Digital Commons Network^™

Response Of The First Polar-2 Prototype To Polarized Beams, Merlin Kole, Nicolas De Angelis, Ana Bacelj, Franck Cadoux, Agnieszka Elwertowska, Johannes Hulsman, Hancheng Li, Grzegorz Łubian, Tomasz Kowalski, Gilles Koziol, Agnieszka Pollo, Nicolas Produit, Dominik Rybka, Adrien Stil, Jianchao Sun, Xin Wu, Kacper Zezuliński, Shuang-Nan Zhang

Faculty Publications

POLAR-2 is a dedicated gamma-ray polarimeter currently foreseen to be launched towards the China Space Station around 2027. The design of the detector is based on the legacy of its predecessor mission POLAR which was launched in 2016. POLAR-2 aims to measure the polarization of the Gamma-ray Burst prompt emission within the 30–800 keV energy range. Thanks to its high sensitivity to gamma-ray polarization, as well as its large effective area, POLAR-2 will provide the most precise measurements of this type to date. Such measurements are key to improve our understanding of the astrophysical processes responsible for Gamma-Ray Bursts. The …

Response Of The First Polar-2 Prototype To Polarized Beams, Merlin Kole, Nicolas De Angelis, Ana Bacelj, Franck Cadoux, Agnieszka Elwertowska, Johannes Hulsman, Hancheng Li, Grzegorz Łubian, Tomasz Kowalski, Gilles Koziol, Agnieszka Pollo, Nicolas Produit, Dominik Rybka, Adrien Stil, Jianchao Sun, Xin Wu, Kacper Zezuliński, Shuang-Nan Zhang

Faculty Publications

POLAR-2 is a dedicated gamma-ray polarimeter currently foreseen to be launched towards the China Space Station around 2027. The design of the detector is based on the legacy of its predecessor mission POLAR which was launched in 2016. POLAR-2 aims to measure the polarization of the Gamma-ray Burst prompt emission within the 30–800 keV energy range. Thanks to its high sensitivity to gamma-ray polarization, as well as its large effective area, POLAR-2 will provide the most precise measurements of this type to date. Such measurements are key to improve our understanding of the astrophysical processes responsible for Gamma-Ray Bursts. The …

Traditional Online Credit Recovery Programs Opposed To Accelerated Online Credit Recovery Programs For High School Students, Frances Maxwell-Baxter

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

This Action Research Design examines three problems that at-risk twelfth graders face every day when they are left to decide how to graduate within 9 weeks. These struggling twelfth graders are in the hands and at the mercy of their certified secondary school counselors. The lack of time, coupled with technology not being current, the lack of effectiveness in raising graduation rates faster, and the need for metacognitive learning theory are all problems at-risk twelfth graders face in trying to graduate on time with their cohort.

The research design and method were from a Qualitative Action Research Design. The research …

Challenges Of The Fentanyl Epidemic: Understanding The Crisis, Analyzing The Analogs, And Investigating The Detection Methods, Sophia Hontzas

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

The fentanyl epidemic has become a significant public health concern, identified by a rise in overdose deaths pertaining to the use of illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF). In 2021 alone, there were 70,601 overdose deaths attributed to fentanyl, emphasizing the severity of the crisis. This paper discusses the challenges posed by fentanyl and its analogs, investigating the origins, market dynamics, biological impacts, and the issues with detection and regulation. While fentanyl was initially created as a potent pain reliever, its misuse has grown due to the presence of new analogs. Case studies provide insight into how fentanyl rose in popularity and …

A Collective Case Study Illustrating Effective Explicit Attention To Concepts In Middle Grades Classrooms, Emily Ruth Leckie

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study describes ways in which Explicit Attention to Concepts (EAC) is implemented in middle grades mathematics classrooms. The purpose is to describe specific components of lessons with high levels of EAC in middle grades classrooms and how teachers implement the EAC strategies, while taking into account the complex relationships within the classroom context. Research suggests that EAC is an important instructional component for students in developing conceptual understanding. This study is a collective case study which takes a reflexive thematic analysis approach. Eight teacher participants were selected based on videos of full lessons exhibiting high levels of EAC. …

Numerical Simulation Of The Atmospheric Lamb Waves Generated By The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai Eruption Using A Shallow Water Approximation, Augustus Tropea

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

On January 15th, 2022 around 04:05 UTC the undersea volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai located near the South Pacific island of Tonga violently erupted, and a large amount of energy was released into the atmosphere. The atmospheric disturbances generated by this event were detected by equipment all around the world. Analysis of this data revealed that some of these atmospheric disturbances were Lamb waves generated by the volcanic eruption. Previous works have successfully modeled these types of waves by using a shallow water approximation. Here we present results for the homogeneous shallow water equations at earth scale using high resolution finite …

Assessing Chronic Exposure To Glyphosate Using Urine Analysis, Jianna Gimenez

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The herbicide glyphosate is the most heavily used agricultural chemical in the world, and exposure has been linked to carcinogenic and reproductive effects, although this remains controversial. Glyphosate has a short biologic half-life, challenging the assessment of associations between chronic exposure and potential health effects. Long-term glyphosate exposure has often been evaluated using a single urine sample, potentially resulting in exposure misclassification and resulting in systematic underestimation of the association between glyphosate exposure and health outcomes. To determine the minimum number of urine samples required to accurately characterize chronic glyphosate exposure during pregnancy, we collected and analyzed 453 urine samples …

Paths Of Least Resistance: A Geospatial Analysis Of The Integration Of Mississippian Communities In The Northwest Arkansas Ozarks, Joseph Jilek

Anthropology Undergraduate Honors Theses

During the Mississippi period (ca. AD 1050-1500), native groups occupying bluff shelters in the Northwest Arkansas Ozarks constructed three similarly sized mound-and-plaza centers: Goforth-Saindon (3BE0245), Collins (3WA0001), and Huntsville (3MA0022). Similarities in size and number of mounds suggests none rose to a position of power over the other and each integrated a separate community. Previous research hypothesizes that communities in emergent complex societies such as these are best defined by those who you interact with regularly, with mound centers less than a day’s travel from each other likely integrating the same communities. This study uses least-cost analysis, generating likely travel …

On The Varieties Of Religious Experience In Latter-Day Saint Temples, 1836–1940, Jared Gage Bennett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

From 1836 to the present, the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have constructed and undertaken rituals in buildings called temples. In the first temple in Kirtland, Ohio, its 1836 dedication was the scene of visions and speaking in tongues, much like those the apostles had at Pentecost in Acts 2. The second temple in Nauvoo, however, had none of these, and the third set of temples built in Utah, with the first completed in 1877, again saw a number of religious experiences but of a radically different form: mainly the appearance of the spirits of …

Take A Seat: The Impact Of Three Classroom Seating Arrangements On Individual Student Performance, Mikayla Camacho

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study tested three common classroom seating arrangements: rows and columns, groups, and semicircle. It tested various seating arrangements to determine which one works best for young students who struggle with staying on task and tend to be disruptive. Researchers also studied if students did their work correctly and finished on time and what both students and teachers thought about the seating arrangements. Four students were observed in the different seating arrangements, and 10 students and one teacher were asked to answer questions about the different types of seating arrangements. The students' focus and behavior improved with semicircle seating; whereas, …

Measurement Reliability For Intentions To Change Behavior, Emily Schlichtig

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It is common for researchers to ask participants to associate probabilities with words, often using tools like the Likert scale to measure behavioral intentions and attitudes. However, it remains unclear what specific probabilities participants assign to the response options on a Likert scale, how much variation exists across these options, and whether these probabilities differ across various behaviors. The purpose of this paper is to explore the numeric probabilities that participants associate with different Likert scale points, to understand their perception of the variation at each point, and to compare these perceptions across three behaviors: eating more vegetables, exercising more, …

Assessing The Impacts Of Cavs On A Coordinated Signalized Corridor, Ty David Mills

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Connected Automated vehicles (CAVs) are growing in popularity and could have potential implications on the transportation system. The effects of CAVs have yet to be fully realized because of the newness of the technology. Anticipated effects include increased capacity, faster travel time, improved level of service, increased safety, and overall effectiveness of the transportation system. The Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) published by the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies has incorporated some of these impacts by developing capacity adjustment factors (CAFs) for various scenarios for freeway segments, signalized intersections, and roundabouts. This study builds upon the HCM study of …

Exploring Early Childhood Teachers’ Experiences In Teaching Multilingual Children In Public Mainstream Schools In Tennessee, Maria Dias

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study, grounded in a phenomenological perspective, delves into the lived experiences of early childhood teachers who teach multilingual children in mainstream classrooms in Tennessee. Amidst the rising number of multilingual learners in mainstream educational settings and the dearth of adequate teacher training to address their needs, this research illuminates the experiences of these teachers. Furthermore, it seeks to advocate for the integration of translanguaging pedagogy into teacher training programs and state policies. This study employed a qualitative study using the three-in-depth-interview series from a phenomenological perspective (Seidman, 2019). The first interview focused on participants’ overall teaching experiences and …

Transformer-Based Deep Learning Prediction Of 10-Degree Humphrey Visual Field Tests From 24-Degree Data, Min Shi, Anagha Lokhande, Yu Tian, Yan Luo, Mohammad Eslami, Saber Kazeminasab, Tobias Elze, Lucy Shen, Louis Pasquale, Sarah Wellik, Carlos Gustavo De Moraes, Jonathan Myers, Nazlee Zebardast, David Friedman, Michael Boland, Mengyu Wang

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To predict 10-2 Humphrey visual fields (VFs) from 24-2 VFs and associated non-total deviation features using deep learning.

METHODS: We included 5189 reliable 24-2 and 10-2 VF pairs from 2236 patients, and 28,409 reliable pairs of macular OCT scans and 24-2 VF from 19,527 eyes of 11,560 patients. We developed a transformer-based deep learning model using 52 total deviation values and nine VF test features to predict 68 10-2 total deviation values. The mean absolute error, root mean square error, and the R2 were evaluation metrics. We further evaluated whether the predicted 10-2 VFs can improve the structure-function relationship …

Patient-Centered Clinical Decision Support Challenges And Opportunities Identified From Workflow Execution Models, Dean F Sittig, Aziz Boxwala, Adam Wright, Courtney Zott, Nicole A Gauthreaux, James Swiger, Edwin A Lomotan, Prashila Dullabh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: To use workflow execution models to highlight new considerations for patient-centered clinical decision support policies (PC CDS), processes, procedures, technology, and expertise required to support new workflows.

METHODS: To generate and refine models, we used (1) targeted literature reviews; (2) key informant interviews with 6 external PC CDS experts; (3) model refinement based on authors' experience; and (4) validation of the models by a 26-member steering committee.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: We identified 7 major issues that provide significant challenges and opportunities for healthcare systems, researchers, administrators, and health IT and app developers. Overcoming these challenges presents opportunities for new …

Automatic Uncovering Of Patient Primary Concerns In Portal Messages Using A Fusion Framework Of Pretrained Language Modelsautomatic Uncovering Of Patient Primary Concerns In Portal Messages Using A Fusion Framework Of Pretrained Language Models, Yang Ren, Yuqi Wu, Jungwei W Fan, Aditya Khurana, Sunyang Fu, Dezhi Wu, Hongfang Liu, Ming Huang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: The surge in patient portal messages (PPMs) with increasing needs and workloads for efficient PPM triage in healthcare settings has spurred the exploration of AI-driven solutions to streamline the healthcare workflow processes, ensuring timely responses to patients to satisfy their healthcare needs. However, there has been less focus on isolating and understanding patient primary concerns in PPMs-a practice which holds the potential to yield more nuanced insights and enhances the quality of healthcare delivery and patient-centered care.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We propose a fusion framework to leverage pretrained language models (LMs) with different language advantages via a Convolution Neural …

Me Echan Porras: Understanding Latina Students’ Journeys Of Persistence And Challenge In Community College, Carla Lopez-Valdes

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Latina community college students face significant barriers in achieving their educational goals, particularly transferring to 4-year institutions. Despite comprising a large and growing demographic within community colleges, their unique needs and experiences often remain unaddressed. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of Latina community college students in Los Angeles County aiming to transfer to 4-year universities I sought to understand their challenges, needs, and supports as community college students. Employing a counter- storytelling approach, the study utilizes Platicas methodology and method, informed by Latina/o Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) (Huber, 2010) and Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) frameworks (Yosso, 2005). Data …

Storm Surge Modeling In The Ai Era: Using Lstm-Based Machine Learning For Enhancing Forecasting Accuracy, Stefanos Giaremis, Noujoud Nader, Clint Dawson, Carola Kaiser, Efstratios Nikidis, Hartmut Kaiser

Faculty Publications

Physics simulation results of natural processes usually do not fully capture the real world. This is caused for instance by limits in what physical processes are simulated and to what accuracy. In this work we propose and analyze the use of an LSTM-based deep learning network machine learning (ML) architecture for capturing and predicting the behavior of the systemic error for storm tide forecast models with respect to real-world water elevation observations from gauge stations during hurricane events. The overall goal of this work is to predict the systemic error of the physics model and use it to improve the …

Exploring The Relationship Of The Noncognitive Variables Of Grit And Mindset In Baccalaureate Nursing Students And Their Impact On Academic Success, Alecia Hollis

Dissertations

The study aimed to evaluate how the noncognitive variables of grit and mindset could impact the academic success of baccalaureate nursing students. With the present and growing shortage of nurses, attrition within nursing programs is cause for concern. Attrition is a multifaceted problem; however, academic failure is one contributing factor. While cognitive factors, such as the standardized aptitude test (SAT), pre-nursing science GPA, pre-nursing GPA, and standardized entrance exams (Al-Alawi et al., 2020; Chisholm-Burns et al., 2021), have traditionally been used for admission criteria, increasing evidence suggests that noncognitive factors, like grit and mindset, play a crucial role in academic …

How Are Global Trade Relationships Affected By Western Sanctions?, Colin A. Martinez

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Do sanctions actually have an impact on their intended targets? This paper seeks to fill a gap in the existing literature on the effectiveness of sanctions by measuring potential impacts on the trade relationships of targeted states after the imposition of sanctions. To do so, it turns to a comprehensive dataset that combines all trade and sanctions data for each of 229 states, arranged in 23,132 dyads, from 2000 through 2019. It then examines 792 regressions using a hybrid fixed effects difference-in-difference model applied to twelve different types of sanctions, differentiated by the sanctioning state’s membership in certain groups of …

Student Handbook 2024-2025, Saint Mary's College Of California

Student Handbook

No abstract provided.

Representation Progression In Children's Literature, Meili Caldwell

Kentucky English Bulletin

No abstract provided.

Single Charge Carrier Dynamics In A Single Polymer Chain, Ming Lei

All Dissertations

Understanding how charge carrier move through conjugated polymers is crucial for optimizing the functionality and efficiency of various applications, from organic solar cells and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to field-effect transistors. Previous studies have demonstrated that tracking the fluorescence centroid displacement provides a method to determine the position of single charge carriers in a conjugated polymer nanoparticle. This method allows the observation of charge carrier trajectories over time and allow researchers to obtain insights into the dynamic processes. In addition, a detailed map of the energy landscape can be constructed by analyzing the fluorescence spectrum. These techniques were previously applied to …

Optimization Strategies To Enhance Performance In Matrix/Tensor Factorization And Multi-Source Data Integration, Mengyuan Zhang

All Dissertations

Optimization in the realm of machine learning constitutes a fundamental process aimed at refining the parameters of models to enhance their performance. It serves as the backbone of various machine learning techniques, encompassing diverse algorithms and methodologies tailored to address specific tasks and objectives.

In machine learning, datasets are commonly structured as matrices or tensors, making techniques like matrix factorization and tensor factorization indispensable for extracting meaningful representations from intricate data. Furthermore, datasets commonly comprise multiple sets of features, which has inspired our exploration of effective strategies for leveraging information from diverse sources during optimization. Additionally, the interconnected nature of …

Ultrashort Pulsed Laser Treatment Is Effective At Sterilizing Metal Surfaces For Planetary Protection, Kaleb Mcquillan

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

To prevent forward contamination from microbes aboard spacecraft intended for exploration of solar system bodies there is a need for effective sterilization methods. However, current techniques are both time-consuming and expensive. For example, dry heat sterilization requires removal from the assembly site and several days of treatment. Furthermore, some components such as optics and electronics are not compatible with current sterilization techniques. In this thesis, a novel femtosecond laser surface processing technique for the rapid sterilization of spacecraft hardware is reported. Femtosecond lasers produce extremely high photon fluxes (10²⁹ photons/s*cm², ~0.03 J/cm²) in extremely short …

A Comparison Of Training Approaches On Skill Acquisition Among Direct Care Staff At An Adult Day Program, Sandra Wagner

Dissertations

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are often dependent on direct care staff to engage in daily activities, such as personal care, eating, and engaging in leisure activities. One way direct care staff can support adults with IDD to become more independent is by using prompting strategies. Often times, however, direct care staff have not been trained on how to use prompts to encourage independence. Current studies have demonstrated success in teaching direct care staff prompting strategies in personal care tasks (e.g., Engelman et al., 2002; Parsons et al., 1993) through behavioral skills training. Although the trainings produced an …

Expanding "Standards" Through Embracing Diversity: The Clarinet Quintets Of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Joyce Solomon Moorman, And James Lee Iii, Lauren Miller

Dissertations

Diversity in music education has been a long-standing discussion amongst educators. This document advocates for the recognition and acceptance of the intrinsic and extrinsic values of diverse peoples and their musical contributions while creating tolerance and respect. The focus lies with three composers, two African American and one African English, in service of promoting inclusion for composers of minority groups within the clarinet repertoire.

The goal is to expand standard clarinet repertoire, with “standard” defined as compositions considered important in building a well-rounded clarinetist in America, to include works such as Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in F-sharp …

The Effects Of An Acute Dose Of Cannabidiol On Health And Two-Mile Time Trial Performance, Elyssa Bell

Master's Theses

As more studies exploring the therapeutic effects of cannabidiol (CBD) in both clinical and non-clinical populations continue to increase, there is a renewed interest in the ability of CBD to affect performance. In fact, many anecdotal reports in the media and online suggest that CBD may improve performance. Unfortunately, very few studies support these claims and research in the area is limited. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of an acute dose of CBD on anxiety symptoms, GI distress, heart rate variability (HRV), heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), blood lactate (BL) rate of perceived …

Contrast As A Governing Principle: Topic Deployment In Selected Sonatas Of Johann Christian Bach, Morgan Hall

Master's Theses

Between the end of the Baroque era and the end of the Classical era, there was a shift in the way music was composed. This shift allowed composers to employ multiple topics in one work as opposed to the single-affect-per-movement that was standard under the Doctrine of Affections. Despite plenty of scholarship about both of the eras, the transition from one to the other has been relatively unexplored. Early musicologist Charles Burney noted in a volume of his General History of Music that there was a composer who was the first to employ “contrast as a governing principle”, and this …

Determining Spatiotemporal Regulation Of Actin Dynamics In Choroid Fissure Closure, Cristal Gonzalez

Master's Theses

There are several stages of development necessary for proper vision. During vertebrate eye development, early eye morphology progresses in three stages: optic cup morphogenesis, basement membrane breakdown, and tissue fusion. Eye development is an intricate collaboration between many cells and requires tissues to migrate and bridge together. The following research investigates the Danio Rerio eye development to understand the molecular regulation of choroid fissure closure (CFC). It is hypothesized that CFC requires temporal and spatial regulation of actin dynamics. We investigate this question using chemical inhibitors, cytochalasin D, an actin treadmilling inhibitor, and NSC23766, a Rac-GEF inhibitor of the actin …