Digital Commons Network^™

How Does Health Professions Student Engagement Differ Across Campuses In A Synchronous Multi-Campus Learning Environment?, Satera Nelson

Theses & Dissertations

Student engagement is positively associated with academic achievement, student satisfaction, and retention. In synchronous multi-campus learning, students learn simultaneously while physically located at several campuses throughout the state. This educational model is one way to address the rural health care shortage, as many students who study at rural campuses tend to stay in rural areas to practice. Student engagement is crucial to ensuring that students at rural campuses have a comparable learning experience and to help those students feel like they are a valued part of the class. The purpose of this study was to evaluate health professions student and …

Sparkled: Social Programming In Kids Affects Risk Of Latent Endothelial Disease, Rebecca Drakowski

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Social Health Programming (SHP) is a holistic intervention that can empower communities to address modifiable risk factors for poor cardiovascular health, including suboptimal nutrition or psychosocial stressors. SHP participation has been shown to increase dietary intake of fruits and vegetables, decrease perceived stress, and improve cardiovascular endurance. However, it is unknown how SHP participation during adolescence affects carotenoid serum levels, hair cortisol concentrations (biological marker of chronic stress), or vascular reactivity index (VRI; measure of subclinical cardiovascular health).

Methods: Adolescent girls and young adult women (12–29-year-old) were enrolled in this observational cohort study. Serum, hair, and saliva samples were …

Development Of A Streptococcus Mutans Biofilm Model On A Typodont Platform To Investigate Its Dynamics In Orthodontics, Hibah Chughtai

Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Biofilm formation plays a significant role in dental health, resulting in plaque accumulation, which can lead to caries and oral diseases. Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) is a key bacterium involved in this process. The goal of this study was to establish a protocol for the development of an S. mutans biofilm on dental typodont teeth to analyze the effects of orthodontic brackets on biofilm formation. Understanding these dynamics is critical for developing strategies to mitigate biofilm accumulation during orthodontic treatment. Methods: S. mutans biofilms were cultivated under three conditions: 96-well tissue culture plates, S. mutans inoculated non-bracketed …

Influence Of Antibody–Drug Conjugate Cleavability, Drug-To-Antibody Ratio, And Free Payload Concentration On Systemic Toxicities: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Shou Ching Tang, Carrie Wynn, Tran Le, Martin Mccandless, Yunxi Zhang, Ritesh Patel, Nita Maihle, William Hillegass

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

While in theory antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) deliver high-dose chemotherapy directly to target cells, numerous side effects are observed in clinical practice. We sought to determine the effect of linker design (cleavable versus non-cleavable), drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR), and free payload concentration on systemic toxicity. Two systematic reviews were performed via PubMed search of clinical trials published between January 1998—July 2022. Eligible studies: (1) clinical trial for cancer therapy in adults, (2) ≥ 1 study arm included a single-agent ADC, (3) ADC used was commercially available/FDA-approved. Data was extracted and pooled using generalized linear mixed effects logistic models. 40 clinical trials …

A Confidence-Based Knowledge Integration Framework For Cross-Domain Table Question Answering, Yuankai Fan, Tonghui Ren, Can Huang, Beini Zheng, Yinan Jing, Zhenying He, Jinbao Li, Jianxin Li

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Recent advancements in TableQA leverage sequence-to-sequence (Seq2seq) deep learning models to accurately respond to natural language queries. These models achieve this by converting the queries into SQL queries, using information drawn from one or more tables. However, Seq2seq models often produce uncertain (low-confidence) predictions when distributing probability mass across multiple outputs during a decoding step, frequently yielding translation errors. To tackle this problem, we present CKIF, a confidence-based knowledge integration framework that uses a two-stage deep-learning-based ranking technique to mitigate the low-confidence problem commonly associated with Seq2seq models for TableQA. The core idea of CKIF is to introduce a flexible …

Intrinsic Gas-Phase Behavior Of Uranium Species: A Comprehensive Reactivity Study Of [O=U≡Ch]+ And [Uh]+, Justin Terhorst

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The intrinsic chemistry of actinide elements, particularly uranium, remains a key challenge in understanding f-block reactivity due to the complexity introduced by solvent interactions, counter-ions, and complex equilibria in the condensed phase. In this dissertation, a systematic gas-phase study utilizing preparative tandem ion-trap mass spectrometry (PTMSⁿ) is presented, focusing on the reactivity of uranium-centered species, specifically [OUCH]⁺, an oxy uranium methylidyne species, and [UH]⁺ ions. By stripping away solvent effects and isolating the ions, PTMSⁿ provides a powerful platform to probe the fundamental chemical behavior of uranium species in their intrinsic state.

The …

Neuvac: Nonlinear Extreme Ultraviolet Irradiance Model For Aeronomic Calculations, Daniel A. Brandt, Aaron J. Ridley

Michigan Tech Publications

The need for reliable estimates of solar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) for operational space weather nowcasting and forecasting has motivated the development of new model of solar irradiance variability in 59 wavelength bins between 1 and 1,750 Å. The model employs a nonlinear parameterization of rebinned daily FISM2 irradiances and is termed NEUVAC: Nonlinear Extreme Ultraviolet Irradiance Model for Aeronomic Calculations. The model is parameterized in terms of F10.7 and 54-day averaged F10.7 in a backwards-looking window. The model takes advantage of the high accuracy and resolution of FISM2, and the consistent availability of F10.7 data in order to provide the …

Synthetic Studies On Ship Activators And New Oxidative Methods Utilizing Ddq And Hypervalent Iodine Catalysts, Christos Nixarlidis

Dissertations - ALL

One important cell signaling pathway is the PI3K pathway because it influences many key cellular functions such as proliferation and apoptosis. Among the enzymes that are involved in this pathway, the SH2-containing inositol-5’-phosphatase (SHIP) plays an important role by maintaining the balance of PI(3,4,5)P3 and PI(3,4)P2. SHIP activation promotes a higher rate of hydrolysis of PI(3,4,5)P3 and thus reduces the downstream activation of AKT, which influences many cell processes. Activation of SHIP using small molecules may be useful for certain diseases such as inflammatory disorders and some types of cancer. The synthesis and evaluation of a new class of sulfonamide …

Noise-Enhanced Network Science, Reyhaneh Abdolazimi

Dissertations - ALL

Graphs are a versatile and powerful data structure used to model complex relationships in diverse domains such as social networks, biological systems, and transportation networks. In graphs, entities are represented by nodes, and interactions or relationships between them are represented by edges. For example, in the World Wide Web, web pages are considered vertices, and if there is a link from one page to another page on the web, there will be a directed edge between those pages in its graph data structure. These structures allow us to analyze and solve important problems like community detection (identifying closely related clusters …

Modulating Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation Of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins Through Lipidation, Zhe Zhang

Dissertations - ALL

Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is a fascinating biological phenomenon that enables cells to form membraneless organelles, creating specialized compartments for orchestrating complex biochemical reactions. While significant progress has been made in deciphering the sequence determinants underlying phase separation, precisely modulating these features remains a challenge. Inspired by biology, post-translational modifications (PTMs) offer a promising approach to modulate the protein condensates formation and their properties in real-time, without altering the sequences. Despite the identification of over 300 types of PTMs, most research has predominantly focused on charge-altering modifications. The effects of non-charged PTMs, such as lipidation, on LLPS remain poorly understood. …

Power-Conscious Legal Work: Building A Roadmap For Rural Access To Justice Through Trust, Accountability, & Trauma-Informed Practices, Cayley Balser, Antonio M. Coronado

Alaska Law Review

The importance of trauma-informed practices has never been greater. In the United States, most of the population has experienced at least one traumatic event in their life. Experiencing a traumatic event may have long-lasting impacts on physical health, including disruption to all major system functioning. Mental health impacts may include behavior changes, memory challenges, inability to complete routine tasks, difficulty with interpersonal relationships, and other symptoms associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Extant literature examines the association between past trauma experiences and later interactions with the civil justice system, including litigant conceptualizations of legal system engagement as a traumatic event …

Seizing Welfare From The Bankrupt, Michael D. Sousa

University of Cincinnati Law Review

The earned income tax credit (EITC) is currently the largest means-tested antipoverty program in the United States that assists low-income working families surviving along the edges of poverty. A central component of the national welfare system, the EITC has lifted millions of families with children out of poverty and has produced myriad benefits for their everyday lives. But most of the poor and near-poor endure in the low-wage labor market and often lead turbulent financial lives, plagued by precarious employment along with deleterious material and psychological constraints in budgeting for daily expenses. For the segment of these families also burdened …

To Define And Protect The Best Interest Of The Child, Nadia Abdulbaki

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

Domestic violence is a prevalent crisis that has detrimentally impacted the well-being of individuals on a personal, communal, and global scope. Domestic violence is characterized as generational violence where exposed children have a heightened risk of becoming the perpetrators of or being perpetrated by violence. Using the Texas Family Code and supporting scholarly documents, the adverse effects exposure to violence has on children, and the current law regarding child custody in parental separation for cases of domestic violence was investigated. Research determined that continued exposure to violence is influenced by the judicial ruling of full or partial child custody to …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Benguet Pine (Pinus Kesiya) Xylem For Deep Well Water Filtration, Allen Conner C. Hizon, Robert Zachary M. Santos, Juan Jose B. Lacson, Jefferson Danilo G. Villarin, Juan Carlo T. Gumangan

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

Even today, many rural and remote communities still do not have access to safe drinking water, which is a basic right of every human. To address this problem, the effectiveness of the Benguet pine tree (Pinus kesiya) xylem as a sustainable water filtration method for well water was investigated. The physical and chemical properties of the filtered and unfiltered deep well water were tested: the total dissolved solids (TDS) and the electrical conductivity using a 5-in-1 electronic water quality tester and the pH level using pH strips. On the other hand, the microbiological metrics, such as heterotrophic plate …

A Narrative Inquiry On The Parent-Child Relationships Of Higher-Weight Late Adolescents, Hien Anh Miguel G. Dang, David Rigel Dela Cruz Panes, Belle Beatriex' M. Alemania

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

Late adolescence is a crucial developmental phase marked by significant psychological and emotional changes as individuals transition from childhood to adulthood. However, the specific impact of parental influence on the body image of higher-weight adolescents remains underexplored. This narrative study aimed to examine the parent-child relationship of higher-weight Filipino adolescents, delving more into how parental opinions influence late adolescents' well-being and perception of their bodies. To answer the objective, a qualitative method through semi-structured interview was employed where four participants were chosen by conducting purposive and snowball sampling. Various themes emerged, mainly struggles with body weight acceptance and insecurities, internalizing …

Transgenerational Legislative Awareness Issues In Children's Food, Yi Seul Kim

Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum

No abstract provided.

Re-Indigenizing And Collaboratively Tending Urban Greenspaces, Divinity Nnenne Adewale

University Honors Theses

This work details the active process of land tending with the intention of re-Indigenization in the Pacific Northwest at several Portland sites; The Native American Student Community Center, PSU Oak Savanna, and the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Land tending is an intuitive process, one rooted in love and respect for life of all forms as well as becoming the perpetual student; land tending is not a skill to be mastered, only practiced. Unlike environmental management, tending cannot be done separate from the earth, in a classroom or otherwise. Connections are what tending is built on top of: the foundation; effort …

Indigenous Metal: Rage, Rejects, And The Reconstruction Of Culture, Louis W. Asbury

Master's Theses

Metal music’s latest frontier is Indigenous metal, combining explorations of Indigenous identity with the heavy and aggressive stylings of the music genre. To explore this new subgenre, this study asks to what extent can metal music be used as a political tool and what are some of the broader effects of metal bands working to better their communities. This thesis utilizes case studies of two notable Indigenous metal scenes, the Rez metal scene in the Navajo Nation and the Māori metal scene in Aotearoa. By collecting data from these scenes, including lyrics, videos, interviews, and audience interactions, this thesis thoroughly …

A Clustering-Based Location Allocation Method For Delivery Sites Under Epidemic Situations, Yaqiong Zhou, Junqi Chen, Weishi Li, Sihang Qiu, Rusheng Ju

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: To address the poor performance of commonly used intelligent optimization algorithms in solving location problems—specifically regarding effectiveness, efficiency, and stability—this study proposes a novel location allocation method for the delivery sites to deliver daily necessities during epidemic quarantines. After establishing the optimization objectives and constraints, we developed a relevant mathematical model based on the collected data and utilized traditional intelligent optimization algorithms to obtain Pareto optimal solutions. Building on the characteristics of these Pareto front solutions, we introduced an improved clustering algorithm and conducted simulation experiments using data from Changchun City. The results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm outperforms …

Research On Verification Method Of Motor Startups In Nuclear Power Plants Based On Topology Recognition, Baozhu Li, Weijie Dong, Chao Chen

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: There are many motors in operation or on standby in nuclear power plants, and the startup of group motors will have a great impact on the voltage of the emergency bus. At present, there is no special or inexpensive software to solve this problem, and the experience of engineers is not accurate enough. Therefore, this paper developed a method and system for the startup calculation of group motors in nuclear power plants and proposed an automatic generation method of circuit topology in nuclear power plants. Each component in the topology was given its unique number, and the component class …

Modeling And Integration Method Of Sysml Model For Complex Business Scenarios, Bing Yu, Baoran An, Shicao Zhao

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: The development process of complex equipment involves multi-stage business processes, multi-level product architecture, and multi-disciplinary physical processes. The relationship between its system model and various disciplinary models is extremely complicated. In the modeling and integration process, extensive customized development is needed to realize model integration and interoperability in different business scenarios. Meanwhile, the differences in modeling and interaction between different modeling tools make it difficult to support the consistent representation of models in complex scenarios. To improve the efficiency of system modeling and integration in complex business scenarios, a system modeling and integration method was proposed. This method took …

Algorithm And Semi-Physical System Simulation For Command Intent Recognition Of Uav In Low-Resource Environment, Hongfu Liu, Yajing Fu, Wanpeng Zhang, Hu Zhang

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: When a communication network is partially disabled or disrupted, an UAV is plunged into a "low-resource environment" and must rely on local hardware resources. This situation imposes constraints on computing power, storage capacity, and energy availability. To address the need for command intent recognition in such environments, a semi-physical simulation system for UAV in emergency rescue operations has been designed and implemented. Based on the low resource airborne hardware in the loop, the system simulates UAV command intention recognition and mission planning through GIS+BIM 3D environment modeling task scenarios. A new lightweight algorithm for intent recognition has been proposed, …

Uav Swarm Obstacle Avoidance Based On Visual Filed And Adaptive Radius, Gaohang Ai, Chuntao Li

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: Aiming at the obstacle avoidance problem of large-scale UAV swarm tracking flight route, a swarm obstacle avoidance algorithm based on distributed model predictive control combined with visual field and adaptive obstacle avoidance radius is proposed. In the process of swarm flight, the UAV obtains the reference route information of the current moment according to its own position, and obtains the predicted trajectory of its neighbors through local information interaction. When encountering obstacles, the adaptive obstacle avoidance radius and field of view topology method are combined to effectively solve the problem that the internal safety distance cannot be maintained and …

A Novel Research Pattern For The Simulation Of Complex Systems Sigd, Bin Chen, Runkang Guo, Zhengqiu Zhu, Yong Zhao, Yatai Ji, Aiguo Chen, Guangquan Cheng

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: The complexity of the system is mainly reflected in the numerous components and extremely complex interactions. Combined with the current trend of artificial intelligence development, this paper analyzes and considers the changes in thinking mode brought by simulation discipline research, and forms an understanding of the connotation and research scope of simulation intelligence. A new pattern for complex system simulation research is proposed: "simulation intelligence based generating decisions (SIGD)". In the SIGD pattern, the similar principles, modeling methods, and decision-guiding modes in simulation disciplines are different from those in traditional simulation. Under the guidance of this concept, a connection-oriented …

Electric Utility Industry Safety Plan Filing And Accident Reporting Impact On The Number Of Accidents, Rishi Singh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Safety is of paramount importance in the electric utility industry. Construction is the basis of electric work and is one of the most dangerous industries, with a high rate of accidents and fatalities. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between the organizational leaders’ decision to file safety plans and accident reporting to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or utility commissions on the number of accidents in the electric utility industry. The decision-making theory provided the study’s foundation. The study used secondary data from 2019 to 2023 for electric utility companies from California. Published …

Overcoming Obstacles To Interdisciplinary Research: Empirical Insights And Strategies [Peer-Reviewed Journal], Cristo Leon Ph.D., James Lipuma Ph.D.

STEM for Success Resources

Explore how to overcome obstacles to interdisciplinary research with strategies for transdisciplinary communication, breaking silos, and fostering collaboration. Read insights from Cristo Leon and James Lipuma in this impactful study.

Mems 411: A Diving Surface Breaker The Jetcycle, Amanda Mclaughlin, Nicholas Harris, Alice Hu, Steven Xiao

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

Create a diving surface breaker for the WashU swimming and Diving team.

Optimizing Brake Bias In Formula Sae: A Framework For New And Existing Members, Benjamin Swonger

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study

Formula SAE cars undergo various events where different brake biases are beneficial. Brake bias, the percentage of braking force between the front and rear brakes, plays a crucial role in the car’s overall performance and safety. Correct tuning and diagnostic of the brake system greatly improves stability, minimizes wheel lock-up, and reduces the risk of under and oversteer. This report provides a framework methodology and analysis to optimize brake bias in most situations. The objective is to provide a base knowledge of the brake system that gives new team members a step-by-step guide that simplifies the brake bias calculation and …

Mems 411: Timed Mosquito Egg Container, Daniel Nordquist, Preston Gee, Stephanos Mavrommatis

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

To aid in the war against mosquitoes, PHD candidate Lauren Johnson tasked this groups with developing a device to help study egg laying patterns. The goal is to create a device that can cut off access to tea water (an attractive breeding site) at specified time intervals in order to observe the effects of daylight and temperatures on mosquito egg laying behavior.

Optimizing Mechanical Sensor And Actuator Implementation For Student Makerspace Applications, Nathalie Morton

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study

This independent study aims to create an advanced training module for the Makerspace on sensors and actuators for mechanical applications, guiding users toward more effective sensor selection, actuator control, implementation and troubleshooting of common issues. To support the development of the training module, extensive research was conducted on widely available sensors and actuators compatible with Arduino and Adafruit microprocessors, both of which are commonly available in student Makerspaces. In addition to online research, I reviewed popular maker websites and magazines, such as Make Magazine and Instructables, to identify components that are appropriate for introductory and intermediate-level projects. Through this process, …