Digital Commons Network^™

Enhancement Of Ambient Air Quality Index Forecasting Using Optimized Ensemble Model, Vanitha M

Theses and Dissertations

Forecasting ambient air quality is essential for environmental sustainability and public health, especially in heavily populated regions such as China, India, and the United States where air pollution remains a serious concern. Traditional forecasting models often struggle to accurately represent air quality data because of its complex patterns and nonlinear interactions. To address these challenges and improve forecast performance, this research proposes a comprehensive strategy that integrates parallel heterogeneous ensemble modeling with Bayesian optimization.

The study begins with a seasonal machine learning–based imputation technique (SeasonalMLImpute) designed to handle missing data in meteorological and air quality parameters. This method is evaluated …

Reading Law's Great Unread: Qualitative Computational Methods, Artificial Intelligence And The New Empirical Legal Research, Simon Wallace

PhD Dissertations

How will new computational technologies change legal research and our visions of what law is? Inspired by the work of digital humanists, Bourdieu, and sociologists of literature, this dissertation explores how the methods of “distant reading” can be used to develop new classes of critical insights about law. After situating the project theoretically, this dissertation reports on a series of new computational studies about Canadian law. Chapter 1 measures Canadian statutory and regulatory law, showing that law has grown unevenly over the past decade and a half. Chapter 2 uses new artificial intelligence to transcribe and analyze Supreme Court of …

The Echo: December 9, 2024, Taylor University

2024-2025 (Volume 112)

No abstract provided.

Latinas In Law Enforcement: Tokenism, Barriers And Changes Along The Narrow Bridge To Promotion, Saturnino Velazquez

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand and analyze themes and patterns shared among the lived experiences of 12 female Latina Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) in male-dominated police departments in the Midwest (Illinois and Minnesota). The researcher chose to adopt a basic interpretive qualitative research methodology for this study because it provides a flexible and useful research tool, and provided a broader approach to interpreting meaning from rich and detailed data, yet complex, and account of semi-structured interviews that served as a data collection instrument. This study was guided by the theoretical framework of Kanter’s research on …

Sd-Weat: Towards Robustly Measuring Bias In Input Embeddings For Artificial Intelligence Language Models, Magnus Gray

Theses and Dissertations

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming industries and markets, from healthcare to entertainment, revolutionizing decision-making processes. However, as AI grow more influential, they also risk amplifying existing biases, potentially leading to harmful consequences. Recent advancements in large language models (LLMs), such as GPT-4 and Llama, have heightened concerns about bias in natural language processing (NLP) tasks, driving the need for robust methods to detect and mitigate bias. Current approaches, such as the Word Embedding Association Test (WEAT) and its sentence-level extension the Sentence Encoder Association Test (SEAT) often fall short in capturing the nuances of biases in the input embeddings …

Algorithmic Reconstruction Of High-Fidelity Synthetic Sird Data, Dylan Mack

Electrical and Systems Engineering Undergraduate Student Research

During infectious disease outbreaks, epidemiologists are faced with problems similar to those of state estimation. Often, only population-level measures of the outbreak are available, such as infection counts per week or test positivity rates. However, these aggregate statistics yield little insight into the individual-level dynamics of an epidemic. Further, empirical data does not directly measure transmission network structure and producing this information via contact tracing is extremely resource-intensive and scales poorly. In this poster, I present an algorithm that produces synthetic, individual-level disease state measurements that both obey the mechanics of an SIRD model and, in aggregate, match empirical infection …

Mems 411: The Ball Bearing Sorter Group N, Jack Zhao, Anri Cifuentes, Shawn Xiong, Richard Li

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

The challenge was to design and develop an automated device capable of sorting and packaging six types of ball bearings—varying in size (1/4 inch and 1/2 inch) and material (stainless steel, brass, and nylon). The device needed to meet strict performance and design constraints, including fitting within a compact 20x20x20-inch footprint, weighing no more than 15 pounds, and sorting bearings with high speed and accuracy.

This problem represents a practical scenario in automated manufacturing, where efficient and precise sorting is crucial for streamlining assembly line operations. The solution required integrating innovative engineering mechanisms, such as size differentiation, material separation, and …

Mems 411: Mailbox Assistant, Peter Scholl, Benjamin Cortes, Garbiel Arcas, Colin Zeiss

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

Oftentimes elderly people struggle with reaching into their curbside mailbox from their car, especially if the mail is pushed all the way to the back. With the Mailbox Assistant, sore shoulders can be saved through a drawer that slides out from the mailbox. This modification can be made to any mailbox without altering the outside appearance thus keeping it within HOA standards.

Mems 411: Ball Bearing Sorter, Abdissa Effa, Juliet Whitehead, Ayub Shifa

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

The challenge is to design and fabricate a compact device capable of autonomously sorting and transporting ball bearings of varying materials (chrome steel, brass, nylon) and sizes (¼” and ½”) into designated packaging stations. The device must operate efficiently, accurately, and within the constraints of a 20x20x20-inch enclosure, meeting industrial assembly line standards of speed and precision while minimizing human intervention. It aims to address the need for high-rate sorting systems in manufacturing environments, ensuring accurate material identification and classification for streamlined operations.

Mems 411: Asme Ball Bearing Sorter, Ryan Lively, Joseph Huster, Wil Collins

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

The ASME Student Design Competition focused on the design and construction of a ball bearing sorter. This ball bearing sorter must be capable of sorting 2 sizes of ball bearings, being 1/2 inch and 1/4 inch. For each size, there are 3 different bearing materials, brass, steel, and acetal plastic. The device is intended to have the bearings fed into a hopper, and then fully autonomously sort the bearings. The autonomous sorting was to transport the various bearings into 6 different packing stations, one for each size and material bearing. These packing stations must be easily removable. This design project …

Mems 411: Automated Assistive Toilet, Alex Scaff, Kenna Mcgahren, Daniel Sibley

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

How do we make toilets more accessible for all people - regardless of physical, mental, emotional impediments - while also ensuring simplicity and cost-effectiveness? Utilizing sensors, our toilet device is designed to automatically open and close the toilet lid upon approach, increasing ease of use and general hygiene of the user while being friendly to those who struggle with certain disabilities or impairments.

Mems 411: Rc Plane Mount For Cfd Validation, Jake Schwartz, Margot Jay, Ian Torres, Sam Ehrman

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

Washington University in St. Louis’ Design/Build/Fly team (WashU DBF) participates in an annual international competition with over 100 teams where they create a Remote Control (RC) plane that can perform various missions. One of the difficulties in developing a plane each year is testing the forces on the plane. Currently, Ansys and XFLR5 are used to create computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models for the plane. CFD modeling simulates air flow over the plane’s wings to analyze how to optimize the aircraft’s aerodynamics. While this is a useful strategy to predict the plane’s theoretical performance, WashU DBF Technical President, Eleni Kambouris, …

Mems 411: Mini Syringe Pump, Rachel Foulk, Braxton Hart, Camilo Hernandez

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

In many research and medical settings, small amounts of liquids are dispensed using syringes. Very often, syringe pumps like those shown in the left image, are used to control the amount (i.e., flow rate) of dispensed/collected fluid. There are single- or multi-style syringe pumps; the one shown is single-style; multi-style have 2-8 parallel syringes that are all pushed/pulled at the same flow rate. However, these syringe
pumps are bulky and heavy, making them impractical for many experimental setups. Commercial alternatives include very expensive syringe pumps with remote dispensers. Furthermore, it is often necessary to have two syringe pumps operate in …

Inference For Regression With Variables Generated By Ai Or Machine Learning, Laura Battaglia, Timothy Christensen, Stephen Hansen, Szymon Sacher

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

It has become common practice for researchers to use AI-powered information retrieval algorithms or other machine learning methods to estimate variables of economic interest, then use these estimates as covariates in a regression model. We show both theoretically and empirically that naively treating AI- and ML-generated variables as “data” leads to biased estimates and invalid inference. We propose two methods to correct bias and perform valid inference: (i) an explicit bias correction with bias-corrected confidence intervals, and (ii) joint maximum likelihood estimation of the regression model and the variables of interest. Through several applications, we demonstrate that the common approach …

Deputy Sheriffs’ Experience With Inmate Suicide, Tiffany Buco

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Deputy sheriffs working in correctional facilities are responsible for enforcing rules and regulations of the facility, supervising inmates, ensuring security, and preventing inmates from escaping. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of deputy sheriffs experiencing an inmate’s death by suicide. The sample for this study consisted of six deputy sheriffs who had been a deputy sheriff for at least 3 years and experienced an inmate suicide. The theoretical foundation applied to this study is the personal construct theory because it requires constructs that are used to make sense of people’s experiences, in this …

National Parks For Future Generations?: The Covid-19 Pandemic’S Impacts On National Parks And Tourism, Colin Cummings '25

Student Research

This paper explores the complex relationship between tourism and the environment in U.S. National Parks, with a focus on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It examines how increased visitation affects wildlife, the spread of invasive species, and the overall health of natural ecosystems. The author argues for a shift in public perception of national parks, emphasizing education, community engagement, and a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of nature to ensure the preservation of these areas for future generations. The paper also discusses the role of park rangers and historical interpretations of wildlife and the environment, as well as the …

Order On Impact Of Truck Inds. And Discovery Issues

Catholic Dioceses in Bankruptcy

No abstract provided.

Long-Term Adverse Effects After Electroconvulsive Therapy (Ect): A Narrative Analysis Exploring People’S Experiences, Meaning-Making, And Coping, Emily Shipwright, David Murphy

School of Psychology

Approximately 2500 people receive electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) annually in the United Kingdom; however, there is growing evidence of long-term adverse effects. Few studies have focused on people’s experience of ECT, particularly over the long term. The experience of ECT is known to be complex, requiring qualitative exploration. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the long-term adverse experiences of ECT, including psychological impacts, meaning-making, and coping. Narrative analysis considered thematic, structural, and performative elements of seven people’s stories. Themes were explored across the timeline of participants’ experiences. Before ECT, participants felt misinformed regarding ECT and misunderstood by healthcare professionals. They noticed …

Fall Prevention Staff Education For Nurse Preceptors' Utilization In Nursing Orientation, Angela Green

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This project involved the creation of a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) staff education project for nurse preceptors to utilize in nursing orientation. The project was to increase the nurse preceptors’ knowledge, awareness, and competencies of the hospital’s fall prevention plan. The gap in nursing practice issue was an increase in fall occurrences throughout the hospital. The hospital’s key performance indicators for fall events demonstrated a significant increase in fall rates. The practice-focused question for this project addressed whether a staff education project on fall prevention provided to nurse preceptors would result in a decrease in the number of the …

Deputy Sheriffs’ Experience With Inmate Suicide, Tiffany Buco

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Deputy sheriffs working in correctional facilities are responsible for enforcing rules and regulations of the facility, supervising inmates, ensuring security, and preventing inmates from escaping. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of deputy sheriffs experiencing an inmate’s death by suicide. The sample for this study consisted of six deputy sheriffs who had been a deputy sheriff for at least 3 years and experienced an inmate suicide. The theoretical foundation applied to this study is the personal construct theory because it requires constructs that are used to make sense of people’s experiences, in this …

The Free Press Vol. 56, Issue 7, 12-09-2024, Chris Tiner, Cayley Bowman

Free Press, The

Spotlight on USM Neighbors--Promise Scholar Ornaments--Student Election Talk--Why You Should Have a Signature--Practicing Rest--A Night at the Opera--Goat's Milk and Cookies--Just Keep Running

Hospital Location, Socioeconomic Factors, And Obesity Impact On Patient Readmission Rates 30 Days Post-Coronary Artery Bypass Graft, Mazalo Looky

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is associated with a high rate of readmissions within 30 days after discharge. Patient variables such as obesity and socioeconomic status (SES) are modifiable, whereas hospital factors such as location indicate the need for a better regional needs assessment. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of hospital location, SES, and obesity (independent variables) on the 30-day readmission rate post-CABG (dependent variable) among US patients. Secondary data sets available from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Society of Thoracic Surgery websites were analyzed to assess the impact of location, …

Enhancing Civil Infrastructure Performance Through Lidar-Based Dynamic Monitoring And Phased-Construction Bridges, Khalid Hossam Alkady

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation aims to enhance the performance and structural integrity of civil infrastructure systems through two primary goals. The first goal is to develop and rigorously validate end-to-end frameworks for full-field monitoring of the dynamic response of civil structures via Ground-based Lidar (GBL) scanners. GBL can be employed to sample point clouds at a high sampling rate for dynamic data collection, which addresses the limitations of using contact-based sensors in structural health monitoring (SHM) applications used for early-detection of structural damage.

The second goal of this dissertation concerns the challenges associated with constructing bridges in phases, so they can remain …

Disobedient Daughters, Disobedient Wives: How Women Pushed Against Restrictive Norms In Early Modern Japan, Drew Mcclellan '25

Student Research

This essay examines the shifting roles and restrictions placed on Japanese women from the Classical period through the Edo period, focusing on how women both conformed to and resisted societal expectations. It uses primary sources like the Onna Daigaku ( Greater Learning for Women) and Tadano Makuzu's Solitary Thoughts to highlight the tension between prescribed ideals of feminine virtue and the lived experiences of women, particularly during times of peace and war. The essay also discusses the ways women found and wielded power through family structures, their education, and participation in warfare, as well as how they challenged restrictive norms …

On The Benefits Of Directness In Virtual Characters For Motivational Interviews, Michael O'Mahony, Cathy Ennis, Robert Ross

Conference papers

Understanding the factors influencing successful engagement with Embodied Conversational Agents (ECAs) remains a significant challenge. This understanding could be used to personalise agents to users to improve interactions. Some studies have shown that simulating personalities in healthcare agents can improve effectiveness and engagement. However, it is not yet well understood how variations of agent personality can be leveraged to improve user engagement with Motivational Interviewing (MI) ECAs. Specifically how the balance between agent warmth and directness can be controlled in an MI agent to improve likeability and engagement. We conducted an online Wizard-of-Oz (WoZ) mediated study of two variants of …

Hyperspectral Imaging For Temperature Measurements Of Hot Spots In Shocked Plastic-Bonded Explosives, Dhanalakshmi Sellan, Siva Kumar Valluri, Dana D. Dlott

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Hot spots are formed when energetic microstructures are shocked, and they play a critical role in shock sensitivity. It is important to know both the time-dependent size and temperature of the hot spots, in order to generate a kinetic model to describe reaction growth in plastic-bonded explosives (PBX). Here we use a recently developed technique where PBX is fabricated in the form of a thin wafer, embedded within a transparent polymer binder, and shocked with a laser-launched flyer plate that produces pressures of about 30 GPa range. In this method, every crystal of the cyclotetramethylene-tetranitramine (HMX)-based PBX can be observed …

Residential Metals Abatement Program Investigation Summary Report After The Bell Child Care Center, Environmental Resource Management (Erm)

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

How Should Scientists Act? Assessing Public Perceptions Of Scientists And Scientific Practices And Their Implications For Science Communication, Thomas G. Safford, Emily H. Whitmore

Faculty Publications

Is how science is conducted legitimate? Are scientists trustworthy? Whether the public answers “yes” to these questions is critical for science communicators. We explore how social factors affect public perceptions of the practice of science, and then test how those beliefs relate to views about how scientists engage with the public and policy making. Our results show that political ideology and religiosity affect these views. However, more importantly, respondents’ concerns about the integrity of the scientific process are the strongest predictor of views about scientists’ behavior, providing a focus area for future communication efforts in support of science-based decision making.

When Help Hurts: Workplace Instrumental Support And Employee Emotional Exhaustion Within-Person, Jensine Paoletti-Hatcher, Anthony T. Misisco, Eden B. King

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The social support paradox describes mixed findings on the effects of social support on well-being. An application of the person-environment fit perspective can address the paradox by reasoning that similar quantities of social support needs and social support supplies should result in optimal well-being outcomes. We integrate a person-environment fit perspective with self-determination theory in an examination of the relationship between workplace instrumental support and emotional exhaustion through a two-week experience sampling method study. Fifty-nine participants responded to questions about desired quantities of work-related help from their colleagues (coworkers and supervisors) and their perceived quantities of work-related help after work …

Rapid Characterization Of Exoplanet Atmospheres With The Exoplanet Transmission Spectroscopy Imager, Luke M. Schmidt, Ryan J. Oelkers, Erika Cook, Mary Anne Limbach, Darren L. Depoy, Jennifer L. Marshall, Landon Holcomb, Willians Pena, Jacob Purcell, Enrique Gonzalez Vega

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

The Exoplanet Transmission Spectroscopy Imager (ETSI) amalgamates a low-resolution slitless prism spectrometer with custom multi-band filters to simultaneously image 15 spectral bandpasses between 430 and 975 nm with an average spectral resolution of R = λ / δ λ ∼ 20 . ETSI requires only moderate telescope apertures ( ∼ 2 m ), is capable of characterizing an exoplanet atmosphere in as little as a single transit, enabling the selection of the most interesting targets for further characterization with other ground and space-based observatories, and is also well suited to multi-band observations of other variable and transient objects. This enables …