Digital Commons Network^™

Tool-Sensed Object Information Effectively Supports Vision For Multisensory Grasping, Ivan Camponogara, Alessandro Farnè, Robert Volcic

All Works

Tools enable humans to extend their sensing abilities beyond the natural limits of their hands, allowing them to sense objects as if they were using their hands directly. The similarities between direct hand interactions with objects (hand-based sensing) and the ability to extend sensory information processing beyond the hand (tool-mediated sensing) entail the existence of comparable processes for integrating tool- and hand-sensed information with vision, raising the question of whether tools support vision in bimanual object manipulations. Here, we investigated participants' performance while grasping objects either held with a tool or with their hand and compared these conditions with visually …

Response Surface Methodology-Based Optimization Of The Chitinolytic Activity Of Burkholderia Contaminans Strain 614 Exerting Biological Control Against Phytopathogenic Fungi, Imen Ben Slimene Debez, Hayet Houmani, Henda Mahmoudi, Khaoula Mkadmini, Pedro Garcia-Caparros, Ahmed Debez, Olfa Tabbene, Naceur Djébali, Maria Camino Urdaci

All Works

As part of the development of alternative and environmentally friendly control against phytopathogenic fungi, Burkholderia cepacia could be a useful species notably via the generation of hydrolytic enzymes like chitinases, which can act as a biological control agent. Here, a Burkholderia contaminans S614 strain exhibiting chitinase activity was isolated from a soil in southern Tunisia. Then, response surface methodology (RSM) with a central composite design (CCD) was used to assess the impact of five factors (colloidal chitin, magnesium sulfate, dipotassium phosphate, yeast extract, and ammonium sulfate) on chitinase activity. B. contaminans strain 614 growing in the optimized medium showed up …

New Electrochemical Platforms For The Detection Of Neurodegenerative Disease Biomarkers, Omair Adil

Dissertations

Neurodegenerative disease (ND) is a collection of progressive disorders which is marked by gradual degeneration of the central nervous system (CNS). The damage of brain and nervous system causes diminishing of brain and nerve cell which lead to body dysfunction, organ failure, paralysis and ultimately death of a patient. Neurodegenerative diseases affect millions of people worldwide. United States of America is among highest ND prevailing disease countries. Yet the number of cases is underreported because of the complexity of disease diagnosis. With the increase in aging population the rate of ND cases is also increasing. Another important concern is that …

Republican Klansmen: The Ku Klux Klan And The Grand Old Party In Prohibition Era Indiana, Andrew Scott Barbero

Dissertations

Since the proliferation of Trumpism in American politics there has been newfound interest in Ku Klux Klan related studies. Scholars have turned to the rise of the “Invisible Empire” in the 1920s, and the massive political influence it yielded nationwide, to better understand and contextualize the MAGA Movement of Republicans currently dominating their own party, and American politics more broadly. This dissertation focuses on the rise of the Ku Klux Klan as a dominant force in Indiana politics throughout the 1920s. Indiana boasted one of the largest Klan groups at the time, and it was seen in popular culture as …

'Crowned With The Wreath Of Immortality': Martyrdom, Death, And The Afterlife In North African Religious Discourse, Matthew William Egbert

Dissertations

This dissertation explores North Africa’s role in the development of its own religious discourse, specifically with regard to martyrdom, death, the afterlife, and other eschatological themes. Historians of early Christianity and Islam often depict the region as peripheral, but it was actually a crossroads where pre-existing traditions met new ideas to develop unique, localized versions of these religions. More often than not, these emphasized a pursuit of martyrdom and veneration of saints. This longue-durée study covers a vast timeline, spanning the pre-Christian period to the late Fatimid Caliphate. Its central focus, however, is the Donatist schism that divided North Africa …

Essays On Aging, Health, And Labor Market, Lanjie Wang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This dissertation consists of four chapters on aging, health, and labor economics.

In the first chapter, we investigate the short-term impacts of unemployment on older workers in Singapore, a setting without public unemployment insurance. Using monthly panel data, we analyze dynamic impacts on income, spending, health, and subjective well-being over two years post-unemployment. We find substantial initial earnings losses with incomplete recovery, with income remaining 46.5% below pre-unemployment levels after 24 months. Despite this persistent income gap, consumption responses are modest and comparable to countries with strong social safety nets, suggesting robust self-insurance mechanisms. We observe increased retirement among married …

Dispersive Shock Waves In A One-Dimensional Droplet-Bearing Environment, Sathyanarayanan Chandramouli, S. I. Mistakidis, G. C. Katsimiga, P. G. Kevrekidis

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We demonstrate the controllable generation of distinct types of dispersive shock waves emerging in a quantum droplet bearing environment with the aid of steplike initial conditions. Dispersive regularization of the ensuing hydrodynamic singularities occurs due to the competition between mean-field repulsion and attractive quantum fluctuations. This interplay delineates the dominance of defocusing (hyperbolic) and focusing (elliptic) hydrodynamic phenomena being designated by the real and the imaginary speed of sound, respectively. Specifically, the symmetries of the extended Gross-Pitaevskii model led to a three-parameter family, encompassing two densities and a relative velocity of the underlying Riemann problem utilized herein. Surprisingly, dispersive shock …

Particle-Imbalanced Weakly Interacting Quantum Droplets In One Dimension, I. A. Englezos, P. Schmelcher, S. I. Mistakidis

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We explore the formation of one-dimensional two-component quantum droplets with intercomponent particle imbalance using an ab initio many-body method. It is shown that for moderate particle imbalance each component maintains its droplet flat-top or Gaussian-type character depending on the intercomponent attraction. Importantly, large particle imbalance leads to a flat-top shape of the majority component with the minority exhibiting spatially localized configurations. The latter imprint modulations on the majority component which become more pronounced for increasing interspecies attraction. The same holds for larger mass or increasing repulsion of the minority species. Such structural transitions are also evident in the underlying two-body …

Dispersive Shock Waves In A One-Dimensional Droplet-Bearing Environment, Sathyanarayanan Chandramouli, S. I. Mistakidis, G. C. Katsimiga, P. G. Kevrekidis

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We demonstrate the controllable generation of distinct types of dispersive shock waves emerging in a quantum droplet bearing environment with the aid of steplike initial conditions. Dispersive regularization of the ensuing hydrodynamic singularities occurs due to the competition between mean-field repulsion and attractive quantum fluctuations. This interplay delineates the dominance of defocusing (hyperbolic) and focusing (elliptic) hydrodynamic phenomena being designated by the real and the imaginary speed of sound, respectively. Specifically, the symmetries of the extended Gross-Pitaevskii model led to a three-parameter family, encompassing two densities and a relative velocity of the underlying Riemann problem utilized herein. Surprisingly, dispersive shock …

Instantons In Φ4 Theories: Transseries, Virial Theorems, And Numerical Aspects, Ludovico T. Giorgini, Ulrich D. Jentschura, Enrico M. Malatesta, Tommaso Rizzo, Jean Zinn-Justin

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We discuss numerical aspects of instantons in two- and three-dimensional φ4 theories with an internal O(N) symmetry group, the so-called N-vector model. By combining asymptotic transseries expansions for large arguments with convergence acceleration techniques, we obtain high-precision values for certain integrals of the instanton that naturally occur in loop corrections around instanton configurations. Knowledge of these numerical properties is necessary in order to evaluate corrections to the large-order factorial growth of perturbation theory in φ4 theories. The results contribute to the understanding of the mathematical structures underlying the instanton configurations.

Perturbative Versus Non-Perturbative Renormalization, S. Hariharakrishnan, Ulrich D. Jentschura, I. G. Marian, K. Szabo, I. Nandori

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Approximated functional renormalization group (FRG) equations lead to regulator-dependent β-functions, in analogy to the scheme-dependence of the perturbative renormalization group (pRG) approach. A scheme transformation redefines the couplings to relate the β-functions of the FRG method with an arbitrary regulator function to the pRG ones obtained in a given scheme. Here, we consider a periodic sine-Gordon scalar field theory in d = 2 dimensions and show that the relation of the FRG and pRG approaches is intricate. Although both the FRG and the pRG methods are known to be sufficient to obtain the critical frequency β c 2 = 8 …

Doubly Differential Cross Sections For Ionization In Proton Collisions With Atomic Hydrogen: Energy And Angular Distribution Of Emitted Electrons, C. T. Plowman, K. H. Spicer, N. W. Antonio, M. S. Schöffler, Michael Schulz, I. Bray, A. S. Kadyrov

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We use the two-center wave-packet convergent close-coupling approach to ion-atom collisions to calculate the energy and angular distribution of electrons emitted in proton collisions with atomic hydrogen. Results are provided across a wide range of intermediate energies where many competing reaction channels make calculations challenging. The present data consistently agree with the available experimental measurements and improve upon previously available results based on perturbative and classical methods. Furthermore, we extend the range of electron angles and energies over which theoretical data are available for the doubly differential cross section for ionization. This provides strong evidence that at the level of …

Exploring New Frontiers In Hospitality And Tourism, Faizan Ali

Journal of Global Hospitality and Tourism

As we embark on the second issue of Volume 3 of the Journal of Global Hospitality and Tourism, we are presented with a rich and diverse collection of research that investigates contemporary challenges and innovations within our dynamic field. This issue features a diverse range of studies that illuminate emerging trends, address critical issues, and offer practical insights for both industry practitioners and academics.

Do Social Support, Supervisory Feedback, And Job Stress Matter To An Employee’S Sense Of Ownership? Context In The Lodging Sector, Aladin M. Ibrahim, Zyra R. Cabrera, Rodin S. Pescuela

Journal of Global Hospitality and Tourism

In the face of intensified competition within the hospitality sector, exacerbated by the challenges of post-pandemic recovery, organizations are increasingly focused on re-engaging employees impacted by workforce reductions and retaining those who demonstrate a strong sense of attachment, care, and commitment to their workplace. These ownership behaviors are pivotal in fostering organizational stewardship and driving performance. However, the question arises: how can organizations cultivate and enhance these positive employee behaviors? This study investigates the influence of leader- and work-related factors, including social support, supervisory feedback, and job stress, on employees’ sense of ownership towards their organization. Employing a survey methodology, …

Championing Retention In The Hospitality Industry – Leveraging The Strengths Of A Multigenerational Workforce, Laur-Ann Daley

Journal of Global Hospitality and Tourism

The hospitality and tourism industry has a long history of high turnover rates and businesses are constantly scrambling to fill vacancies. With four generations occupying the industry’s workforce, leaders are further challenged with fostering harmony in an attempt to increase their retention rates. Despite the challenges in leading a generationally diverse team, given their unique values, businesses can realize strategic advantages. This opinion paper highlights the strengths of multigenerational teams and how they can be leveraged for competitive benefits.

Bridging The Digital Divide In Hospitality And Tourism: Digital Inclusion For Disadvantaged, Xi Y. Leung

Journal of Global Hospitality and Tourism

As technology continues to revolutionize the hospitality and tourism industry, the issues of digital equity and digital divide have gained increasing prominence (Minghetti & Buhalis, 2010; Reverte & Luque, 2021). While digital advancements offer unprecedented opportunities for businesses and consumers, they also risk exacerbating existing inequalities (Wu & Yang, 2023). This is particularly evident in the growing digital divide, referring to the capabilities gap of individuals, groups and regions to access and process digital information technology (OECD, 2001). The rapid pace of technological advancement has left certain groups struggling to keep up. These digital disadvantaged groups—comprising individuals with limited access …

Stem Students’ International Mobility In Kazakhstan In The Context Of The Russia-Ukraine War Conflict

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Special Issue

Value Capture And Affordable Housing: Insights From Singapore, Sock Yong Phang

Research Collection School Of Economics

To explain the role of value capture in Singapore’s progress, I will first provide some background information on Singapore and its housing sector. I will then take you on a journey back to the 1960s to show how we established our present institutional arrangements for land and housing. I will next describe how housing policies have evolved over the past six decades in response to changing contexts. Finally, I will conclude with the fiscal implications of successful value capture. Where relevant, I will indicate how Singapore’s policies align with George’s views.

Projection-Domain Low-Count Quantitative Spect (Lc-Qspect) Methods For Radiopharmaceutical Therapies (Rpts), Zekun Li

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Radiopharmaceutical therapies (RPTs) using α- or β-particle-emitting isotopes are becoming increasingly important in cancer treatment. Reliable (accurate and precise) quantification of absorbed doses in lesions and vital organs is important for the safety and effectiveness of these therapies. Quantitative single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) provides a mechanism for such dose quantifications by quantifying the regional activity uptake. This dissertation aims to develop methodologies for reliable SPECT-based regional uptake quantification for patients treated with α-particle-emitting RPTs (α-RPTs). A significant challenge with conventional reconstruction-based quantitative (RBQ) SPECT methods is the ill-posed nature of image reconstruction, which is further complicated by the limited …

Topic Modeling On Document Networks With Dirichlet Optimal Transport Barycenter, Ce Zhang, Hady Wirawan Lauw

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Text documents are often interconnected in a network structure, e.g., academic papers via citations, Web pages via hyperlinks. On the one hand, though Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) have shown promising ability to derive effective embeddings for such networked documents, they do not assume a latent topic structure and result in uninterpretable embeddings. On the other hand, topic models can infer semantically interpretable topic distributions for documents by associating each topic with a group of understandable key words. However, most topic models mainly focus on plain text within documents and fail to leverage network structure across documents. Network connectivity reveals topic …

The Effect Of Trauma On Student Academic Achievement, Wendi N. Petersen

Masters Projects

This paper explores what current research says about the significant effect that childhood trauma has on student academic achievement. It looks at the ways in which students are impacted by trauma, how this affects them in the classroom and finally recommends a solution to help support educators and school staff in providing a safe, compassionate and encouraging classroom environment for students to learn and thrive in. Educators encounter numerous challenges in today's classrooms. The diverse needs of students today create a unique set of obstacles that teachers must navigate and address in their teaching. Students affected by childhood trauma present …

A Retrospective Comparison Between Analytical Anisotropic Algorithm (Aaa) And Acuros Xb (Axb) Calculation Algorithms Concerning The Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery Radiation Dose In Left Breast Cancer Patients Utilizing Deep Inspiration Breath Hold, Melissa Wilkinson

Masters Projects

Abstract

Background: Minimizing radiation exposure to the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) is crucial during left-sided breast cancer radiation therapy to prevent cardiac complications. Dose calculation algorithms can significantly impact the estimated LAD dose. This study investigates the differences between the Anisotropic Analytical Algorithm (AAA) and Acuros XB (AXB) algorithms in LAD dose calculations.

Methods: Thirty patients treated with radiation therapy after breast-conserving surgery were included. Dosimetric data for LAD, including mean and maximum dose, was calculated using AAA and AXB algorithms. The results were compared using statistical analysis.

Results: Statistically significant reductions in mean LAD dose were observed …

Increasing Secondary Students’ Spanish Oral Language Proficiency, Courtney Kozak

Masters Projects

Research has demonstrated the importance of students becoming orally proficient after taking foreign language classes. This project explores what can be done to combat the issue of students failing to gain an oral proficiency. It addresses instructional design and teacher impact, as well as student contribution to the issue. Multiple studies were reviewed on the best research backed practices for proficiency growth. After reading through all the research, it was determined that a proficiency-based instructional style that followed ACTFL World Readiness standards is the ideal approach. Going hand in hand with a proficiency-based instructional style is a classroom design of …

Announcing The 2024 Induction Of Members Into The Accounting Hall Of Fame, American Accounting Association

Accounting Hall of Fame Brochures

No abstract provided.

Of Masks And Men: A Look At Ensor's Christ's Entry Into Brussels And The Art Historical Canon, Addison Speier

Epochs Art History Journal

It is easy to miss what the title of James Ensor’s 1888 painting Christ’s Entry into Brussels 1889 (fig. 1) dictates as the subject. The sheer amount of visual information needed to be taken in proving almost too much for a viewer to handle, one’s eyes getting lost in the sea of masked figures and bright colors. However, in the center of the piece, distinguishable only by his golden halo, Jesus stands in the midst of the eager crowd. Above the crowd, a banner proclaims “Vive la Sociale” (Long live the Social) a phrase mirrored by “Vive Jesus, Roi de, …

Can Anorectal Stenosis Be Managed With Dilations Alone? A Pcplc Review., Zoe M. Saenz, Kelly Austin, Jeffrey R. Avansino, Andrea Badillo, Casey M. Calkins, Megan M. Durham, Megan K. Fuller, Ankur Rana, Ron W. Reeder, Rebecca M. Rentea, Michael D. Rollins, K Elizabeth Speck, Richard J. Wood, Jamie C. Harris, Jamie Anderson, Maheen Hassan, Payam Saadai, Pediatric Colorectal And Pelvic Learning Consortium (Pcplc)

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

PURPOSE: Congenital anorectal stenosis is managed by dilations or operative repair. Recent studies now propose use of dilations as the primary treatment modality to potentially defer or eliminate the need for surgical repair. We aim to characterize the management and outcomes of these patients via a multi-institutional review using the Pediatric Colorectal and Pelvic Learning Consortium (PCPLC) registry.

METHODS: A retrospective database review was performed using the PCPLC registry. The patients were evaluated for demographics, co-morbidities, diagnostic work-up, surgical intervention, current bowel management, and complications.

RESULTS: 64 patients with anal or rectal stenosis were identified (57 anal, 7 rectal) from …

Genomic Insights Into Pediatric Intestinal Inflammatory And Eosinophilic Disorders Using Single-Cell Rna-Sequencing., Marissa R. Keever-Keigher, Lisa Harvey, Veronica Williams, Carrie A Vyhlidal, Atif A Ahmed, Jeffrey J. Johnston, Daniel A. Louiselle, Elin Grundberg, Tomi Pastinen, Craig A. Friesen, Rachel Chevalier, Craig Smail, Valentina Shakhnovich

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

INTRODUCTION: Chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tissues underlies gastrointestinal inflammatory disorders, leading to tissue damage and a constellation of painful and debilitating symptoms. These disorders include inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis), and eosinophilic disorders (eosinophilic esophagitis and eosinophilic duodenitis). Gastrointestinal inflammatory disorders can often present with overlapping symptoms necessitating the use of invasive procedures to give an accurate diagnosis.

METHODS: This study used peripheral blood mononuclear cells from individuals with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, eosinophilic esophagitis, and eosinophilic duodenitis to better understand the alterations to the transcriptome of individuals with these diseases and identify potential markers of …

Community Reintegration After A Psychiatric Hospitalization: Perceptions Of Psychiatric Facility Providers, Paige Radtke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Reintegrating into the community after a psychiatric hospitalization can be a daunting task, and one that patients with serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI) may experience multiple times throughout their lifetime. While research has been conducted demonstrating the barriers to successful community reintegration after a psychiatric hospitalization, a better understanding of the lived experiences of inpatient social workers regarding the discharge process is necessary to continue to decrease the risk of re-hospitalization. The purpose of the study was to identify the perceived elements necessary to establish successful discharge plans such that patients with SPMI are less likely to experience subsequent …

Spirituality And Self-Management Of Diabetes Among African American Women, Tiaa Reshawn Padgette

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Spirituality plays an important role of support for many people; however, little is known about the role spirituality plays in helping manage chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes (T2D). African American women (AAW) have the highest incidence of T2D compared to other racial and ethnic groups, which demonstrates the need to learn more about improving health and reducing diabetes in AAW. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry, using Roy’s adaptation model as the theoretical framework, was to assess the role of spirituality in how AAW with T2D manage their illness and whether that role changes according to disease …

Effective Strategies Respiratory Managers Use To Reduce Burnout And Retain Respiratory Therapists, Candi Nelson Tucker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Respiratory therapists (RTs) have one of the highest organization turnover rates in the healthcare industry. Turnover is important to RT managers because they often lack strategies to retain therapists. Grounded in the job embeddedness theory, the purpose of this qualitative, pragmatic inquiry study was to identify and explore strategies that healthcare managers use to reduce burnout and turnover to facilitate the retention of RTs. The participants were five respiratory managers in five acute care hospitals in an eastern U.S. state. Data collection included semistructured interviews and the review of publicly available data from the hospitals’ websites. Data were thematically analyzed, …