Digital Commons Network^™

Grit In Adult Students With Disabilities: A Multiple-Case Study, Teodora Kamburov

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This multiple-case study sought to understand how adult students with disabilities demonstrate grit in the pursuit of higher education. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, this study found that adult students with disabilities demonstrate grit through seeking to understand their own disabilities and the impacts of those disabilities on their academics, finding solutions-based approaches in improving their academic skills, persevering through various forms of sacrifice, “pushing through,” and practice, seeking help from their support networks, and maintaining consistent interests in their courses of study while also keeping a greater purpose in mind. These findings are discussed in detail and implications for practice …

In Pursuit Of Perceptions: Priming Intervention During A Goal-Directed Behavioral Task, Peter Claudius Osei

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Learning to effectively execute goal-directed tasks generally requires guidance from knowledgeable experts that can direct the performer’s attention toward important environmental features. However, specifying the optimal attentional strategies is difficult due to the subjective nature of perceptions and the complexity of the underlying neural processes. The current skill acquisition literature emphasizes action-based contingencies through Predictive and Ecological models when examining attentional processes, while Perceptual Control Theory advocates for perceptual-based mechanisms. To evaluate the efficacy of these models, this study implicitly primed one hundred fifteen participants to focus on action-based or perceptual-based aspects during an interceptive task. It was predicted that …

Is It Enough? Examining Instructional Management In A New Paradigm Of Teaching And Learning, Jr. John E Critelli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

For decades, educational leadership researchers have focused on school leadership behaviors, competencies, and skills that impact student outcomes measured by the students’ performance on standardized tests. This practice has narrowed the focus for how the field approaches teaching and learning and the evaluation models that measure school, teacher, leader, and student academic performance. To examine leadership and teaching and learning that support the development of the whole child and not just their performance on exams, this quantitative study set out to examine: Is there a relationship between a school leadership teams’ prioritization of SEL, their instructional management practice, and the …

Investigating The Potential Of Amine-Grafted Silica Materials For Simultaneous Removal Of Carbon Dioxide, Water Vapor, And Hydrogen Sulfide From Landfill Gas, Dung Lam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Amine-grafted silica (i.e., aminosilicas) was investigated for single-stage landfill gas purification via simultaneous removal of CO2, H2S, and water vapor. Aminosilica materials were synthesized by covalent triamine grafting onto mesoporous silica with custom amounts of water and amine. Screening adsorption experiments were completed in dry 30 vol.% CO2 in N2 at 40 °C and assessed using thermogravimetric analysis. Materials with equilibrium CO2 uptakes greater than 1.5 mmol/g were chosen for CO2 adsorption kinetics assessments. The highest-performing aminosilica achieved fast CO2 adsorption by reaching 80% of its equilibrium uptake in one minute. This material also maintained 100% of its initial CO2 …

"You Shouldn't Need To Share Your Data": Perceived Privacy Risks And Mitigation Strategies Among Privacy-Conscious Smart Home Power Users, Anna Lenhart, Sunyup Park, Michael Zimmer, Jessica Vitak

Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

Fueled by Internet-of-Things technologies and spanning a wide range of sensors, speakers, and cameras, smart homes promise to make our lives easier and automate routine tasks. From speakers to security cameras, smart home devices (SHDs) answer our questions, monitor our home environment, and conserve energy. They also collect significant data, ranging from on/off commands to audio and video data, and they do this in some of our most private spaces. In this paper, we explore the privacy risks associated with SHDs by focusing on privacy-conscious smart home power users--those who spend significant time and money to research, install, and integrate …

Boundary Regulation Processes And Privacy Concerns With (Non-)Use Of Voice-Based Assistants, Jessica Vitak, Priya C. Kumar, Yuting Liao, Michael Zimmer

Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

An exemplar of human-machine communication, voice-based assistants (VBAs) embedded in smartphones and smart speakers simplify everyday tasks while collecting significant data about users and their environment. In recent years, devices using VBAs have continued to add new features and collect more data—in potentially invasive ways. Using Communication Privacy Management theory as a guiding framework, we analyze data from 11 focus groups with 65 US adult VBA users and nonusers. Findings highlight differences in attitudes and concerns toward VBAs broadly and provide insights into how attitudes are influenced by device features. We conclude with considerations for how to address boundary regulation …

Power, Stress, And Uncertainty: Experiences With And Attitudes Toward Workplace Surveillance During A Pandemic, Jessica Vitak, Michael Zimmer

Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

There is a rich literature on technology’s role in facilitating employee monitoring in the workplace. The COVID-19 pandemic created many challenges for employers, and many companies turned to new forms of monitoring to ensure remote workers remained productive; however, these technologies raise important privacy concerns as the boundaries between work and home are further blurred. In this paper, we present findings from a study of 645 US workers who spent at least part of 2020 working remotely due to the pandemic. We explore how their work experiences (job satisfaction, stress, and security) changed between January and November 2020, as well …

Graph-Based Multi-Task Learning For Fault Detection In Smart Grid, Dibaloke Chanda, Nasim Yahyasoltani

Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

Timely detection of electrical faults is of paramount importance for efficient operation of the smart grid. To better equip the power grid operators to prevent grid-wide cascading failures, the detection of fault occurrence and its type must be accompanied by accurately locating the fault. In this work, we propose a multi-task learning architecture that encodes the graph structure of the distribution network through a shared graph neural network (GNN) to both classify and detect faults and their locations simultaneously. Deploying GNNs allows for representation learning of the grid structure which can later be used to optimize grid operation. The proposed …

Excitonic Coupling In Fluorene-Based Bichromophoric Systems: Vibrational Quenching And The Transition From Weak To Intermediate Coupling, Damian L. Kokkin, Neil Reilly, Maxim V. Ivanov, Rajendra Rathore, Scott A. Reid

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

Excimeric systems (i.e., excited dimers) have well served as model compounds for the study of the delocalization of electronic energy over weakly interacting chromophores. However, there remain relatively few isolated systems in which such interactions can be studied experimentally at a level to afford detailed comparisons with theory. In this Article, we examine a series of covalently and noncovalently linked dimers of fluorene, as a model aromatic chromophore, where the formation of excimers requires a π-stacked, cofacial orientation at van der Waals contact. Building upon a series of seminal prior studies that examined vibronic quenching of the excitation interaction in …

Symmetry Breaking: A Classic Example Of Quantum Interference Captured By Mixed Quantum/Classical Theory, Kayla Imanzi, Dulat Bostan, Max Mccrea, Josh Featherstone, Mark Brouard, Dmitri Babikov

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

The phenomena of propensity and inverse propensity are explored using time-dependent mixed quantum classical theory, MQCT, in which the rotational motion of the molecule is treated quantum mechanically, whereas the scattering process is described classically. Good agreement with the results of accurate full-quantum calculations is reported for a closed shell approximation to the NO + Ar system. It is shown that MQCT reproduces both phenomena in a broad range of the final states of the molecule and for various initial rotational states, offering a unique time-dependent insight. It permits seeing that both propensity and inverse propensity occur due to efficient …

Description Of Quantum Interference Using Mixed Quantum/Classical Theory Of Inelastic Scattering, Dulat Bostan, Bikramaditya Mandal, Carolin Joy, Dmitri Babikov

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

Manifestation of the quantum interference effect in the oscillation of scattering cross section is explored using the N₂ + O system as a case study. Calculations are carried out for two electronic PESs of the system, for various initial rotational states of N2, in a broad range of N₂ + O collision energies and using three theoretical methods: two versions of the approximate mixed quantum/classical theory (MQCT and AT-MQCT) and the accurate full-quantum coupled-channel method (implemented in MOLSCAT). A good agreement between different methods is observed, especially at high energies. Elastic scattering cross-sections oscillate as a function of …

Adiabatic Trajectory Approximation: A New General Method In The Toolbox Of Mixed Quantum/Classical Theory For Collisional Energy Transfer, Bikramaditya Mandal, Carolin Joy, Dulat Bostan, Alexander Eng, Dmitri Babikov

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

A new version of the MQCT program is presented, which includes an important addition, adiabatic trajectory approximation (AT-MQCT), in which the equations of motion for the classical and quantum parts of the system are decoupled. This method is much faster, which permits calculations for larger molecular systems and at higher collision energies than was possible before. AT-MQCT is general and can be applied to any molecule + molecule inelastic scattering problem. A benchmark study is presented for H₂O + H₂O rotational energy transfer, an important asymmetric-top rotor + asymmetric-top rotor collision process, a very difficult problem …

Impact Of A Low-Stakes Assessments Model With Retake In General Chemistry: Connecting To Student Attitudes And Self-Concept, Vijay Vyas, Llanie Nobile, James R. Gardinier, Scott A. Reid

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

Across a variety of fields, the use of low-stakes assessments has led to reductions in achievement gaps and improved student success. Here, we probe the use of a low-stakes assessment model with a retake option for failed quizzes in a two-semester general chemistry sequence. We find that the quiz-retake rate in general chemistry II was significantly higher for students who had completed a retake in a general chemistry I section, and the percentage of students who failed at least one quiz in general chemistry I but passed all quizzes in general chemistry II was significantly higher for students who had …

Transformations Between Rotational And Translational Invariants Formulated In Reciprocal Spaces, Philip R Baldwin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Correlation functions play an important role in the theoretical underpinnings of many disparate areas of the physical sciences: in particular, scattering theory. More recently, they have become useful in the classification of objects in areas such as computer vision and our area of cryoEM. Our primary classification scheme in the cryoEM image processing system, EMAN2, is now based on third order invariants formulated in Fourier space. This allows a factor of 8 speed up in the two classification procedures inherent in our software pipeline, because it allows for classification without the need for computationally costly alignment procedures. In this work, …

Sustainability Hub Newsletter - January 2023, Jacqueline Jergensen, Neyda Gilman, Jennifer Embree

Library Sustainability Resources

The January 2023 Issue of the Sustainability Hub Newsletter shares sustainable New Year's Resolutions, additions to our documentary collection, a new environmental justice mapping tool, information on the Sustainability Hub Interest Group, and a student petition for EV Chargers on campus! Also read our announcements and upcoming events!

Indices Of Sarcopenic Obesity Are Important Predictors Of Finite Element Analysis-Derived Bone Strength In Older Adults With Obesity, Giulia Gregori, Arjun Paudyal, Yoann Barnouin, Alessandra Celli, Martha Belen Segoviano-Escobar, Reina Armamento-Villareal, Nicola Napoli, Clifford Qualls, Dennis T Villareal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The expanding population of older adults with obesity is a public health challenge, in part, because of the increased risk of fractures despite normal or high bone mineral density. Potential factors predisposing to fractures in this group include sarcopenia associated with obesity and impaired bone quality. We aimed to determine the contribution of sarcopenic obesity (SO) indices to bone strength as assessed by microfinite element analysis (μFEA) of high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT).

METHODS: One-hundred eighty-nine older (age ≥ 65 years) adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m

RESULTS: Both ALM/W and HGS were positively correlated explaining 28% …

The Managerial Factors Influencing The Retention Of Firms' It Capability, With Some Global Implications, Jinho Kim, Kayoung Park, Timothy Komarek, Li Xu

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Researchers have explored firms’ IT capability and its effects on business performance, yet the factors influencing the long-term retention of this capability have not been fully investigated. Therefore, our study examines what managerial and financial factors influence the retention of firms’ IT capability by utilizing survival analysis. The results show that IT executives’ managerial power does not contribute to retaining the firms’ IT capability. However, the change of IT managers can introduce fresh insights and expertise to an organization, enabling firms to maintain their IT capability, and the degree of retaining IT competency in firms can vary based on industry-specific …

Treaty Interpretation At The Human Rights Committee: Reconciling International Law And Normativity, David H. Moore

Faculty Scholarship

The Human Rights Committee, the expert body overseeing states’ compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (“ICCPR”), is a key institution in the international human rights architecture. The Committee’s work requires constant interpretation of the ICCPR’s human rights guarantees. While international law dictates how to interpret treaty provisions, including those of the ICCPR, the Committee does not consistently follow the international law of treaty interpretation. Rather, normativity plays an influential role in the Committee’s interpretations. This approach is not uniformly negative; it has both costs and benefits. To minimize the costs, however, this Article identifies a path …

Intermel: An International Biorepository And Clinical Database To Uncover Predictors Of Survival In Early-Stage Melanoma, Irene Orlow, Keimya D Sadeghi, Sharon N Edmiston, Jessica M Kenney, Cecilia Lezcano, James S Wilmott, Anne E Cust, Richard A Scolyer, Graham J Mann, Tim K Lee, Hazel Burke, Valerie Jakrot, Ping Shang, Peter M Ferguson, Tawny W Boyce, Jennifer S Ko, Peter Ngo, Pauline Funchain, Judy R Rees, Kelli O'Connell, Honglin Hao, Eloise Parrish, Kathleen Conway, Paul B Googe, David W Ollila, Stergios J Moschos, Eva Hernando, Douglas Hanniford, Diana Argibay, Christopher I Amos, Jeffrey E Lee, Iman Osman, Li Luo, Pei-Fen Kuan, Arshi Aurora, Bonnie E Gould Rothberg, Marcus W Bosenberg, Meg R Gerstenblith, Cheryl Thompson, Paul N Bogner, Ivan P Gorlov, Sheri L Holmen, Elise K Brunsgaard, Yvonne M Saenger, Ronglai Shen, Venkatraman Seshan, Eduardo Nagore, Marc S Ernstoff, Klaus J Busam, Colin B Begg, Nancy E Thomas, Marianne Berwick, Intermel Consortium

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: We are conducting a multicenter study to identify classifiers predictive of disease-specific survival in patients with primary melanomas. Here we delineate the unique aspects, challenges, and best practices for optimizing a study of generally small-sized pigmented tumor samples including primary melanomas of at least 1.05mm from AJTCC TNM stage IIA-IIID patients. We also evaluated tissue-derived predictors of extracted nucleic acids' quality and success in downstream testing. This ongoing study will target 1,000 melanomas within the international InterMEL consortium.

METHODS: Following a pre-established protocol, participating centers ship formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue sections to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for …

Asynchronous Student Engagement In Analysis Of Climate Data Achieves Learning Objectives Related To Climate Change Understanding, Statistical Competence, And Climate Anxiety, Thomas Meixner, B. Ciancarelli, E. P. Farrell, D. Silva Garcia, T. Josek, M. M. Kelly, Paul Antone Meister, D. Soule, Rebekka Darner

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Learning in asynchronous online environments has gained importance over the last several decades, and educational environment shifts from the COVID-19 pandemic appear to have increased this need. Science educators and students need information about which approaches work in the asynchronous environment where informal feedback tends to be reduced, compared to other teaching modalities. In this study, we asynchronously implemented a learning module across 5 institutions that guided students (N = 199) from prescriptive data analysis through guided inquiry and eventually to open inquiry. The module focuses on the science behind climate change. Students work with the same authentic data sets …

Light Water Sustainability Program: Optimizing Information Automation Using A New Method Based On System-Theoretic Process Analysis, Jeffrey Joe, Larry Hettinger, Marvin Dainoff, Patrick Murray, Yusuke Yamani

Psychology Faculty Publications

This report describes the interim progress for research supporting the design and optimization of information automation systems for nuclear power plants. Much of the domestic nuclear fleet is currently focused on modernizing technologies and processes, including transitioning toward digitalization in the control room and elsewhere throughout the plant, along with a greater use of automation, artificial intelligence, robotics, and other emerging technologies. While there are significant opportunities to apply these technologies toward greater plant safety, efficiency, and overall cost-effectiveness, optimizing their design and avoiding potential safety and performance risks depends on ensuring that human-performance-related organizational and technical design issues are …

Semi-Automated Construction Of Patient-Specific Aortic Valves From Computed Tomography Images, Dan Lior, Charles Puelz, Colin Edwards, Silvana Molossi, Boyce E Griffith, Ravi K Birla, Craig G Rusin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

This paper presents a semi-automatic method for the construction of volumetric models of the aortic valve using computed tomography angiography images. Although the aortic valve typically cannot be segmented directly from a computed tomography angiography image, the method described herein uses manually selected samples of an aortic segmentation derived from this image to inform the construction. These samples capture certain physiologic landmarks and are used to construct a volumetric valve model. As a demonstration of the capabilities of this method, valve models for 25 pediatric patients are created. A selected valve anatomy is used to perform fluid-structure interaction simulations using …

Pre-Treatment Inflamed Tumor Immune Microenvironment Is Associated With Folfirinox Response In Pancreatic Cancer, Zachary Gao, Sung Wook Kang, Derek Erstad, Joseph Azar, George Van Buren, William Fisher, Zequn Sun, Mark P Rubinstein, Hyun-Sung Lee, E Ramsay Camp

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive tumor with limited response to both chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Pre-treatment tumor features within the tumor immune microenvironment (TiME) may influence treatment response. We hypothesized that the pre-treatment TiME composition differs between metastatic and primary lesions and would be associated with response to modified FOLFIRINOX (mFFX) or gemcitabine-based (Gem-based) therapy.

METHODS: Using RNAseq data from a cohort of treatment-naïve, advanced PDAC patients in the COMPASS trial, differential gene expression analysis of key immunomodulatory genes in were analyzed based on multiple parameters including tumor site, response to mFFX, and response to Gem-based treatment. The relative …

A Rapid, Low-Cost, And Highly Sensitive Sars-Cov-2 Diagnostic Based On Whole-Genome Sequencing, Per A Adastra, Neva C Durand, Namita Mitra, Saul Godinez Pulido, Ragini Mahajan, Alyssa Blackburn, Zane L Colaric, Joshua W M Theisen, David Weisz, Olga Dudchenko, Andreas Gnirke, Suhas S P Rao, Parwinder Kaur, Erez Lieberman Aiden, Aviva Presser Aiden

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Early detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection is key to managing the current global pandemic, as evidence shows the virus is most contagious on or before symptom onset. Here, we introduce a low-cost, high-throughput method for diagnosing and studying SARS-CoV-2 infection. Dubbed Pathogen-Oriented Low-Cost Assembly & Re-Sequencing (POLAR), this method amplifies the entirety of the SARS-CoV-2 genome. This contrasts with typical RT-PCR-based diagnostic tests, which amplify only a few loci. To achieve this goal, we combine a SARS-CoV-2 enrichment method developed by the ARTIC Network (https://artic.network/) with short-read DNA sequencing and de novo genome assembly. Using this method, we can reliably ( …

Prefrontal Network Engagement By Deep Brain Stimulation In Limbic Hubs, Anusha Allawala, Kelly R Bijanki, Denise Oswalt, Raissa K Mathura, Joshua Adkinson, Victoria Pirtle, Ben Shofty, Meghan Robinson, Matthew T Harrison, Sanjay J Mathew, Wayne K Goodman, Nader Pouratian, Sameer A Sheth, David A Borton

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Prefrontal circuits in the human brain play an important role in cognitive and affective processing. Neuromodulation therapies delivered to certain key hubs within these circuits are being used with increasing frequency to treat a host of neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the detailed neurophysiological effects of stimulation to these hubs are largely unknown. Here, we performed intracranial recordings across prefrontal networks while delivering electrical stimulation to two well-established white matter hubs involved in cognitive regulation and depression: the subcallosal cingulate (SCC) and ventral capsule/ventral striatum (VC/VS). We demonstrate a shared frontotemporal circuit consisting of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and lateral orbitofrontal …

Binary Classification Of The Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals By Artificial Neural Networks, Zahir Aghayev, George F Walker, Funda Iseri, Moustafa Ali, Adam T Szafran, Fabio Stossi, Michael A Mancini, Efstratios N Pistikopoulos, Burcu Beykal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

We develop a machine learning framework that integrates high content/high throughput image analysis and artificial neural networks (ANNs) to model the separation between chemical compounds based on their estrogenic receptor activity. Natural and man-made chemicals have the potential to disrupt the endocrine system by interfering with hormone actions in people and wildlife. Although numerous studies have revealed new knowledge on the mechanism through which these compounds interfere with various hormone receptors, it is still a very challenging task to comprehensively evaluate the endocrine disrupting potential of all existing chemicals and their mixtures by pure

Cardiac Function, Structural, And Electrical Remodeling By Microgravity Exposure, Mary R Sy, Joshua A Keefe, Jeffrey P Sutton, Xander H T Wehrens

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Space medicine is key to the human exploration of outer space and pushes the boundaries of science, technology, and medicine. Because of harsh environmental conditions related to microgravity and other factors and hazards in outer space, astronauts and spaceflight participants face unique health and medical challenges, including those related to the heart. In this review, we summarize the literature regarding the effects of spaceflight on cardiac structure and function. We also provide an in-depth review of the literature regarding the effects of microgravity on cardiac calcium handling. Our review can inform future mechanistic and therapeutic studies and is applicable to …

Soil And Compost Tea: A New Restoration Technique?, Carol E. Day

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Historically, prairie restorations have lacked the plant diversity seen in remnant prairies. Most restoration practices focus on reestablishing the plant community but overlook the soil microbial community even though microbes are critical to habitat functioning. Developing techniques that increase soil microbes in prairie restorations is critical to ensuring diverse restored habitats. We compared how microbial communities differed between remnant and restored prairie sites. We also investigated if soil and compost teas could be used to reintroduce microbes to restored prairie soil and if the teas affected native plant establishment. We found significant differences in the levels of bacterial taxa between …

Investigating Michigan’S Skilled Construction Laborer Shortage Within The Great Lakes Region, Jennifer E. Russell

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The construction industry has been facing a decline in skilled trade labor for decades. This study asks three overarching questions: (a) What are the causes and influencing factors of Michigan’s skilled construction laborer shortage? (b) How are Michigan stakeholders in the Great Lakes Region remedying the shortage? (c) What new solutions can be implemented to remedy Michigan’s skilled construction laborer shortage? A literature review was conducted to identify causes, influencing factors, and research gaps. Closed surveys questioning 69 construction project managers and 101 skilled trade laborers in Michigan were conducted online and on construction sites. A quantitative analysis of the …

The Critical Architect: How Can Educational Leaders Use Duoethnographic Boundary-Spanning Dialogue To Build Pathways For Transformative Leadership?, Wendy Lawrence

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The U.S. schooling system has a long history of failed reforms that lead to schools consistently perpetuating society’s inequities. Rigid organizational structure, built purposely to sustain the life of the institution (as if it, and not the children, were the thing whose life mattered), ensures that even the most well-intentioned transformative school leader or community activist will struggle to create lasting change. Barriers created by organizations, laws, and culture are everywhere, acting as obstacles to discourse and progress. Any attempt to rethink schools must include the voices and ideas of marginalized students and families who are often excluded from curriculum, …