Digital Commons Network^™

Dancing With Dopamine: How Raves Enhance Focus And Increase Wellbeing, Ania Ocasio

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

Reliability Modeling And Improvement Of Critical Infrastructures: Theory, Simulation, And Computational Methods, José Carlos Hernández Azucena

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a framework for developing data-driven tools to model and improve the performance of Interconnected Critical Infrastructures (ICIs) in multiple contexts. The importance of ICIs for daily human activities and the large volumes of data in continuous generation in modern industries grant relevance to research efforts in this direction. Chapter 2 focuses on the impact of disruptions in Multimodal Transportation Networks, which I explored from an application perspective. The outlined research directions propose exploring the combination of simulation for decision-making with data-driven optimization paradigms to create tools that may provide stakeholders with optimal policies for a wide array …

Process-Structure-Property Relationships Of Nanofibers For Biomedical Applications, Dipasree Bhowmick

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the fabrication, characterization, and applications of nanofiber membranes utilizing Forcespinning® technology. Two distinct nanofiber systems were developed and evaluated, one focusing on pH-responsive Eudragit-baicalin loaded nanofibrous membranes for wound healing and the second one on thermo-responsive nanofiber-hydrogel (PNIPAAm) systems for biosensing applications, specifically dopamine detection. In the first project, nanofiber membranes loaded with Eudragit and baicalin demonstrated superior antibacterial properties against both gram-negative (E. coli) and gram-positive (B. meg) bacteria. Additionally, these membranes exhibited antioxidant properties and enhanced cell proliferation of 3TT cells, making them promising candidates for wound healing dressings. In the second project, a …

Examining Social Factors Influencing Latino Students' Academic Learning In Rio Grande Valley Via A Quantitative Design, David T. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This research study aimed to examine the social factors that could influence the academic learning experiences of Latino college students. Hispanic students are pursuing post-secondary degrees at a higher rate than in previous years. Many Hispanics represent their respective family members as the first members of their respective families to attend college (Trevino & DeFreitas, 2014). The academic achievement of Latino college students is becoming a major concern in the United States due to their growing population and special needs (Trevino & DeFreitas, 2014).

It is imperative to examine the social factors that could affect the academic learning experiences of …

Python Manual: A Learning Guide For Structural Engineering Students, Aaron Dewey, Kennedy Gomez, Meileen Yee

Architectural Engineering

This Python programming manual is a resource to assist architectural, civil, or structural engineering students as they learn to create scripts to solve various structural analysis and dynamics problems. Beyond providing guidance on Python libraries that enable numerical and symbolic mathematics (NumPy, SciPy, SymPy), the manual also focuses on the creation of tabular and plot outputs useful to communicate results through technical reports (Pandas, Matplotlib).

The content of this document was developed based on detailed review of curriculum for three architectural engineering computing courses typically offered to upper class students at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo as well as surveys …

Costs Of Wind Erosion In The Northern Agricultural Region, Anne Bennett

Natural resources published reports

Summary

• To date, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s (DPIRD) estimated opportunity cost of wind erosion for Western Australia’s (WA) agricultural region has only included the costs of forgone production income and therefore underestimates the broader costs of wind erosion events.
• This underestimation of costs was the impetus to create a case study to give an indication of the magnitude of the costs of wind erosion from agricultural land.
• Farmers in the Northern Agricultural Region (NAR) were contacted to seek information about the on-farm costs of wind erosion events that occurred in 2020. Seventeen farmers responded to the …

Agricultural Groundcover Update November 2023, Justin Laycock

Natural resources published reports

Summary

• About 98% of the grainbelt had adequate (more than 50%) vegetative groundcover to prevent wind erosion in November 2023. This amount of groundcover is normal for the middle of harvest.
• In the northern half of the grainbelt, a larger-than-average area had 51–60% groundcover, which is expected to decrease to below 50% over summer.
• Just over 2% of the grainbelt (324,000 ha) had less than 50% groundcover, which is inadequate to prevent wind erosion. Mullewa to Morawa Ag Soil Zone had the highest risk of wind erosion and 9.7% of this farmland had inadequate groundcover.
• Less than 0.5% of the …

Status Of The Western Australian Pastoral Rangelands 2023: Total Vegetative Cover And Cover Risk, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development

Natural resources published reports

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) monitors and reports on the vegetation condition of pastoral rangelands in Western Australia. This 2023 short report uses remotely sensed total cover data available to the end of October 2023, rainfall data to the end of November 2023 and Stock Return data reported in 2022 (the most recent available) to determine cover risk. Cover risk at the land conservation district (LCD) level is an indicator of the likelihood of total cover declining to, or remaining at, low or very low levels. Total cover and cover risk may not be indicative of …

Developing Detection And Mapping Of Roads Within Various Forms Of Media Using Opencv, Jordan C. Lyle

Computer Science and Computer Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

OpenCV, and Computer Vision in general, has been a Computer Science topic that has interested me for a long time while completing my Bachelor’s degree at the University of Arkansas. As a result of this, I ended up choosing to utilize OpenCV in order to complete the task of detecting road-lines and mapping roads when given a wide variety of images. The purpose of my Honors research and this thesis is to detail the process of creating an algorithm to detect the road-lines such that the results are effective and instantaneous, as well as detail how Computer Vision can be …

Arkansas Soybean Research Studies 2022, Jeremy Ross

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Arkansas is the leading soybean-producing state in the mid-southern United States. Arkansas ranked 11th in soybean production in 2022 when compared to the other soybean-producing states in the U.S. The state represented 3.04% of the total U.S. soybean production and 3.64% of the total acres planted in soybean in 2022. The 2022 state soybean average yield was 52.0 bushels per acre, tying the previous state yield record of 52 bushels per acre set in 2021. The top five soybean-producing counties in 2022 were Mississippi, Crittenden, Phillips, Poinsett, and Arkansas (Table 1). These five counties accounted for over 35.7% of the …

The Hidden Quality Cost Resulting From Food And Drug Administration Inspection Failures In Mid To Large Companies, Jonathan Walston

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An approach to identify and validate hidden quality costs associated with regulatory non-compliance from inspections by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not been previously researched. This dissertation presents a robust quantitative methodology to analyze the daily cumulative abnormal returns (CAR) on populations of publicly traded mid-to-large cap companies around FDA inspection events having negative outcomes. Three hypotheses have been tested focusing only on inspection events from companies falling under the biologics product type category. Hypothesis 1 states that there is no statistically significant correlation between the sum of CAR around inspection windows for such companies when a negative …

Deontics And Time In Contracts: An Executable Semantics For The L4 Dsl, Seng Joe Watt, Oliver Goodenough, Meng Weng (Huang Mingrong) Wong

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Existing approaches to modelling contracts often rely on deontic logic to reason about norms, and only treat time qualitatively. Using L4, a textual domain specific language (DSL) for the law, we offer a more operational interpretation of norms, based on states and transitions, that also accounts for the granular timing of events. In this paper, we present a higher-level rendering of the loan agreement from Flood & Goodenough in L4, and an accompanying operational semantics amenable to execution and static analysis. We also implement this semantics in Maude and show how this lets us visualize the execution of the loan …

Non-Invasive Glucose Detection Using A Triple Pole Csrr Sensor, Chibuike Nnabuife Okika

Theses

A compact, low-cost, portable, non-invasive blood glucose sensor has been designed and presented in this paper. The proposed sensor is a triple-pole square Complementary Split Ring Resonator (CSRR) sensor that is etched on an FR4 substrate. At the bottom of the sensor is coupled an etched Microstrip Transmission Line (MTL) with an impedance matching of 50 Ω, which excites the sensor elements. Utilizing the CSRR-based sensor overcomes the disadvantages of pain and discomfort that the traditional method of pricking the skin to measure blood glucose levels could pose. The sensors work in such a way that as the glucose concentration …

Novel Psychophysics Of Cognitive Color Appearance Phenomena, Luke Hellwig

Theses

Color appearance models can be used as an experimental design and analysis tool to better study high-level color perception involving brightness and chromatic adaptation. We investigate the experimental basis for the Helmholtz-Kohlrausch effect, the contribution of chromatic intensity to our perception of brightness. A new experimental method for measuring the brightness of chromatic colors leads to a model of the Helmholtz-Kohlrausch effect, which we use to extend CIECAM16, the color appearance model recommended by the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage. The model is tested on high-dynamic-range images. The process of building this model also leads to several improvements in CIECAM16 itself. …

An Exploration Of Two Information Literacy Open Learning Object Repositories: Value, Content, And Engagement, Tiffanie Lynn Ford-Baxter

Communications in Information Literacy

Information literacy (IL) open learning object repositories (LORs) provide a space for librarians to find and exchange instruction resources and lessons. Given many librarians enter the workforce with little or no formal training or educational opportunities to learn about pedagogy, these repositories are indispensable resources to the Library and Information Science field. This study explored the contents of two popular IL LORs, Project Cora and the Association of College and Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy Sandbox, to uncover how users engage with the resources and how the repositories differ. This study's findings suggest that while resources within the LORs …

Coastal Wetland Restoration Through The Lens Of Odum's Theory Of Ecosystem Development, Friedrich W. Keppeler, Annette S. Engel, Linda M. Hooper-Bùi, Paola C. López-Duarte, Charles W. Martin, Jill A. Olin, Katelyn J. Lamb, Michael J. Polito, Nancy N. Rabalais, Multiple Additional Authors

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Advancing ecological restoration assessments requires a more detailed consideration of species interactions and ecosystem processes. Most restoration projects rely on a few metrics not always directly linked with ecological theory. Here, we used Odum's theory of ecosystem development to assess and compare the ecosystem structure and services of created marshes (4–6 years old) with preexisting, reference marshes in a brackish water region of the Mississippi River Delta. We built ecosystem models for created and reference marshes that integrated large datasets of stomach contents, stable isotopes, and taxa abundances. Despite strong resemblance in community structure, created marshes were at an earlier …

How Beavers (Castor Canadensis) Affect Habitat Availability For Two Native Oregon Turtles: Actinemys Marmorata And Chrysemys Picta Bellii, Rodé Krige

University Honors Theses

Oregon is home to two native freshwater turtle species: the northwestern pond turtle and the western painted turtle. Both turtles are Oregon conservation strategy species with a status rating of sensitive, indicating declining populations. Oregon's decline in these turtle's populations is thought to be predominantly due to loss and degradation of habitat that results from development and urbanization. Beavers' ability to dam streams and create ponds may be creating habitat usable by turtles, but the relationship is under-studied. This study assessed water temperature, basking habitat, and overall turtle habitat suitability at beaver-dammed and control ponds in Portland, Oregon. Average basking …

2023 Aquatic Weed Surveys At Timothy Lake, Lake Harriet, North Fork Reservoir, And Estacada Lake, Gabriel E. Campbell, Jacob Rose

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Portland General Electric (PGE) operates and manages reservoirs as part of their Clackamas Hydroelectric Project in Clackamas County, Oregon. The Center for Lakes and Reservoirs staff surveyed some of these reservoirs in 2023 for aquatic vegetation. This document summarizes their survey efforts including their protocols and data.

Independent- Dec. 1, 2023, Leslie Lozada

The Independent (1988-present)

No abstract provided.

Husker Motorsports Active Drag Reduction System, Creighton Hughes, Evan Killian, Micah Busboom, Aj Johnson, Jude Steffen

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Formula SAE is a multifaceted competition that involves student teams designing and competing with an open-wheel style race car. There are 5 different dynamic events included in the competition. Each event requires a unique aerodynamic setup to have the best performance possible. This design project focuses on a drag reduction system (DRS) that will improve aerodynamic performance, resulting in faster lap times and increased competitiveness. Key features include a direct electronic actuation mechanism that will allow the rear wing to be adjusted during a race. The benefits of the DRS system, include increased speed, improved handling, and greater fuel efficiency …

Enhancing Urban Water Quality Through Biological-Chemical Treatment: Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Community And Temporal Chlorophyll-A Response, Matthew Chaffee

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

With a growing human population, urbanization is impeding a plethora of natural waterways. Of these, urban ponds play a vital role in nutrient sequestration, flood prevention, and habitat sanctuaries. However, nutrient loading can reduce habitat effectiveness and promote harmful algae blooms. To reduce internal nutrient loads, a biological-chemical treatment strategy consisting of floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) and lanthanum were applied to two urban retention ponds, Densmore and Wilderness Ridge Ponds. To measure effectiveness, chlorophyll-a samples were collected and correlated with Sentinel-2. A novel band algorithm termed 3BR1 produced a strong correlation (R² = 0.72) to physical chlorophyll-a …

Renovating The Ipmu Via Internet Of Things For Pollutant Emission Estimations In Poultry Facilities, Joshua Dotto

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The emissions of ammonia (NH₃), particulate matter (PM_2.5), and carbon dioxide (CO₂) are major concerns in poultry facilities. They can pose environmental concerns and nuances. Robust and affordable measurement systems are needed to accurately measure in-barn concentrations and quantify the emissions.

The Intelligent Portable Monitoring Unit (iPMU or PMU3) developed in 2016 was reconstructed into PMU4 to include upgraded NH₃ and PM_2.5 sensors and wireless connectivity for a low-cost, robust, and accurate air quality monitoring device with contactless data transfer using the concept of Internet of Things (IoT). In addition, a user-friendly …

Analyzing The Impacts Of Beaver Dam And Beaver Dam Analog Complexes To Stream Ecology Within The Intermountain West, J. Marshall Wolf

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Streams, rivers, and their floodplains throughout the world are impaired due to human modifications. Recent research has demonstrated that restoration projects prioritizing the proper functioning of ecosystems have better restoration outcomes than projects which focus on restoring form alone. Throughout North America, beaver-mediated restoration is becoming a leading method for improving the functioning of stream ecosystems that are in a degraded state. In areas where beaver are absent or the habitat is too degraded to currently permit their dam building, man-made beaver dam analogs (BDAs) are being used to restore stream habitat with an eye to future beaver recolonization. However, …

Multi-Objective Water Management In Idaho's Henrys Fork Watershed: Leveraging Reservoir Operation And Groundwater Pathways To Benefit Aquatic Habitat, Christina N. Morrisett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Multi-user water management is a challenging arena further complicated by climate change. This research is based in the Henrys Fork, Snake River, Idaho—an agricultural watershed that exemplifies those throughout the semi-arid American West. This dissertation uses an integrated approach that considers groundwater-river relationships, farm-scale decisions and basin-scale outcomes, upstream reservoir operation for downstream aquatic habitat, water rights, and collaborative stakeholder management to identify drought adaptation strategies accordingly.

Chapter 2 uses an interdisciplinary approach to quantify how improvements to irrigation efficiency at the farm-scale (i.e., converting from flood to sprinkler irrigation) can add up to affect hydrology at the landscape-scale and …

Controls On Sediment Connectivity In Fluvial Networks Impacted By Wildfire Across Utah, Alec Arditti

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Flooding and sedimentation caused by wildfire are among the greatest threats to watersheds, fish populations and reservoirs in the western US. Burned landscapes are at risk for increased runoff and erosion and have the potential to transport sediment that may put downstream resources at risk. The ability of the channel to transport sediment downstream, known as the connectivity, is important for determining where impacts may occur. Sediment bottlenecks are locations within the watershed where local conditions produce a persistent decrease in downstream connectivity of sediment, resulting in increased sediment deposition and potentially a substantial modification of the local channel and …

Investigating Relationships Among Measures Of English And Chinese Handwriting Fluency In Early-Elementary Chinese Dual Language Immersion Students, Petra Mei Wah Sin Chou

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between English and Chinese handwriting fluency measures in early-elementary Chinese Dual Language Immersion students. This was done by conducting five handwriting fluency tasks among Chinese Dual Language Immersion students and comparing the findings. First, the findings showed that there was a moderate correlation between the participants' English and Chinese handwriting fluencies and that English fluencies predicted Chinese fluencies. However, the students could write English numbers and letters much faster than Chinese characters. Second, as expected, Chinese DLI participants showed that handwriting fluency improved as grade level increased. Third, third-grade students …

Investigating K-3 Spanish Dual Language Immersion Teachers' Conceptions Of Mathematics-Focused Content-Based Language Teaching, Rachel C. Reeder

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Classroom instruction is influenced by and reflects teachers’ conceptions about their teaching. In elementary Dual Language Immersion (DLI) classrooms, teachers deliver mathematics and target-language instruction with the expectation that both can be developed concurrently. This qualitative study investigated K-3 Spanish DLI teachers’ conceptions about Mathematics-Focused Content-Based Language Teaching (MF-CBLT), which emphasizes the instructional parameters guiding teachers’ integration of content (mathematics), language (Spanish), and teaching (pedagogy).

The study examined 11 teachers’ statements and teaching samples to investigate their knowledge, beliefs, and preferences (i.e., conceptions) about MF-CBLT. A survey and individual teacher interviews provided access to what teachers had to say while …

Quantifying The Effect Of Stable Stratification On Low-Reynolds Number Flow Past A Horizontal Cylinder, Holland Kartchner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In this research, we study the behavior of flow around a cylinder in the presence of stable stratification, which refers to variations in density throughout the fluid. This phenomenon is observed in natural and industrial settings. We use computer simulations to analyze how stratification affects the flow patterns created by the cylinder. Specifically, we investigate situations where the stratification is perpendicular to the flow direction, and the wake exhibits two-dimensional characteristics. We use spectral-element method based computational fluids dynamics to simulate the phenomena. During the simulations, we vary two important parameters: the Densimetric Froude Number (Fr) and the …

Dominant Cognitive Strategy In Aphantasia, Sarah N. Pope

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The purpose of this research was to explore the impact on thinking when an individual is not able to "see with a mind's eye." This is known as aphantasia and is the reduction or absence of visual imagery, which can have large impacts on problem solving and remembering one's own past. The current study examines these impacts by exploring the different ways in which thinking may occur, verbal-analytical, visual imagery, spatial imagery, and how a one's dominant thinking strategy affects performance on a paired work task, a mental rotation task, and an object memory task. Comparing those with typical imagery …

Modeling Elementary Students' Computer Science Outcomes With In-School And Out-Of-School Factors, Umar Shehzad

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This two-paper dissertation explores factors influencing the attitudes of Grade 5 students who are learning computer science (CS) in schools. It statistically examines the effects of out and in-school factors on students’ attitudes toward computing. The first paper of this dissertation examines the influence of parental support as perceived by the students on their interest and their self-assessed ability to engage in computer programming, thus underscoring the crucial role of parental support on learners’ attitudes. It also investigates how involving families in CS activities by sending a CS-themed board game influences students’ interest. The study finds that perceptions of parental …