender as intersecting identities with their perceptions of their impact on patient experiences and outcomes. The six African American women healthcare executives all worked in Central New York State. The primary sources used to collect data were interviews and journal entries. This gave validity to the research that was done. The data analysis process was conducted based on the interpretation of the researcher. Four themes emerged from the analysis: (a) being the only …

Impression Management Behaviors Of Executive Leaders In Higher Education: A Descriptive Phenomenology, David T. Lind

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to gain insights into the impression management behaviors of executive leaders in higher education, within the context of opposing views among their different audiences. It is incumbent upon college leaders to communicate messages to stakeholders that meet expectations during a time of eroding public support. There is a lack of scholarship focusing specifically on how higher education executives experience the challenge of navigating shifting priorities among diverse audiences. This study explores the phenomenon of impression management from the lens of Erving Goffman’s dramaturgical theory, which provides intuitive metaphors for illuminating the subjective …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On The Digital Divide For Elementary Schools: The Lived Experiences Of K-5 Teachers Using Technology For Emergency Remote And Hybrid Instruction During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Francisca Alyssa White

Education Doctoral

In the spring of 2020, schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, teachers had to pivot from in-person instruction to emergency remote instruction. The 2020/2021 school year found schools transitioning to hybrid instruction. Teachers worked with a group of students in the classroom while simultaneously working with students online. This descriptive phenomenological qualitative study aimed to describe Lower Hudson Valley, New York, K-5 public school teachers' perceptions of readiness and their experiences using technology for remote and hybrid instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Twelve teachers participated in semi-structured interviews to share their perceptions and experiences using technology …