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To Speak Or Not To Speak: Institutional And Presidential Statements In Response To Community Crisis Events, Kimberly L. Caponi

Dissertations of Practice

To Speak or Not to Speak: Institutional and Presidential Statements in Response to Community Crisis Events

Kimberly L. Caponi, Ed.D.

Department of Counseling and Higher Education

Northern Illinois University

Carrie Kortegast, Director

The purpose of this case study was to understand the decision-making process of community college leaders in issuing institutional responses to community crisis incidents. During 2020-2021, in addition to the global COVID-19 pandemic, there were several high-profile racialized incidents that sparked calls for action and a racial reckoning. The research explored the decision-making process and experience of leaders in response to the murder of George Floyd. Five themes …

College Freshman Or College Junior? A Phenomenology Of The Experiences Of Dual-Enrolled Students Who Complete An Associate’S Degree While In High School And Attend A Public 4-Year University, Shari K. Ruehling

Dissertations of Practice

ABSTRACT COLLEGE FRESHMAN OR COLLEGE JUNIOR? A PHENOMENOLOGY OF THE EXPERIENCES OF DUAL-ENROLLED STUDENTS WHO COMPLETE AN ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL AND ATTEND A PUBLIC 4-YEAR UNIVERSITY

Dual enrollment opportunities in the United States continue to grow with more students completing college credentials such as degrees, diplomas and certificates while in high school. Some states, such as Iowa, lead the way in dual enrollment participation and credential completion while in high school. Many quantitative studies have shown positive graduation, retention, and completion rates among dual-enrolled students. However, there is a lack of qualitative research on the transition experiences …

Enhancing Iot Security: Optimizing Anomaly Detection Through Machine Learning, Maria Balega, Waleed Farag, Xin-Wen Wu, Soundarararjan Ezekiel, Zaryn Good

Computer Science Articles

As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to evolve, securing IoT networks and devices remains a continuing challenge. Anomaly detection is a crucial procedure in protecting the IoT. A promising way to perform anomaly detection in the IoT is through the use of machine learning (ML) algorithms. There is a lack of studies in the literature identifying optimal (with regard to both effectiveness and efficiency) anomaly detection models for the IoT. To fill the gap, this work thoroughly investigated the effectiveness and efficiency of IoT anomaly detection enabled by several representative machine learning models, namely Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Support …

Skubitz, Joseph Collection, Special Collections And Archives

Finding Aids

Joe Skubitz was born on May 6, 1907 in Frontenac, Kansas. He attended Girard High School, graduating in 1926 and then attended the Kansas State Teachers College, now Pittsburg State University. He received bachelor’s and master’s degrees while working in public education, and in 1946 received a law degree from George Washington Law School. Skubitz ran for office in 1962 and represented the 5^th District of Kansas as a Republican from 1963 to 1979. Among the things he worked towards were benefits for miners suffering from black lung, and to have the old fort at Fort Scott named a …

The Introduction And Spread Of Kudzu In Georgia, Ingrid E. Baker, Albert Way

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

Kudzu’s popularity in Georgia was born of necessity; the economic ravages of the Great Depression together with persistent soil erosion and depletion had left Georgia’s farmers in need of a thrifty solution. Kudzu’s nitrogen-enriching leguminous properties, along with its success as an inexpensive grazing crop, made it an attractive solution to Georgia’s agricultural woes. Channing Cope, through his radio program and regular contributions to the Atlanta Constitution, was among kudzu’s most ardent defenders. Cope’s charisma and enthusiasm helped to popularize the vine among farmers and laymen alike. At the federal level, the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) financially incentivized farmers to …

Using A Degree-Based Network Model To Understand And Control Traffic Jams In The Atlanta Metropolitan Area, Ian Salamone-Lent, Theresa Washington, Asma Azizi

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

Traffic congestion is an enduring problem for major metropolitan areas, such as Atlanta, GA. Our goal is to understand the nature of traffic congestion patterns in the highway system of Cobb County in Atlanta, GA. We created a road network representative of the Cobb County highway system and then superimposed a degree-based SIR model to simulate traffic congestion on that network. The model’s parameters, propagation and dissipation rates, were estimated using empirical traffic data, which are vehicles’ speed time series and speed limit of each road in the network. We then conducted a local sensitivity analysis of the model’s key …

Pharmacology Of Veratrum Californicum Alkaloids As Hedgehog Pathway Antagonists, Madison L. Dirks, Owen M. Mcdougal

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Veratrum californicum contains steroidal alkaloids that function as inhibitors of hedgehog (Hh) signaling, a pathway involved in the growth and differentiation of cells and normal tissue development. This same Hh pathway is abnormally active for cell proliferation in more than 20 types of cancer. In this current study, alkaloids have been extracted from the root and rhizome of V. californicum, followed by their separation into five fractions using high performance liquid chromatography. Mass spectrometry was used to identify the presence of twenty-five alkaloids, nine more than are commonly cited in literature reports, and the Bruker Compass Data Analysis software …

What’S Up With Words?: A Systematic Review Of Designs, Strategies, And Theories Underlying Vocabulary Research, Cherrynn Kast Black, Katherine Landau Wright

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Strong academic vocabulary is necessary for students’ success in school. Recently, researchers recommended studying integrated approaches for developing vocabulary, which is predictive of students’ long-term school success. Based on the premise that teachers who understand the theoretical foundations guiding their practice are better equipped to adapt strategies to meet the needs of their students, other researchers have attempted to identify theories underlying vocabulary instruction. Because teachers require the support of researchers who combine best practices in instruction with the theoretical frameworks on which they are based, we combined approaches implemented in three systematic reviews with an exploration of a variety …

Utilizing A Structured Music Therapy Program For Adolescents With Anxiety And Depression, Amy Haagen

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental health issues that affect children and adolescents. It has been noted that twenty percent of adolescents will have a depressive episode or be affected by anxiety by the time they are 18 years old. Mental health issues affecting children and adolescents majorly impact all aspects of their lives, most notably academic success, behavior, growth, and development (Porter et al., 2017). Current treatments for mental disorders, including depression and anxiety, include pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatments. In the adolescent population, there are conflicting opinions on the use of antidepressants due to risks …

Community Cultural Wealth And Its Impact On Pandemic Relief Funding For Small Businesses, Brett Smith

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This dissertation investigates the impact of social, navigational, familial, aspirational, and resistant capital on the ability of small business owners in Pennsylvania to access relief funding during the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily the period from March 2020 to December 2020. Utilizing Dr. Tara Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth framework, the study explores systemic barriers within relief initiatives and how they affect marginalized communities.

To meet business owners where they were, and to utilize technologies born as a result of the pandemic, this study utilized Asynchronous Video Interviews (AVI) and online surveys, to capture the lived experiences of these small business owners. Not …

Examining Academic Partnerships: An Explanatory Sequential Design Of The Perceptions And Impacts Of Homeland Security’S Engagement With Higher Education Institutions, Frederick Turner

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This dissertation examines the perceptions and impacts of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) academic partnerships with higher education institutions through an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. The study focuses on academic administrators’ perceptions of these partnerships, assessing how social equity considerations are integrated into recruitment metrics and exploring how these metrics vary across institutions of different sizes, types, and locations. Key findings indicate that while perceptions of the partnership’s effectiveness were mixed, there was a notable emphasis on the potential of these collaborations to enhance workforce diversity and meet public sector needs effectively. Additionally, the research identifies a theoretical framework …

Network Pharmacology And Molecular Docking Reveals The Therapeutic Mechanism Of Musa Acuminata Against Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Hasan Ansari, Prekshi Garg, K. S. Rashmi, Grisilda Vidya Bernhardt

Open Access archive

Network pharmacology integrates systems biology and bioinformatics to explore the intricate relationships among drugs, targets, diseases, and other molecular docking used to explore the effect of Musa acuminata against obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD is a behavioral and mental neurological condition. The occurrence of patients with OCD has increased in recent times due to both genetic and environmental factors. Genetic factors involve variations in certain genes that give instructions for proteins that react to or transport the neurotransmitter known as serotonin which has been associated with an increased risk of OCD. Thus, the present study aims to establish the therapeutic properties …

Smc-Cnn: Stacked Multi-Channel Convolution Neural Network For Predicting Acute Brain Infarct From Magnetic Resonance Imaging Sequences, Shashank Shetty, V. S. Ananthanarayana, Ajit Mahale, Suba Arul Devi

Open Access archive

Acute brain infarct is a major cause of stroke and the second most common cause of fatality worldwide. It's characterized by abrupt symptoms persisting over 24 hours or leading to death due to blood vessel blockage. There is a need for a fast and automated way to diagnose and predict the outcome of this condition. Medical image analysis has witnessed promising outcomes with the application of deep learning (DL) techniques. To address this problem, we propose two Stacked Multi-Channel Convolutional Neural Networks (SMC-CNNs) for predicting acute infarct using individual and multiple Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) sequences, including Diffusion-Weighted Imaging (DWI), …

Flexible Ring Slot Antenna For Optimized 5g Performance In N77 And N78 Frequency Bands For Wearable Applications, Gaurav Kumar Soni, Dinesh Yadav, Ashok Kumar, Chanchal Sharma

Open Access archive

The growth of 5G communications has created a demand for advanced wearable and flexible antennas due to supporting the high speeds, low latency, and capability of mechanical deformation conditions such as bending and conformability. In this paper, the design and analysis of a defected ground structure (DGS)-based ring slot antenna for N77 (3.3–4.2 GHz) and N78 (3.3–3.8 GHz) frequency bands is demonstrated. The antenna is made of an RT/Duroid 5880 substrate and has a loss tangent (tan δ) of 0.0009 and dielectric constant (εr) of 2.2. A DGS-based ring slot microstrip antenna is simulated, tested, and experimentally characterized on different …

Navigating The Complexity Of Braf Mutations In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Current Insights And Future Prospects, Sufyan Ibrahim, Smita Shenoy, Ramya Kateel, Shreya Hegde

Open Access archive

There are many challenges that are faced in the treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) due to the complexities associated with the tumor. Association of different types of mutations are one of the major complexities. Among these mutations, BRAF mutations are significantly gathering more attention due to their impact on disease progression and therapeutic response. This review provides an analysis of the current understanding of BRAF mutations in NSCLC, focusing on the molecular intricacies, clinical implications, and therapeutic advancements. The article explores the diverse spectrum of BRAF mutations, highlighting the prevalence of specific mutations such as V600E and non-V600E …

Dysfluent Speech Classification Using Variational Mode Decomposition And Complete Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition Techniques With Ngcu-Based Rnn, N. A. Vinay, K. N. Vidyasagar, S. Rohith, S. Supreeth

Open Access archive

Dysfluency refers to discontinuity in speech due to noise or speech disorder, this dysfluency has unique features in terms of pitch and time based on these characteristics the dysfluent speech is categorized into repetition, prolongation, or blocking of words or phrases, and because of this uneven structure in speech, it named unstructured speech. The recognition and classification of such unstructured speech require an effective algorithm to boost the process of Automatic Speech Recognition in real-time and it is a challenging task because the system will take more time to extract features like pitch, frequency or time, and energy. From the …

Development And Validation Of The Spatial Separation Sentence Test In Kannada, Asish Mervin Hermon, Kanaka Ganapathy, Hari Prakash Palaniswamy, Arivudai Nambi Pitchai Muthu

Open Access archive

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to develop and validate a modified version of the Speech in Noise Sentence Test in Kannada, which would be appropriate for testing the speech comprehension ability of children aged 8–12 years. Subjects and Methods: A total of 120 sentences were chosen from 200 familiar sentences and split into four lists. Continuous discourse was used as a competition or distractor. Using MATLAB, the target stimulus was presented at 0-degree azimuth while the distractor’s location varied (+90° and -90° azimuth). The test was programmed to dynamically adjust the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) based on participants’ responses. After …

Functional Connectivity Metrics In Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: A Machine Learning Perspective With Meg, M. V. Suhas, N. Mariyappa, A. Karunakar Kotegar, M. Ravindranadh Chowdary

Open Access archive

Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) is a prevalent neurological disorder affecting millions worldwide, including a significant proportion in India. Precise diagnosis and effective treatment planning are critical for TLE patients, necessitating advanced neuroimaging techniques. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) offers a non-invasive method for evaluating brain function, providing detailed insights into TLE. In this study, we aim to evaluate the potential of functional connectivity metrics derived from MEG data at the source level for distinguishing TLE patients from healthy controls (HCs). We analyse the data across various brain frequency bands, including alpha, beta, delta, gamma, theta, broadband, and high-frequency oscillations (HFO), using amplitude envelope …

Correlation Of Patient Characteristics With Peak Enhancement Time For Pediatric Cardiac Computed Tomography In Congenital Heart Disease, T. Visakh, P. S. Priya, Nitika C. Panakkal, Gunjan Banga

Open Access archive

Objectives: Cardiac computed tomography (CCT) plays a key role in diagnosing congenital heart disease (CHD), emphasizing the need for specialized protocols in newborns due to CHD’s complexity. The aim is to explore the relationship between peak enhancement time (PET) and various parameters during CHD assessment with CCT. Material and Methods: The study involved 38 CHD patients undergoing CCT, with observations made on their heart rate, respiratory rate, saturation, cardiac output, weight, height, and age. The PET for each case was determined, and Spearman’s rank correlation was employed to evaluate the association between these parameters and the PET. Results: The median …

Boosting Pineapple Maturity Classification: Impact Of Data Augmentation And Visual Transformer Integration With Transfer Learning, Lakshmana Rao Kalabarige, A. Venkata Ramana, Routhu Srinivasa Rao, M. Raviraja Holla

Open Access archive

Pineapple is a tropical fruit with varying degree of ripeness. It plays an important role in tribal agricultural markets. The effective pineapple maturity grading is essential for optimizing distribution and maximizing profits of tribal farmers. This study utilizes a pineapple dataset from Kaggle which include raw and ripe pineapple images. These raw and ripe are categorized into four maturity classes - fully ripe, medium ripe, partially ripe, and unripe - using Hue, Saturation, and Value (HSV) color space technique. Furthermore, the original dataset further divided into four specialized datasets: cluttered-unbalanced (d1), cluttered-balanced (d2), fine-tuned-unbalanced (d3), and fine-tuned-balanced (d4). In this …

Assessment Of Early Neonatal Practices To Prevent Hypothermia ; A Comparative Study, Smrithi Gm, Gayathri Renganathan, Rohith Motappa, Nitin Joseph

Open Access archive

Background: Globally, neonatal deaths are significantly attributed to hypothermia. This is mostly because of its co-morbidity with asphyxia, premature birth and severe neonatal infections. Worldwide, neonatal hypothermia case fatality rates (CFRs) range from 8.5% to 52%. This study aimed to assess how well a video-based training intervention on mothers’ knowledge and practices in preventing neonatal hypothermia worked. Methods: The knowledge and practices of two groups of primi-para mothers—one control group and one intervention group—were compared in order to achieve this. A total of 124 primipara mothers took part in the research. Using a video based tool, the intervention group was …

Performance Investigation Of Monocrystalline And Polycrystalline Pv Modules Under Real Conditions, Neha Kumari, Sanjay Kumar Singh, Sanjay Kumar, Vinay Kumar Jadoun

Open Access archive

Crystalline silicon PV module dominates PV technology worldwide and are constantly emerging with innovative PV designs. Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell PV technology (PERC) is one such high efficiency crystalline PV design that is dominating almost 60% market share. The present study intends to fill the gap by comparing the experimental behavior of high efficiency Mono and Polycrystalline PERC PV Module under realistic conditions. Outdoor installed PV modules are severely impacted by partial shading that results in decline in energy efficiency and develop multiple power peaks in the I-V characteristics. Innovative MPPT techniques are frequently researched to mitigate this problem. …

Development And Validation Of A Bedside Scale For Assessing Upper Limb Function Following Stroke: A Methodological Study., Dhaval Pawani, Abraham M. Joshua, Akshatha Nayak, Vijayakumar Palaniswamy

Open Access archive

Background: Numerous tools are available for evaluation of upper limb (UL) functions among stroke survivors. Despite the excellent psychometric properties, many require considerable amount of time, are resource-intensive, and often impractical for bedside evaluation. Objectives: To develop and concurrently validate a simple, resource-efficient, and time-efficient bedside tool for evaluating UL function in stroke survivors. Methods: Relevant literature review was carried out to conceptualize and define the theoretical framework of day-to-day UL movement tasks. Subsequently, an item pool of 18 UL movements was developed. A mini-Delphi method was employed to verify content validity. During the iterative rounds, 18-items were revised and …

Demystifying Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis Using Interpretable And Understandable Artificial Intelligence, Krishnaraj Chadaga, Varada Vivek Khanna, Srikanth Prabhu, Niranjana Sampathila

Open Access archive

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a dangerous illness that strikes the central nervous system. The body's immune system attacks myelin (an entity above the nerves) and impairs brain-to-body communication. To date, it is not possible to cure MS. However, symptoms can be managed, and treatments can be provided if the disease is diagnosed early. Hence, supervised machine learning (ML) algorithms and several hyperparameter tuning techniques, including Bayesian optimization, have been utilized in this study to predict MS in patients. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis has been conducted before training the classifiers. The most essential markers were chosen using a technique called …

Assessment Of Preparedness For Antimicrobial Resistance In The Veterinary Department Of A District In South India, Srajana Uttam Kotekar, Navya Vyas

Open Access archive

Background and Aim: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top ten public health challenges affecting humans worldwide. Antibiotic use in livestock, agriculture, and fisheries is a significant yet often overlooked contributor to AMR. This study aimed to evaluate the preparedness of the veterinary department for AMR in a district in South India. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study involved all veterinary personnel in the department, with 73 participants (administrative officials, veterinary doctors, and para veterinarians). Data were collected using a validated questionnaire and an observational checklist to assess infection prevention and control (IPC) practices. Specific questionnaires were administered to …

Digital Orientalism In Machine Vision: A Cross-Platform Analysis Of Ai-Generated Representations Of Indian Culture, Jinu K. Varghese, Padma Rani

Open Access archive

This study investigates how contemporary artificial intelligence image generation systems interpret and reproduce Indian cultural elements through a comparative analysis of three major platforms: Stable Diffusion, Flux, and Midjourney. While these systems have demonstrated remarkable technical capabilities, their handling of non-Western cultural elements remains understudied. We present a novel methodological framework that combines visual social semiotics with digital anthropology to analyse AI-generated images across multiple dimensions, including representational accuracy, cultural sensitivity, and power dynamics. Our systematic analysis of images generated through increasingly sophisticated prompts reveals significant patterns in how these systems mediate cultural representation. Results indicate that while platforms exhibit …

Delivery Of Nutraceutical Products In Sports, Hrithik Dadasaheb Jadhav, Anjana A. Kailas, Annamalai Rama, Induja Govindan

Open Access archive

Healthy interventions are one of the most significant aspects of first-rate athletic execution. Combat-related tasks necessitate the greatest ratio of muscular tissue to body weight in order to reach the highest level of command feasible. An adequate level of nutrition knowledge is essential, especially when it comes to assessing energy requirements while avoiding misunderstandings about dietary supplements and incorrect assessments of steroid requirements, which could damage health. In that framework, our organization seeks to emphasize healthy needs and assess the importance of a daily diet in combat athletes, which gradually involves a wide variety of sporting food nutrients, and the …

Multifaceted Therapeutic Approaches For The Management Of Dyspareunia: A Narrative Review, Muskan Rastogi, Kuldeep Deka, Shyam Krishnan K, Amitesh Narayan

Open Access archive

Background: Dyspareunia is a complex health issue in women and causes an increased risk of sexual dysfunction, relationship conflict, mood disorders, and decreased quality of life. This narrative review aimed to explore the different therapeutic approaches for managing this complex health problem among the women population. Materials and Methods: Articles published in English in Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and SAGE databases from 2017 to 2023 were searched. Twelve studies with dyspareunia as the primary clinical problem were chosen. The clinical efficacy of pelvic floor muscle training, perineal massage, biofeedback, manual therapy, dilator therapy, extracorporeal shockwave …

Compact Uwb Mimo Antenna With A Modified Back Reflector And Supported By Characteristic Mode Analysis For Wireless Communication Applications, Shailesh, Garima Srivastava, Sachin Kumar, Samah Ibrahim Alshathri

Open Access archive

This research presents a modified back reflector to increase isolation for a small ultra-wideband (UWB) multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antenna. The rectangular patch and narrow line strip on the bottom side of the substrate, arranged diagonally, make up this modified back reflector. The characteristic mode analysis provides a physical comprehension of the operating events that occur during the antenna's evolution. The suggested antenna maintains an isolation level of more than 20.7 dB and has an operating bandwidth from 2.74 GHz to 14 GHz with a small dimension of 28.5 mm × 28.5 mm × 1.6 mm. Important factors that assess the effectiveness …

Engagement Of Early Career Researchers In Collaborative Assessments Of Ipcc Reports: Achievements And Insights, Marta Moreno-Ibáñez, Mathieu Casado, Gwenaëlle Gremion, Valentina Rabanal

Open Access archive

The participation of a diverse –in terms of geography, discipline and gender– group of Early Career Researchers (ECRs) in the peer review process can help alleviate the workload of senior researchers and counteract the perceptual biases that the latter tend to show. Moreover, ECRs can benefit from developing skills that are often not included in educational programs. From 2018 to 2021, the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists, in collaboration with other associations, organized six group reviews of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports by a total of more than 600 ECRs from over 70 different countries. This …