Digital Commons Network^™

“Om” Chanting And Its Impact On Selected Neuropsychological Functions: A Literature Overview, Suresh Kumar Thanneeru, Roshan F. Sutar, Vijendra Singh, Anuradha Kushwah, Saikat Das, Mahendra Atlani, Madhukar Mittal, Amit Agrawal

Manipal Journal of Medical Sciences

The "OM" mantra is one of the most sacred symbols in Indian culture, and Om chanting holds emotional, spiritual, and religious significance. The domain and spectrum of the impact of "Om" chanting include delta and theta brainwaves on EEG, overall EEG activity, asthma symptom control, quality of life, brain hemodynamics, and physiological and psychological effects of "Om" chanting and singing. It also plays a role in the management of major depressive disorder (MDD). "OM" listening or chanting activates the frontal lobe and supramarginal gyrus, promoting calmness, enhancing thinking processes, and improving memory. In the present review, we selectively examine articles …

Assessment Of The Impact Of The Lockdown On The Use Of Medications For Chronic Diseases In The State Of Goa, Sayed Sf, Dias A, Viegas M

Manipal Journal of Medical Sciences

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic came as a shock to citizens globally and those dependent on medications for chronic conditions were hit the hardest during the long lockdowns. This study aims to assess how the medications for chronic conditions in the state of Goa were impacted and the change in practices and attitude towards purchase and compliance.

Methods: It was a cross sectional study conducted on 264 participants from various parts of Goa, a state on the western coast of India. Data was collected using an online questionnaire using Google forms which involved closed and open ended questions assessing attitude, compliance …

Responses Of An Axially Rotated Tube Versus Twisted Tube Design As Two Solutions To Enhance The Thermal Performance Under A Non-Uniform Heat Flux Condition: A Numerical Study, Andrew S. Tanious, Ahmed A. Abdel-Rehim, Ahmed A. Attia

Mechanical Engineering

Enhancement of heat transfer in tubes exposed to non-uniform heat flux applications is a key factor in increasing such applications' efficiency.

In the present study, heat transfer in an axially rotating pipe with concentrated heat flux at the lower section of the pipe is numerically investigated and compared to the twisting technique in such applications. The effects of pipe’s length (1, 2, and 3 m) and rotation rate (N = 0–10.5), which is the ratio between the rotational and axial Reynold’s numbers, are studied numerically using ANSYS Fluent while the effect of the twist ratio (S = 0.1–1m) is studied …

M-Cubes: An Efficient And Portable Implementation Of Multi-Dimensional Integration For Gpus, Ioannis Sakiotis, Kamesh Arumugam, Marc Paterno, Desh Ranjan, Balŝa Terzić, Mohammad Zubair

Computer Science Faculty Publications

The task of multi-dimensional numerical integration is frequently encountered in physics and other scientific fields, e.g., in modeling the effects of systematic uncertainties in physical systems and in Bayesian parameter estimation. Multi-dimensional integration is often time-prohibitive on CPUs. Efficient implementation on many-core architectures is challenging as the workload across the integration space cannot be predicted a priori. We propose m-Cubes, a novel implementation of the well-known Vegas algorithm for execution on GPUs. Vegas transforms integration variables followed by calculation of a Monte Carlo integral estimate using adaptive partitioning of the resulting space. mCubes improves performance on GPUs by maintaining relatively …

Eye Movement And Pupil Measures: A Review, Bhanuka Mahanama, Yasith Jayawardana, Sundararaman Rengarajan, Gavindya Jayawardena, Leanne Chukoskie, Joseph Snider, Sampath Jayarathna

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Our subjective visual experiences involve complex interaction between our eyes, our brain, and the surrounding world. It gives us the sense of sight, color, stereopsis, distance, pattern recognition, motor coordination, and more. The increasing ubiquity of gaze-aware technology brings with it the ability to track gaze and pupil measures with varying degrees of fidelity. With this in mind, a review that considers the various gaze measures becomes increasingly relevant, especially considering our ability to make sense of these signals given different spatio-temporal sampling capacities. In this paper, we selectively review prior work on eye movements and pupil measures. We first …

Introducing A Real-Time Advanced Eye Movements Analysis Pipeline, Gavindya Jayawardana

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Real-Time Advanced Eye Movements Analysis Pipeline (RAEMAP) is an advanced pipeline to analyze traditional positional gaze measurements as well as advanced eye gaze measurements. The proposed implementation of RAEMAP includes real-time analysis of fixations, saccades, gaze transition entropy, and low/high index of pupillary activity. RAEMAP will also provide visualizations of fixations, fixations on AOIs, heatmaps, and dynamic AOI generation in real-time. This paper outlines the proposed architecture of RAEMAP.

Completing Single-Cell Dna Methylome Profiles Via Transfer Learning Together With Kl-Divergence, Sanjeeva Dodlapati, Zongliang Jiang, Jiangwen Sun

Computer Science Faculty Publications

The high level of sparsity in methylome profiles obtained using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing in the case of low biological material amount limits its value in the study of systems in which large samples are difficult to assemble, such as mammalian preimplantation embryonic development. The recently developed computational methods for addressing the sparsity by imputing missing have their limits when the required minimum data coverage or profiles of the same tissue in other modalities are not available. In this study, we explored the use of transfer learning together with Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence to train predictive models for completing methylome profiles with …

Camouflaged Poisoning Attack On Graph Neural Networks, Chao Jiang, Yi He, Richard Chapman, Hongyi Wu

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Graph neural networks (GNNs) have enabled the automation of many web applications that entail node classification on graphs, such as scam detection in social media and event prediction in service networks. Nevertheless, recent studies revealed that the GNNs are vulnerable to adversarial attacks, where feeding GNNs with poisoned data at training time can lead them to yield catastrophically devastative test accuracy. This finding heats up the frontier of attacks and defenses against GNNs. However, the prior studies mainly posit that the adversaries can enjoy free access to manipulate the original graph, while obtaining such access could be too costly in …

Ready Raider One: Exploring The Misuse Of Cloud Gaming Services, Guannan Liu, Daiping Liu, Shuai Hao, Xing Gao, Kun Sun, Haining Wang

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Cloud gaming has become an emerging computing paradigm in recent years, allowing computer games to offload complex graphics and logic computation to the cloud. To deliver a smooth and high-quality gaming experience, cloud gaming services have invested abundant computing resources in the cloud, including adequate CPUs, top-tier GPUs, and high-bandwidth Internet connections. Unfortunately, the abundant computing resources offered by cloud gaming are vulnerable to misuse and exploitation for malicious purposes. In this paper, we present an in-depth study on security vulnerabilities in cloud gaming services. Specifically, we reveal that adversaries can purposely inject malicious programs/URLs into the cloud gaming services …

Co-Simulation Of Optimal Evse And Techno-Economic System Design Models For Electrified Fleets, Nuh Erdogan, Sadik Kucuksari, Umit Cali

Faculty Publications

As the transition to electric mobility is expanding at a rapid pace, operationally feasible and economically viable charging infrastructure is needed to support electrified fleets. This paper presents a co-simulation of optimal electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) and techno-economic system design models to investigate the behaviors of various EVSE configurations from cost and technical aspects. While the system design optimization is performed for a grid-tied PV system, the optimal EVSE model considers all EVSE options which are currently installed at workplaces. To investigate the impact of EV utilization rate, three fleet sizes are considered that are generated based on real …

I, Jill Alexander, American Girl Revolutionary, Taraneh M. Haghanikar

Faculty Publications

Analyzing the insider-outsider continuum in Remembrance of the Sun (1986, 2011) by Kate Gilmore, the purpose of this paper is to reveal different levels of being a female outsider protagonist moving along the insider-outsider continuum, maintaining an outsider voice, and at the same time developing an insider perspective. Remembrance of the Sun is a historical fiction authored by an outsider and set in 1978, one year before the Islamic revolution in Iran. After moving from New England to Tehran, Jill, a seventeen-year-old American girl, struggles to adjust to an unfamiliar lifestyle. However, her experience becomes a story of love and …

Research And Graduate Studies Annual Report, 2022, Office Of Research And Graduate Studies, Illinois State University

Research and Graduate Studies Annual Report

No abstract provided.

Soil Organic Carbon Accumulation In Restored Native Prairies Over Time, Samrin Shahnaz

Honors Program Theses

With the recent focus on the causes and effects of climate change, the relationship between agriculture and climate change has become an important concern. Conventional farming maximizes crop production at the expense of ecosystem services like soil carbon storage. As the human population grows, it is vital to develop practices that balance crop production and ecosystem services.

We investigated organic carbon accumulation in restored prairie soil over the course of a decade. Our goal was to determine how organic carbon levels and soil bulk density changed over time, and how that change was influenced by species diversity and soil depth. …

Assessing And Meeting The Mental Health Needs Of Student Athletes - A Case Study Of The University Of Northern Iowa, Samantha Bennett

Honors Program Theses

It is my hope with this work to shed light on these grave issues facing our student-athletes at UNI, and to more greatly inform community members about the real experiences of this population. Readers should come away with an understanding of why greater action is necessary to help our student-athletes and remedy the disparities our campus is seeing in terms of mental health resource need and acquisition.

For stakeholders and institutional leaders at UNI, I hope this paper may provide a helpful and informed
framework for responding to the issues being presented by our athletics community.

Social Media Recruitment And Online Propaganda By Extremist Groups, Megan Marie Robinson

Honors Program Theses

As billions of people turn to their technologically elite phones and laptops for immediate information, online groups have learned how to take advantage of social media patterns and isolate people into a specific belief or carefully tailored platforms that eliminate opposing ideas. Extremist groups’ online presence have been studied as individual dilemmas, rather than being studied for patterns to combat the rapidly increasing radicalization of people who had no claim to these beliefs before social media. This study will contrast the online presence of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and the January 6th insurrectionists in terms of …

Influence Of The Cpa Credential On The Life Satisfaction Of University Of Northern Iowa Accounting Alumni, Derek Richard Koppes

Honors Program Theses

This paper aims to explore the relationship between obtaining a CPA as a University of Northern Iowa accounting graduate and measures of life satisfaction. In this study, survey data were collected from a random sample of University of Northern Iowa accounting graduates. The research suggests that graduates who obtained the CPA credential have higher levels of life satisfaction. Accounting students at the University of Northern Iowa for years to come stand to benefit greatly from this research because the results of this study provide more insight into the favorable outcomes that are enjoyed by accounting alumni who elected to pursue …

Testing The Efficiency Of The Nfl Betting Market, Ryan Earl Oswald

Honors Program Theses

This paper seeks to investigate the NFL betting market, using statistical and economic tests to challenge the Efficient Market Hypothesis’ claim that it is efficient and no strategy can be expected to make a profit. Specifically, this paper studies the spread, over-under, and money line markets to see if each is efficient on their own and as a collective. In looking to see how these lines can influence the outcomes of each other, this paper finds a number of strategies that were profitable over the timeframe of the data. This shows that the NFL betting market was not completely efficient …

College-Age Students' Attitudes Toward Essential Oils, Alternative Medicines, And Modern Medicine, Taylor Nicole Brown

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the attitudes of college-age students on the use of essential oils, alternative medicines, and modern medicine. Essential oils are natural oils that contain the essence/fragrance of a plant and are often used for cleaning purposes (e.g., in soaps, detergents, disinfectant sprays) and therapeutic purposes (e.g., relieving aches and pains, calming a person, healing illnesses and injuries, improving mood). Although essential oils are primarily used in alternative medicine, some oils have also been used on an experimental basis in modern medical settings (Corner et al., 1995).

College-age students took part in an …

Leveraging Machine Learning For Detecting Iot-Based Interference In Operational Wifi Networks, Josh Pulse

Honors Program Theses

IoT (Internet of Things) devices have become increasingly popular in recent years while WiFi continues to serve as primary network provider indoors. With the advancements in technology, the networks of IoT devices continue to weave closely with indoor WiFi network deployments. Both kinds of these networks primarily operate in 2.4 GHz ISM Band (though latest WiFi standards can operate in 5 GHz and 60 GHz bands, too). With the multitude of tiny IoT sensors being deployed indoors alongside operational WiFi networks, severe interference scenarios cannot be ruled out. As a result of this interference, performance of WiFi networks is bound …

The Development Of A Photographic Atlas Of Plant Adaptations For Pollination, Bethany Van Dusseldorp

Honors Program Theses

Plants have biotic, abiotic, or both biotic and abiotic adaptations for pollination, depending on how they are structured and the attraction between the plant and pollinator. The main focus for this project was biotic adaptations for pollination, and how various plants are specifically structured for the insect, bird, or mammal to pick up the pollen and carry it to the next plant. Documentation, using image/focus stacking and macro photography, was done of the structures of various plants from the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) Botanical Center to support the reason for why plants are structured the way they are. While …

Alexander The Great And Achilles: The Origin Of The Connection Between The Homeric Hero And The King Of Macedon, Katie Thessen

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

Using Color With Care: An Exploration Of The Application Of Psychological Color Theory Within Language Classrooms, Mackenzie Wisneski

Honors Program Theses

This study is a qualitative analysis of the current use(s) of affective-based color theory for social-emotional and academic-related assistance within language classrooms. Current and past literature support the important and effective nature of a learner’s environment in relation to information acquisition and retention (Krashen, 1982; Maslow, 1970b; Perry, 2006). This research is significant within the language teaching field as it stands to summarize the external challenges that emergent bilingual students are facing as well as contextualize their learning environment with respect to the use of visual cues to promote both the students’ social-emotional wellbeing and academic success. Data was collected …

Preservice Teachers, Antiracism, And Racial Literacy: Exploring Current Preservice Teachers' Definitions And Perceptions Of Racism And Antiracism Within Teacher Education, Olivia Gabrielle Terrones

Honors Program Theses

In teacher preparation programs across the country, racial discourse has grown in relevance and become an increasingly common aspect of teacher preparation programs. This study will explore the perceptions of preservice teachers on topics of race. Through a research survey of 120 current University of Northern Iowa preservice teachers, this study will explore and analyze how current UNI preservice teachers view and define racism and antiracism, where the participants place themselves on a racial literacy continuum, and how they value antiracist racial literacy in their future careers as teachers. Antiracist education is necessary for teacher education programs because the grade …

Firm Resources, Strategies, And Survival And Growth During Covid-19: Evidence From Two-Wave Global Surveys, Sheng Fang, Chorching Goh, Shaomin Li, L. Colin Xu

Management Faculty Publications

This study examines how firms have made strategic choices and performed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on the organizational resources and strategic change literature, it uses World Bank Enterprise Surveys and the COVID-19 Follow-up Enterprise Surveys to examine how different endowments in organizational resources affected firm performance as measured by their survival status and sales growth, and how these resources interact with and affect strategic responses in the supply of inputs, response to changing demand, liquidity management, and innovation. The results indicate that larger firms, firms with foreign or state ownership, and subsidiary companies performed better during the pandemic by …

Evaluation Of House Staff Candidates For Program Fit: A Cohort-Based Controlled Study, Soo-Hoon Lee, Phillip H. Phan, Sanjay V. Desai

Management Faculty Publications

Background: Medical school academic achievements do not necessarily predict house staff job performance. This study explores a selection mechanism that improves house staff-program fit that enhances the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Milestones performance ratings.

Objective: Traditionally, house staff were selected primarily on medical school academic performance. To improve residency performance outcomes, the Program designed a theory-driven selection tool to assess house staff candidates on their personal values and goals fit with Program values and goals. It was hypothesized cohort performance ratings will improve because of the intervention.

Methods: Prospective quasi-experimental cohort design with data from two house staff …

China Inc. And The World's Response, Shaomin Li

Management Faculty Publications

This article is based on the author’s new book, China, Inc.: How the Chinese Communist Party Transformed China into a Giant Corporation (Cambridge University Press, 2022). The author argues that leveraging its absolute power, low human rights advantage, and tolerance by other countries, the Chinese Communist Party has transformed China into a giant corporation. Living, working, and investing are not rights but privileges granted by the party. The party is the management of China, Inc., with the politburo standing committee as the board of directors and the party’s general secretary as the CEO. The various ministries are the functional departments …

An Exploration On Apts In Biocybersecurity And Cyberbiosecurity, Xavier-Lewis Palmer, Lucas Potter, Saltuk Karahan

School of Cybersecurity Faculty Publications

Novel and complex digital threats that are increasingly interwoven with means and products of biology that can affect society. Much work in Biocybersecurity/Cyberbiosecurity (BCS/CBS) discuss vulnerabilities, but few deeply address malicious actor varieties as attacks at this intersection are new. The path to those attacks remains mostly theoretical, presenting considerable difficulty to accomplish in practical scenarios. In terms of advanced persistent threats (APTs) this of course needs to change as biomanufacturing facilities are at risk, considering Covid-19 and other potential pandemics. Further attacks are not out of reach and thus we must start to imagine how BCS APTs may appear. …

A Zebra's Trust: How Rare Disease Communities' Participation In Data Trusts' Governance Builds Trust And Drives Research, Samantha C. Smith

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Data sharing plays an increasingly prominent role in society, but it remains a necessary component of rare disease research. Because rare diseases are--as the name indicates-- rare, researchers have only a small number of patients from whom to collect data, and the expense of cross-border data sharing to increase research data is significant. Nevertheless, the rise of artificial intelligence and precision medicine increases the need for usable rare disease data. Current legislation and regulations aimed at addressing rare diseases fall short in addressing these data sharing needs for rare disease research. While the European Union (EU) has invested in rare …

Prairie Strips: The Roadman Farm, Tallgrass Prairie Center, University Of Northern Iowa

Tallgrass Prairie Publications and Reports

Report on the implementation of prairie plants in contour farming on a farm in Grundy County, Iowa.

System Statuses In Academic Libraries: Increasing Transparency And Improving The User Experience, Lauren Puzier, Rebecca A. Nous

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

"is facebook down" trended on Google on October 4, 2021, when Facebook became temporarily globally unavailable. Web users proactively seek information when they encounter issues online. System status dashboards are one way libraries can leverage this behavior to share changes to resources or services and improve transparency, reference services, and the user experience. The University at Albany Libraries Discovery Services Librarian and User Experience Librarian implemented Springshare’s System Status Management tool to share system statuses with library staff and the campus community. The institutional context, implementation, and impact are described in this article. The authors reviewed Association of Research Libraries …