Digital Commons Network^™

Methods For Optimizing Detection And Evaluating Habitat Use Of North American River Otters In South Dakota, Jessica Speiser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) play a critical role as an apex predator in riverine ecosystems. A challenging species to survey using traditional methods, they remain understudied in non-forested regions, such as the Northern Great Plains, where habitat degradation and landscape fragmentation may reduce habitat quality and availability and disrupt landscape connectivity. This thesis aims to improve detectability and investigates the habitat use of river otters in South Dakota to better understand habitat needs of otters and improve their continued recovery and management. My first chapter provides a brief overview of river otters and their ecological roles in freshwater …

Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation Of Battery Thermal Management System At The Pack Level In Electric Vehicles, Yifan Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Electric vehicles (EVs) rely heavily on lithium batteries due to their high energy density, despite their tendency to generate excess heat during operation. Managing this heat is crucial for safety and performance. Battery Thermal Management Systems (BTMS) are essential for maintaining optimal battery temperature and mitigating risks like short circuits. This article examines various cooling methods for BTMS, including air and liquid cooling, and discusses the selection of cooling media and layout configurations within battery packs (BPs). It also highlights the importance of combining multiple cooling methods for efficient heat dissipation. Emerging technologies like Phase Change Materials (PCMs) show promise …

The Predictive Validity Of Sex Offender Treatment Progress Scale (Sotips) Using Iowa Sex Offenders, Holly Kelley-Chown

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a replication study of McGrath, Lasher, and Cumming's 2012 study. McGrath et al.'s population consisted of convicted Vermont sex offenders, while this replication study's population consisted of convicted Iowa sex offenders. Nearly 2,000 sex offenders are under the Iowa Department of Corrections community supervision (Daily Statistics-DOC Offender, 2023). Iowa uses SOTIPS, Static-99R, and the Iowa Risk Revised (IRR) to determine recidivism risk and supervision levels. The Static-99R was developed in Canada and has been validated in several jurisdictions, including Iowa (Statistical validation of the ISORA8 & Static-99 final report, 2010). The IRR was developed in Iowa using …

Evaluation Of Effects Of Behavioral Skills Training In Promoting Three Social Skills In Young Child With Autism: A Multiple Probe Research Design Study, Jennifer Rey

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the behavioral skills training model in teaching one 4-year-old child with autism to greet others, use an appropriate tone of voice, and use anger control. Moreover, this study assessed the maintenance of newly acquired social skills relying on a multiple probe research design. It was hypothesized that with the use of behavioral skills training the acquisition of the appropriate social skills at an early age would allow the child to engage with peers and adults in the training environment and later in a variety of social situations across other settings …

Harm-Focused Policing: A Comparison Of Citizen And Patrol Deputy Perceptions On The Severity Of Social Harms, Christina Finn

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the perceptions of Volusia County citizens and patrol deputies regarding the severity of social harms attributed to incidents of criminal activity. Despite the widespread assessments of crime, the perceptions of associated harms remain unclear. Developing a social harm index may provide current insight into the opinions of harm as perceived by both the public and law enforcement agencies. Using a sequential explanatory mixed method design, patrol deputies from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office and residents of Volusia County, Florida, were invited to complete a series of surveys and follow-up interviews. This study aimed to compare participant ratings …

Western Pacific K-12 Educators’ Adoption Of Digital Game-Based Learning, Lorraine Raqueño Catienza

Theses and Dissertations

Western Pacific educational institutions are investing heavily in technology in classrooms to meet the needs of K-12 students. Measuring the effective use of digital technologies in the learning environment has become a routine part of monitoring and evaluating classroom instruction. One area of technology integration that has seen tremendous growth is digital game-based learning (DGBL). The researcher is interested in examining K-12 western Pacific teachers’ willingness to adopt DGBL through a modified Technology Acceptance Model. This study aims to examine the extent to which teachers’ perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and technology self-efficacy effects attitude toward adopting DGBL methods. …

Challenges Teachers Face When Implementing Mult-Tiered Systems Of Supports: Recommendations And Interventions, Amber Durrett Drake

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the challenges that teachers faced when it came to the implementation of interventions and recommendations in the Mult-Tiered System of Support (MTSS). Through the MTSS, educators provided concentrated teaching, detected early signs of issues related to academic, behavioral, and speech deficiencies, and recommended fact-based interventions and practices in response to students’ needs. Identifying students’ deficits early reduced the risk of large student gaps and improved overall progress. Participants were seven Pre-k through Grade 5 teachers working in a Title 1 school located in a large metropolitan city area. Participants were selected through …

Perceptions Of Secondary School Mathematics Teachers Regarding Teaching Mathematics With Conceptual Understanding, Latisa Williams

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation was designed to provide current knowledge on the mindset of secondary school mathematics teachers regarding the use of Conceptual Understanding (CU) as an approach to teaching the subject. It is well-documented that when students learn to engage in mathematical conceptual explanations in meaningful ways, they improve their learning. However, reports have shown that students in secondary schools lack effective skills in explaining and applying CU for successful problem-solving. As a result, teachers struggle with methods of instruction that can effectively improve the level of CU with their students in mathematics.

For this study, the researcher used a qualitative …

A Phenomenological Study Of Online Physical Education On Former Students’ Activity Levels And Fitness Concepts Knowledge, Jerry Veshio

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to provide an understanding of the perspectives of former online physical education high school students and how participation in the course affected their ability to be active post-high school and their knowledge of fitness concepts. A phenomenological design was used to guide the study’s investigation. Participants in the study were interviewed about their experiences in online physical education while in high school and how that experience currently influences their physical activity levels. Additionally, respondents described the positives and negatives of their experience in the course, specifically as it relates to the course materials, assessments, instructor …

Exploring Mental Health Stigma Among Law Enforcement Officers, Nicholas David Chestnut

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation investigates the prevalence and impact of mental health stigma among law enforcement officers (LEOs) in the United States. Despite growing awareness of the importance of mental health in the law enforcement community, stigma surrounding mental illness remains a significant barrier to help-seeking behaviors among officers. The study employed a research design that examined attitudes, perceptions, and experiences related to mental health stigma among LEOs.

Through online self-assessment surveys administered via a secure portal, participants provided insights into their attitudes toward mental illness, perceptions of stigma, and willingness to seek help for mental health concerns.

Data analysis revealed …

Identity Insecurity As Observed In Eugene O’Neill: Examining America’S Most Tragic Playwright In The Sociological Lens, Audrey Langston-Wiebe

Mendel Sato Research Award Projects

One day in the wintry months of 1921, the late playwright Eugene O’Neill (1888-1953) learned of some ill-natured remarks that had been made regarding one of his plays. One critic in particular, Ernest Boyd, had described O’Neill’s work as being “depressing, unpleasant, and vulgar.” O’Neill, acting in defense of his creative merits, responded rather peculiarly in a follow-up letter sent to Boyd. That letter and other “original documents covering over a hundred years of Eugene O’Neill’s artistic work and life,” are all featured in the Harley Hammerman Collection on Eugene O’Neill. The display presents a curated and comprehensive model of …

Papers Of Paul Mojzes Arc2024-006 - Finding Aid, Ats Special Collections And Archives

Finding Aids

Papers of Paul Mojzes document the life, scholarship, and public engagement of theologian, professor, and scholar of Eastern European religion, politics, and interreligious dialogue, Paul Mojzes. Spanning the mid-20th century through the 2010s, the collection offers extensive primary-source material on Christian–Marxist dialogue, religious liberty, interreligious relations, genocide studies, and political developments in the former Yugoslavia and Eastern Europe. The papers reflect Mojzes’ decades-long career as a leading interpreter of religious life under communism, a participant in international dialogues and conferences, an editor and prolific author, and an advocate for reconciliation in the Balkans.

The collection is arranged into series that …

"The Reed That Bends With The Wind Does Not Break"-The Complexities Of Multicultural Mediation And The Use Of Artistic Tools To Overcome Them, Nokukhanya Ntuli

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

Mediation processes are inherently complex and require flexibility and adaptability. This is especially true for mediation processes involving multiple parties with diverse cultural backgrounds. This paper examines the complexities created by cultural diversity in mediation. The paper highlights a dispute between the local community of Msango, West Africa, and an international mining company. It highlights how linguistic and literacy barriers complicated the process, undermining effective communication and progress. The complication identified at the start of the process necessitated the process design to encompass tools to overcome the barriers identified early on. As the mediation progressed, the mediators continued to uncover …

4-H Horse Knowledge Bowl Entry Packet, Extension

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Desert Or Mirage? An Examination Of Food Deserts In Iowa Cities, Andrew Creasey

Graduate Research Papers

Food insecurity affects millions of Americans and has been widely recognized as a significant health and economic issue. Because of this, researchers have sought to develop ways to identify areas that are prone to food insecurity, which have become known as food deserts. Food deserts have been broadly defined through a confluence of three factors: low income, a lack of vehicle access, and a predetermined distance from a healthy food retailer. But research into food deserts in Iowa is limited, and the most prominent source of information on this topic, the Food Access Research Atlas created by the U.S. Department …

Poor Nutrition Status Associated With Low Patient Satisfaction Six Months Into Treatment For Head And Neck/Esophageal Cancer Treatment: A Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study, Adrianne M. Widaman, Andrew G. Day, Maggie A. Kuhn, Rupinder Dhaliwal, Vickie Baracos, Merran Findlay, Judith D. Bauer, Marian De Van Der Schueren, Alessandro Laviano, Lisa Martin, Leah Gramlich

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background: Patient-reported outcome measures have been associated with survival in oncology patients. Altered intake and malnutrition are common symptoms for patients treated for head and neck cancer and esophageal cancer (HNC/EC). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between patient-reported satisfaction with medical care and nutrition status. Methods: This prospective cohort study collected data from 11 international cancer care sites. Results: One hundred and sixtythree adult patients (n = 115 HNC; n = 48 EC) completed a patient satisfaction questionnaire (the Canadian Health Care Evaluation Project Lite) and were included. HNC/EC patient global satisfaction with medical care …

Sample Sizes For 10 Types Of Qualitative Data Analysis: An Integrative Review, Empirical Guidance, And Next Steps, Amber Wutich, Melissa Beresford, H. Russell Bernard

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

There has been a recent explosion of articles on minimum sample sizes needed for analyzing qualitative data. The purpose of this integrated review is to examine this literature for 10 types of qualitative data analysis (5 types of saturation and 5 common methods). Building on established reviews and expanding to new methods, our findings extract the following sample size guidelines: theme saturation (9 interviews; 4 focus groups), meaning saturation (24 interviews; 8 focus groups), theoretical saturation (20–30+ interviews), metatheme saturation (20–40 interviews per site), and saturation in salience (10 exhaustive free lists); two methods where power analysis determines sample size: …

Towards A Context-Contingent Stage Theory Of Entrepreneurial Opportunity: Introducing The Petii Model, Xiaohong Iris Quan

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Understanding opportunity is a crucial aspect of entrepreneurship research. Existing studies have extensively examined individual factors in facilitating entrepreneurial activities such as new venture creation. Although there are some discussions on contextual factors, few connect context with the origin of entrepreneurship—opportunity. Recognising the objectivity of entrepreneurial opportunity, this theoretical article first proposes two types of opportunities—innovative opportunity and imitative opportunity—to understand the nature of opportunity. It then proposes a systematic framework—the PETII (Population, Economic status, Technological advancement, Industry life cycle, Institutions) model—to analyse the role of context in the distribution of opportunity. Furthermore, it examines how both objective contextual factors …

Vehicular Traffic Flow Prediction Via Decentralized Federated Meta-Learning, Andrew Selvia, Ankur Singh, Wencen Wu

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Traffic flow prediction (TFP) has become a crucial problem for billions of people who rely on traffic predictions to optimize their travels every day. In this paper, we present a decentralized federated meta-learning (DFML) framework for traffic flow prediction. Within this framework, traffic detectors spread across a road system can form federations with nearby peers in order to predict traffic collaboratively. A node that assembles a federation assumes the role of receiver while the remainder are assigned as broadcasters. The broadcasters learn model parameters from local data and then broadcast those models to receivers, thereby enriching the available information from …

Multi-Robot Source Seeking And Field Reconstruction Of Spatial-Temporal Varying Fields, Deepak Talwar, Thinh Lu, Divyam Sobti, Wencen Wu

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

To effectively respond to environmental disasters, real-time monitoring and pollution control rely heavily on the ability to estimate, predict, and reconstruct constantly changing environmental conditions across different locations. In this research, we develop a multi-robot source-seeking and field reconstruction framework that enables a multi-robot group to detect multiple sources within a spatial-temporal varying field and reconstruct the field in real time. The strategy consists of two parts: source seeking and field reconstruction. The source-seeking part features a gradient-based source-seeking controller that directs the multi-robot group toward local sources and a destination selection algorithm that navigates the multi-robot formation beyond the …

Roundtable On Warhol V. Goldsmith: An Introduction To Warhol V. Goldsmith, Amy Adler, Lionel Bently, Susan Bielstein, Johanna Burton, Martha Buskirk, Noam M. Elcott, Jane Ginsburg, Branden W. Joseph, Joan Kee, Liz Linden, Rebecca Tushnet, Graeme Williams, Winnie Wong

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Promoting Understanding Of Three Dimensions Of Science Learning Plus Nature Of Science Using Phenomenon-Based Learning, Maryam Saberi, Noushin Nouri

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

The utilization of phenomenon-based learning (PhBL) for science instruction remains limited despite its alignment with the goals outlined in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS; NGSS Lead States, 2013) due to the lack of exemplary materials and inadequate training opportunities for teachers. The aim of this article is to illustrate the steps of the PhBL method by providing an exploratory learning experience as it was implemented in a preservice setting. In this study, we provide an innovative perspective by illuminating how this kind of instruction can be used as a context to explicitly discuss the three dimensions of learning (i.e., …

Department Of English Newsletter, Winter 2023-2024, Illinois State University, Department Of English

Department of English Newsletter

Newsletter of the Illinois State University Department of English

The Kidney In Heart Failure: The Role Of Venous Congestion, Oluwaseun Adebayo Bamodu, Chen-Chih Chung, Thomas R Pisanic, Alexander T H Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have emerged as pivotal players in tumorigenesis, disease progression, and resistance to therapies.

OBJECTIVE: This comprehensive review delves into the intricate relationship between CSCs and the cell-of-origin in diverse cancer types.

DESIGN: Comprehensive review of thematically-relevant literature.

METHODS: We explore the underlying molecular mechanisms that drive the conversion of normal cells into CSCs and the impact of the cell-of-origin on CSC properties, tumor initiation, and therapeutic responses. Moreover, we discuss potential therapeutic interventions targeting CSCs based on their distinct cell-of-origin characteristics.

RESULTS: Accruing evidence suggest that the cell-of-origin, the cell type from which the tumor …

Relational Database-Based Resource-Provenance Visualization Engine: With An Application To Bican Data, Xiaojin Li, Yan Huang, Lydia Ng, Kimberly A Smith, Wei-Chun Chou, Rashmie Abeysinghe, Ling Tong, Shiwe Lin, Licong Cui, Shiqiang Tao, Guo-Qiang Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Provenance tracking ensures data integrity, security, and accountability in healthcare and biomedical research. As biomedical data grows in complexity, comprehensive tracking mechanisms are needed to maintain reproducibility, transparency, and compliance with regulatory standards, such as GDPR. Traditional log-based and ontology-based approaches capture and standardize data lineage, while cryptographic and blockchain-based methods enhance security and verifiability. However, challenges remain in scalability, security, and usability. To address these, we introduce the Resource-Provenance Visualization Engine (RPVE), an advanced system integrating data lineage tracking and interactive visualization. RPVE employs the Randomized N-gram Hashing Identifier (NHash ID) to establish precise data links within the BRAIN …

An Efficiency Model For Decreasing Operative Room Turnover Time For Total Joint Arthroplasties, Kathryn Hedden, Samantha Harrer, Jong Hyun Choi, Pietro M Gentile, Alisina Shahi, Matthew L Brown

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Despite an increased demand for total joint arthroplasty (TJA), rising health-care costs and bundling of payments by payers have shifted the focus to improving operating room (OR) efficiency. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of an efficiency model that optimized instrument trays on decreasing OR turnover time (TOT) and the benefits made possible by this improved efficiency.

Methods: All primary TJA procedures performed by a single fellowship-trained surgeon from January 2022 to August 2023 were reviewed. The surgeon partnered with Zimmer Biomet to condense the total knee and total hip arthroplasty instrument trays from seven to three trays …

Editorial: Telestroke And Stroke Care Networks Beyond The Comprehensive Stroke Center, Amanda Jagolino-Cole, Alicia Zha, Imama A Naqvi, Jennifer J Majersik

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Regulating Gender Diversity: Evidence From California Senate Bill 826, Abigail Allen, Aida Wahid

Faculty Publications

Do gender diversity quotas enhance firm value? This broad question has sparked significant debate because while diversity is generally thought to improve board functioning, prior research in international settings suggests mandating diversity may have adverse consequences if it moves firms away from market equilibrium. Exploiting the political events leading up to the passage of California Senate Bill 826 as an exogenous shock to assess the market implications of board gender composition, we document either significantly positive or insignificant 2-day abnormal returns for California firms across a variety of model specifications. Importantly, this finding contradicts the strong claims of contemporary studies …

Rurality, Resilience, & Identity: A Soft Systems Methodology Approach To Understanding Self-Reported Issues In Rural America, Kayla M. Gabehart, Allegra H. Fullerton, Kristin Olofsson

Michigan Tech Publications

This study investigates how rural communities In Oklahoma conceive of their socioeconomic position in larger systems, as well as their resiliency and ability to withstand challenges. Utilizing systems thinking and polycentricity literature, we analyze interviews to construct an understanding of how rural communities perceive themselves, and how this impacts interactions with other communities and governments. Rural communities and their associated challenges are complex and impacted by a range of factors. We find that rural residents also feel this complexity, and understand their issues as products of overlapping systems and structures, and both internal and external factors. Additionally, we observe little …

Parent & Family Newsletter, December 2024, Illinois State University, Parent And Family Services

Parent & Family Newsletter

Parent and Family Newsletter