Digital Commons Network^™

Pid Auto-Tuning For Usvs: A Multi-Evolutionary Optimization Ai Approach, Xavier Navarro Vicent

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

USVs play a critical role in a wide range of marine applications, where precise station-keeping is essential for tasks such as autonomous launch and recovery of an onboard aerial drone. Maintaining a stable position in a dynamic marine environment requires robust control strategies to counteract external forces, including wind, waves, and currents, which can introduce vehicle oscillations and positional errors. To optimize the operability limits of the vehicle based on sea state, weather conditions, and mission requirements, the USV must be carefully tuned. Traditionally, the tuning is performed manually, which is time-consuming and can lead to operational delays. This study …

Assessing Trophic Pathways In The Southern Indian River Lagoon Using Fatty Acid Markers, Joedeelee Rigdon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) comprises over 200 Km of the Florida’s east coast and is a bar-built estuary making up one of the most biodiverse estuarine environments in North America. Toxins produced by increasingly frequent harmful algae blooms in the IRL are found throughout the food web, from zooplankton to fish, to apex predators. The impact of species characterized as harmful algae can be traced using fatty acid markers, as phytoplankton and algae that make up HABs produce characteristic poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), which have conservative ratios between trophic levels. This study measured the fatty acid composition of two …

Little Habits, Caitlin Rosolen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Little Habits is a body of work that explores the subject of coping mechanisms and defense mechanisms that manifest as psychological and physiological defenses resulting from long-term chronic stress and complex trauma. Emphasizing the physical tactility of flesh and bodily fluids, the use of soft, pliable natural fibers and glass beads and yarns, are purposefully found woven, entangled, and embedded within and through the reclaimed wood stretchers. Through mixed media installation, the series probes the intimate details of mechanisms in which symptoms of stress and trauma can manifest. Focusing on an overarching survey of maladaptive mechanisms, the work serves as …

Essays On Entrepreneurial Funding In The Era Of Fintech Innovation, Robert S. Reardon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Equity crowdfunding introduces a contemporary framework for the longstanding practice of aggregating capital from diverse groups of investors, ranging from small individual contributors to large, accredited participants. Specialized digital platforms facilitate this capital assembly process by intermediating transactions between entrepreneurs seeking financing and investors, who receive financial securities in return for their contributions. This fundraising mechanism gained prominence in the United States following the implementation of Title III of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act in 2016, which established regulatory frameworks permitting companies to publicly solicit investments online from diverse investor pools.

While equity crowdfunding has expanded capital accessibility, …

The Effect Of Huntington’S Disease On The Mechanical And Electrical Properties Of Red Blood Cells, Liliana Ponkratova

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Huntington’s disease (HD) has an impact on brain tissues and can alter the biochemical properties of the peripheral blood. Evidence in existing literature suggests that peripheral mutant Huntingtin protein may be involved and deteriorate HD. Red blood cells (RBCs), being the most abundant type of cells in the peripheral blood, can show detectable changes in their biophysical properties due to subtle changes in cell membranes. These changes can offer a minimally invasive means to track the progression of the disease. The transgenic line R6/2 is used as the disease model. Utilizing the electro-deformation spectroscopy, we measured membrane permittivity, cytoplasm conductivity, …

Mblac1 Knockout Mice: Behavioral Modeling Of A Novel Risk Factor In Alzheimer's Disease, Cara Melillo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) involves progressive cognitive decline, with mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and copper (Cu) imbalance implicated in its pathogenesis. MBLAC1 has been identified as a risk factor for AD in individuals with comorbid cardiovascular disease (AD-CVD). Its C. elegans ortholog, swip-10, regulates Cu ion homeostasis and mitochondrial function. To investigate MBLAC1’s role, we examined behavioral phenotypes in Mblac1 knockout (KO) mice and tested the efficacy of the Cu chaperone elesclomol (ES). Male KO mice exhibited deficits in novel object recognition (NOR), which were rescued by ES treatment. Female KOs showed increased anxiety-like behavior in the Elevated Plus …

Joy In Teaching: Examining Teachers’ Perceived Experiences Of Choice, Self-Efficacy, And Sense Of Belonging, Shellie Hennings-Donow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Teacher joy is a critical yet often overlooked factor influencing teacher retention, instructional effectiveness, and student outcomes. This study explores how teachers describe their experiences of joy in the workplace, focusing on the roles of choice, self-efficacy, and belonging. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory and Attribution Theory, this research examines the extent to which teachers’ perceived autonomy, competence, and relational support contribute to teachers’ professional fulfillment. Through qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews and thematic analysis, this study captures the perceptions of educators across diverse school settings. Findings reveal that teachers experience the highest levels of joy when they have meaningful autonomy …

A Legacy Of Fire: Alma Bridwell White, The Second Wave Klan And Complexities Of Religion, Race And Feminism, Ellis Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

In the shadow of the KKK stood an unexpected force: women. At the crossroads of religious fundamentalism and racial extremism was Alma Bridwell White, a pioneering yet controversial figure whose religious leadership intertwined with her avid support for the Klan. This research examines how White used both pulpit and platform to advance the Klan’s image of ‘Americanism’ defined by racial purity and religious intolerance, and promote early feminist ideals, whilst still being reliant on male figures. This research enables an exploration of how female members of the KKK were able to leverage their social, political and religious influence to promote …

Impact Of Data Security Breach On Long-Term Firm Performance, Tim Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Data security breaches continue to be a primary concern for businesses. The possibility of losing sensitive customer data and how that might impact their firm is part of what keeps executives up at night. Past research has largely centered around how a data security breach might impact firm performance as measured by cumulative abnormal returns (CAR), or from an investor’s perspective. This research has produced inconsistent results, with some research efforts showing large negative impacts on market value while others show no impact at all. Through this research effort, I explore possible reasons for these inconsistent findings. Under Interpersonal Gossip …

Maternal Stress And Infant Anxiety: Examining The Link Through Fear Temperament, Melissa Ayala

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This study explored the relationship between maternal stress and infant fear temperament. Infant temperament is important because it allows the caregiver to understand the individual variation in the emotional and social needs of the child. Due to previous research, it can be inferred that maternal stress can influence the development of infant fear temperament. The current study looks at the relationship between maternal stress and infant behavioral fear temperament. In this study there was no relationship between maternal stress and infant behavioral fear when collapsing the across conditions and emotions expressed during the Lab-TAB. However, infants varied in their fear …

Perceptions Of Educational Settings, Taniya Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This study examined the influence of self-monitoring on cognitive performance under stereotype threat in an online academic setting. One hundred thirty-two Black and Hispanic participants completed a series of GRE-style questions following exposure to either a stereotype threat or control condition (Steele & Aronson, 1995). Participants also completed measures of self-monitoring (Gangestad & Snyder, 2000), academic motivation (Pintrich & De Groot, 1990), cognitive load (Kirschner, 2002), self-esteem (Crocker et al., 2003), and ethnic identity. Using multiple regression and mediation analyses conducted in Jamovi, self-monitoring emerged as the strongest and most consistent predictor of test performance. Academic motivation partially mediated this …

“Ojala Que Llueva: Free Trade's Ripple Effect On Rice Farming In El Cibao, Dominican Republic", Arismendis Altagracia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Globalization has had a tremendous effect on agricultural communities. This study aims to understand Dominican rice farmers' methods of production, their impact on the Dominican economy, and the public health of those involved in production. Some concerns are how mass rice production affects the environment, public health, and the state's economy. The rice industry in the Dominican Republic is one of the most essential sectors due to its cultural and dietary significance. Rice contributes a substantial amount to the diet of Dominicans; its production process and nutritional profile is associated with health problems that burden an already strained public health …

Do Marketers Need To Know? How Firms' Newfound Quest For Customer Data Is Eroding Firm Performance, Victor Garcia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Firms today spend more than 30 billion dollars on marketing data. This obsession with data has been propelled by a firm's ongoing need to better understand its consumers and, in turn, drive positive firm performance. While the relationship between brand equity and firm performance has been confirmed for the last two decades, this study explores how data collection negatively moderates the existing relationship by testing multiple variables of privacy risk. This theoretical paper with a pilot study explores how the conflicting balance of shareholder theory and stakeholder theory can lead firms towards data collection practices that indirectly diminish the firm’s …

Citizenship And Civic Engagement Among New Americans: Arab, Asian, And Latino Americans During A Shifting Political Landscape, Ming Hsu Chen

Faculty Scholarship

This policy paper examines civic engagement among new Americans, focusing on factors that influence the sense of belonging and political participation, particularly among recently naturalized Asian Americans, Latinos, and Arab Americans. The study, conducted by the Center for Race, Immigration, Citizenship, and Equality (RICE) at University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (UC Law SF) in collaboration with the New Americans Campaign (NAC) at Immigrant Legal Resource Center.

Illuminating The Professoriate: Preparing Today's Doctoral Students To Be Tomorrow’S Leadership Educators, I. Dami Alegbeleye Phd., Bram Stone Ms, Spencer Camacho

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

This presentation aims to describe the DLP program and share findings regarding its effectiveness and impact on doctoral students’ leadership education and pedagogical skills. This practice paper seeks to identify key areas of successful implementation and participant learning outcomes from the program.

Childhood Prosocial Behavior And Body Mass Index: Longitudinal Findings In The Millennium Cohort Study, Farah Qureshi, Krista Woodward, Laura D. Kubzansky, Julia K. Boehm

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective: Childhood obesity affects millions worldwide but is challenging to treat. Prosocial or helping behavior may help mitigate childhood obesity. We investigated whether prosocial behavior at ages 5–11 was associated with body mass index (BMI) and reduced obesity risk through age 17. Method: Data were from 8,894 participants in the Millennium Cohort Study. Parents reported children’s prosocial behavior using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire at ages 5, 7, and 11. BMI scores (kg/m2) were calculated from children’s height and weight at ages 5, 7, 11, 14, and 17, which were then standardized by sex (M = 0, SD = 1) …

Systematic Reexamination Of Early Verb Dominance: Verbal And Nonverbal Characteristics Of Caregiver Input And Their Contribution To Long-Term Language Outcomes, Minju Kim, Jeonghee Mun, Gayoung Kim, Solyeon Jeon, Youngon Choi

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Early language input to infants varies in lexical composition across languages and contexts. For instance, American-English input emphasizes nouns more than verbs, while Mandarin Chinese and Korean inputs provide more verbs than nouns, the difference of which is considered an influential factor in the child’s early vocabulary acquisition. Furthermore, a possibility was raised that nonverbal input accompanying child-directed language provides additional support for verb meanings in verb-dominant caregiver input. However, these early verb dominance and support patterns have been derived from a handful of studies that examined very small samples. Thus, we aimed to systematically reexamine the verb dominance pattern …

A Multi-Layered Approach To Ransomware Detection And Prevention: Combining Real-Time Monitoring, Entropy Analysis, And Behavioral Analysis, Sri Charan Bonigala

All Capstone Projects

Ransomware attacks have come to be a critical cybersecurity hazard, inflicting big economic losses and data breaches international. This mission affords a Ransomware Detection and Prevention System designed to pick out and mitigate ransomware threats in actual-time. The gadget employs a multi-layered method, combining real-time document monitoring, entropy evaluation, and procedure conduct analysis to discover ransomware-like activities together with rapid document encryption and suspicious system conduct. Upon detection, the system automatically terminates malicious approaches, creates backups of affected documents, and signals users thru a actual-time dashboard. Developed the usage of Python and equipment like Watchdog and Psutil, the gadget changed …

Eagle Scouts And The Contributing Factors To Civic Engagement On The College Campus, Blaise Lukasiewicz

All Capstone Projects

The qualitative study followed a general inductive method to determine the influence the rank of Eagle Scout has on civic engagement among students in four-year public higher education institutions. The identified population for this research study was college-aged students who are currently enrolled or have attended public four-year higher education institutions. By exploring the experiences of Eagle Scouts in higher education settings, this research aimed to contribute to our understanding of how participation in the Scouting program and attainment of the Eagle Scout rank shape individuals’ engagement in civic engagement activities during their college years. Previous research suggests that participation …

Competencies For Financial Aid Leaders In Higher Education, Megan L. Chaffee

All Capstone Projects

In the continuously evolving higher education landscape, financial aid leaders play a pivotal role in advancing institutional success and improving student outcomes. However, limited research exists on the specific competencies required for effective financial aid leadership. This quantitative study investigated the professional competencies deemed critical for successful leadership among financial aid leaders at public colleges and universities in the United States. Grounded in a skills-based leadership framework, the study examined how financial aid leaders perceive the importance of various professional competencies, how these perceptions differ based on individual and institutional characteristics, and how such competencies are developed. Data was collected …

Building Foundations: The Role Of Communication And Onboarding In Academic Advising Training, Nicole Richardson

All Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Policy Considerations For Golf Cart Transportation: Assessing Safety, Regulation, And Community Impact In Bradley, Illinois, Oscene Barrett, Latonya Forrest, Natasha Thomas

All Capstone Projects

The goal of this practical project is to determine whether introducing or expanding golf cart transportation in the Village of Bradley is feasible, beneficial to the community, and poses any hazards. The objective is to promote sustainable transportation options, increase mobility, and foster community ties for both locals and tourists.

The Village of Bradley seeks to determine whether a comparable program is feasible, publicly supported, and safe. This capstone explores three primary research questions:
1. Can golf carts function as a viable mode of local transport in Bradley?
2. How do residents perceive the risks, benefits, and desirability of a …

Perceptions Of Implementation From Higher Education Participants In Online Course Design Professional Development, Scott B. Thesen

All Capstone Projects

Many higher education instructors treat online teaching as a modern form of correspondence, believing students learn on their own when content is placed in a learning management system, but learning also takes place through other forms of interaction beyond solely with content. To show best practices for the online modality, instructors at a Midwest regional mid-sized higher education institution participated in professional development using the Improving Your Online Course (IYOC) workshop from Quality Matters™ (QM), a globally recognized authority in best practices for online course design. Level 3 of Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Training Evaluation was used to evaluate the …

Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Programming For African American Students At Predominantly White Institutions, Connie Love

All Capstone Projects

This qualitative study explores the impact of student support programs on the success of African American students in higher education. While existing research emphasizes the need for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programming and highlights longstanding disparities affecting African Americans in education, limited attention has been given to the influence of student support programs and the role of belonging in terms of academic success. Furthermore, the lived experience and narratives of African American students remain underrepresented in the literature.

This study examined the perspective of nine graduates from a student support program at a predominantly White institution (PWI) in the …

Preface To Volume 16, Issue 1, Peter A. Carfagna

Articles

No abstract provided.

Human Masters/Robot Servants: Highly Automated Vehicle Design, Intoxicated Drivers & Vicarious Liability, William H. Widen, Marilyn C. Wolf

Articles

A traditional engineering role is to design a safe product. Safety engineering is an exercise in harm avoidance ex ante. In contrast, liability attribution is an exercise to compensate for loss post hoc — traditionally viewed as a legal matter. We observe that, when a natural person incurs liability for a loss that exceeds insurance coverage, economic ruin can follow. Neither engineering nor law focus on the loss suffered by defendants considering law as a "safety risk." The highly automated vehicle (HAV) design space, however, provides an opportunity to prevent this kind of economic harm from occurring ex ante just …

Substance And Process In Corporate Law: Theory And History, William Wilson Bratton, Simone M. Sepe

Articles

Over the last half-century, corporate law has moved from substance to process as the Delaware courts have avoided direct review of the merits of transactions, substituting review of the processes that brought the transactions about. This is a familiar observation, perhaps a truism. But it is a truism that is undertheorized. This article addresses the theory gap, suggesting a structural reason for the trend. Simply, the courts avoid reviewing substance because they lack a theory of value. The theoretical void disables direct evaluation of transactional merits. Process review avoids this problem. Processes and their operation are the lawyer's stock in …

The Fox Effect? Implications Of Recruiting Corporate Law To Combat Misinformation, Lili Levi

Articles

In 2023, Fox Corporation settled U.S. Dominion’s defamation action over Fox News’ broadcast of false election fraud claims after the 2020 presidential election for the staggering sum of $787.5 million. Now, a shareholder derivative action is pending in Delaware against the company’s board of directors for breach of state corporate law fiduciary oversight duties for their failure to prevent such defamatory programming. Beyond the specifics of the case, this development portends the emergence of a new politico-legal strategy—using corporate governance requirements as a weapon to promote press accountability and combat misinformation in public discourse. The question addressed in this Essay …

The Legacy Of Ferguson: Building Worker, Community, And Student Power To Respond To The Carceral State, Donna Coker, Melody Sinckler, Kira Mikes

Articles

The 2014 killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri sparked national outrage regarding police violence in Black communities. But as time passed, Ferguson came to symbolize more than another episode of law enforcement violence. A Department of Justice (DOJ) report revealed that Ferguson's city coffers relied on an intentionally extractive criminal legal system that aggressively levied fines and fees in a racially discriminatory manner. As the DOJ findings illustrate, advocates seeking to transform or abolish the criminal legal system must rigorously analyze the political economy of the carceral system in their locale.

We describe a law school course aimed at …

Defining A Field And Building A Human Rights In Patient Care Community, Tamar Ezer

Articles

No abstract provided.