Digital Commons Network^™

Statically Controlled Synchronized Lane Architectures, Scott K. Pomerville

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Modern superscalar processors dominate the field of computing. While dynamic execution allows for versatility in code, these processors are complex. Statically scheduled code has historically enabled simpler processor designs, but static scheduling cannot account for variables that are unknown at compile time. Furthermore, static scheduling has many inefficiencies, such as the need to insert a large number of nops for code in traditional Very Long Instruction Word (VLIW) processors. In this dissertation, we explore a novel architectural approach for statically scheduled code by breaking the code into several synchronous instruction streams. By representing code in a fundamentally new way, we …

Exploring Consequences Of Statutory Law Through Lightweight Modeling, Joshua T. Alele-Beals

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The complexity of statutory legislation often leads to confusion and disagreement in interpretation, even among legal experts, leaving ordinary citizens disempowered. While technology offers potential solutions, it can unintentionally deepen the divide between citizens and the law, contributing to a sense of alienation. Our work aims to address this gap by proposing an alternative application of technology: a digital sandbox that empowers legislators, lawyers, judges, and citizens to collaboratively define and explore the consequences of legislation.

We employ a “lightweight” computational modeling approach, using automated analysis to uncover hidden assumptions and potential unintended outcomes. Our case study focuses on expungement …

A Physicochemical Characterization Of Protein Aggregates: Influence Of Lipid Membranes And Surfaces, Connor J. Hall

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Protein aggregation is a hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). Although there has been a greater emphasis in the past decade or more on the correlation between the physicochemical characteristics of aggregates and their cellular toxicity, it is still unclear what specific features of an aggregate render it toxic. To better understand that, there has been a renewed focus on the characterization of unique biochemical and biophysical properties of protein aggregates. Elucidation of these unique characteristics can help to better understand disease pathogenesis in vivo. Furthermore, the lipid-rich nature of the brain sets it apart from all other organs, and numerous …

Enhancing Students’ User Experience With A Code Critiquer, Laura E. Albrant

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This thesis explores the role of human factors in the realm of code critiquers and students’ experiences with them. Across three studies, the work utilized Design Thinking to improve the user experience of WebTA for introductory engineering students learning MATLAB. The first two studies gathered observational and interview data to empathize, define, and ideate a new user interface (UI). Said UI was prototyped and then tested with the third study. Overall, the surveys’ data suggests that most students found the new design to be more appealing, useful, and purposeful; however, there is still plenty of room for improvement. Additionally, analysis …

Autonomic Modulation Of Cardiac Function In Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Jenna Rose Disser

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common genetic heart disorder. HCM is characterized by cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and an increased risk of fatal arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Previous studies in humans with HCM have demonstrated increased cardiac norepinephrine spillover and reduced beta-1 receptor (β1R) expression in the left ventricle (LV). We have previously demonstrated that cardiac sympathetic tone is elevated in an alpha-tropomyosin mutant mouse model of HCM. We hypothesized that HCM mice would demonstrate reduced β1R expression in the LV and attenuated heart rate (HR) and dP/dt max responses to ramped infusion of the β1R agonist, dobutamine. …

Constructing The 4th Hawc Catalog Of Very-High-Energy Sources Using An Automated Likelihood Pipeline Search, Samuel J. Groetsch

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

In this thesis, I present an analysis pipeline that allows one to search for and identify sources of very-high-energy (VHE) γ-ray emission in sky maps created from data collected with the High Altitude Water-Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory. The HAWC Observatory is located at about 4100 m elevation just below Pico de Orizaba, the highest mountain in Mexico also known as Citlaltepetl (from the Nahuatl words citlal(in) = star, and tepetl = mountain). The observatory is an array of several hundred detector stations that measure signals from particle showers, so-called extensive air showers (EAS), that are initiated in interactions of primary cosmic …

Orthographic Influences On The Production Of French Nasal Vowels By English-Speaking Learners Of French, Claire Evelyn Tow

Honors Program Theses

The present study investigated acoustic differences (F1F2 vowel space and duration) in French nasal vowel productions by three participants who speak French as a first language (L1-French speakers) and ten participants who speak English as a first language and French as a second language (L2-French speakers). French nasal vowel production by L2-French speakers was acoustically analyzed in two conditions: Auditory-Orthographic (Aud-Ortho) and Auditory-Only (Aud-Only). The results indicated a larger F1F2 vowel space for L2-French speakers in the AudOrtho task compared to the Aud-Only task. French nasal vowel durations were slightly longer for the L2-French speakers. Spectrograms from L2-French speakers revealed …

Characterization Of Zebra Calcite To Better Understand Wind Cave National Park As An Extraterrestrial Analog, Jenna Heinen

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

Using Shapley Additive Explanations And Saliency For Interpretation Of Multiclass Classification Of Pdx Spectral Data With Deep Neural Networks, Mohd Rifqi Rafsanjani, Alison Dooney, Rahul Suresh, Alice C. O'Farrell, Monika A. Jarzabek, Liam Shiels, Annette T. Byrne, Jochen H.M. Prehn, Aidan D. Meade

Conference papers

The identification of spectral markers differentiating disease states when using spectral data is challenging in the context of modelling with deep neural networks, particularly in scenarios where classification models are developed with multiple classes. While a number of approaches do exist which can provide an insight into the features which are learnt by deep learning models, in biophotonics and chemical imaging these have received relatively little attention. In the present work we pilot the use of Fourier Transform chemical imaging with two deep-learning interpretation approaches within the context of a multi-class classification problem. Fully connected neural networks are developed on …

Entropy-Based Spatial Heterogeneity Analysis In Pathological Images For Diagnostic Applications, Rahul Suresh, Thi Nguyet Que Nguyen, Pascaline Bouzy, Nicholas Stone, Karin Jirstrom, Arman Rahman, William Gallagher, Aidan D. Meade

Conference papers

Clinical pathological diagnosis and prognosis for cancer is often confounded by spatial tissue heterogeneity. This study investigates the utility of entropy as a robust quantitative metric of spatial disorder within Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) chemical images of breast cancer tissue. The use of entropy is grounded in its capacity to encapsulate the complexities of pixel-wise spectral intensity distributions, thus providing a detailed assessment of the spatial variations in biochemistry within tissue samples. Here we explore the use of Shannon's entropy as a single image-based metric of spectral biochemical heterogeneity within FTIR chemical images of breast cancer tissue. This metric was …

"Sit Still, Look Pretty To Survive": An Analysis Of The Hunger Games Trilogy, Bryleigh Sharon De Jong

Honors Program Theses

In this thesis, it emphasizes that the analysis of this topic was done through an extensive literature review. Throughout the research process, academic and scholarly articles were reviewed and quoted from previous studies. From previous literature, results express the idea of varying ideals and needs for the “perfect” film adaptation; additionally how the people researched the workers within the film and seeing the differences involving work with the script and actors. Screenwriting theory was also taken into account through previous research.

At the end of a decade, a literary trilogy became a new pop culture phenomenon, The Hunger Games. The …

An Investigation Into The Role Of Machine Learning And Deep Learning Models As A Means Of Leveraging The Ever-Expanding Volume Of Astronomical Data To Automate Stellar Classification., Gerard Heraghty

ICT

This research investigates the use of machine learning and neural network models for automated stellar classification in large astronomical surveys, addressing challenges posed by the increasing volume of data. Using the MK scheme as the classification standard, the study focused on spectroscopic data and balanced the dataset using SMOTE techniques to handle class imbalances. Various models, including Random Forest, SVM, MLP, and CNN, were trained and compared for classifying MK main and sub-classes. CNN achieved the highest accuracy (93.86%) for main class classification, while SVM excelled at sub-class classification (63.23%) on balanced datasets. However, when tested on real-world SDSS data, …

Transforming Lives For Eternity: 2023-2024 Year End Summary, Southern Adventist University

Strategic Plans

Southern Adventist University's Strategic Plan Year End Summary for the year 2023-2024.

A Study Of Inhibition Development In Young Children, Ai Thi Thanh Hoang

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Child inhibition can be learned consciously and unconsciously, and it is highly dependent on the quality of interaction with adults (i.e., parents and teachers). However, little is known about the impact of teachers’ emotional management and sensitivity on the development of inhibition skills among students in early childhood classrooms. This dissertation takes an integrative approach to explore whether teacher-child relationship and teacher self-efficacy have a bidirectional connection and how they work to impact child inhibition, directly and indirectly. The present research utilizes the large nationally represented Early Childhood Longitudinal Study 2010-2011, sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics in …

Female Athletes Explicitly Gesture In Emotional Situations, Y. Adams, M. Augenstein, P. Furley, A. Krieg, P. Born, I. Helmich

Exercise and Sport Studies: Faculty Publications

Introduction: Both appraisal emotion approaches and self-regulation theory emphasize that appraising an event as conducive or detrimental to one’s current goals may trigger an affective response that can be observed nonverbally. Because there may be a female advantage in the inhibition and self-regulation of emotions, we hypothesized that female but not male athletes regulate emotions during sports through explicit nonverbal behaviors. Methods: All nonverbal hand movement behavior of right-handed female and male tennis athletes was recorded during competitive matches. All immediate nonverbal expressions after point losses and wins were coded by two independent blind raters applying the NEUROpsychological GESture (NEUROGES®) …

A City Of Global Ambition: Duke Cosimo I De’ Medici’S Florence And The Americas, Jillian Hauer

Capstone Showcase

The Age of Conquest marked a turning point in global history, facilitating cross-cultural exchanges between the Eastern and Western hemispheres and paving the way for colonial expansion. Despite Italy's lack of direct involvement in the exploration of the Americas, various city-states eagerly sought to acquire objects and knowledge from the recently exploited lands. This essay focuses on Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici and his efforts to portray Florence as a global center through the collecting, commissioning, and cultivating of objects from and related to the Americas. I investigate mirabilia (objects that evoked wonder or astonishment) associated with the Medici collection, …

Evaluating The Pathogenesis And Treatment Algorithms For Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Nimra Nasir

Capstone Showcase

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a common gastrointestinal condition that is characterized by abdominal pain and discomfort and altered bowel habits. Irritable Bowel Syndrome is thought out to be a multifactorial disorder that involves GI dysmotility, symptomology, altered gut microbial environment and alteration of the CNS with mental health manifestations including depression and anxiety. Many theories of the pathophysiology of IBS have been put forward, however the exact etiology remains unclear to this day. IBS is diagnosed based on the Rome IV Criteria that represent one of the four subtypes; 1) IBS with constipation (IBS-C), 2) IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D) 3) …

Migraine Treatment In Primary Care, Vivian Tran

Capstone Showcase

Migraines are a common problem that medical providers encounter, especially in primary care, neurology, and the emergency department. Given that 15% of the population suffers from migraines annually, it is important for providers to know how to diagnose migraines. Migraines may also present as a symptom of another disorder, so being able to recognize whether symptoms are alarming is crucial to start the correct workup. The mainstay abortive therapy for migraines is ibuprofen, and for prophylactic therapy is topiramate. However, CGRP targeted medications like gepants and CGRP mAbs may be the new treatment of choice for abortive and prophylactic treatment …

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly Of Dobbs: A Constitutional Reckoning, Hutchinson, Allan C.

Santa Clara Law Review

The United States Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization marked a constitutional reckoning, with pervasive and inescapable consequences for many Americans. This article discusses this constitutional reckoning in two senses. First, it was a reckoning with the Court’s own precedent, as it overturned nearly fifty years of precedent on abortion rights. Second, it was a reckoning with the Court’s role in American society, as it raised fundamental questions about the Court’s legitimacy and its ability to protect the rights of minorities.

This article begins by outlining a history of abortion rights in the United States, from …

Human Rights, Poverty, And Care Of Girls And Women With The Prospect Of A Baby, Mccauliff, Catherine M.A.

Santa Clara Law Review

Human rights provide the lens used here to examine the treatment of women and girls at a time in their lives when they deserve the utmost respect, understanding and assistance, when they are early in a pregnancy, wanted or not, the result of violence or not, or a miscarriage of a wanted child. We live in a society where “[e]ssentially, people will have children if they feel they have job security, a stable economy, and feel supported in starting a family.” Some countries and cities provide assistance to a mother upon the birth of a child in the form of …

Comradery After Calamity: Bipartisan Rhetoric After 9/11, Sara A. Castro

Capstone Showcase

In the years following 9/11, bills concerning national security came out of Congress with a high bipartisan roll count vote rate. These are at the height of President George Bush’s approval rating.This thesis examines the bipartisan rhetoric during floor debate of the Patriot Act, the Homeland Security Act, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002. Using content analysis, this thesis demonstrates how the President uses public support during a national tragedy to influence Congress to pass bills. Language will be identified using buzz words such as president, executive and …

Judicial Independence: An Important Yet Fragile Concept Needed For The Democracy Of The United States, Michael Johnson Jr

Capstone Showcase

My thesis explores the processes by which jurists are appointed to the bench to various State Supreme Courts through several selection methods. I delve deep into the extensive and intricate history surrounding judicial independence as an institutional concept, which has caused signs of concern for many legal and institutional scholars. My research aims to address the question: To what extent do the methods and mechanisms intended to safeguard judicial independence effectively fulfill their purpose? To answer this question, I use a pattern matching method to analyze a selection of six summary judgment cases–chosen randomly–from each state. Three cases where the …

Introducing Comprehensive Sexuality Education And Hiv Prevention And Treatment Methods Through Pop-Up Clinics To Secondary School Girls In Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, Eliza I. Tobin, Joaquin Carlos Pinga, Caitlyn Stanya

Capstone Showcase

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system leading to people living with HIV (PLHIV) immunodeficient and more susceptible to other infections or diseases (UNAIDS, 2023b). This can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) within 8-10 years of infection (UNAIDS, 2023b). HIV does not always present symptoms, making it hard for people to identify their HIV status without proper screening. The lack of awareness around a person’s status has led HIV to spread worldwide. In addition to the worldwide spread of HIV, there is no cure for the disease, however, antiretroviral therapy (ART) is mainly used …

Financial Monitoring And Oversight Of Public Higher Education Institutions By States A Descriptive Case Study Analysis, Ryan Kaffenberger

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Higher education in America is at an inflection point with numerous challenges threatening the traditional business model relied on by institutions across the country. These forces include, but are not limited to: 1) A decrease in the number of high school graduates due to historical declines in birth rates (Grawe, 2018; Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, 2020) 2) Sustained disinvestment by many states in their higher education institutions which has effectively shifted the cost of education to students and families (Kunkle & Laderman, 2023) 3) Increasing skepticism among Americans of the value of higher education, particularly given its rising …

Lfcug's Utilization Of 2022 Opioid Settlement Funds For Recovery Housing, Emily Wiley, Ken Britton Jr, Madelaine Coy

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Following national settlements to combat the opioid epidemic, Kentucky and its local governments received a collective $842 million to invest in prevention and treatment. To employ these dollars most effectively, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG) aims to become “recovery ready” as a part of Kentucky’s Recovery Ready Communities (RRC) certification program. This mixed methods comparative case study determined the following high-priority variables that align with RRC certification requirements: recovery housing infrastructure, certification disclosure, and medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) services. To provide additional insight into Fayette County’s recovery housing landscape, we analyzed the following supplemental variables: vulnerable populations served, …

Sports Betting In Kentucky: An Analysis Of Kentucky’S Sports Wagering Legislation Through Local And Regional State Budgetary Revenue Trends, Brett Gillispie

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Kentucky’s legislation legalizing sports wagering in the Commonwealth and delineating its taxation, HB551 of the 2023 Regular Session of the General Assembly, has been implemented and posted numbers in its early months that suggested it will exceed revenue projections for the Commonwealth. Researchers have raised concerns, particularly in studying West Virginia, which implemented similar legislation in 2019, that sports betting may be cannibalizing existing gambling revenue for states that implement it. However, this was not conclusive. While evidence from West Virginia suggests that sports betting may be cannibalizing existing revenue, evidence from Kentucky and the individual and broader regional trends …

The Impact Of Actuarial Valuation Reporting On State Pension Funds, Samantha Montgomery

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The U.S. is currently experiencing a public pension funding crisis that has become the topic of news outlets around the country and political talking points for legislators. It is estimated at the end of fiscal year 2023 that the average funded ratio for a public pension program is 78.1%, which equates to total unfunded pension liabilities for state retirement systems being approximately $1.4 trillion (Pension Plan Funded Ratio Rankings 2023, 2024). Pension systems across the U.S. are managed by boards and pension agencies that are charged with fiduciary responsibility to manage the pension funds in a manner that focuses on …

Evaluating The Impact Of Patient Acuity On Nursing Productivity: A Case Study At Uk Healthcare Chandler Hospital, Kara Klein

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

This study examines the relationship between patient acuity and nursing productivity at UK HealthCare (UKHC) Chandler Hospital from June 2022 to April 2024. Patient acuity, characterized by the complexity and intensity of nursing care required by patients (Juvé-Udina et al., 2020), is crucial in determining staffing needs and operational efficiency. The primary objective of this research is to investigate how variations in patient acuity levels impact Full-Time Equivalents (FTE), a key metric for assessing nursing productivity. The study utilized hospital data and applied descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and regression models to assess the impact of patient acuity on FTE. The …

Enhancing Equity And Economic Growth: A Strategic Review Of Procurement Practices In Prince George’S County, Andrew Stover

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Procurement represents a substantial portion of public spending in state and local governments, and thus is an essential element of responsible public financial management. This paper explores the procurement process on the local government level and provides research into best practices that are conducive to equity and economic development. It takes a look specifically at Prince George’s County, Maryland and analyzes its procurement function in relation to these best practices. An analysis of the County finds that despite its strides in implementing equitable procurement policies, significant gaps remain in the engagement of disadvantaged classes of businesses. To tackle these challenges, …

From Local Income Tax To Local Sales Tax In Kentucky: An Examination Of Lfucg, Zachary Vogl

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Property tax revenue is widely known as the largest own source revenue for local governments. However, other taxes such as local sales taxes (LST) and local incomes taxes (LIT) also provide significant revenue streams for local governments. For example, in Kentucky, “[e]xcluding Fayette and Jefferson, counties collected a total of $353.5 million in occupational license fees on payroll and net profits in FY 2022, making up 42.7 percent of all tax revenue” (Smith 2024).

The use of LST and LIT, in addition to property taxes, by local governments allows for flexibility and revenue diversification; but, these taxes also come with …