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Greta Thunberg (2021) By Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, Maughn Rollins Gregory

Picture Books

Greta Thunberg learned about climate change in school at the age of eight, when she persuaded her parents to make lifestyle changes to reduce their carbon footprint. At fifteen, after winning a writing competition about the environment, she came up with the idea of a school strike, inspired by student walkouts in the United States to protest legislative inaction on gun control. Though she couldn’t interest anyone else in the idea, her one-child strikes soon gained international attention. Greta’s story demonstrates some of the challenges and gifts that neurodiverse children bring to activism. This book also prods adults to think …

A New Tiger Beetle Algorithm For Cybersecurity, Medical Image Segmentation And Other Global Problems Optimization, Ahmed Saihood, Mohammed Adel Al-Shaher, Mohammed A. Fadhel

Mesopotamian Journal of CyberSecurity

The tiger beetle is a fierce and cunning predator insect that uses deception to hunt its prey. The tiger beetle traps and hunts them by digging holes along the path of other insects. This study has used the tiger beetle's hunting strategy to create the tiger beetle optimization (TBO) algorithm. In this algorithm, each solution represents the position of a tiger beetle, with the optimal position being the prey's location. Using this method, the tiger beetles gradually converge to the optimal solution, creating holes around them and searching for them. We evaluate the TBO algorithm's search capability using a series …

A Discrepancy In Discrepancy Scores? Comparing The Borich And Ranked Discrepancy Models For Determining Professional Development Needs, Donald M. Johnson, Will Doss, Chris Estepp, Henry O. Akwah, George W. Wardlow

Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Borich (1980) model has been widely used to determine professional development (PD) needs of school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers over the past 40-plus years. However, recent criticism, primarily focused on a purported statistical issue, has led to development of the Ranked Discrepancy Model [RDM (Narine & Harder, 2021)] as a potential alternative. This article provides perspective on the statistical issue in question and compares the results of using the Borich model and the RDM to assess precision agriculture (PA) PD needs of Arkansas SBAE teachers (N = 44). Our quantitative results indicated the two models produced different PD …

Rapid Expansion Of The Limpkin Aramus Guarauna Across Anglo-America, A. Alam, R. Kaddoura, J. Jackson, R. Kannan

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We quantitatively document and describe the recent rapid expansion of the Limpkin Aramus guarauna across Anglo-America (United States and Canada). Using data downloaded from eBird (www.eBird.org), we present graphs showing the explosive growth in reports of number of individual birds and frequencies in checklists for this species in several parts of Anglo- America outside Florida (its traditional Anglo- American range). We also provide geographic progression maps to illustrate the expansion through time (2013-2023) and furnish qualitative information on foods consumed by the bird in new areas, based on a survey of 274 images uploaded by citizen scientists in eBird. Possible …

Geographical Variation In Songs Of Bachman’S Sparrow (Peucaea Aestivalis), L. Nguyen, K. Doñas, J. Jackson, R. Kannan

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We present an analysis of geographic variation in primary song components of the Near Threatened North American endemic, Bachman’s Sparrow (Peucaea aestivalis). These songs have 2 distinct portions: an introductory tweet we call the "whistle" and a more complex second portion that we call the "trill". We analyzed 327 songs from 111 recordings downloaded from eBird.org from the entire current range of the species. We grouped the recordings into 3 distinct geographic clusters, East, Central, and West. The data measured from spectrograms suggest a significant statistical difference among groups for 3 measured characteristics: frequency range of trill, number of horizontal …

A Review Of Herpetofaunal Distributions In Arkansas With Special Emphasis On Contributions From Citizen Science: Part I – Snakes, R. Jacobs, N. Ortiz, J. Jackson, J.D. Willson, K.G. Roberts, R. Kannan

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We present a comprehensive updated review of the distributions of the 38 species of snakes in Arkansas. We compare historical and current distributions with citizen science data uploaded and verified in iNaturalist, a leading biodiversity monitoring online citizen science database. The Arkansas Herpetological Atlas, a website maintaining species occurrence records, is also used and compared. We highlight the role played by iNaturalist in enhancing our knowledge of snake distributions in Arkansas. 10,885 verified and vetted Research Grade (RG) observations of Arkansas snakes have been recorded in iNaturalist, expanding the known distributions of 36 of the 38 species. This is the …

Energy Content Of Acorns Of Shinnery Oak (Quercus Havardii) In The Diet Of Scaled Quail (Callipepla Squamata) In Southeastern New Mexico, J.L. Hunt, M.E. Grilliot, T.L. Best, D. Lozano-Lopez, E.R. Neilson, I.C. Castillo

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Shinnery oak (Quercus havardii) is a deciduous, low-growing shrubby tree that is a dominant plant in large areas of grassland in western Oklahoma, the Texas Panhandle, and eastern New Mexico. Acorns of the plant are important food items for many wildlife species, including scaled quail (Callipepla squamata), mourning doves (Zenaida macroura), and endangered lesser prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus). We analyzed the energy content of acorns of shinnery oak obtained from the crops of scaled quail collected from plains-mesa sand-scrub in Lea and Eddy counties, New Mexico. Acorns were removed from crops and dried for 48 hours at 60°C to remove moisture …

Digital Image Correlation Guided Wearable Sensor Design And Fabrication Of Novel Microfluidic Pump For Human Movement Classification Using Machine Learning Models, Nick Cmager

Bioengineering Master's Theses

Wearable technologies are transforming healthcare and enabling physicians to customize treatments through continuous non-invasive data acquisition. Microfluidic sensors have been gaining attention due to their flexibility and ability to conform to the human skin. However, individual variations in skin properties necessitate personalized sensor designs. This thesis presents a novel approach for designing and fabricating wearable microfluidic sensors, leveraging digital image correlation (DIC) to guide the development of a microfluidic pump for human movement classification. An open-source DIC platform Ncorr was utilized for 2D and 3D DIC analysis of human skin strain. The results were used to guide the design of …

Juries And Tax: The Effect Of Income Taxation On Tort Damages, Jeffrey H. Kahn, John E. Lopatka

Scholarly Publications

In some shape or form, most tort damages for personal injuries have been excluded from federal income taxation since 1919. Despite this rule having celebrated its 1 0 0th birthday, the tax policy justification for the exclusion eludes consensus. Whether the policy is justified or not, the exclusion raises two other issues: should compensatory damage awards reflect non-taxability, and should juries be informed about tax treatment when determining awards? Like the disagreement over policy justifications for the exclusion, states are not in accord on their damage rule or approach to jury instructions. Proponents of a rule that awards should reflect …

Towards Machine Learning-Based Control Of Autonomous Vehicles In Solar Panel Cleaning Systems, Farima Hajiahmadi

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a machine learning (ML)-based approach for the intelligent control of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) utilized in solar panel cleaning systems, aiming to mitigate challenges arising from uncertainties, disturbances, and dynamic environments. Solar panels, predominantly situated in dedicated lands for solar energy production (e.g., agricultural solar farms), are susceptible to dust and debris accumulation, leading to diminished energy absorption. Instead of labor-intensive manual cleaning, robotic cleaners offer a viable solution. AVs equipped to transport and precisely position these cleaning robots are indispensable for efficient navigation among solar panel arrays. However, environmental obstacles (e.g., rough terrain), variations in solar panel …

Teachers’ Conceptions Of Students’ Data Literacy In Life Science And Physical Science Classes, Bridget Nicole Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Data literacy in science is an evolving field of study as students need to be able to collect, analyze, interpret, and make inferences from different sources of data. Much research centers on teachers' use of data to improve instructional practices, but less focus on teachers' conceptions of student data literacy and strategies used to foster data literacy in life and physical science high school classes. Thus, there is a need to address this area as recent Georgia assessments reveal that over 50% of students are performing below proficiency level in science. Consequently, this research sought to understand teachers’ conceptions of …

Towards Energy-Efficient Edge Computing For Tiny Ai Applications, Vamsi Krishna Bhagavathula

Theses and Dissertations

As artificial intelligence (AI) applications become more common on the edge of networks, like Raspberry Pi servers, it is crucial to optimize their energy use. This research project investigates how AI algorithms affect energy efficiency and resource usage on Raspberry Pi servers. Two models were created: one predicts resource usage, and the other predicts power consumption of AI algorithms on Raspberry Pi. Several factors are considered like CPU and memory use, algorithm speed, dataset size, and types of algorithms and datasets. Using regression-based methods, we model how these factors affect energy use. By converting categorical factors into numerical ones, we …

Examining The Perspectives Of Rural Secondary Students Who Are And Are Not Considering Music Education As A Collegiate Major, Eugene Talmadge Butler Ii

Theses and Dissertations

A problem exists in recruiting new music educators to the teaching profession. This problem is impacting the quality of instruction students are receiving from teachers in music education. The shortage of music teachers in music education is continuing to grow. This teacher shortage includes both core classes and specialized classes including music education. Many possible factors contribute to this problem, including teacher recruitment at the secondary level. This mixed methods research study attempts to provide in-depth answers to the problem through examining the perspectives of secondary students who are and are not considering music education as a major in college. …

3ddp Engineering Design Intervention Impacts On Student Perceptions, Attitudes, And Interest Towards Engineering, James Robert Kane

Theses and Dissertations

The study, “3DDP Engineering Design Intervention Impacts on Student Perceptions, Attitudes, and Interest Towards Engineering” explored the impact of a culturally responsive, semi-formal 3D printing (3DDP) intervention on middle school students' perceptions, attitudes, and interest in engineering. The intervention aimed to broaden access to engineering education by providing formative experiences outside traditional classroom settings within the regular school day. A multifaceted approach was employed, utilizing quantitative analysis of assessments and surveys, qualitative analysis of written responses, follow-up interviews, and student-produced artifacts. The intervention functioned as a student-driven engineering club, integrating culturally relevant themes and hands-on activities spanning diverse engineering domains. …

Blockchain For Computational Integrity And Privacy, Rahul Raj

Theses and Dissertations

This study proposes a blockchain based system that utilizes fully homomorphic encryption to provide security of data in use as well as computational integrity. This is achieved by leveraging the attributes of blockchain which provides availability and data integrity combined with homomorphic encryption that provides confidentiality. The proposed system is designed to perform statistical operations, including mean, median and variance, on encrypted data, thus providing confidentiality of data while in use. The computations are performed on the smart contract, residing on the blockchain which provides computational integrity. The results indicate that it is possible to perform fully homomorphic computations on …

Examining The Implications Of Virtual Credit Recovery On High School Student Achievement In Eoc Classes, Lakeisha Griffith

Theses and Dissertations

High school graduation is an important accomplishment not only for the graduates; but also, society. Whether students enter the workforce, armed services, or seek post-secondary studies at institutions of higher learning, the road to earning the coveted high school diploma can be an immense struggle for many. For decades, architects of educational reform movements have struggled to concoct the just right potion to ensure all students graduate college and/or career ready. Providing high school students an opportunity to participate in asynchronous credit recovery may be a close second to the silver bullet. This causal comparative quantitative research study examines the …

Advanced Placement Teachers’ Perspectives On Effectiveness Of Georgia Gifted Legislation: A Generic Qualitative Study, Rebekah Annette Atkinson

Theses and Dissertations

Gifted students from minority backgrounds, including low SES, African American and Latinx students, are underrepresented in gifted education, specifically high school Advanced Placement (AP) programs. Despite national legislation and guidance, the federal government allows individual states, including Georgia, to create their own gifted policies and delegate implementation to individual districts. Georgia, like many other states, continues to show inequity in gifted education for minority students and deficiencies in gifted instruction. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent of inequity in gifted education for high school students in Georgia through a generic qualitative research design that analyzed AP …

Advancing Explainability In Multi-Label Classification For Tomato Disease Detection Using Machine Learning Interpretability Techniques, Md. Nurullah

Theses and Dissertations

Plant diseases pose a significant threat to global food security, affecting crop yield, quality, and overall agricultural productivity. Traditionally, diagnosing plant diseases has relied on timeconsuming visual inspections by experts, which can often lead to errors. With the rapid growth of technology, machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) have opened new possibilities for automating this process. One of the most promising technologies for plant disease diagnosis is Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), which have proven effective in image classification tasks. Plant leaves, often exhibiting symptoms such as discoloration and irregular textures, serve as key indicators for disease detection. By processing …

Determining Hydraulic Characteristics In Close Proximity Of Hymenocallis Coronaria Within The Flint River Basin, Georgia, Sarah K. Tash

Theses and Dissertations

Emergent macrophytes in river systems occupy a narrow habitat for optimal survival. Each plant species adapts to a set of conditions that meets the physiological requirements to grow and reproduce. The influence of hydraulic characteristics on plant morphology is significant within fluvial systems. Macrophytes must be able to withstand swift flowing water and changes in water surface levels in order to compete with other plant species for limited habitat availability. In addition, emergent macrophytes require water levels to be low enough to allow the reproductive portion of plants to remain above water during certain times of the year. Hymenocallis coronaria …

Social Engagement Gaps Between Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) F-1 Visa International Students And American Students In Us Universities, Sairagul Matikeeva-Kinney

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory descriptive study was to explore the perceptions of F1 visa STEM international students at a four-year private university about their social engagement experiences with their American peers, and how the absence of such engagement practices frames the international students’ sense of mattering and marginality and overall college experience. The study focused only on F-1 visa international students’ perceptions and utilized the marginality and mattering theory (MMT) (Schlossberg, 1989) as a theoretical framework. The social constructivism paradigm was utilized to explain how international students construct their knowledge and perceptions of social engagement with American peers, …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Professional Learning Communities, Niketta Christina Kelly

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the influences of a social emotional learning (SEL) focused professional learning community (PLC) participation with core content high school teachers. Numerous schools throughout the nation claim to be implementing PLCs by engaging in activities like book studies, attending conferences, or district led meetings. Simply labeling a meeting or initiative as a PLC does not align with the central tenets of true PLCs, and do not increase teaching practices or student learning. The sole purpose of real PLCs is to ensure all students learn at high levels. An authentically aligned PLC embodies a solid foundation of shared mission, …

Physics-Informed Neural Networks (Pinns) And Inverse Pinns For The Modeling And Parameter Estimation Of Electric Pumps In Liquid-Propellant Rocket Engines, Logan Mcfarland

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a machine learning (ML) based approach to both model and estimate the parameters of an electric pump system that is used in liquid-propellent rocket engines. This is accomplished by utilizing Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) and inverse Physics-Informed Neural Networks (iPINNs). In an extreme system such as a liquidpropellent rocket engine, accurate control and efciency is imperative for successful performance. The electric pump system is inherently nonlinear and its dynamics are governed by ordinary diferential equations (ODEs). While entirely approachable, these nonlinear dynamics create a challenge in achieving precise control and accurate parameter estimations. Utilization of a PINN …

Rural Educators’ Perceptions Of The Use Of Personalized Learning As A Possible Means To Enhanced Student Learning, Shiona Shanel Drummer

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this qualitative study was to investigate rural educators’ perceptions of Personalized Learning as a possible means to enhance student learning. The theoretical framework for this study was Weick’s Theory of Sensemaking (Vazquez et al., 2022). Sensemaking is how people make sense of new phenomena and apply that knowledge to situations. The Personalized Learning Conceptual Framework for this study is based on Georgia’s 9 Essential Conditions of Personalized Learning and the 10 Standards of Practice that support the essential conditions. A basic interpretive study was conducted, which utilized a survey and individual, semi-structured interviews to collect data from …

A Scoping Review Of Perceptions And Fears Experienced By Families With Children With Developmental Disabilities In Sub-Saharan Africa., Isaac Twum Boamah

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of perception and fear surrounding families with children with developmental disabilities in Sub-Saharan Africa reveal a complex interplay of cultural, social, economic, and healthcare factors. This interplay of factors results in stigma, which often leads to societal misconceptions and discrimination, exacerbating the challenges faced by affected families. This study seeks to identify the individual and family perception of developmental disabilities, document the stigma experienced by the individual and their families, and document the resources available to help alleviate the plight faced by the individuals and their families. It further seeks to find gaps in the literature on developmental …

Participation In Collaborative Fisheries Research Improves The Perceptions Of Recreational Anglers Towards Marine Protected Areas, Erin M. Johnston, Grant T. Waltz, Rosamaria Kosaka, Ellie M. Brauer, Shelby L. Ziegler, Erica T. Jarvis Mason, Hunter S. Glanz, Lauren Zaragoza, Allison N. Kellum, Rachel O. Brooks, Brice X. Semmens, Christopher J. Honeyman, Jennifer E. Caselle, Lyall F. Bellquist, Sadie L. Small, Steven G. Morgan, Timothy J. Mulligan, Connor L. Coscino, Jay M. Staton

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Collaborative fisheries research programs engage stakeholders in data collection efforts, often with the benefit of increasing transparency about the status and management of natural resources. These programs are particularly important in marine systems, where management of recreational and commercial fisheries have historically been contentious. One such program is the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP), which was designed in 2006 to engage recreational anglers in the scientific process and evaluate the efficacy of California’s network of marine protected areas. CCFRP began on the Central Coast of California and expanded statewide in 2017 to include six partner institutions in three regions: …

Fuzzy Similarity Analysis Of Effective Training Samples To Improve Machine Learning Estimations Of Water Quality Parameters Using Sentinel-2 Remote Sensing Data, Alireza Taheri Dehkordi, Mohammad Javad Valadan Zoej, Ali Mehran, Mohsen Jafari, Amir Masoud Chegoonian

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Continuous monitoring of water quality parameters (WQPs) is crucial due to the global degradation of water quality, primarily caused by climate change and population growth. Typically, machine learning (ML) models are employed to retrieve WQPs, but they require a large amount of training samples to accurately capture the data relationships. Even with sufficient training data, discrepancies still exist between values of predicted and in-situ WQPs. This study proposes a fuzzy similarity analysis (FSA) technique to enhance ML estimates of WQPs by using the prediction errors in effective training samples. The method was successfully applied to retrieve turbidity (Turb) and specific …

Enhancing Diagnostic Accuracy: A Hybrid Approach To Mitigate Speckle And Rician Noise In Medical Images, Naveenkumar Jayakumar, Saurabh Saoji, Sagar V. Joshi, Hemlata Mane, Roshni Narkhede, Shrikant Jadhav

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This research explores the detrimental effects of Rician and speckle noise in medical imaging, particularly within MRI and radiographic modalities. Such noise can significantly obscure critical details, potentially leading to misdiagnoses and inaccurate measurements. Rician noise candidly dangles on the signal strength. Removing this noise affects the origial information in image that makes this noise removal perplexing. On other hand speckle noise is visualised like granular clog in ultrasound imageries. It creates ambiguous details and edges in the images. To address this challenge, the study introduces a novel hybrid method implemented in Java. The method employs a frequency-based decomposition approach …

Teacher Use Of Rubrics To Assess Claim, Evidence And Reasonings In The High School Science Classroom, Brianna Finnegan

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This qualitative study examines how high school science teachers in an eastern Iowa high school utilize rubrics to assess students’ claims, evidence, and reasoning (CER) in the science classroom. The research investigates the methodology teachers employ in assessing student proficiency using their own rubrics they have created. Data were collected through think-aloud interviews with participating teachers as they evaluated and scored CER examples. Analysis of interview data involved inductive coding to identify common themes and categories, shedding light on teacher’s scoring practices, rubric construction, and perceptions of student proficiency and rubric validity.

Findings reveal that teachers often weigh evidence and …

Student Understanding Of Divergence And Curl In Upper-Division Electromagnetism, J. Toby Stuckey, Gina M. Quan

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The purpose of this paper is to understand and characterize student thinking about the physics concepts of divergence and curl in the context of upper-division electromagnetism for physics majors. We interviewed five students at a west coast university who had taken at least one semester of upper-division electricity and magnetism. The interview prompted students to describe divergence and curl in multiple representations (visually, mathematically, qualitatively). Our analysis identified that students can notice but struggle to resolve discrepancies between the mathematical calculations and the graphical representations of vector fields. We illustrate examples of when students appear to have a disconnect between …

A 30-Year Time Series Analysis Of The Impact Of Climate Change On Corn Yield In Iowa Using The Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model – 1992 To 2022, Tesleem Ajisafe

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Climate change poses significant socio-economic challenges globally, notably altering weather patterns and increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events (Seneviratne et al. 2021). This study investigates the impact of climate change on corn yield in Iowa from 1992 to 2022, using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model to analyze time series data on temperature, precipitation, and corn yield at the county level. Iowa, the leading corn producer in the US (Xu, Twine, & Girvetz 2016), has experienced an 8% increase in precipitation from 1873 to 2008, with notable effects in the eastern region (“Climate Change,” n.d.). A detrending …