Digital Commons Network^™

An Analysis Of The Properties Of Polar Codes, Luke Szramowski

All Theses

Polar Codes have risen to the forefront of practical coding theory, due to their incredible efficiency and ease of construction. Originally introduced by Arikan in his 2009 paper, they are the first code defined with an explicit construction that achieved channel capacity. Moreover, polar codes possess some physically practical properties that make their implementation alluring. In the same paper as mentioned above, Arikan elaborated on his construction and noted that the construction given was one specific instance of a polar code and that there is a family of polar codes that can be produced by the same method. Since this …

The Effect Of Pressure Gradients On Perceived Discomfort, Zachary Bush

All Theses

Introduction:

A pressure gradient is where high and low pressure meet. It is responsible for displacement and irritation of the skin commonly caused by tight bandages, bracelets, or socks. The irritation is at the edge where the skin is displaced by the high and low pressure. An analysis of the effect pressure gradients have on discomfort would have significant medical relevance for any device, fixture, or clothing pressed against the skin at high pressure. This primarily includes prosthetic and orthotic devices.

The bottom surface of the heel provides a naturally circular, uniform pressure profile. This makes it the optimal testing …

Synthesis Of Binary-Input Multi-Valued Output Optical Cascades For Reversible And Quantum Technologies, Ishani Agarwal, Miroslav Saraivanov, Marek Perkowski

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper extends the decomposition from the group theory based methods of Sasao and Saraivanov to design binary input multivalued output quantum cascades realized with optical NOT, SWAP, and Fredkin Gates. We present this method for 3, 5, and 7 valued outputs, but in general it can be used for odd prime valued outputs. The method can be extended to realize hybrid functions with different valued outputs. A class of local transformations is presented that can simplify the final cascade circuits. Using these simplifying transformations, we present an upper bound on the maximum number of gates in an arbitrary -variable …

Preserving The Future Of Juries And Jury Trials, Paula Hannaford-Agor, Hope Forbush, Miriam Hamilton, Jawwaad Johnson, Morgan Moffett

Faculty Publications

To preserve the future of juries and jury trials, the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) convened a meeting of representatives from a broad array of justice system stakeholders as a project under the Justice for All Reauthorization Act (JFARA). To frame the stakeholder discussions, NCSC employed strategic foresight, a methodological approach designed to explore a range of possible futures of juries and jury trials within the American justice system as a vehicle for identifying critical vulnerabilities within the current jury system and proposing targeted strategies to preserve and strengthen jury trials. Critical vulnerabilities are those areas of weakness that …

Correlates Of Creativity And Elementary School Students’ Perceptions Of Individual And Sociocultural Factors, Seokmin Kang, Hye-Sook Park

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

The study investigated the relationships between individual and sociocultural factors and students’ creativity based on a sociocultural perspective. The participants are 7,324 fifth graders from 242 schools obtained from the Korean Educational Longitudinal Study 2013. Through multilevel modeling, student gender, self-regulation behaviors, academic achievement, extrinsic motivation, and perceived parenting style at level 1, and school characteristics such as teacher’s teaching methods, students’ relationship with their teacher, and their teacher’s academic pressure at level 2 were incorporated. The final model incorporating both level 1 and level 2 variables showed that the most significant variable related to students’ creativity was self-regulation, followed …

Higher Abundance Of Disturbance-Favoured Trees And Shrubs In European Temperate Woodlands Prior To The Late-Quaternary Extinction Of Megafauna, Elena A. Pearce, Florence Mazier, Ralph Fyfe, Charles W. Davison, Signe Normand, Maria Antonia Serge, Paolo Scussolini, Jens Christian Svenning

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Large herbivorous mammals strongly influence vegetation structure by creating and maintaining open areas and causing disturbance within closed woody habitats. The herbivores alive today in Europe are only a small remnant of the large species that existed in high diversity and abundance before modern humans. The extinction of so many large herbivores during the last 50,000 years, and the loss of megaherbivores (body weight ≥1000 kg) from most of the continent before the Pleistocene–Holocene transition, is likely to have had cascading effects on vegetation structure and composition. To evaluate these effects within the European temperate forest biome, we examine the …

Genetic Analysis Of A Novel Population Of Southern Flying Squirrels (Glaucomys Volans) Found In Lincoln, Ne, Jennifer Wettschreck

Biology Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

In 2018 a novel population of southern flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans) was discovered in Lincoln, Nebraska, 80 km outside of their known range. Southern flying squirrels are designated as a “Tier-1” species of concern within Nebraska and the origin of this new population is of interest to state biologists. This study will provide insight into the probable origin of this new population by comparing genetic samples from known populations of southern flying squirrels. Museum specimens were collected from two well-established populations in Florida and Texas, as well as samples from individuals native to Nebraska (Indian Cave State Park) to compare …

Investigating The Role Of Feature Integration Demands On Attention Efficiency., Emma Kurtycz

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Feature integration and visual selective attention have been studied together to understand how we attend to different objects, often through conjunction search tasks. Conjunction search tasks involve searching for an object defined by multiple visual features in the presence of distractors. However, few studies have examined how different visual feature combinations impact search performance. Motivated by the functional and structural organization of the brain, this study investigated how differing feature combinations that theoretically place varying degrees of demand on feature integration impact attention efficiency. In two experiments, I explored reaction times (RT) and target detection sensitivity (d’) across varying set …

New Approaches And Challenges Regarding Trade, Climate Action, And The Wto, Sunayana Sasmal

Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment

This report considers how the WTO, as an institution and its rules, can and should be a game-changer in undertaking climate action and the green energy transition globally. By leveraging its toolkit, the WTO has the potential to drive climate action, from regulating border carbon adjustments to promoting trade in green products, green electricity, and dissemination of climate technologies. However, unlocking this potential requires legal reforms, a proactive institutional role, and strong political will from WTO members.

Effects Of Parent Involvement In Academic Achievement Of Upper Elementary School Student, Joseph Guzman

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This senior capstone research project focuses on how parental involvement can affect academic achievement in upper elementary school students. Understanding the various factors of parental involvement is crucial to gaining insight into its impact on students, parents, teachers, and principals. Through the use of literature review, interviews with four teachers, one principal, and anonymous surveys of one classroom of 26 fourth-grade students, the result findings indicated that parental involvement is a vital component of students' academics and is essential for their positive progress. Effective communication among teachers, principals, and parents regarding class and schoolwork significantly impacts students' academic achievement. In …

Enhancing Memory Through Literary Features, Sarah Naylor

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Literary devices used by a writer can influence and impact the manner in which readers respond and interact with a text. Both the perspectives readers are expected to take while reading and the amount of foregrounding in a text cognitively and affectively influence a reader’s experience. However, little research has explored what effects these factors have on verbatim memory. For this research, participants were instructed to read a short literary story either by identifying with the protagonist or as a spectator. After reading and completing a range of other tasks, participants were asked to select sentences they saw in the …

The Elusive Nature Of Martian Liquid Brines, Vincent F. Chevrier, Rachel A. Slank

Space and Planetary Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The possible presence of brines on Mars adds an intriguing dimension to the exploration of Martian environments. Their potential involvement in the formation of recurring slope lineae has sparked debates on the existence of liquid water versus alternative dry processes. In situ instrumentation on rovers and landers has been instrumental in providing valuable data for comprehending the dynamics of brines. Laboratory experiments and thermodynamic simulations conducted under Martian conditions offer insights into the formation and persistence of brines, shedding light on the planet’s current hydrological processes. Despite these findings, the prevailing surface conditions on Mars, characterized by a combination of …

Verification Of Past Beliefs Influences Current Beliefs, Michael Wolfe, Todd Williams, Alexander J. Denison, Liam W. Hart

Open Access Publishing Support Funded Articles

Background: It is important to understand the factors that influence belief formation and belief change.

Objective: We test the hypothesis that following belief change about contentious topics, verifying a past belief will influence current beliefs.

Methods: In Experiment 1, participants reported initial beliefs about television violence in a prescreening, then read a belief-inconsistent text in the experiment. Participants either verified or did not verify their initial beliefs before reporting current beliefs. In Experiment 2, participants were randomly assigned to verify their initial belief (about gun control effectiveness), a false belief that was the opposite of their initial belief or did …

Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia (Piefa) Storm And Flood Industry Recovery Program: Evaluation Report, Tamara Van Der Zant, Katherine Dix

Program monitoring and evaluation

Despite the growing diversity of careers in Primary Industries, young peoples’ pursuit of agricultural careers is often hampered by outdated perceptions of the sector and its opportunities. As Primary Industries adapt to the threat of natural disasters by turning to scientific and technological solutions, a diverse, highly skilled workforce will be required. In the wake of the devastating impacts of storm and floods in early 2021 across New South Wales, the Storm and Flood Industry Recovery Program (SFIRP): Creating resilience through empowering school curriculums about primary industries careers project was developed. To aid the long-term recovery and resilience of the …

Relative Muscular Effort In The Older Adults During The Sit-To-Stand Task: Monitoring Neuromuscular Reserve And Movement Limitations, Nayun Ahn, Michael H. Haischer, Cara L. Lewis, Kristof Kipp

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Due to lower maximum strength, older adults purportedly need to exert greater muscular effort to stand up from a chair. This study investigated joint-specific muscular effort during a sit-to-stand by calculating relative-muscular-effort and investigating differences between healthy older and young adults.

Methods

Fifteen older (age: 69.9 ± 3.5 years) and 15 young (age: 22.2 ± 2.6 years) adults performed five self-paced sit-to-stand trials. Kinematic and kinetic data were collected and used to calculate inverse dynamics net joint moment. Peak isometric knee and hip extensor torques were measured and used as inputs to regression models that predicted angle- and velocity-dependent …

Steering Research On Mrna Splicing In Cancer Towards Clinical Translation, Olga Anczukow, Frédéric H-T Allain, Brittany L Angarola, Douglas L Black, Angela N Brooks, Chonghui Cheng, Ana Conesa, Edie I Crosse, Eduardo Eyras, Ernesto Guccione, Sydney X Lu, Karla M Neugebauer, Priyanka Sehgal, Xiao Song, Zuzana Tothova, Juan Valcárcel, Kevin M Weeks, Gene W Yeo, Andrei Thomas-Tikhonenko

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Splicing factors are affected by recurrent somatic mutations and copy number variations in several types of haematologic and solid malignancies, which is often seen as prima facie evidence that splicing aberrations can drive cancer initiation and progression. However, numerous spliceosome components also 'moonlight' in DNA repair and other cellular processes, making their precise role in cancer difficult to pinpoint. Still, few would deny that dysregulated mRNA splicing is a pervasive feature of most cancers. Correctly interpreting these molecular fingerprints can reveal novel tumour vulnerabilities and untapped therapeutic opportunities. Yet multiple technological challenges, lingering misconceptions, and outstanding questions hinder clinical translation. …

Supervenience And Non-Naturalism, Michael Hogan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Supervenience presents a problem for the moral non-naturalist. Supervenience states that one’s moral properties cannot differ without one’s natural properties differing. It, therefore, states a necessary connection between moral and natural properties. Moral properties for the moral non-naturalist are sui generis, which means they are not reducible to natural properties, but also they are utterly different in kind than natural properties and any other kind of property. How can these properties be necessarily connected? This requires an explanation. The challenge to the moral non-naturalist is to provide such an explanation. McPherson (2012) presents an explanatory challenge to the non-naturalist …

Design And Fabrication Of Graphene Solar Cells For Low-Power Energy Harvesting Systems, Tamzeed Bani Amin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study presents the design and fabrication of graphene-based Schottky junction solar cells integrated into a 3-volt power system for low-power applications. Utilizing standard semiconductor processing methods, including selective oxide removal, metal contact deposition, and large-area graphene transfer, we fabricated solar cells from a silicon wafer coated with a thermal oxide layer. Each individual solar cell generated up to 270 µA of short-circuit current and an open-circuit voltage of 420 mV under illumination. We connected multiple solar cells in series to produce a total output of 3.3 volts, which is sufficient to recharge a 3-volt battery. The system, comprising these …

A Cmos Ldo Voltage Regulator For Low Power Applications, Nicolaus Vail

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents the design, simulation, layout, and testing of a low dropout linear voltage regulator (LDO) in a 180 nm CMOS process. The LDO is intended for use in low-power, battery-operated applications, and it has an adjustable output for a variety of different implementations. It can supply up to 100 mA of current, which is enough to power many small electronic circuits. It has a dropout voltage of 150 mV, and it consumes less than 200 μA of current during operation, which is on par with many commercial regulators. The line regulation is also comparable to commercially available LDOs, …

The Bander Portal Dats Submission Module, Lauren Walker, Matthew Rogosky, Kyra Harvey

North American Bird Bander

No abstract provided.

Use Of Hatchery-Raised Fish In Validation Of Daily Age Estimates For Juvenile Common Snook, Philip W. Stevens, Kyle L. Williams, Meredith B. Pfennig, Ryan W. Schloesser, Alexis A. Trotter, Derek P. Crane

Biology

Objective: We investigated the validity of daily age estimates for juvenile Common Snook Centropomus undecimalis by using sectioned and sanded sagittal otoliths. Methods: Common Snook have a protracted spawning season, which is problematic for validation of daily ages because a hatch date—needed to calculate age—cannot be reasonably assigned like it can for species with a short spawning period (<30 days). To help overcome this, two readers independently counted presumed daily increments in otoliths collected from hatchery-reared Common Snook of known age (100–240 days; n = 91). Result: Differences between known ages and those estimated from otoliths were small (mean absolute difference = 3.4 days) for individuals aged 100 days, but these differences increased after 100 days, mainly due to the crowding of increments along the otolith margin. Underestimation of ages was 8% at 120 days, 29% at 180 days, and 36% at 240 days. Conclusion: Ideally, analyses based on counts of daily increments in Common Snook otoliths should be limited to fish with an age of 100 days or younger.

Marine Clay Maturation Induces Systematic Silicon Isotope Decrease In Authigenic Clays And Pore Fluids, Sonja Geilert, Daniel A. Frick, April N. Abbott, Stefan C. Löhr

Marine Science

Marine silicate alteration exerts a major influence on marine carbon and cation cycles, but has proven difficult to quantify. In this context, silicon isotopes of marine pore fluids became an important tracer. However, poorly constrained silicon isotope signatures of precipitates produced during silicate alteration (i.e. authigenic clays) remain a major source of uncertainty. Here we present in situ silicon isotope analyses of marine authigenic clays (intergrown iron-smectites and iron-glauconites) occurring within recent sediments from the Oregon margin, eastern North Pacific. We identify a trend to lower silicon isotopes (from −2.24‰ to −3.17‰), accompanied by decreasing aluminum/silicon ratios and increasing potassium …

“Breaking Barriers: Empowering African Youth Through Implementation Of A Therapeutic Patient Education Program For Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis”, Wafa Hamdi, Angela Migowa, Hanene Lassoued Ferjani, Alia Fazaa, Saoussen Miladi, Kaouther Maatallah, Kawther Ben Abdelghani, Ayodele Faleye

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Introduction: Patient education is crucial in managing chronic diseases like Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). Traditional methods such as videos and brochures often fail to maintain long-term knowledge retention. Therapeutic Patient Education (TPE) offers a more effective, patient-centered approach.

Objective: PAFLAR aimed to implement a TPE program with a “train the trainers” masterclass to ensure effective delivery and improve outcomes for children with JIA.

Methods: PAFLAR’s TPE program was designed through a focus group, involving a literature review and strategic planning for the implementation step. The program includes specialized training for healthcare professionals enhancing their abilities to deliver …

Recreational Fishing For Western Rock Lobster: Estimates Of Participation, Effort And Catch In 2023/24, Claire B. Smallwood, Karina L. Ryan, Alissa C. Tate

Fisheries Research Reports

The Western Rock Lobster (WRL) (Panulirus cygnus) is the most commonly caught Rock Lobster (RL) species in Western Australia. Catches from the commercial and recreational sectors are required to determine and monitor Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC), Total Allowable Recreational Catch (TARC) and the proportion of Allowable Harvest Level (AHL) achieved. The TARC is set at 5% of the AHL and evaluated in the harvest strategy based on a 5-year average.

Data for the recreational sector are obtained using phone-recall surveys to provide annual estimates of participation, fishing effort and retained catch (by numbers) from recreational fishers who hold a …

Volumetric Breast Density Estimation From Three-Dimensional Reconstructed Digital Breast Tomosynthesis Images Using Deep Learning, Vinayak S Ahluwalia, Nehal Doiphode, Walter C Mankowski, Eric A Cohen, Sarthak Pati, Lauren Pantalone, Spyridon Bakas, Ari Brooks, Celine M Vachon, Emily F Conant, Aimilia Gastounioti, Despina Kontos

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: Breast density is a widely established independent breast cancer risk factor. With the increasing utilization of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) in breast cancer screening, there is an opportunity to estimate volumetric breast density (VBD) routinely. However, current available methods extrapolate VBD from two-dimensional (2D) images acquired using DBT and/or depend on the existence of raw DBT data, which is rarely archived by clinical centers because of storage constraints.

METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 1,080 nonactionable three-dimensional (3D) reconstructed DBT screening examinations acquired between 2011 and 2016. Reference tissue segmentations were generated using previously validated software that uses 3D reconstructed slices …

Correlating Clinical Course With Baseline Subcortical Shape In Provisional Tic Disorder, Tiffanie Che, Soyoung Kim, Deanna J Greene, Ashley Heywood, Jimin Ding, Tamara Hershey, Bradley L Schlaggar, Kevin J Black, Lei Wang

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: This study examined children at the onset of tic disorder (tics for less than 9 months: NT group), a population on which little research exists. Here, we investigate relationships between the baseline shape and volume of subcortical nuclei, diagnosis, and tic symptom outcomes.

METHODS: 187 children were assessed at baseline and a 12-month follow-up: 88 with NT, 60 tic-free healthy controls (HC), and 39 with chronic tic disorder/Tourette syndrome (TS), using T1-weighted MRI and total tic scores (TTS) from the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale to evaluate symptom change. Subcortical surface maps were generated using FreeSurfer-initialized large deformation diffeomorphic …

Optimizing Topical Drop Efficacy With Proper Eyelid Positioning, Yu Xia, Nathaniel A Blecher, Philip L Custer, Erin G Sieck

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: To report the observation that the efficacy of topical glaucoma treatment improved after surgical correction of ectropion in a 71-year-old male with a known history of glaucoma.

OBSERVATIONS: The patient initially presented for tearing and lid malposition and was found to have bilateral elevated intraocular pressures (IOP) in addition to bilateral lower eyelid ectropion. IOP control was initially prioritized over ectropion repair, with IOP remaining elevated despite topical glaucoma treatment and selective laser trabeculoplasty. Sequential unilateral ectropion repair was then carried out, with topical glaucoma treatment resumed after the first repair. It was observed that the IOP improved with …

Emergent Microenvironments Of Nucleoli, Matthew R King, Kiersten M Ruff, Rohit V Pappu

2020-Current year OA Pubs

In higher eukaryotes, the nucleolus harbors at least three sub-phases that facilitate multiple functionalities including ribosome biogenesis. The three prominent coexisting sub-phases are the fibrillar center (FC), the dense fibrillar component (DFC), and the granular component (GC). Here, we review recent efforts in profiling sub-phase compositions that shed light on the types of physicochemical properties that emerge from compositional biases and territorial organization of specific types of macromolecules. We highlight roles played by molecular grammars which refers to protein sequence features including the substrate binding domains, the sequence features of intrinsically disordered regions, and the multivalence of these distinct types …

Three Proposals For Fixing The Tcja, Reuven S. Avi-Yonah

Articles

The year 2025 promises to be important in U.S. tax history for three reasons. First, the expiration of the individual provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act means that Congress is very likely to enact important tax legislation to prevent tax increases for millions of individual taxpayers. Second, a new administration frequently means tax legislation, typically through budget reconciliation if the same party controls Congress (1981, 1993, 2001, 2017, 2022). Third, the trifecta of Supreme Court decisions in 2024 (Moore, Corner Post, and Loper Bright) suggests that there may be a spike in litigation challenging various tax provisions as …

Next Steps In Online Courts: Accelerating Access To Justice Through Court Technology, J.J. Prescott

Articles

For more than a decade, state courts have been expanding access to justice by adopting online dispute resolution (ODR) platforms and other outward-facing communication technologies. At a deep level, these reforms aim at improving society by bolstering the rule of law. At a surface level, these innovations recognize that the justice system works better when courts and law are easier and less costly to understand and use. In important respects, these efforts have been a success. The accessibility of many state courts is considerably more robust today than it was ten years ago, at least for small-stakes cases, like traffic …