Digital Commons Network^™

A Data-Driven Koopman Framework For Station-Keeping On Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit, Anusha Sharma Malladi

Theses and Dissertations

Cislunar missions have gained significant attention in recent decades, motivating the need for efficient modeling and reliable control. In this work a Koopman operator based framework is developed for approximating the error dynamics around a reference Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) in the Earth-Moon Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem (CR3BP). A decoder free neural network is used to learn a lifted linear representation of the nonlinear CR3BP dynamics and a residual based approach is used to identify the corresponding control input matrix. The model is then implemented in a receding-horizon target point controller and compared with uncontrolled propagation and a State …

Developing Imitation Learning Policies By Exploring Diffusion Framework For Quadcopters, Likith Swamireddy

Theses and Dissertations

Imitation learning offers a promising approach in developing near-optimal onboard policies for nonlinear systems, by learning from computationally expensive trajectory planners during offline training. Existing State-of-the-art methods commonly learn deterministic mappings from observations to actions by training fast neural networks to mimic the expert demonstrations, which can limit their ability to capture the action distribution, when the policy is trained on multiple possible expert commands to reach the same target, and this may lead to unsafe scenarios in the obstacle environments. To address these challenges, this study explores Diffusion Models (DMs) as a feedback controller for quadcopters that learns the …

Impact Of School Nurse Education On Factors Influencing Hpv Vaccine Communication With Parents, Jihye Choi, Efrat K Gabay, Jeanette Deason, Elizabeth Baumler, Diane Santa Maria, Daisy Mullassery, Lara S Savas, Erika Thompson, Sanghamitra M Misra, Paula M Cuccaro

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause six cancer types but can be prevented with timely vaccination in early adolescence. However, despite the wide availability of the HPV vaccine, uptake remains suboptimal among US adolescents. School nurses are invaluable resources to students and their families regarding adolescent immunization needs. As part of the All for Them vaccination program, we assessed the impact of the continued nurse education (CNE) intervention on school nurses’ HPV vaccine communication with parents. Seventy-two school nurses and nurse administrators in Texas participated in the study. Using a single-arm study design, we measured participants’ potential barriers to and self-efficacy …

Ring Ring Goes The Telephone, Answer That Email: The Immediacy Of Information Communication Technologies And Their Effects On Employee Well-Being, Concepcion Rodriguez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Rapid technological advances have resulted in information communication technologies (ICTs) with revolutionary capabilities, allowing employees easy access to the workplace without the impediments of time or space. Initial inception of ICTs in the workplace were expected to increase autonomy (Heller, 1989), but the ability to be reachable at any time proved disadvantageous to employee well-being by creating a culture in which immediate responses were expected and precipitating the psychological phenomenon of workplace telepressure, an overwhelming preoccupation and urge experienced by workers to respond to work-related messages (Barber & Santuzzi, 2015; Mazmanian et al., 2013). The current study centered on exploring …

The Economics Of Modern Basketball Fandom, Holden Velasco

Capstones

In an increasingly money-sucking economy, many Americans are feeling the aching of their wallets. Basketball, once serving as an escape from the outside world, has now turned into a money-making machine where fans are paying to keep it running. It’s inescapable, whether it’s the rising costs to watch the professionals, forking thousands of dollars for children to play or sports gambling being plastered everywhere. Basketball no longer feels like basketball.

Integrating Student-Mined Data In Youth Computer Science Learning: An Investigation Of Learning Outcomes And Educational Strategies, Alex Acquah

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

As data increasingly shapes participation in society, there is growing emphasis on preparing youth to engage with data through computer science education. Existing K-12 computing and data science curricula have expanded opportunities for learners to analyze and interpret data; however, many learning experiences continue to rely on datasets and inquiry structures designed by others, limiting authentic engagement, personal relevance, and learner agency. This dissertation investigates the integration of student-mined data in youth computer science learning and examines its influence on computational thinking, epistemic agency, and learning experiences among high school students. Using a qualitative approach, data collected from youths of …

Providing Effective Student Feedback: Effects Of Sociotropy, Student-Teacher Connectedness, And Expressed Disappointment And Praise On Students' Self-Esteem And Motivation, Emily Davied

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study examined how different types of teacher feedback (i.e., expressed pride, expressed disappointment, and near-neutral feedback) impact students’ motivation to learn and self-esteem. It also explored whether such effects vary depending on students' personality and how connected they feel to their teacher. Undergraduate students (N = 221) imagined receiving feedback from a teacher and completed surveys assessing their motivation, self-esteem, sociotropy, and connectedness with the teacher. The results showed that feedback expressing disappointment lowered students' self esteem compared to expressing pride and lowered students' motivation compared to near neutral feedback. Although sociotropy (i.e., dependence on others' approval) and teacher …

Balancing Root-Zone Oxygenation And Rhizosphere Stability: The Impact Of Aeration And Hypoxia On Hydroponic Plant Growth, Christian D. Baker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

As the global population and food demand continue to increase, growers must look to innovative and sustainable methods for plant cultivation. Hydroponics is a popular method of sustainable plant cultivation where plant roots are suspended over a liquid nutrient solution. Hydroponics uses less water compared to traditional agriculture because there is no evaporation or solution runoff. It also maximizes land use, requires fewer pesticides and herbicides, and enables year-round cultivation in controlled environments. However, indoor hydroponic systems rely on artificial lighting, which has higher energy costs than traditional farming methods. Optimizing growing conditions is therefore critical to ensure long-term economic …

Cascaded Pid Control Of A Passive Bio-Inspired Rotating Empennage Aircraft, Zachary T. Jenkins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This thesis presents an autopilot for a Bio-Inspired Rotating Empennage (BIRE) aircraft. Most airplanes control yaw using a vertical stabilizer and a moving rudder, a design that has stayed essentially unchanged for nearly a century but adds weight, drag, and surface area to the aircraft. The BIRE removes the vertical tail entirely and instead allows the horizontal tail to rotate about the body x-axis of the airplane; tilting the horizontal tail produces a yaw force, doing the job of a rudder. This thesis first develops a controller for the BIRE where the empennage angle is commanded directly, then extends …

Enhancing Teachers’ Intercultural Literacy: Examining The Impact Of A Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program To Indonesia, Paul R. Wallace

Journal of Global Education and Research

The Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) Program offers institutional grants to support overseas experiences and curriculum development for educators. The study reported here focused on changes in the intercultural literacy of participants involved in a 4-week Fulbright-Hays GPA Program to Indonesia. Participants in this study included K-12 teachers from public schools and teacher education majors. Before and after traveling to Indonesia, eight participants completed a self-assessment of intercultural literacy, which measured competencies, understandings, attitudes, language proficiencies, participation, and identities deemed necessary for successful living and working in a cross-cultural environment. This article presents the results of the assessment survey, along …

Changing Expectations In Higher Education Post-Pandemic, Gregory R. Mackinnon, Tyler Maclean, Mohamad El Maouch, William Yuan, Zhao Kaibin, Bi Dandan, Marwa Saab

Journal of Global Education and Research

A sample of higher education students in Canada and China was surveyed and interviewed to ascertain any changes in their educational expectations given their experiences with emergency remote teaching during the pandemic. In addition, the instructors of these students were interviewed to corroborate student feedback. The research suggested that students in Canada and China expressed expectations of increased flexibility and improved pedagogy. Whereas Canadian students were overtly demanding of the instructor and the educational system, Chinese students were comparatively subtle in their expectation that the post-pandemic level of support be maintained. The primary concern of the Chinese cohort was a …

Advancing Blended Education: Caribbean Lecturers’ Reflective Narratives Of Caution, Creativity, And Change, Mia A. Jules, Donna-Maria B. Maynard, Grace A. Fayombo, Jason E. Marshall, Tanya Newton, Kamilah Hutson, Amanda Kellman, Cherise Bynoe, Mikaila Collymore, Jo-Ann Prosper-Chase, Laura Lee Foster, Adicia Clarke

Journal of Global Education and Research

Blended teaching requires lecturers to constantly self-reflect on their pedagogical practice to enhance student learning. However, there is yet to be a significant corpus of literature that highlights the cognitive resources that lecturers in higher education should possess to effectively use blended learning strategies. It is important to understand the intellectual resources required for blended pedagogy so that such capabilities can be fostered during faculty-training programs; ultimately resulting in innovative strategies to ensure quality learning outcomes and the advancement of university-level blended teaching mandates. This qualitative case study explored how twelve Caribbean lecturers experienced and navigated the teaching process in …

The Impact Of Virtual Reality Simulation On Developing Competence And Confidence In Non-Technical Skills In Nursing. A Scoping Review, Katie Janz, Karen Clark-Burg, Khaya Morris-Binelli, Brennen Mills, Amanda Graf

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Medical errors are a global concern and can compromise patient safety, with up to 80% of these errors directly linked to non-technical skills (NTS) failures. Traditional simulation using mannikins is resource-intensive, and virtual reality simulation (VR) has the potential to offer comparable outcomes with enhanced consistency and lowered resource requirements, but the effectiveness of VR to teach and enhance NTS has been underexplored.

Aim: This scoping review explores the existing literature on VR simulation as a method for teaching NTS in nursing to evaluate whether VR simulation yields positive learning outcomes, particularly in comparison to traditional training methods such …

Enhanced Carbon Burial In Seagrass Meadows Under Ocean Acidification Revealed By Carbon Dioxide Vents, Theodor Kindeberg, Teixidó, Steeve Comeau, Jean Pierre Gattuso, Beat Gasser, Alice Mirasole, Samir Alliouane, Ioannis Kalaitzakis, Denisa Berbece, Christopher Cornwall, Pere Masque

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Seagrass meadows are natural carbon sinks, yet the effect of ocean acidification on their carbon burial capacity remains poorly understood. Here we investigated natural carbon dioxide vents in Ischia, Italy to assess how seawater pH influences carbon burial in an area dominated by the seagrass Posidonia oceanica. Organic carbon burial rates (mean ± standard error) between 1954 – 2021 were low under ambient conditions (1.5 ± 0.5 g m-2 yr-1) but increased sharply under acidified conditions (7 ± 1 g m-2 yr-1), reaching sevenfold higher values under extreme acidification (10 ± 3 g m-2 yr-1). Stable isotopes suggest that these …

Team-On-Team Negotiation: How Internal Structure Shapes What Teams Can Do At The Table, Leyi Holly Shi, Tianyu He, Robert B. Lount Jr., Michael Schaerer, Roderick I. Swaab

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Team negotiation research presents a paradox: teams sometimes achieve more integrative outcomes than solo negotiators, yet in other cases they escalate competitiveness and harm relational outcomes. Existing theory has not resolved this inconsistency, in part because it treats negotiating teams as if they could change positions as easily as individual negotiators. We argue this assumption overlooks a central constraint of team-on-team negotiation: before any adaptive external exchange can occur, teams must internally authorize revisions to their positions as new information emerges. Drawing on evidence from research on team negotiation, multiparty negotiation, and team design, we identify this internal capacity as …

The Effects Of Eps Level And Presentation Format Of Analysts’ Forecast Deviation On Non-Professional Investors’ Investment Judgments, Clarence Goh, Prasart Jongjaroenkamol, Poh-Sun Seow

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

We experimentally investigate how the presentation format of the extent to which a firm's earnings per share (EPS) diverges from analysts' EPS forecasts (i.e. deviation information) and a firm's EPS level affect the investment judgments of non-professional investors (referred to hereafter as “investors”). Our results suggest that investors' investment judgments are more positive when firms with low (high) EPS levels disclose deviation information in percentage (absolute) terms. Furthermore, when the percentage of forecast deviation is held constant, investment judgments are more positive when EPS levels are high versus low if the deviation information is expressed in absolute terms. By contrast, …

"Please Put The Phone Down!": Self-Determination Theory Applied To Parental Social Media Mediation, Benjamin A. Dolowich

Dissertations

The majority of adolescents and young adults use social media (Chaddock, 2024; Coyne et al., 2013). Parents are faced with the challenge of considering the role social media may play in their children’s lives (Valkenburg et al., 2013). Using self-determination theory as a framework (Deci & Ryan, 2000), we investigated psychological needs as one mechanism connecting parental social media mediation strategies with well-being and emotional distress in a sample of young adults. Participants were 244 undergraduate students who completed online questionnaires. The results highlighted that controlling styles of parental social media mediation have an association with emotional distress. Psychological needs …

Co-Creating An Intervention To Prevent Injuries In Police Force Recruits: A Concept Mapping Study Of Police Force Recruits, Police Force Staff, Health Professionals, And Research Experts, Myles Murphy, Andrea B. Mosler, Garth Allen, Alex Donaldson, Clare L. Ardern, Carolyn A. Emery, Martin Hägglund, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Joanne L. Kemp, Debra Langridge, Tiffany Mcalinden, Thomas Mirco, Sophia Nimphius, Simone Radavelli-Bagatini, Kiera Staley, Vanessa Sutton, Evert Verhagen, Andrea M. Bruder

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: Police force recruits have a high musculoskeletal injury burden, which results in a substantial economic burden and can lead to attrition. The objective of this study was to identify and prioritise the strategies perceived as important and feasible to reduce the prevalence, incidence, and burden of injury in police force recruits. Design: Mixed-methods concept mapping study. Methods: Forty-eight participants were recruited from four broad groups: police force recruits/officers; police force staff; health professionals; and research experts. Participants brainstormed statements in response to a prompt (“To prevent injury and/or reduce the impact of injury on law enforcement recruit training, I …

Chlorinated Drinking Water Exposure Enriches Antimicrobial Resistance Pathways In The Infant Gut Microbiome: A Randomized Trial, Kimberley Parkin, Claus T. Christophersen, Valerie Verhasselt, Debra J. Palmer, Matthew N. Cooper, Susan L. Prescott, Desiree Silva, David Martino

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Water chlorination is essential for controlling harmful microbes in drinking water; however, the antimicrobial effects of chlorine-based disinfectants present in tap water may influence early-life gut microbial ecology.

Objective: To investigate the functional and compositional impact of chlorinated drinking water on the gut microbiome of infants.

Design: The waTer qUality and Microbiome Study (TUMS) was an Australian-based double-blinded, randomised controlled trial. Six-month-old infants (n = 197) received either de-chlorinated drinking water via benchtop filtration (treatment, n = 99), or regular chlorinated water (control, n = 98) for twelve months. Tap water and stool samples were collected at baseline and …

Dataset For Integrity Attacks On Time Synchronized Synchrophasor Data, Taylah Griffiths, Mohiuddin Ahmed, Chadni Islam

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Phasor measurement units, also known as synchrophasors, are a vital component within smart grids to determine the stability of the grid. These devices send synchrophasor data to phasor data concentrators that collate and analyse the data. Recently, synchrophasor communication data has become beneficial for the research community. However, datasets covering cyberattacks on synchrophasor data are not public. Having access to this data would aid in investigating mitigations against cyberattacks. This paper describes a public specialized dataset, known as ECU-PMU-FDI/TSA. The dataset contains synchrophasor communication data for cybersecurity mitigation testing. Three hours of communication data was captured, from a simulated testbed. …

Cxcr3 Is Associated With T-Cell-Induced Heart Damage In Acute Rheumatic Fever, Francis M. Middleton, Reuben Mcgregor, Natalie Lorenz, Sarah Kilian, Anna E.S. Brooks, Saem Mul Park, Ciara Ramiah, Judith Tresidder, Timothy C. Barnett, Michael Serralha, William J. Martin, Florina Chan Mow, Glenn Pearson, Mark Mayo, David I. Broadhurst, Julie Bennett, Johann Brink, Nigel J. Wilson, Anna P. Ralph, Rachel H. Webb, P. Rod Dunbar, Jonathan Carapetis, Nicole J. Moreland

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The pathogenesis of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is poorly understood, limiting the development of immune-modulating therapies to treat disease and prevent progressive heart damage. Here, participants with definite ARF were compared to other severe acute paediatric conditions and matched healthy controls by profiling circulating immune molecules and cells to inform disease mechanisms and potential druggable pathways. ARF shared immunological similarities with other inflammatory conditions, including elevated serum IL-6 and an increased frequency of circulating CD4⁺ T cells. However, elevation of the chemokine CCL5 and immunoglobulin IgG3, along with reduced expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR3 in the T cell …

Efficient Charging Scheduling Through Coordination Of Electric Vehicle Platoons And Charging Stations, Liwan Qi, Bochun Wu, Shoubo Li, Yi Gong, Wei Ni

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper focuses on charging allocation in a vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications-enabled electric vehicle (EV) network with heterogeneous traffic flows, where manned EVs and EV platoons coexist, and each EV platoon may have a different size and travel speed. In such a network, hybrid traffic flows pose significant challenges since platoons with multiple EVs can easily cause severe station overloading and increase the total time cost for charging service, particularly when large platoons occur. To tackle this issue, a centralized approach is proposed to plan charging allocation and optimize the velocities of manned EVs and EV platoons with the assistance of …

A Critical Review Of Pharmaceutical Pollutants In Soil And Air: Ecotoxicological Impacts On Animal, Plant And Microbial Communities - Health Hazards And Waste Management, Md Faisal Amin, Md. Saydur Rahman

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Pharmaceutical contamination in soil and air has become a critical environmental concern due to its widespread sources, complex behavior, and long-lasting ecological impacts. This review comprehensively explores the presence, fate, and effects of pharmaceutical compounds in soil, highlighting their entry routes, environmental persistence, and biological consequences. Pharmaceuticals infiltrate terrestrial and aquatic environments through various pathways, including agricultural application, pharmaceutical manufacturing waste, sewage sludge, hospital and household discharges, irrigation with contaminated water, and atmospheric deposition. A wide range of drug classes, such as antibiotics, analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antidepressants, anticancer drugs, and hormones, have been identified in both soil and air …

Correctional Officer Suicide: A Theory-Driven Investigation Of Acquired Capability And Suicide Behavior, Abigail R. Andersen

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A growing body of research suggests that correctional officers (COs) die by suicide at a significantly higher rate compared to the general population and some other public safety personnel. Despite what is known about this phenomenon, an understanding of the risk factors driving the high rate of suicide among this population remains unclear. Specifically, little attention has been paid to specific risk factors for suicide among this population and there is an overall absence of theory-driven research investigating CO suicide. The present study sought to address the gap in this area of research by investigating potential risk factors for suicide …

Environmental Or Occupational Heavy Metal Exposure In The Development And Progression Of End Stage Kidney Disease: A Systematic And Network Meta-Analysis, Lauren Nguyen

Summer Research Program Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Design Of Automatic Security System Based Internet Of Things At The Museum, Rahmat Ageng Yuwana, Nuryake Fajaryati, Ferry Jie

Elinvo (Electronics, Informatics, and Vocational Education)

This research aims to determine the procedures for developing an Internet of Things (IoT)-based Automatic Security System as a security device for museum objects and to test its feasibility based on user feedback in museums. The Design Thinking model used consists of five stages: Empathize (understanding the user’s perspective), Define (gathering information on the encountered problems), Ideate (generating innovative ideas), Prototype (creating a prototype of the obtained ideas, ensuring the functionality of each device feature, and validating the product through expert judgment for feedback and product revision), and Testing (evaluating the system’s feasibility using Usability standards based on ISO/IEC 9241-11, …

Parental Perceptions Of Child Health And Their Alignment With Clinical Indicators In Overweight Or Obese Low-Income Children, Katherine Moorman-Wolfe

Summer Research Program Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Caribou Migration And Non-Local Hunting In Northwest Alaska: A Gis Analysis Of Hunting Activity And Its Relationship With Caribou Migration Corridors, Brittney L. Jiménezszabo

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Indigenous Alaskans rely on subsistence hunting for food, with Barren-ground caribou making up approximately 27% of their diet. It is believed by subsistence hunters that non-local hunting is forcing a change in caribou migration behavior. This study examined non-local harvesting records from 2013 – 2025 in the northwest and interior Game Management Units (GMU) and Alaksa’s Western Arctic Caribou Herd (WACH) migration range data to answer the question, is there a spatial relationship between non-local harvests and WACH migration behavior. Mixed methods included spatial autocorrelation and local statistics. Findings led to the rejection of the null hypothesis which will help …

We All Read: Adapting An Early Literacy Program For Children With Developmental Differences And Their Families, Rachel Podl

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Children with developmental differences face elevated risk for early literacy delays, while their caregivers experience significant difficulty accessing appropriate and supportive resources. This paper describes an adaptation of WeRead, an existing story-time and psychoeducation program through the University of Denver's Baby S.T.E.P.S. Lab, for children ages 0–7 with developmental differences and their caregivers. The program integrated a neurodiversity-affirming read-aloud, a strengths-based art activity, movement and music, caregiver psychoeducation on visual schedules, and collaboration with four community partners. The event drew approximately 65 attendees. A post-program survey, though limited by few responses, indicated that caregivers valued the program's accessibility, community partnerships, …

The Two Fridas: How The Use Of Semiotics Reflects The Social History Of Mexico In Frida Kahlo’S Work, Raquel Maria Botteon Martins

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera are often credited as having played a crucial role in establishing a Mexican avant-garde. According to the Denver Art Museum’s statement for the exhibition Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Mexican Modernism, their body of work often incorporated portrayals of mexicanidad, an identity born of Mexico’s ancient cultures and its colonial past that projected a visionary future. The use of mexicanidad imagery started with the efforts to create a new national art, following the Mexican revolution, when the country used public and socially effective art to communicate new ideals of identity.  Through the analysis of …