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Hydrothermal Synthesis Of Valve Metal Ta-Doped Titanate Nanofibers For Potentially Engineering Bone Tissue, Parker Cole, Yang Tian, Savannah Thornburgh, Mary Malloy, Lauren Roeder, Lu Zhang, Mansi Patel, Yiting Xiao, Yan Huang, Z. Ryan Tian

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recent research efforts have increasingly concentrated on creating innovative biomaterials to improve bone tissue engineering techniques. Among these, hybrid nanomaterials stand out as a promising category of biomaterials. In this study, we present a straightforward, cost-efficient, and optimized hydrothermal synthesis method to produce high-purity Ta-doped potassium titanate nanofibers. Morphological characterizations revealed that Ta-doping maintained the native crystal structure of potassium titanate, highlighting its exciting potential in bone tissue engineering

Icy Insights: Decrypting The Depths With Novel Stochastic Techniques To Model And Mitigate Arctic Under-Ice Oil Spills, Kelsey A. Frazier

Engineering

The retreat and thinning of Arctic sea ice, driven by climate change, have increased the potential for maritime navigation in the region, thereby heightening concerns about the environmental impacts of potential oil spills in the Arctic. This dissertation, with a focus on the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, seeks to develop a remote predictive method for assessing the subsurface features of Arctic sea ice, thereby facilitating rapid responses to Arctic oil spills without depending on time-consuming in situ measurements. The first paper of this dissertation addresses the need for oil spill modelers to understand oil movement along the subsurface of sea …

Tiny Machine Learning For Underwater Image Enhancement: Pruning And Quantizaition Approach, Dr Khaled Nagaty, The British University In Egypt, Andreas Pester Dr

Computer Science

Many people have expressed an interest in underwater image processing in a variety of fields, including underwater vehicle control, archaeology, marine biological studies, etc. Underwater exploration is becoming an increasingly important element of our lives, with applications ranging from underwater marine and creature research to pipeline and communication logistics, military use, touristic and entertainment use. Underwater images suffer from poor visibility, distortion, and poor quality for a variety of causes, including light propagation. The major issue arises when these images must be captured at depths greater than 500 feet and artificial lighting needs to be provided. Efficient algorithms and models …

The Influence Of English Proficiency In Online Health Information-Seeking: A Comprehensive Model Of Information-Seeking (Cmis) Based Study Using Health Information National Trends Survey (Hints) Data, Lauren M. Perez

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

Understanding language-related challenges is crucial for addressing health and healthcare access disparities. This study examines differences in online health information seeking (OHIS) experiences by English proficiency. It explores factors influencing OHIS that patients in the United States with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) may encounter to shed light on the online health information needs of patients with LEP. The research utilizes data from the 2017 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 5 Cycle 1 to analyze the OHIS experiences of patients. Findings will inform healthcare providers, policymakers, and researchers, promoting equitable access to reliable health information.

Unlocking The Gates Of Change: Exploring The Impact Of Transformational Leadership On Openness Toward Organizational Change, William A. Whipple Iii

M.S. in Leadership

This capstone delves into the contemporary challenge of organizational change, specifically focusing on leadership's influence on employee openness to change. The objective is to provide leaders with practical tools for fostering employee receptivity to change in today's dynamic work environment. This study employs a mixed-method approach involving a literature review and a quantitative survey. The research reveals a positive relationship between transformational leadership and employee openness to change. A 21-item survey evaluates the correlation between five subdimensions of transformational leadership and employee openness. Practical implications suggest that leaders emphasizing inspirational communication can enhance employee openness to future organizational changes, contributing …

Disaster Preparedness Levels Among Firefighters, Shelby G. Coonts

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

There are numerous studies that focus on household preparedness however, there are few studies that focus on the preparedness levels of first responders. The purpose of this quantitative comparative study was to (a) establish, analyze, and compare the current level of disaster preparedness among Hinesville City Fire Department and Liberty County Fire Services located within the same region of Southeastern, Georgia and (b) analyze any correlation between demographics of the Firefighters and their level of disaster preparedness. This research sought to benchmark the organizational level of disaster preparedness of two critical departments (city and county fire services) by measuring three …

Gifted And Talented Student Performance On State Achievement Tests, Dondre Harris

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

The exploration of dissecting gifted and talented programs combined with student advancement and academic success is one daunting but doable. The purpose of this study was to investigate the equity of the gifted and talented program while analyzing the achievement scores of these students compared to their peers. This quantitative study includes an evaluation of third through fifth grade students in a central Arkansas school district while merging the relationships of the general education population versus the academically gifted and talented population. Both groups were examined through the independent variables classified as ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. A descriptive data …

Cost Minimization For Charging Electric Bus Fleets, Daniel Mortensen, Jacob Gunther, Greg Droge, Justin Whitaker

Electrical and Computer Engineering Student Research

Recent attention for reduced carbon emissions has pushed transit authorities to adopt battery electric buses (BEBs). One challenge experienced by BEB users is extended charge times, which create logistical challenges and may force BEBs to charge when energy is more expensive. Furthermore, BEB charging leads to high power demands, which can significantly increase monthly power costs and may push the electrical infrastructure beyond its present capacity, requiring expensive upgrades. This work presents a novel method for minimizing the monthly cost of BEB charging while meeting bus route constraints. This method extends previous work by incorporating a more novel cost model, …

Commencement [Program], December 16, 2023, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Commencement Programs

The program of the commencement ceremonies, including a list of institutional leadership, a list of the departments by college, awards given at the ceremonies, and a list of undergraduate and graduate degree candidates. This commencement program is not an official graduate list.

Contents:

--- Iowa Board of Regents ... 2
--- Institutional Leadership ... 2
--- The Academic Procession ... 3
--- Academic Honorary Organizations ... 4
--- University Ambassador Organizations ... 5
--- University Honors Program ... 6
--- Legacy Graduates ... 6
--- Order of Events ... 7
--- College of Education ... 10
--- College of Humanities, …

Create Dangerously: An Introduction, Shann Ray Ferch, Jiying Song

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

There is something very communal to the art of servant-leadership. As you attend to a life of servant-leadership and engage with the articles here or the chapters in the anthologies, we encourage you to engage with generosity, grace, patience, and a life-affirming essence. Life is shot through with the art and science of servant-leadership, and once we encounter it we see just how directly servant-leadership informs, deepens, and shapes us here and now. As for our mutual quest for the essence of servant-leadership, let’s show care for each other and our work. Sisterhood. Brotherhood. Good intention and good humor. As …

On The Scanlon Plan And Servant-Leadership, Paul W. Davis, Larry C. Spears

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

For 75 years, Joe Scanlon, the Scanlon Plan, and Scanlon-led companies had a robust run in the world of business, aided by the Scanlon Leadership Network. Over time, the number of Scanlon companies declined, and in 2013 the Scanlon Leadership Network, Foundation, and Consultancy ceased to exist. And for the past 53 years, servant-leadership has been growing in practice and influence around the world. This article in The International Journal of Servant-Leadership is adapted from a book that we created and published in 2008 titled, Scanlon EPIC Leadership, published by the Scanlon Foundation. Sections of the paper include an overview …

Would Jesus Build A Pyramid? Servant-Leadership And Corporate Social Responsibility, Jiying Song

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

The purpose of this article is to examine corporate social responsibility (CSR) from a Christian perspective and to study Jesus’ leadership and speculate whether Jesus would have built a CSR pyramid. First, literature is reviewed in the areas of servant-leadership, how Jesus leads, and corporate social responsibility. Following is a discussion of faith integration perspectives and models, biblical and theological approaches, and whether Jesus would build a pyramid. This article ends with a conclusion.

Servant-Leadership In Nursing Education, Kendrea Todt, Sarah Covington

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

Recent changes in healthcare policy including the sentinel paper from the Institutes of Medicine, now known as the National Academy of Medicine, 2010 report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health and the most recent, The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity reports have demonstrated the changing role of nurses creating a growing need for nurse leaders. The healthcare industry is seeking to find a leadership style that will facilitate the goals of providing quality care in a collaborative environment. With its natural focus on service, the style of the servant-leader is one option. …

2023 Fall - Commencement Program, Office Of The Registrar, East Tennessee State University

ETSU Commencement Ceremonies and Programs

No abstract provided.

Essays In Robust Optimization With Applications To Finance And Renewable Energy, Hao Jiang

Operations Research and Engineering Management Theses and Dissertations

Real-world optimization problems are often sensitive to uncertainties caused by estimation errors, forecasting inaccuracy, and imprecise data information. These uncertainties bring significant challenges to decision-making in many areas. Robust optimization (RO) is a tool for addressing the challenges of parameter uncertainty. In this dissertation, we focus on the studies of RO on two problems. (1) In the study of finance, we proposed a tractable RO model for a Mean-Variance portfolio selection problem. We consider Markowitz's Mean-Variance Optimization when stock returns are modeled using Sharpe's single-index framework, but the model coefficients Alpha and Beta, are not precisely known. This study assumes …

Deep Learning For Microbiome-Based Integrative Modeling And Microbial Biomarkers Identification, Sen Yang

Statistical Science Theses and Dissertations

The human microbiome, comprising trillions of microorganisms, plays a pivotal role in modulating host physiology via molecular and metabolite exchanges. One of the major challenges in this field lies in the effective integration of microbiome and metabolomics data, an achievement that holds the promise of substantially enhancing the precision of disease prediction. However, many datasets prioritize microbiome data while neglecting paired metabolome information. Additionally, the prevalent analytical tools face challenges in effectively merging these intricate datasets, leading to possible misinterpretations and reduced prediction accuracies.

To address these challenges, the first part of this research introduces the Microbiome-based Supervised Contrastive Learning …

Machine Learning For Automated Cervical Vertebral Maturation Assessment On Lateral Cephalograms, Nuo Dong

Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Skeletal maturation age is an important guide in growing adolescent patients to determine the proper time to start orthodontic treatment. The most practical and commonly used method to determine skeletal age in today’s clinical practice is the Cervical Vertebral Maturation (CVM) method [2]. Based on the morphology of the cervical vertebrae, six maturational stages can be determined – designated CS 1 to CS 6. The main drawback of this technique is the time required to determine CS number. Objective: In this research a machine learning (ML) algorithm to automatically determine CVM staging from the lateral cephalometric radiograph was developed. …

Roadside Lidar Data Processing For Intelligent Transportation System, Md Parvez Mollah

Computer Science ETDs

Roadside LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors are recently being explored for Intelligent Transportation System aiming at safer and faster traffic management and vehicular operations. However, massive data volume, occlusion, and limited viewing angles are significant obstacles to the widespread use of roadside LiDARs. In this dissertation, we address three major challenges to enable applications of Intelligent Transportation System through roadside LiDAR data: (i) real-time transmission of the massive point-cloud data from the roadside LiDAR devices to the cloud using 5G network, (ii) mitigating sensor occlusion problem to increase coverage and detect events occurred in occluded regions of a sensor, …

Computational Study Of The Effect Of Geometry On Molecular Interactions, Sarika Kumar

Computer Science ETDs

The specificity and predictability of DNA make it an excellent programmable material and have allowed bio-programmers to build sophisticated molecular circuits. These molecular devices should be precise, correct, and function as intended. In order to implement these circuits, the challenge is to build a robust, reliable, and scalable logic circuit with ideally minimum unwanted signal release. Performing experiments are expensive and time-consuming, so modeling and analyzing these bio-molecular systems become crucial in designing molecular circuits. This dissertation aimed to develop algorithms and build computational tools for automated analysis of molecular circuits that incorporate the molecular geometry of nanostructures. Molecular circuits …

Design And Fabrication Of A Low Power 7.2 Terabit Transmitter For Exascale Computing, Scott Mcwilliams

Electrical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Enhanced Coupled Strength (ECS) gratings fabricated into III-V based devices offer high reflected power per unit length and broad band reflectivity as compared to conventional 1st order gratings, desired qualities for short-haul high speed transmitters that can be implemented without the need for chip-level temperature control, contributing to the low power per transmitted bit. For commercial DBR lasers, the grating reflectivity results in an extremely narrow reflectivity spectrum, which is highly desired for most/many applications, but requires a power hungry thermo-electric cooler to maintain a fixed frequency. The proposed LEAM (laser electro-absorption modulator) requires a broad reflectivity spectrum, which, by …

Series Aperture Coupled Fed Phased Array Antenna, Guang Yang

Electrical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Phased arrays are employed in a wide range of civil and Military contexts, including RADAR, cellular communications, and satellite communications. However, modern phased-array antennas require complex design and bulky structure at high costs, hindering their implementation in many applications. The critical aspect of a phased array design lies in power splitting with a proper phase to each radiating element. Conventional power splitters such as quarter-wavelength or Wilkinson power splitters suffer problems associated with complex array network and high power dissipation. Furthermore, popular phase shifters such as MEMS switch, ferrite-based or PIN diode have drawbacks of low power-handling capability, expensive packaging, …

On The Integration Of Hydrogen Into Integrated Energy Systems: Reliability Assessment And Optimal Operation And Planning, Tao Wu

Electrical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Hydrogen, regarded as one of the cleanest energy carriers, is gaining momentum to support the realization of net-zero emissions integrated energy systems due to its versatile applications across various energy sectors. In the near-term, blending hydrogen into integrated energy systems offers opportunities to promote hydrogen integration considering the current high levelized cost of hydrogen. However, because of the different physical properties of hydrogen, the impact of hydrogen on the reliability and optimal operation of integrated energy systems should be investigated to maximize the share of hydrogen without degrading the functionality of integrated energy systems. In the long-term, the optimal planning …

Quantum And Classical Learning Algorithms For Grid Integration Of Energy Storage And Renewables: Operation, Modelling, And Planning, Bin Huang

Electrical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

With the pressing net-zero objectives, renewable energy sources (RESs) and energy storage systems (ESSs), which serve as the main force in providing low-carbon energy and flexibility, are being integrated into the power systems at an unprecedented rate. The rising penetration trend of RESs and ESSs brings both opportunities and challenges. In the short term, the inherent intermittency of RESs and high capital costs of ESSs introduce obstacles to revenue maximization for hybrid power plants and complicate the provision of privacy-ensured, high-fidelity network modeling. Long-term planning faces the hurdle of expanding ESS capacity in microgrids while maintaining power supply resilience with …

Educator Preparedness To Leverage Assistive Technologies In The Classroom, Sean Masterman

Doctorate in Education

The fourth industrial revolution (4IR) is driving a compelling need for pedagogical change, yet there is disjuncture between the capacity of emerging technologies to address this need and their actual use in the American classroom. These technologies can enable personalization to meet each student’s individualized learning needs. Educator preparedness is the first step toward embracing and integrating the broad capabilities of emerging technologies to help build the future workforce. This qualitative, phenomenological case study assessed the preparedness of middle school general educators in two Minnesota school districts to leverage assistive technologies (ATs) to improve student learning from the perspective of …

Colloid Fabrication For Biomedical Engineering Applications Through Droplet Microfluidics, Lewis I. Larsen

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

The goal of this work was to leverage soft colloid fabrication through droplet microfluidics to improve the biomedical fields of radiotracer microspheres for selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) and 3D hydrogel tissue constructs for cell culture with future potential as a platform to study liver diseases and drug response. The importance of positron emission tomography (PET) imaging microspheres infused with positron-emitting radioisotopes such as Ga-68, Cu-64, and F-18 is that they accurately map tumor-to-liver uptake (TLR) ratio and lung shunting factor of hepatocellular carcinoma. These pretreatment radiotracers model the intravascular accumulation behavior of radioactive therapeutic Y-90 SIRT microspheres. Qualifying patients, …

An Examination Of Maria Schneider’S Big Band Artistry Through The Lens Of Wind Band Arranging, Amy Birdsong

Dissertations, 2020-current

Within the world of instrumental music there tends to be strict adherence to styles and genres that have historically been connected to a standard collection of instruments. Wind ensembles are expected to perform contemporary art music, orchestral transcriptions, or military marches, with little expectation of individual creative interpretation. Jazz ensembles, or “big bands,” are expected to perform styles of music such as “swing,” which cannot be properly notated using western notation, while also being rigidly glued to reduced instrument choices, repetitive chord cycles and standard song forms. While wind ensemble performers are confined to read and perform all aspects of …

Distinguishing High-Quality Audio: The Unique Contribution Of Bit-Depth Resolution?, Benjamin Stone

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Individuals are capable of discerning high- and low-quality digital audio, but the current evidence tends to confound sampling rate and bit depth (see Mizumachi et al., 2014). When bit-depth is constant, higher sampling rates can be discerned (Oohashi et al., 2000). It likewise has been argued that 16- and 24-bit audio can be distinguished when sampling rate is constant (Kanetada et al., 2013). The present study aimed to evaluate bit-depth-related perceptual ability using simplified tone stimuli in order to determine at which point from 8- to 24-bit that further increases in bit-depth resolution are no longer perceptually beneficial. Potential contributions …

757transfamily: Empowering Parents To Raise Their Transgender Child Through Knowledge, Connection, And Joy, Jessica Gurley

Institute for the Humanities Master's Papers, Projects, and Capstones

Parents of transgender and non-binary children often want to support their children, but are not sure how. Giving these parents the support and resources they need will increase their ability to support their children, further increasing the chance that their children will live a long, healthy, authentic life.

I built a website, and organized a workshop that parents can attend in order to access information and resources about the transgender community. These parents will receive the support they need to be better equipped to support their gender-diverse children. I will be collecting information about the parents' feelings and experience towards …

Short-Term Forecasting Airport Passenger Flow During Periods Of Volatility: Comparative Investigation Of Time Series Vs. Neural Network Models, David H. Hopfe, Kiljae Lee, Chunyan Yu

Publications

Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs), known for handling complex data tasks like language translation and speech recognition, are seldom employed in airport management practice for daily and weekly passenger flow forecasting tasks. In this paper, we evaluate the effectiveness and adaptability of various neural network models (RNN, LSTM, GRU, Deep LSTM, Bidirectional LSTM, multivariate RNN, and multivariate LSTM) against standard time series models (ARIMA, SARIMA, and SARIMAX) for a short-term forecasting airport security checkpoint passenger flows at five major U.S. airports during the pandemic.

At Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport (ATL), the RNN notably surpasses SARIMA's forecasting accuracy by 34% (DM= 3.44, p …

Increasing Medication Adherence In Patients With Bipolar Disorder Using Mobile App Reminder, Emmaculate Ndifor

Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Projects, 2020-current

Background: Bipolar disorder (BD) is the fifth leading course of disability in the world, contributing to many co-morbid conditions and complications. Non-adherence to medication is prevalent in patients with BD. The aim of the project was to use an evidence-based technological intervention to enhance medication adherence in BD patients between 18- 65 years old at an outpatient behavioral health clinic.

Methods: Baseline assessment included a pre Morisky Medication Adherence (MMAS-4) questionnaire. The development of an intervention to improve medication adherence was based on Johnson’s (2002) Medication Adherence Model (MAM).

Interventions: Participants downloaded the Medisafe app, registered medications and set …