Digital Commons Network^™

Ethical Decision-Making Processes In Authentic Environmental Engineering Contexts Through Systems Thinking And Team Collaboration Lenses: An Embedded Single Case Study, Toluwalase Eniola Brower

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Ethical and professional responsibility is a critical learning outcome emphasized in ABET accreditation. However, ethics instruction in engineering education often lacks integration of system-level considerations such as economic, environmental, and societal contexts, that are essential for developing engineering solutions that ensure the safety and welfare of diverse stakeholders. This embedded single-case study investigated the integration of authentic ethics instruction within a junior-level environmental engineering course at a Midwestern U.S. university during spring 2025 and explores how civil engineering student teams within the course engage in ethical decision-making process during authentic problem-solving.

The instructional intervention consisted of four problem-based ethics modules, …

Changepoint Detection As Model Selection: A General Framework, Michael A. Grantham

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation presents a general framework for changepoint detection based on ℓ₀ model selection. The core method, Iteratively Reweighted Fused Lasso (IRFL), improves upon the generalized lasso by adaptively reweighting penalties to enhance support recovery and minimize criteria such as the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC). The approach allows for flexible modeling of seasonal patterns, linear and quadratic trends, and autoregressive dependence in the presence of changepoints.

Simulation studies demonstrate that IRFL achieves accurate changepoint detection across a wide range of challenging scenarios, including those involving nuisance factors such as trends, seasonal patterns, and serially correlated errors. The framework is …

In-Field Tractor Operational Load Profile Generation In Support Of Advanced Tractor Testing In Mixedmode Power, Andrew Donesky

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation addresses the need to better characterize real-world tractor power requirements across drawbar, power take-off (PTO), and hydraulic modes to support more representative tractor testing. Conventional testing protocols, such as OECD Code 2, emphasize steady-state performance under controlled high-load conditions, which do not reflect the mixed and dynamic demands of modern field operations. To address this gap, a Tractor Instrumentation System (TIS) was developed, validated, and deployed to collect high-resolution, mixed-mode power data during planting, anhydrous ammonia application, and grain cart operations. The TIS integrates physical sensors, including custom load pins, hydraulic pressure/flow sensors, and a redesigned PTO torque …

(R2130) Cusum-Test For Unconditional Variance Change Detection In Bilinear Garch Models, Edoh Katchekpele, Abdou Kâ Diongue, Ben Célestin Kouassi

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

We examine CUSUM-type test for detecting changes in unconditional variance within Bilinear GARCH models. We derive the asymptotic distribution of the test statistic under both null and alternative hypotheses and assess test effectiveness in identifying single structural breaks. Simulation studies support our theoretical results and demonstrate the practical utility of the test.

Experimental Characterization Of An Additively Manufactured Porous Gyroid Air-Cooled Heat Sink, Grant S. Resler

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper presents the development of a ducted test facility designed to evaluate heat sinks efficiency at varying air velocities. This enables the evaluation of both heat transfer and pressure drop performance. These metrics are essential to the overall efficiency of heat sinks and help identify the optimal air velocity to achieve the desired thermal performance. A standard plate fin heat sink was used as a control for comparison to a novel heat sink. The specialized heat sink geometry was generated using nTop, a generative design software focused on additive manufacturing. This design was fabricated via Direct Metal Laser Sintering …

Leveraging Virtual Reality In Nursing Education To Enhance Confidence And Knowledge, Kerry Vaccaro, Amanda Bodinet, Concetta Zak

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Blood transfusion reactions can be life threatening and are rarely encountered by nursing students in clinicals. Simulation has been shown to have a positive impact on transfusion-related competence in nursing students (Brown, C. & Brown, M., 2023). BSN nursing students faced challenges in recognizing and responding to blood transfusion reactions. A Virtual Reality (VR) simulation was introduced as an innovative teaching modality. Virtual Reality provides learners with a more life-like experience that is standardized and safe (Kiegaldie & Shaw, 2023). The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether VR simulation, compared to traditional lecture, improves senior-level BSN students' confidence …

Goodbye Textbook: Content Creation For A Non-Clinical Nursing Course Using Ai Tools, Julie Kientz Elting

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Purpose: To provide guidance for faculty interested in creating materials using AI tools for nursing courses which allows ‘unadoption’ of textbooks.

Background: When discussing AI text generation tools like ChatGPT and Gemini (AI tools), many nursing faculty are only aware of the risks to academic writing (Abujaber et al., 2023). But there are many pedagogical benefits of AI tools that enhance student learning (Elting & Desio, 2024; Glauberman et al., 2023; Srinivasan et al., 2024) and manage faculty teaching, communication, and administrative tasks (Srinivasan et al., 2024). What is less known is how AI tools can be used to create …

A Study On Utilizing Coherently Coupled Orbital Angular Momentum Beams For Maritime Sensing And Communication, Evan Robertson

All Dissertations

A large portion of the world is covered in water which introduces a couple of key challenges in communication and sensing systems. The impact of particulates in the water will limit the ability to successfully transmit information through the water. The study of how the channel impacts specific frequencies and the ability to transmit more information at a single time can limit the impact of this environment in how it degrades an optical communication system. In sensing applications, it is important to detect information related to an object’s motion which will either be towards or away from a system, or …

A Combined Multi-Isotope And Machine Learning Approach To Determine Groundwater Salinity And Solute Sources, Lower Valley Area, El Paso County, Texas, Gloria A. Ortiz Gamboa

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Groundwater salinization is increasingly troublesome in aquifers in and around El Paso, Texas, where concern for available water resources has grown due to frequent droughts and increasing population. Both groundwater and surface water have experienced an increase in total dissolved solids (TDS), a trend that can pose future health and economic problems for residents who primarily rely on groundwater. To address this issue, this research focuses on the Hueco Bolson Aquifer and the Rio Grande Alluvial Aquifer within the Lower Valley area of El Paso, Texas, utilizing a multi-analysis approach to evaluate and determine solute sources and their possible end-members …

The Shifting Tectonics Of International Collaboration, James J. Casey Jr.

University of Dayton Law Review

This Article builds upon the author’s 2010 article in the University of Dayton Law Review. More specifically, this Article focuses on research management areas that have increased in relevance over the past fifteen years or are essentially “new” to the international research collaboration realm. Now, as then, the author writes about the importance of building international collaborations during this tectonic present and urges the reader to draw their own conclusions regarding international research, emerging issues and technologies, and their importance in the future.

Passing The Bar In And Through Community: The Science Behind Why We Truly Do Better Together, Katherine O. Armstrong

University of Dayton Law Review

Law school graduates preparing for the bar exam often face isolation, leading to mental health challenges, decreased motivation, and impaired performance. This sense of loneliness, coupled with the known mental health and substance abuse issues in the legal profession, underscores the urgent need for change. Research shows that community engagement enhances mental and physical well-being, fosters motivation, and improves educational outcomes. However, little scholarship addresses the role of community in bar exam preparation, leaving a critical gap. This Article explores the transformative power of community during bar preparation. It provides a detailed view of a law school that has successfully …

Membership In A “Particular Social Group”: The Narrow Access To Asylum For Gang-Affected Youth, Jill Marie Gerschutz-Bell

University of Dayton Law Review

No abstract provided.

Acute Effects Of Lactate Infusion On Metabolism, Ad Biomarkers, And Cognition, Riley E. Kemna, Paul J. Kueck, Anneka Blankenship, Casey S. John, Chelsea N. Johnson, Zachary D. Green, Hana Mayfield, Lauren Yoksh, Lance Johnson, John P. Thyfault, Jonathan D. Mahnken, Benjamin F. Miller, Jill K. Morris

Physiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Impaired cerebral glucose metabolism is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Lactate is an alternative brain fuel; however, whole-body lactate metabolism has not been measured in AD. METHODS: The Lactate for Energy and Neurocognition Trial (NCT05207397) was a single-arm trial that enrolled 24 cognitively healthy (CH) older adults and 12 cognitively impaired (CI) participants. Subjects underwent a stable isotope lactate infusion to evaluate lactate metabolism, cognitive testing, and blood biomarker analyses. pTau217, brain-derived tau (BD-tau), pTau181, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament light chain (NfL), total tau, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were analyzed by Simoa HD-X (Quanterix). RESULTS: …

Asymptote, Aybuke Yilmazer

Theses

Asymptote is a short film that is an expression of mankind’s emotional consumption through confusing love with sex. This film is a frame-by-frame hand-drawn animation that combines digital and analog techniques. It was produced between August 2024 and April 2025, and its music was re-produced in August 2025. This paper is a written declaration of the motives and intentions of the director, Aybuke Yilmazer, in making this film, and analyzes the filmmaking process. The text of the thesis is in third person except for the self-evaluation section.

Best Practices: Lean Thinking For Corn And Soybean Farmers, Tomas Gutierrez, Henry Quesada

Purdue Extension Numbered Publications

This article presents a practical introduction to lean thinking for corn and soybean farmers. Lean is a proven management approach that helps reduce waste, organize workspaces and improve the use of time, tools, and materials. Although it began in manufacturing, lean has been successfully adapted to agriculture through simple, low-cost tools that focus on improving everyday tasks.

The guide explains six key lean tools — 5S, Kanban, Visual Controls, TPM, Standardization, and Kaizen — with real farm examples and step-by-step recommendations. It also offers advice on how to get started, involve workers and measure improvements using basic indicators.

Lean thinking …

Evaluating The Perceptions, Barriers, And Impact Of Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports (Pbis) In Grades K-12, Serena Sowin

Dissertations

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is designed to promote positive behaviors and prevent behavioral challenges. Despite widespread adoption, implementation fidelity, especially at Tier 2 and Tier 3 levels, remains inconsistent, impacting students who require the most intensive support. This study was conducted in one middle school. The purpose of the program evaluation was to investigate the perceptions of, and barriers to, PBIS implementation, with a specific focus on evaluating the impact on student behavioral and disciplinary outcomes, identifying the training and support provided to educators, and examining how data are used to drive decisions. Overarching research questions assessed educator …

Improving Reading Strategies In Middle Childhood, Melissa Ramirez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Children’s early literacy skills are crucial for reading and comprehension to achieve academic success. Immigrant Parents, whose English is not their primary spoken language, are unable to support their children in this developmental step. Because of this gap in support, schools play a critical role in providing structured opportunities for literacy development. Emphasizing the need for ongoing support for children to improve their literacy skills. Research shows that structured literacy programs can strengthen children’s reading outcomes over time, emphasizing the need for consistent support to help them develop strong literacy skills. To address this issue, I created a one-day lesson …

Recording Alternative Rock Guitar: Gear, Techniques, And Implementation, Alberto De Jesus Garcia Padilla

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This paper examines the tools, techniques, and creative decisions involved in recording alternative rock guitar, with particular attention to how genre defining sounds are achieved through gear choice, signal chains, microphone placement, and digital workflows. Drawing on historical context and influential alternative rock artists, the study outlines common guitars, amplifiers, pedals, and recording practices associated with the genre. These concepts are then applied to a practical case study: the recording of guitar parts for the band Phone Booth. By combining traditional amplifier recording with modern digital amp modeling, this project demonstrates how alternative rock guitar tones can be achieved without …

Fostering Social-Emotional Development And Understanding In A Preschool Environment, Kaya Jensen

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Teaching young children about friendship is crucial for fostering healthy development, building self-esteem, and helping them navigate their world. Friendship aligns with social-emotional development and children’s abilities to create and maintain peer connections. Early friendships are significant for children’s moral development, increasing attention to fairness, sympathy, and helpfulness (Dunn et al., 2000). Children who do not learn how to build friendships risk isolation and miss out on valuable life lessons, such as cooperation, empathy, self-esteem, and social skills that reduce stress and promote well-being. In order to address the issue, I delivered two lessons about friendship to preschool children at …

Little Hands, Big Impact: Building Responsibility And Environmental Awareness In Preschoolers, Danielle Gordon

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project focuses on social skills development, specifically teaching preschool-aged children environmental responsibility and the importance of cleaning up after themselves. Learning to take responsibility for their own actions fosters independence, cooperation, and respect for shared spaces; yet, many young children struggle with this concept due to their egocentric stage of development (Piaget, 1952). Preschoolers might not understand how their actions impact other people or the environment. To meet this need, I presented a 90-minute interactive lesson plan for preschoolers (aged 3-5) at Seaside Child Development Center that teaches children how even seemingly insignificant things, like tidying up their …

Enhancing Emotional Regulation Skills In Kindergarteners, Erica C. Ayers

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Kindergarten-aged children often have trouble regulating their emotions because emotional regulation is a complex process to comprehend and manage. The development of emotional regulation is crucial in this developmental stage because it sets the child up for academic, career, and social success in life (Schlesier et al., 2019). Failing to learn successful regulation can have negative effects on mental well-being and social behaviors. Therefore, it is essential to teach kindergarteners emotional regulation. For this purpose, I developed two workshops that promoted self-awareness, cognitive reappraisal, and versatility among kindergarteners (4 to 5 years old) at Brookside Christian Little Learners in San …

Monte Carlo Simulations Of Geometric Deformation Of Harrison-Anderson-Mick Applicators Used In Intraoperative Radiation Therapy, Benjamin Insley, Brett Bocian, Sam Beddar, Reza Reiazi, Patrick James Jensen, Rachael M Martin-Paulpeter, Joshua Scott Niedzielski, David Flint, Gabriel Oliveira Sawakuchi, Luis Augusto Perles

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The Harrison-Anderson-Mick (HAM) applicator is a high-dose-rate intraoperative radiotherapy (HDR-IORT) applicator used to position Ir-192 brachytherapy sources over surgically-accessed tumor volumes or post-resection tumor beds. Because of the lack of a 3D imaging system, dwell times are optimized pre-surgery by a TG-43-based treatment planning system (TPS) that assumes a perfectly flat applicator surface surrounded by an infinite water phantom. These assumed conditions are disparate from typical treatment conditions, especially in the pelvic regions, which often involve uneven patient surfaces and superficial irradiations with little to no backscatter material.

Purpose: Develop and validate a Monte Carlo (MC) model of HDR-IORT …

Hardening The Economical Acquisition Of Intersection Data To Improve System Integrity, Anuska Das, Walt Fehr, Andrew Balmos, Mark Goodfriend, Yaguang Zhang, Richard O. Ajagu, James V. Krogmeier, Samuel Labi

Center for Connected and Automated Transportation

Modern traffic management systems increasingly depend on real-time Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT) data generated by Traffic Signal Controllers (TSCs) to support safety, mobility, and emerging connected-vehicle applications. The applications of SPaT outputs require timely and reliable access to such data from the traffic signal controllers. However, these controllers are safety-critical infrastructure and exposing them to external networks introduces significant cybersecurity and operational risks. Thus, there is a need for mechanisms that provide secure, low-latency access to SPaT data without compromising controller integrity. The information flow methods that are used traditionally for connected and automated vehicle (CAV) environments have several …

Effects Of Response-Independent Food Delivery During Timeout On Timeout Punishment, Haillie Mcdonough

All NMU Master's Theses

Timeout is a signaled, response-dependent, and time limited period in which the prevailing schedule of reinforcement is suspended. Timeouts are one of the most frequently used punishment procedures in clinical and parental practices. Even though timeout is a common punishment practice, recent research suggests that implementation errors, fidelity failures, occur at high rates in practice. The present study evaluated how failures in procedural fidelity alter the efficacy of timeout as a punisher by exposing rats to conditions in which response-independent reinforcers were delivered during timeout. During baseline conditions, no timeouts were delivered and rats’ lever-pressing produced food reinforcers according to …

A Phenomenological Study Into The Experiences Of Introverted Teachers, Bambi A. Hamel

All NMU Master's Theses

Behavior management has long been a challenge for teachers in general, but there has been a lack of research on behavior management through the lens of personality type, such as introversion. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the strengths and skills of introverted teachers to facilitate positive behaviors in their classrooms, as well as challenges they encountered. In a semi-structured interview, five teachers from a school district in the Central Upper Peninsula of Michigan were presented with a specific set of questions (See Appendix C) targeting their experiences in behavior management as introverted teachers. The results highlighted the teachers’ unique traits …

The Relationship Between Forgiveness And Religiosity In Counseling In The Saudi Population, Salman Alqahtani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Forgiveness is an important psychological process associated with religiosity, with both having been shown to support mental health and promote personal growth. Forgiveness remains understudied in Arab and Islamic societies, specifically in Saudi Arabia, where religiosity is an important cultural value. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the relationship between forgiveness and religiosity among Saudi college students in a faith-oriented and collectivistic society. Data were collected from 106 Saudi college students using the Arabic variation of the Forgiveness and Reconciliation Inventory (A-FRI) and the Arabic Inventory of Religiosity (AIR). Results showed a statistically significant …

Investigating The Origins Of Symbiosis Using A Novel Mycorrhizal Interaction In Pasque Flowers (Pulsatilla Patens), Savannah Lane Draud

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mycorrhizal fungi form mutualistic symbioses with most land plants, occurring primarily as arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi or ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi. Pulsatilla patens, an herbaceous perennial widely distributed across Eurasia and North America, belongs to a plant family historically known only to form AM associations. However, recent discoveries of ECM P. patens individuals in northeastern Poland raise questions about the mycorrhizal status and evolutionary trajectory of this species. Because ECM formation in this lineage is likely evolutionarily recent, P. patens offers a valuable system for investigating the ecological and historical factors that facilitate the emergence of ECM symbiosis.

Chapter 1 assessed …

Numerical Studies Of Entanglement Entropy In The Fredkin Spin Chain, Joshua Tyler Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, we present work on the entanglement properties of the Fredkin spin chain, a spin one-half chain with local three-body interactions. We focus on the development and use of Monte Carlo techniques to measure the entanglement entropy for bipartitions of the Fredkin spin chain.

In the first chapter, we formally develop an extension to existing Monte Carlo techniques to allow for the calculation of higher-order Rényi entanglement entropies using the replica trick. The method clarifies how multiple systems can be simulated in parallel to calculate the Rényi entanglement entropy at any order.

In the next chapter, we apply …

News From Hope College, Volume 57.2: Winter 2025, Hope College

News from Hope College

No abstract provided.

Life Cycle Assessment Of A Prefabricated Modular Timber Building, Bryan Mai

Construction Management

Traditional concrete construction carries a high carbon footprint, motivating interest in lower-impact alternatives such as prefabricated modular timber systems. This project conducts a process-based life cycle assessment (LCA) using OpenLCA to evaluate the environmental impacts of a modular timber building. Material quantities from major processes were modeled as flow inputs and converted into standardized OpenLCA units. Impact categories—including acidification potential, human toxicity, and energy/resource use—were analyzed to determine which materials and processes contribute most to overall environmental burden. Results show that transportation and plumbing materials drive the largest acidification impacts, while interior finishes dominate human toxicity. This LCA establishes a …