Digital Commons Network^™

The Guild House: A Mixed-Methods Case Study Of Game-Utilizing Information/Learning Design For Autonomy-Supportive Instruction In An Asynchronous Online Course, Sturdy Knight

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Gamification has emerged over the past ~10-12 years as a popular design approach to problems of motivation in online or blended learning, with a particular emphasis on distinguishing between extrinsic motivation driven by points, grades, class rank, etc, vs. intrinsic motivation driven by personal values and interest in the curriculum. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) forms the theoretical basis of much of this literature, yet the mediating constructs of learner self-regulation and autonomous vs. controlled regulatory styles, which describe the processes by which extrinsic motivators like game rewards or curriculum requirements are integrated with intrinsic goals, are under-addressed. This has led to …

The Effectiveness Of Cybersecurity Training, Courtney Knight

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This study seeks to answer the question of what kinds of cybersecurity training are effective by reviewing the existing literature, analyzing for gaps, and bridging the connection with known learning techniques. The research is exploratory in nature, and is inductive – intending to develop a theory. Additionally, this study seeks to offer a taxonomy of cybersecurity training methods to be evaluated.

This study did not include security operation center (SOC), cyber incident response teams (CIRTs), or other types of advanced cybersecurity professional training. This research specifically focuses on training to improve the average employee and population’s tactical cybersecurity skills.

Several …

Transcription And Translation Regulation Of Germ Cell To Maternal Transition, Noor Kotb

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

In sexually reproducing organisms, the process of gametogenesis produces mature eggs and sperms required for fertilization to occur. The egg's quality is crucial for the healthy development of the next generation, making oogenesis a tightly regulated process with multiple benchmarks. To investigate the intricacies of oogenesis, we utilized the Drosophila oogenesis system as our primary model. This choice was motivated by several factors. Firstly, the process of egg development in Drosophila is conserved across species, making it a valuable proxy for understanding oogenesis in other organisms, including humans. Secondly, Drosophila melanogaster has long been established as a powerhouse in genetic …

Equipping Middle School Teachers With Culturally Responsive Pedagogy In Teaching Computer Science Through Professional Learning: A Longitudinal Case Study, Xintong Bausch

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) is an effective way to foster equitable and meaningful computer science (CS) learning experience for historically marginalized students. This dissertation study employed longitudinal data to investigate five middle school teachers’ development of CRP understandings and enactments over many years participating in the CS Pathways Research Practitioner Partnership (RPP) project. Grounded in conceptual change theory (knowledge-in-pieces perspective), the study explored the five teachers’ CRP conceptual change trajectories as indicated by their definitions and enactments of the pedagogy over time. From the epistemological perspective, the findings presented how teachers reflected, refined, and revised their naïve knowledge of CRP …

Protecting Foreign Victims Of Trafficking In Iceland: An Interpretive Analysis Of Policy Efforts, Hlin Saethorsdottir

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Social justice and human rights are fundamental principles of social work. Today’s globalized world requires social workers to expand their local perspectives and to be alert to the negative sides of globalization, such as trafficking in person (TIP), which affects all countries around the world. TIP is a severe form of exploitation and a grave human rights violation (Jones et al., 2007). Iceland has been categorized as a transit and destination country for foreign victims who are mainly trafficked for sexual and labor exploitation (U.S. Department of State, 2016b).

Although much has been written on TIP, some scholars have pointed …

Structural Biology Of Diaphanous-1 And Its Role In Human Pathology, Gregory G. Theophall

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

DIAPH1 is diaphanous related formin which polymerizes actin into filaments and is important to cytoskeleton dynamics.[1, 2] The dysregulation and aberrant activation of DIAPH1 is known to cause deafness[3, 4] and clotting disorders,[5] and is recently implicated in the inflammatory responses associated with cardiovascular and diabetic pathology.[6-9] Despite this, activation of the full length structure and its regulation are poorly understood.[10-12] Therefore, the main objective of this dissertation is to explore the structural, autoinhibitory, and regulatory properties of DIAPH1 in the context of disease pathology. Herein, I show that DIAPH1 has a dynamic structure which is regulated through negative cooperativity, …

Stakeholders’ Participation In Pcaob Audit Standard Setting, Xiaoshuai Yang

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Lobbying is an integral part of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s standard-setting process. Although the PCAOB has been drafting auditing standards for over 20 years, there is still much to learn about how stakeholder behavior in submitting comment letters to the PCAOB varies by interest group, comment period (concept release, proposal, and reproposal), the stakeholder’s position on the proposal, arguments used, and emotional strategies. This paper examines PCAOB Docket 034, which proposed audit report reforms, including the auditor’s disclosure of critical audit matters (CAMs). There was strong stakeholder participation and conflicting opinions when this standard was under discussion. To …

Characterization And Measurement Limitations Using Non-Destructive Mueller Matrix Scatterometry (Mmse) And X-Ray Diffraction (Xxrd) Techniques For Gate All Around (Gaa) Transistor Test Structures: Limitations And Superlattice Effects In Advanced Si/Si(1-X)Ge(X) Superlattice Nanowire Test Structures And Measurability Of Simulated Horizontal Gaa Test Structures, Ezra Mel Beltran Pasikatan

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Advanced semiconductor devices are moving toward 3D geometries due to scaling demands and performance requirements. Nondestructive metrology necessary for process control of 3D structures must be advanced to facilitate their transition from technology development to high volume manufacturing. Thin film metrology using Mueller Matrix Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (MMSE) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) film metrology, as well as patterned structure metrology using Optical Critical Dimension (OCD) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) techniques have proved capable of measuring the Si/ Si_(1-x)Ge_(x) superlattices and gate-all-around (GAA) transistor test structures. Because these techniques are indirect, their limitations associated with superlattice device structures need …

The 2023 Society For Vascular Surgery, American Venous Forum, And American Vein And Lymphatic Society Clinical Practice Guidelines For The Management Of Varicose Veins Of The Lower Extremities. Part Ii: Endorsed By The Society Of Interventional Radiology And The Society For Vascular Medicine., Peter Gloviczki, Peter F Lawrence, Suman M Wasan, Mark H Meissner, Jose Almeida, Kellie R Brown, Ruth L Bush, Michael Di Iorio, John Fish, Eri Fukaya, Monika L Gloviczki, Anil Hingorani, Arjun Jayaraj, Raghu Kolluri, M Hassan Murad, Andrea T Obi, Kathleen J Ozsvath, Michael J Singh, Satish Vayuvegula, Harold J Welch

Heart and Vascular Articles

The Society for Vascular Surgery, the American Venous Forum, and the American Vein and Lymphatic Society recently published Part I of the 2022 clinical practice guidelines on varicose veins. Recommendations were based on the latest scientific evidence researched following an independent systematic review and meta-analysis of five critical issues affecting the management of patients with lower extremity varicose veins, using the patients, interventions, comparators, and outcome system to answer critical questions. Part I discussed the role of duplex ultrasound scanning in the evaluation of varicose veins and treatment of superficial truncal reflux. Part II focuses on evidence supporting the prevention …

Exploring Social Emotional Learning: Impact, Policy, And Effective Implementation, Rebekah Simmons

Honors Program Theses

Throughout my time in the education program here at the University of Northern Iowa, I have had the opportunity to witness many lessons surrounding Social Emotional Learning (SEL). This inspired me to want to do more research on the impacts of Social Emotional Learning relating to prosocial behavior and student learning, as well as how state and national legislation influences how Social Emotional Learning is taught within schools. The purpose of this thesis study is to explore the impacts of Social Emotional Learning within school settings and the legislation that influences it.

A Qualitative Case Study Of Montessori Approaches To Learning Amidst The Covid-19 Pandemic In Iowa, Ellie Penick

Honors Program Theses

This research focused on the unique and innovative ways two Montessori Schools handled the pandemic in the context of Iowa’s COVID-19 regulations. Research focused on the state of Iowa due to its relevance and proximity to the researcher and its notably relaxed approaches to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the purpose and scope of this study, research focused on two Montessori contexts within the state of Iowa. While this research is not representative of all Montessori schools in Iowa, it provides useful insight into the topic that can support further research on Montessori approaches to COVID-19.

The driving question behind this …

Mixed Quantum/Classical Calculations Of Rotationally Inelastic Scattering In The Co + Co System: A Comparison With Fully Quantum Results, Dulat Bostan, Bikramaditya Mandal, Carolin Joy, Michał Żółtowski, François Lique, Jérôme Loreau, Ernesto Quintas-Sánchez, Adrian Batista-Planas, Richard Dawes, Dmitri Babikov

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

An updated version of the CO + CO potential energy surface from [R. Dawes, X. G. Wang and T. Carrington, J. Phys. Chem. A 2013, 117, 7612] is presented, that incorporates an improved treatment of the asymptotic behavior. It is found that this new surface is only slightly different from the other popular PES available for this system in the literature [G. W. M. Vissers, P. E. S. Wormer and A. Van Der Avoird, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2003, 5, 4767]. The differences are quantified by expanding both surfaces over a set of analytic functions and comparing the behavior of …

Scattering In Extreme Environments: General Discussion, Dmitri Babikov

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Scattering Of Larger Molecules – Part 1: General Discussion, Dmitri Babikov

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Scattering At Condensed-Phase Surfaces: General Discussion, Dmitri Babikov

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Synthesis And Evaluation Of 5-(Heteroarylmethylene)Hydantoins As Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3Β Inhibitors, Nicholas O. Schneider, Keandra Gilreath, Daniel J. Burkett, Martin St. Maurice, William A. Donaldson

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) is a serine/threonine kinase which plays a center role in the phosphorylation of a wide variety of proteins, generally leading to their inactivation. As such, GSK-3 is viewed as a therapeutic target. An ever-increasing number of small organic molecule inhibitors of GSK-3 have been reported. Phenylmethylene hydantoins are known to exhibit a wide range of inhibitory activities including for GSK-3β. A family of fourteen 2-heterocycle substituted methylene hydantoins (14, 17–29) were prepared and evaluated for the inhibition of GSK-3β at 25 μM. The IC50 values of five of these compounds was determined; the two best inhibitors …

Efl Learners’ Participation In Primary Schools Of Coastal Areas In Bangladesh, Md. Abu Sufian, Professor Sayeedur Rahman Phd

The Qualitative Report

Despite numerous initiatives by both governmental and non-governmental organizations, primary level students’ skills in English language are still below the expected level in Bangladesh (Hamid & Honan, 2012; Sultana, 2010). Our study examined reasons behind the limited participation of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners in primary level classrooms in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. To conduct the research, we followed an explanatory sequential mixed methods design (Creswell, 2014; Creswell & Creswell, 2018; Ivankova & Stick, 2007). We collected data from 37 male and 23 female students in grades four and five through questionnaire surveys and three focus group …

Methodological Challenges In Conducting Cross-Cultural/Language Research With Spanish Speakers: The Role Of The Researcher/Translator, Catherine Flores Ph.D.

The Qualitative Report

With the increase in global research, it is common for researchers to investigate topics in intercultural settings, both in their own home countries and abroad. Although findings from this research are prolific, rarely are detailed examples given or practical suggestions offered, particularly in relation to the role of the translator/researcher. The significant and often undervalued role of the translator/researcher in cross cultural/language qualitative research warrants methodological considerations at the onset and throughout the research. Nonetheless, few qualitative studies transparently report the process of how the translation findings were developed. This paper addresses this gap by examining a Latinx postgraduate student’s …

Paraprofessionals In A Special Education Setting: A Qualitative Exploration Of Their Perceptions, Chana S. Max, Keisha Mccoy-Dailey

The Qualitative Report

Paraprofessionals support teachers and students in the classroom. Their roles and responsibilities vary; however, their goal is always to improve student achievement. The purpose of the study was to fill a gap in the literature related to special education paraprofessionals’ perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs on the support and trainings they receive prior to and during their job as a paraprofessional for students in a special education setting. Generic qualitative methodology was used to capture the thoughts, experience, and perceptions of 42 paraprofessionals across the United States. Data collection included an eight-question online questionnaire. Results of the study revealed five patterns …

Disentangling Cyclic Causality: An Instance-Based Framework For Causal Discovery, Chase A. Yakaboski

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Correlation does not imply causation" is one of the fundamental principles taught in science, emphasizing that associations between variables do not necessarily indicate causality. Yet, over the past three decades, extensive research has begun to challenge this perspective by developing sophisticated methods to differentiate causal from correlative relationships. This research suggests that correlations often involve a blend of confounded and causal interactions, which, given certain assumptions, can be disentangled to uncover actionable insights and deepen our understanding of physical, biological, and societal systems.

Accurately discovering causal relationships from data amidst cyclic dynamics remains a challenging open problem in causality research. …

Consistent Monte Carlo Methods For Non-Linear Applications In Light Transport, Zackary T. Misso

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

The study of light transport focuses on describing the propagation of light from emitters to sensors through accurately describing the interactions light can undergo with everything in between. Physically-based rendering is the process of applying the laws of light transport to formulate practical algorithms which simulate the flow of light for the purpose of synthesizing images of virtual environments.

Unfortunately, there are very few interesting scene configurations which can be computed analytically. Instead, modern solutions predominantly rely on Monte Carlo integration to stochastically estimate the transfer of light since the process is both unbiased and consistent. Meaning, it is expected …

Plasma Per-And Polyfluoroalkyl Substance (Pfas) Mixtures And Maternal Cardiometabolic Health, Yuting Wang

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Food is a common exposure pathway to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) but dietary factors related to PFAS concentrations in pregnant people have not been adequately evaluated. PFAS have been linked to the increased risk of gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and adiposity. However, less is known regarding the effect of PFAS mixtures on blood pressure (BP) trajectories in normotensive pregnancies or weight retention postpartum. We used data from the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study (NHBCS) to examine dietary intake and PFAS concentrations and associations of PFAS with BP trajectories and postpartum weight retention. PFAS concentrations were measured in plasma collected at …

Mitigating Safety Issues In Pre-Trained Language Models: A Model-Centric Approach Leveraging Interpretation Methods, Weicheng Ma

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Pre-trained language models (PLMs), like GPT-4, which powers ChatGPT, face various safety issues, including biased responses and a lack of alignment with users' backgrounds and expectations. These problems threaten their sociability and public application. Present strategies for addressing these safety concerns primarily involve data-driven approaches, requiring extensive human effort in data annotation and substantial training resources. Research indicates that the nature of these safety issues evolves over time, necessitating continual updates to data and model re-training—an approach that is both resource-intensive and time-consuming. This thesis introduces a novel, model-centric strategy for understanding and mitigating the safety issues of PLMs by …

Chromatin Regulation By Swi/Snf Remodelers In Somatic Stem Cell Maintenance And Transformation, Luke Thomas Deary

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Cell identity is defined by the epigenome, whereby chromatin regulators work in concert to promote gene expression programs that serve a cell’s specialized purpose. Mutations in chromatin regulators are amongst the most frequent drivers of human disease, underscoring the importance of understanding their activities in maintaining cell identity and tissue function. In particular, mutations in subunits of the evolutionarily conserved SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes drive diseases across human tissues in both development and adult tissue maintenance5. Three major SWI/SNF complexes exist: BAF, PBAF, and GBAF, which differ in their composition and genomic targeting but share an ATP-dependent catalytic activity to …

Investigating The Mechanisms For Priming And Maintaining Tumor Ag Specific Cd8+ T Cell Responses In The Context Of Cd4-Depletion, Delaney E. Ramirez

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Achieving durable, systemic CD8+ T cell responses against tumors is an imperative goal in treating cancer. However, suppressive cells, including Foxp3+CD4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are widely recognized to inhibit CD8+ T cell activity. For nearly two decades, anti-CD4 treatment has been used to eliminate Tregs and induces durable tumor antigen (Ag) specific CD8+ T cells, despite also depleting Foxp3-negative conventional CD4+ T (Tconv) cells. However, the underlying mechanism of anti-CD4 efficacy is not understood. In Chapter Three, we look beyond Treg depletion and investigate the potential contributions of other factors including homeostatic space, depletion of CD4+ APCs, and presence …

Scalable Methods For Resource-Constrained Adaptive Sampling, Kizito Masaba

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

As the global community confronts the pressing issues of climate change, the importance of environment monitoring cannot be overstated. This process is essential in identifying and tracking critical environmental trends to facilitate efficient and effective conservation efforts. Traditionally, scientists perform this task using hand-held, in-situ instruments. With the recent robot advancements, this task can be fully automated by applying multi-robot systems to a task referred to as multi-robot adaptive sampling. However, the cost of purchasing and operating robot systems for this application are still prohibitive due to various environmental, technological, and logistical constraints. Some of the outstanding constraints to the …

The Impacts Of Impurities And Stress State On Polycrystalline Ice Deformation And Investigations Into The Densification Of Polar Firn, Ayobami Oladapo Ogunmolasuyi

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Glacier ice cores are unparalleled natural archives of past climate, containing ancient air and impurities. Understanding glacier and ice sheet behavior and their impact on impurity records is crucial for interpreting ice core records. H₂SO₄ is particularly significant, as it provides the strongest evidence for the diffusion of chemical signals and decreases the strength of single crystals and polycrystals of ice. However, its effects on recrystallization, grain growth, and fabric development mechanisms, as well as the effects of grain boundaries on its post-depositional diffusion remain unclear.

This thesis investigates the effects of the microstructural location of H …

Post-Pandemic Perspectives On Academic Librarian Recruitment Practices: Insights From Job Seekers, Louise L. Lowe, Christopher Stewart, J.B. Hill, Jenna Eastwood Hill

Faculty Scholarship

The recruitment and retention of skilled librarians is essential to the success of academic libraries. However, recruitment practices have failed to adjust to the needs of librarians and the evolving job market. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this challenge, further emphasizing the need to reform recruitment efforts. This study reports on the results of a survey conducted in 2023 and 2024 to explore the experiences of 166 job seekers applying for academic librarian jobs in the United States between 2020 and 2023. The findings highlight the importance of candidate-centered practices in the recruitment process, as well as the creation of positions …

Estrogen Receptor (Er) Alpha Regulatory Mechanisms And Therapeutic Strategies In Er+ Breast Cancer, Bianca A. Romo

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Breast cancer is among the most frequently diagnosed cancers in the U.S. and is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortalities, second to lung cancer. Estrogen receptor alpha-positive (ER+) breast cancer accounts for 2/3 of diagnosed cases. Patients diagnosed with this subtype of breast cancer typically undergo endocrine therapy that aims to mitigate the growth-promoting effects of estrogen/ER. While therapies are effective, 1/3 of patients will experience recurrence. To begin addressing this drug-resistant patient population, we investigated potential drug targets involved in response to treatment.

Coregulators have been implicated in the regulation of ER transcriptional activity and subsequently affecting …

Using Thin Films Of Phase-Change Material For Active Tuning Of Terahertz Waves Scattering On Dielectric Cylinders, Atilla Ozgur Cakmak, Evrim Colak, Andriy E. Serebryannikov

Open Access Publishing Support Funded Articles

The scattering of electromagnetic waves by isotropic dielectric cylinders can be dramatically modified by means of vanadium dioxide (VO₂) thin-film coatings. Efficient dynamic control of scattering is achieved due to the variations in material parameters realizable by means of external biasing. In this paper, we study the scattering of terahertz waves in a case where the coating shells are made of VO₂, a phase-change material, whose thin films may work rather as electromagnetic phase screens in the insulator material phase, but as lossy quasi-metallic components in the metallic material phase. The shells that uniformly cover the …