Digital Commons Network^™

Explosions Are Always Entertaining But…: Investigating The Impacts Of Science Shows On High School Students, Shanii Phillips, Miriam Sullivan, Ann Grand

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Science shows are often posited as a route to encourage young people to engage with science. Using a mixed methods approach, our research investigated the impact of attending a science show on high school students’ intentions to study science or pursue a career in science. We found that while a single visit to a science show has little impact on students’ aspirations, it can reinforce students’ confidence in their ability to succeed in science. In terms of design and performance, the best-received shows included ‘real-world’ content that students could identify as relevant to their lives.

A Computational Fluid Dynamics (Cfd) Based Assessment Of Animal Borne Data Logger Impact, Christopher Pass

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Animal borne data loggers are powerful tools that provide researchers with valuable insight into the behaviour and ecology of free-ranging marine animals. Despite their usefulness, the addition of a tag inevitably alters the forces acting on a swimming body and can increase the energetic cost of swimming. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tools offer a powerful means of assessing tag impact and a number of previous works have employed CFD to this end but have typically been based on a range of simplifying assumptions. Chief amongst these simplifications is that animals can be modelled as rigid bodies with a simple tag …

Graphene Biosensors For The Detection Of Alzheimer's And Cardiovascular Disease Protein Biomarkers, Theodore Bungon

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Dementia describes a syndrome or group of symptoms associated with the decline of brain functioning such as loss of memory, mood, judgment, language, thinking speed, mental sharpness and other mental abilities. Different classes of Dementia are Jakob Disease, Korsakoff Syndrome, Vascular dementia, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington disease, young onset dementia, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) etc. At present, AD is irreversible and incurable, and it worsens overtime, it is neurodegenerative, caused by the accumulation or build-up of abnormal protein in the brain. It is a type of dementia that is common, affecting about 60% of patients with dementia diagnosis. Globally, over 54 million …

Mesoscale Modelling For Investigating Effective Properties And Collective Performance Of Geopolymer Concrete, Feiyu Shi

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Concrete is a versatile construction material which, depending on architectural design and structural analysis, can be shaped into various forms so that requirements for beauty and functions of designed facilities can be met while structural strength of the facilities is sufficient to sustain both gravity and external loadings. It is so favoured by engineers that its consumption is just after water. However, Portland cement – a main ingredient for use in the manufacture of traditional concrete – is quite a “dirty” material which releases a large amount of carbon dioxide in the process of its production. Carbon dioxide is one …

Quality Of Experience Assessment For Enhanced Video Streaming Services, Avsar Asan

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

In the contemporary digital landscape, service and content providers are increasingly focused on delivering high-quality multimedia services, a commitment driven by escalating user expectations and the advent of technologies like ultra-high-definition video and interactive services. Despite considerable advancements and investments in enhancing service capabilities, the surging demand for video services presents a multifaceted challenge.The key to user retention and satisfaction lies in maintaining a consistent quality of service, a task complicated by the limitations of available bandwidth and the consequential network or service impairments. These factors significantly influence user experience, with the potential risk of increased user churn, which can …

Automated Vulnerability Scanning And Security Audit Framework For Maritime Systems, Avanthika Vineetha Harish

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

The maritime industry is a well-established sector, with the shipping industry dating back hundreds of years. The devices in this sector differ from those in the Information Technology (IT) sector in their usage, operations, hardware, andprotocols. Technological advancements have introduced new challenges in the sector, including the increased risk of cyber attacks. To effectively identify, respond to, and analyse these threats, it is essential to understand the cyber securityvulnerabilities in maritime systems and system-of-systems.Currently, there are no standardised methods or automated tools for conducting cyber security testing of maritime systems. This thesis presents an automated vulnerability scanning and security audit …

Digitised Dockyard: A Digital Twin For Multi-Objective Optimisation, Joseph Ross

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Digital twin technology is emerging as a transformative tool across multiple industries to digitally represent physical entities for monitoring and simulation. While many implementations focus on single systems or commercial applications, this thesis investigates the use of a digital twin to represent and optimise the operational logistics of a non-commercial, high-security maritime site. By treating the entire base as a holistic entity composed of interdependent systems, such as buildings, utilities, communications infrastructure, personnel, and services, the research explores how artificial intelligence techniques can be embedded within a digital twin to support decision-making.This thesis proposes and develops a bespoke digital twin …

Bayesian Multilevel Models For Survival Data From Multiple Centres, Lingling Zhang

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Recently, there has been an increasing use of flexible parametric survival models to analyse survival outcomes. Much of our work is based on a survival analysis model in which the baseline hazard function is modelled flexibly using an M-spline. Motivated by the analysis of a large kidney transplant data set supplied by NHSBT (NHS Blood and Transplant), we extend this baseline hazard function flexibility in various ways to allow a random effect for each transplant centre.After providing an introduction to survival analysis, we present an exploratory analysis of the NHSBT kidney transplant data. Next, we analyse the data using Bayesian …

A Framework For Tailored Organisational Cyber Security Training, Zinnar Ghasem

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Zinnar Ahmed Ghasem A framework for tailored organisational cyber security training AbstractSociety is increasingly becoming dependent on cyberspace; in such it is becoming an integral part of every-day life of most people in both work and home context. This dependency spans across individuals, businesses, and organisations including governments who are relying on cyberspace for various services, ranging from email to social networking, and from cloud computing to ecommerce and financial automated process and transactions. These services are vulnerable and face sophisticated cyber threats, risks and attacks, and potentially can result in financial losses and compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability …

Techmate: A Toolkit For Advancing Gender Equality In Computing Education, Alina Berry

Academic Posters Collection

To address the issue of gender inequality in computing education.

To inspire and guide institutions to implement change and track progress with easy to follow guidance.

To provide champions with useful and easy to access resources.

From Feedback To Framework: Exploring A Student-Centric Development Process For Low-End Immersive Ar/Vr Learning Content In Hospitality Education, Alexander Lennart Schmidt, Praneschen Govender, Jeroen Oskam, Ralf Burbach, Davin Dunlea, Jennifer Hussey, Colin O’Connor, Daniel King, Pasi Tuominen, Jouko Loijas, Teemu Moilanen, Elisa Laatikainen, David Cortés, Belén Bermejo, Carlos Juiz

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

There is a vibrant debate concerning the integration of immersive learning content into hospitality education to (a.) embed the learning process in real-life professional contexts and, (b.) uphold student engagement. Contributing to this debate, this article explores the development process of low-end immersive AR/VR content for hospitality education, leveraging design-based research (DBR) centered around student feedback. This study is based on qualitative focus group data triangulated with survey data collected across four universities located in Europe, each of which offers hospitality programs. Our findings suggest a three-stage development process framework. This process comprises three decision-making dilemmas which need to be …

Mortality Prediction After Major Surgery In A Mixed Population Through Machine Learning: A Multi-Objective Symbolic Regression Approach, Pietro Arina, Davide Ferrari, Nicholas Tetlow, Amy Dewar, Robert Stephens, Daniel Martin, Ramani Moonesinghe, Vasa Curcin, Mervyn Singer, John Whittle, Evangelos B Mazomenos

Peninsula Medical School

INTRODUCTION: Understanding 1-year mortality following major surgery offers valuable insights into patient outcomes and the quality of peri-operative care. Few models exist that predict 1-year mortality accurately. This study aimed to develop a predictive model for 1-year mortality in patients undergoing complex non-cardiac surgery using a novel machine-learning technique called multi-objective symbolic regression.

METHODS: A single-institution database of patients undergoing major elective surgery with previous cardiopulmonary exercise testing was divided into three datasets: pre-operative clinical data; cardiorespiratory and physiological data; and combined. A multi-objective symbolic regression model was developed and compared against existing models. Model performance was evaluated using the …

Bridging The Divide: How Do Lecturers In Undergraduate Sound Engineering Courses Bridge The Gap Between Industry And Education?, Daniel Tregenna

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

The formal study of sound engineering is a relatively modern and under-researched field within modern arts education. However, this subject has a number of features that are common across a range of subjects of a similar nature. How the lecturers who work on these courses influence students and tie them to the wider industry is potentially pivotal in an industry so intrinsically tied to the nature of interpersonal connections. Particularly where this industry simultaneously does not provide stable and sustained working partnerships. This international comparative study looks to explore the role lecturers on undergraduate sound engineering courses play in bridging …

Exploring Inclusive Education And Listening In Relation To Children's Experiences And Teachers' Perspectives, Ramazan Merk

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

This thesis addressed the field of inclusive education and the importance of listening from the perspectives of both children and teachers. Drawing on experiences in pre-school and reception classrooms in England, I explored the essence of inclusive education and effective implementation strategies to meet the needs of children, including those with diverse needs. Emphasis was placed on the necessity for teachers to acknowledge and address each child's individual needs when developing early years learning environments. Moreover, the study underlined the important role of active listening in promoting communication and understanding between teachers and children as a cornerstone of inclusive pedagogy. …

Un-Framing Transiting Trajectories: A ‘Beyond Disciplinary’ Approach To Curating In The Context Of Art And Science Discourse, Christina Ioanna Kazakou

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

Abstract

Facilitating Student Engagement In Elementary Science Classrooms With Reformed Teaching Principles, Nathaniel Bryant

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Science performance among elementary school students in the United States has stagnated in recent years. To address this issue, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) were introduced, advocating for a reform in science education. Traditionally, hands-on laboratory work has been used to help students understand scientific concepts through a "learn by doing" approach. However, students often become disengaged during practical work, as following a set procedure to replicate scientific phenomena does not reflect how scientists approach problems in their daily practice. It is now argued that hands-on laboratories should not only involve observation or manipulation of materials and equipment but …

Socioeconomic Status And Educational Opportunities Through The Eyes Of Students And Teachers: Diverse Realities, Shared Insights, Jill Schany

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Sowl and Crain (2021) argue that despite recognizing the uniqueness of the place when it comes to rural demographics and needs, policies regarding education and the economy often prioritize urban areas, defining rural in opposition to urban without adequately addressing the specific needs of rural youth. Studies examining geographical disparities in educational outcomes traditionally concentrated on achievement gaps within urban and suburban areas, highlighting more startling gaps in cities with heightened racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic inequality and segregation. Literature also extensively discusses neighborhood effects on educational outcomes in densely populated regions, offering valuable insights into the distribution of educational opportunities …

Learning To Learn: Underprepared College Students Who Succeeded, Todd Spellman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Post-secondary remediation is a topic of great concern for legislators and educators alike. Many describe it as a problem in need of a solution and try to pursue what they see as possible remedies. But solutions are already present in the stories of those who have already successfully navigated this pathway of remediation in college. This study will explore student successes through their remedial coursework at colleges in the American Midwest. While recognizing the historical and cultural context that makes remediation necessary in open-enrollment institutions like community colleges, this study sought student feedback to explore what factors the students felt …

“Why Do I Have To Do This?”: Examining General Education For Cte Students, Jennifer Hough

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Student complaints regarding their general education courses are nothing new. Research has shown students often do not see the value and view them as obstacles to their degrees (Reardon et al., 1990; Vander Schee, 2011). Unsuccessful completion of general education courses can keep students from attaining their degrees. Although research regarding student perceptions exists at the 4-year institutional level, little to no research exists focusing on community colleges or career and technical education (CTE) students connected to general education. For CTE students in particular, the question remained regarding complicating factors affecting their experiences in their general education courses. Social, economic, …

Understanding The Problem Of The Modern-Day Teacher Shortage: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Of The Stories Of Teachers In The Profession, Adam R. Magliari

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The present study explored phenomenological research on teachers leaving the profession. This qualitative study examined the real-life experiences of teachers contemplating departure from the field of education. Additionally, it investigates how principals in schools with high retention rates support teachers in their craft, focusing on practices for retaining and recruiting during these challenging times. The researcher conducted interviews with four teachers and four principals using guiding questions, creating a case study for each participant. The collected artifacts were coded and thematically analyzed to address the three central questions of this research. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, this study examines its …

More Than Just A Game: What Higher Education Can Learn From Player Agency, Kyle Haiman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Higher education presents students with the challenge of balancing institutional expectations for autonomy with the need for community and support. In a world that is becoming more individualized and less empathetic, agency, or engaging in intentional action,plays a crucial role in navigating this tension. Agency has been linked to academic success and real-world problem solving, yet its development among college-aged students remains an ongoing challenge. Games and game-based learning offer a unique lens through which to explore agency, as players regularly engage in decision making, problem solving, and self-directed learning.

This qualitative study examined how college students at a regional, …

Check All That Apply: The Persistence And Problem Of The Black/White Racial Binary In Iowa Public Schools, Jessica Nessan Kluck

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The promotion of monoracial normativity has profoundly influenced the language used in policies, creating societal expectations that other the identification of Black/white Biracial and multiracial identities. Despite the reality of our quickly shifting demographics, multiracial identities continue to be marginalized and misconstrued through racial reporting guidelines. Racial reporting used on forms required by the Iowa Department of Education are comingled with non-racially categorized data to further distance reality in education and the public-school rankings (Iowa Department of Education, 2012; State of Iowa, 2024).

The purpose of this study was to trace the legacy of the socially constructed racial binary, preserved …

Age As More Than A Number: An Applied Geography Of Elderly Vulnerability To Heat Events In The Southeastern United States, John Darko

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

No abstract provided.

Assessing Equity, Environmental Social Justice And Intersectionality In U.S. Federal Policies: A Comparative And Temporal Analysis Of The Department Of Transportation, Department Of Energy, And Environmental Protection Agency, Sneha Basu

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

As the climate crisis intensifies, U.S. federal policies play a critical role in addressing the disproportionate environmental burdens borne by marginalized communities. This thesis assesses how equity, environmental social justice, and intersectionality have been integrated into the policy documents of three key federal agencies: Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Energy (DOE), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), over a 20-year period (2004–2024). Using a quantitative content analysis of 46 policy documents, the study evaluates five core dimensions: depth of discussion, clarity of language, inclusiveness of marginalized groups, action-oriented language, and environmental justice considerations. The research reveals significant interagency disparities, with …

The Educational Perspective Of At-Risk Students: How Standards-Based Grading Affects Students In Alternative Education, Matthew John Secl

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This dissertation explored the widespread challenges within educational systems by investigating the transformative potential of Standards-Based Grading (SBG) for atrisk students in alternative education settings. In an epoch where traditional grading systems often perpetuate inequities and focus on punitive assessments that undermine student growth, this study will explore how SBG can redefine how students in alternative education settings perceive their academic success and understand their learning environments. By providing a fair and transparent system, SBG reassures students and educators alike, instilling confidence in the system. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with recent graduates from a Midwest alternative school, the research examined …

Amplitude Mode At The Superfluid-Insulator Transition On A Random Lattice, Pulloor Kuttanikkad Vishnu, Rajesh Narayanan, Thomas Vojta

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We study the superfluid-insulator quantum phase transition of interacting bosons by means of large-scale Monte Carlo simulations in the presence of both topological and generic quenched disorders. Recent work has demonstrated that the amplitude mode at this transition broadens and localizes in the presence of dilution disorder, whereas it remains a well-defined delocalized excitation for topological (connectivity) disorder. Here, we analyze the crossover between systems with purely topological disorder and systems with additional bond randomness to disentangle the roles that disorder and interactions play for amplitude mode localization. Specifically, we analyze the scalar susceptibility and its spectral density on both …

The Organization Of Serotonergic Fibers In The Pacific Angelshark Brain: Neuroanatomical And Supercomputing Analyses, Skirmantas Janušonis, Ralf Metzler, Thomas Vojta

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Serotonergic axons (fibers) are a universal feature of all vertebrate brains. They form meshworks, typically quantified with regional density measurements, and appear to support neuroplasticity. The self-organization of this system remains poorly understood, partly because of the strong stochasticity of individual fiber trajectories. In an extension to our previous analyses of the mouse brain, serotonergic fibers were investigated in the brain of the Pacific angel shark (Squatina californica), a representative of a unique (ray-like) lineage of the squalomorph sharks. First, the fundamental cytoarchitecture of the angel shark brain was examined, including the expression of ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba1, …

The Kinetics Of Shj Degradation: Time And Stressor Dependent Chemical Analysis And Simulation, Nicholas Moser-Mancewicz, Jorge Ochoa, Michael Martinez-Szewczyk, Thomas Bantle, Dana Kern, Dirk Jordan, Steve Johnston, Julia E. Medvedeva, Mariana Bertoni

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Despite record efficiencies, the wide adoption of silicon heterojunction is hampered by higher costs and uncertainties in long-term performance. Although recent publications report performance loss rates comparable to other field-deployed cSi technologies, the limited availability of field data and the dispersion in performance degradation results - particularly in open-circuit voltage - remain significant concerns. Various factors, including bulk and interfacial defects, charge carrier recombination dynamics, and environmental stressors such as temperature and humidity, contribute to this degradation. Understanding the mechanisms behind the open circuit voltage degradation as well as the kinetics involved is essential for developing mitigation strategies that enhance …

Thermo-Rheological And Tribological Properties Of Low- And High-Oleic Vegetable Oils As Sustainable Bio-Based Lubricants, Abiodun Saka, Tobechukwu K. Abor, Anthony C. Okafor, Monday U. Okoronkwo

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Vegetable oil-based lubricants have attracted increased research attention in recent decades as sustainable alternatives to conventional petroleum-based lubricants in metal machining. However, more studies are required to fully elucidate the thermo-rheological and tribological properties. This study presents an investigation of the thermo-rheological and tribological properties of different vegetable oils, including low- and high-oleic soybean oil, high-oleic sunflower, safflower, and canola oils. The lubricity, and evolution of viscosity and thermodynamic properties as a function of temperature were investigated to obtain important parameters including the viscosity index, flow behavior index, flow activation energy, specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity, coefficient of friction, contact …

Arc-Jet And Free-Flight Evaluation Of Laminar And Turbulent Diffusion Models On Ablation, Kyle Worden, Andrew Heider, Serhat Hosder

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper investigates the effect of diffusion models on carbon ablation with a parametric study on a slug-calorimeter geometry in arc-jet flow at two enthalpy conditions using two arc-jet flow modeling approaches, and at corresponding enthalpy-matched free-flight conditions using RANS CFD simulations. Additionally, a sphere-cone geometry is modeled at the arc-jet enthalpy matched free-flight conditions and at a high Reynolds number free-flight condition. The approximate-corrected form of Fick's law and the Stefan-Maxwell diffusion models are investigated for equilibrium and finite-rate carbon ablation in laminar and turbulent flows, which is simulated with the Menter-SST turbulence model. The turbulent cases include the …