Digital Commons Network^™

Holistic Advising And Student Success: A Qualitative Study On Student Advising Experiences And Perceptions At The University Of Wisconsin Stout, Camille Peterson Banger

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative, single-case study investigated undergraduate students' perceptions and experiences of the academic advisement approach in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) academic program at the University of Wisconsin Stout. Focusing on holistic advising to address diverse and evolving needs, the study aimed to inform academic advisement practices within the ICT program by creating and implementing an ICT program academic advisement handbook and adding to the field of practice. Data collection involved on-campus and online focus groups with undergraduate ICT program students, questionnaires with ICT program advisors, and documentation analysis to triangulate the findings. Using Merriam’s (1998) approach to data …

Examining Barriers And Motivation Toward University Stem Faculty Research Success, Jordan A. Jaeger

Theses and Dissertations

All university faculty pursuing scholarly goals tackle complex tasks over long periods, yet some must overcome additional adversity and challenges to succeed. Recent studies have measured faculty research success according to their self-reported accomplishments in research activities, publications, and grant writing, and motivation was a predictor of success (Stupnisky, BrckaLorenz, et al., 2019; Stupnisky et al., 2023). This dissertation describes a three-study program of research that examined how faculty navigated barriers to research success through the lens of different theories of motivation.Faculty face barriers in completing research because it often involves a lengthy and emotion filled process, from research design …

Neutrosophic Regular Rings And Properties Of Their Ideals, Murhaf Riad Alabdullah

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

The goal of the research is to discover the required and sufficient conditions for ��(��) to be a neutrosophic regular as well as the properties of the neutrosophic ideals in the neutrosophic regular ring. Despite differences in the form of the elements and ideals in neutrosophic and classical rings, we discovered that the necessary and sufficient requirements for the classical ring to be regular also apply to neutrosophic rings.

Developing Neutrosophic Cubic Spherical Fuzzy Sets Along With Their Exponential Aggregation Operators For Decision-Making Problems, Monika Yadav, Rakesh Kumar Bajaj, Aman Sharma

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

In this article, we have devised the notion of neutrosophic cubic spherical fuzzy sets (NCSFSs) for the first time and discussed their basic binary operations along with important properties. This proposition has been framed superimposing the existing notions of spherical neutrosophic set (SNS) as well as the interval-valued neutrosophic spherical fuzzy set (IVNSFS). This proposition computationally helps in handling incompatible situations where each element has been addressed by truth, indeterminacy, and false membership values. Next, some important exponential operational laws have been relationally established for NCSFSs, highlighting their significant properties. Furthermore, to address decision-making challenges in the NCSFS environment, we …

Applications Of Artificial Intelligence On Drought Impact Monitoring And Assessment, Beichen Zhang

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

Drought, a prevalent and consequential natural disaster, poses widespread, indirect challenges across environmental and societal dimensions. Despite considerable focus on monitoring meteorological and hydrological drought and studying their characteristics, there is a gap in assessing its multifaceted impacts, especially on societal sectors. The dissertation comprises three research essays utilizing artificial intelligence to quantitatively study multi-dimensional drought impacts. The first essay leveraged deep learning and natural language processing to predict multi-dimensional drought impacts from textual datasets, including social media, news media, and citizen scientist reports. The findings demonstrate superior performance over traditional methods and unveil the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of …

Optimizing Scalability For Formal Analysis With Evolutionary Algorithm, Jianghao Wang

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

Predominantly employed to tackle hardware validation challenges in the early years, formal methods have since expanded to software engineering, introducing a significant level of rigor and precision to software analysis. Its use of mathematical notations and logical reasoning allows for abstract modeling of programs, enabling researchers and engineers to perform a multitude of analysis tasks to verify system dependability and rigorously prove the correctness of system properties. Despite the availability of many automated analysis tools including those considered lightweight, the practical adoption of formal methods in software development has been limited due to scalability concerns, especially when applied to large …

Making Sandwiches: A Novel Invariant In D-Module Theory, David Lieberman

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Say I hand you a shape, any shape. It could be a line, it could be a crinkled sheet, it could even be a the intersection of a cone with a 6-dimensional hypersurface embedded in a 7-dimensional space. Your job is to tell me about the pointy bits. This task is easier when you can draw the shape; you can you just point at them. When things get more complicated, we need a bigger hammer.

In a sense, that “bigger hammer” is what the ring of differential operators is to an algebraist. Then we will say some things and stuff …

Charter Schools Annual Report 2022, Tennessee. Department Of Education.

Charter Schools Annual Report

No abstract provided.

Performance And Enhanced Efficiency Induced By Cold Plasma On Sapo-34 Membranes For Co2 And Ch4 Mixtures, Fnu Gorky, Vashanti Storr, Grace Jones, Apolo Nambo, Jacek B. Jasinski, Maria L. Carreon

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this study, we investigate the influence of cold-plasma-induced enhanced performance and efficiency of SAPO-34 membranes in the separation of CO₂ and CH₄ mixtures. Placing the herein presented research in a broader context, we aim to address the question of whether cold plasma can significantly impact the membrane performance. We subjected SAPO-34 membranes to plasma mild disturbances and analyzed their performance in separating CO₂ and CH₄. Our findings reveal a notable enhancement in membrane efficiency and sustained performance when exposed to cold plasma. The pulsed plasma separation displayed improved structural integrity, and the experimental results …

Transforming Chinese Language Learning Through Community Engagement: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Service-Learning, Bailu Li, Wei Hong Dr.

School of Languages and Cultures Faculty Publications

This mixed-methods study investigates the impact of service-learning on students enrolled in an advanced Chinese language course, focusing on their perceptions and outcomes related to academic performance, personal development, and civic engagement. The research also explores the common characteristics of students who voluntarily participate in service-learning activities and identifies factors that contribute to successful service-learning implementation in a Chinese language program. The findings reveal statistically significant improvements in students' community engagement and cultural competence after participating in service-learning, as measured by the Public Affairs Scale (PAS). Qualitative analysis of students' reflections and the researcher's observations yielded three main themes: personal …

Analysis Of The Relationship Between Flow Patterns In The Post-Stenotic Region Of Model Arteries And Stenosis Severity., Michael Laroche

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study, contour fields of mean age and turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) in the post-stenotic region of model arteries were analyzed to explore their correlation with FFR. While both high and low FFR cases exhibited similarities with an inner low-age region and an outer high-age region, low FFR cases displayed asymmetry in their low-age regions due to eccentric stenosis. Moreover, gradients of age across the artery diameter were more pronounced for low FFR cases. Additionally, low FFR cases demonstrated significantly higher TKE in the post-stenotic blood jet stream compared to high FFR cases that are reflected in low-age boundary …

A Book Review: Civic Activism In South Korea, Yoon G. Kim

KAUPA Letters

No abstract provided.

Kaupa Letters: Volume 11, Issue 6, Korean American University Professors Association

KAUPA Letters

No abstract provided.

Classic Probability Problems To Help Students Think Logically, Yoon G. Kim

KAUPA Letters

No abstract provided.

A Comprehensive Dataset For Arabic Word Sense Disambiguation, Sanaa Kaddoura, Reem Nassar

All Works

This data paper introduces a comprehensive dataset tailored for word sense disambiguation tasks, explicitly focusing on a hundred polysemous words frequently employed in Modern Standard Arabic. The dataset encompasses a diverse set of senses for each word, ranging from 3 to 8, resulting in 367 unique senses. Each word sense is accompanied by contextual sentences comprising ten sentence examples that feature the polysemous word in various contexts. The data collection resulted in a dataset of 3670 samples. Significantly, the dataset is in Arabic, which is known for its rich morphology, complex syntax, and extensive polysemy. The data was meticulously collected …

Artificial Intelligence And Administrative Justice: An Analysis Of Predictive Justice In France, Zouhaier Nouri, Walid Ben Salah, Nayel Al Omrane

All Works

This article critically analyzes the ethical and legal implications of adopting predictive analytics by the French administrative justice system. It raises a key question: Is it wise to integrate artificial intelligence into the administrative justice system, considering its potential benefits, despite the associated risks, ethical dilemmas, and legal challenges? The research employs a method based on an extensive literature review, a qualitative analysis of the adoption by the French administrative justice of predictive analytics tools, and a critical evaluation of the benefits and issues these tools bring. The study finds that AI can make the administrative justice system more efficient, …

Analyzing Fe/Mg-Silicate Chemical Gardens As Analogs To Silicate-Rich Hydrothermal Chimneys On Early Earth And Mars, Nancy Alejandra Carman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Hydrothermal systems have been proposed as environments for prebiotic chemistry on early Earth. Ancient Mars was an ocean world and could also have had hydrothermal vents supporting biological or prebiotic processes. The Strytan Hydrothermal Field (SHF) in Iceland is a basalt-hosted alkaline vent that forms massive hydrothermal Mg-saponite chimneys and is a potential analog to basalt-hosted alkaline vents that may have existed at the Eridania basin on Mars, where saponite deposits are thought to have formed from ancient hydrothermal activity. Chemical garden experiments have previously been used to simulate aspects of hydrothermal chimney growth for other types of vent systems; …

Characterizing Gsk3Β Interaction And Kinetics Via Isothermal Titration Calorimetry, W A Bhagya De Silva

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) is a multifunctional serine/threonine kinase involved in several key signaling pathways, including glycogen metabolism, WNT/β-catenin, and Hedgehog signaling. Hyperactivity of GSK3β has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease, bipolar disorder, type II diabetes, and some cancers. Therefore, GSK3β is of interest as a target for therapeutics. Lithium ion (Li+) is a classical inhibitor of GSK3β. Structurally similar beryllium ion (Be2+) is ~1000-fold more potent. Lithium and beryllium have demonstrated pathway-specific and cell type-specific inhibition of GSK3β, prompting an investigation into the inhibitory mechanisms and thermodynamic characteristics of the metal-enzyme interaction.Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) is a label-free …

Development Of A Passive Drag Reduction Modification For The 25° Ahmed Body Using Large Eddy Simulation, Skylar Polek

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In the field of automotive aerodynamics, the Ahmed body is a generic vehicle-shaped bluff body which is meant to generalize the rear end of fastback and hatchback vehicles. Specifically, an Ahmed body with a rear slant angle of 25° has seen common use due to its resemblance of common rear windshield shapes as well as its notoriously complex wake structure. This research focuses on simulating the flow over a 25° in various situations with an ultimate goal of drag reduction. First, a simple benchmark of the k-ω shear stress transport (SST), large eddy simulation (LES) with the Smagorinsky-Lilly subgrid scale …

Effects Of Climate Change On (Semi)-Arid Ecosystems In The Southwestern United States, Charlotte Van Der Nagel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Climate change is considered amongst the most severe threats to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems globally. Ecosystems in the southwestern United States have specifically been impacted by intense drought conditions since 2000. Higher temperatures combined with altered precipitation stresses many ecosystems; however, ecosystem specific responses to such stressors may vary. Here, the effects of climate change on semi-arid ecosystems are analyzed for some of the most vulnerable ecosystems in the southwestern United States: lacustrine, riparian, and dryland ecosystems.

Lakes and reservoirs in arid environments often serve as drinking water sources and recreational areas where high water quality is essential. Climate change …

Multi-Scale Ocean Modeling Using The Discontinuous Galerkin Method, Yao Gahounzo

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Ocean models often employ the hydrostatic assumption for large-scale applications when the horizontal scale is larger than the depth. Nonetheless, the non-hydrostatic effects are of great importance in submesoscale studies, such as modeling the physical processes of ice-ocean interactions. Most non-hydrostatic ocean models used in ice-ocean interaction studies are low-order finite-difference and finite-volume methods, often with significant dispersive errors. Therefore, there is a need for a high-order ocean model for ice-ocean interaction applications.

The first part of this thesis focuses on deriving the boundary conditions at the ice-ocean interface and incorporating them into the high-order discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method-based ocean …

Development And Implementation Of A Gps-Agnostic Drone Localization System, Alex Peterson

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This research develops a GPS-denied state estimation system to localize and orient a drone for touch-based installations on power line towers and cables. As opposed to environments like underground tunnels or building interiors, our system effectively identifies and utilizes sparse landmarks such as towers, cables, and ground features. Our approach utilizes Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) to create and reference three-dimensional maps in real time. Specifically, we employ Georgia Tech Smoothing and Mapping (GTSAM), proposed by Georgia Tech's BORG Lab, a factor graph-based data structure consisting of measurement factors and unknown pose variables that we are implementing for solving the …

Effects Of Antifreeze Proteins On Lipid Membrane Stabilization At Cold Temperatures, Emily Vernon

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Cold-adapted organisms use antifreeze proteins (AFPs) and antifreeze glycoproteins (AFGPs) to enable survival in freezing habitats. AF(G)Ps have been proposed to prevent leakage of intracellular metabolites by stabilizing cellular membranes, a property that could be of great physiological and biomedical relevance. The generality of this effect is not understood, and for the known examples of membrane leakage prevention by AF(G)Ps, the mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we report a comprehensive evaluation of the effects of different AFPs on the leakage of ions and dyes from model membrane systems. We find that leakage is best prevented by AFGPs, while insect AFPs showed …

A Two-Part Validation Study Of The Sexual Minority Identity Emotion Scale, Henrietta Kadi Tettey-Tawiah

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A number of existing studies indicate that there is some correlation between pride and shame and various behavioral health outcomes like anxiety, depression, and self-harm in the general population. Research also confirms that this relationship is true among sexual minorities as well. This study sets itself up to interrogate this assertion vis-à-vis sexual minority adolescents (SMAs). Consequently, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and differential item functioning (DIF) detection analysis were performed on the 35-item Sexual Minority Identity Emotion Scale (SMIES) for SMAs. A tree-based modeling technique, specifically conditional inference trees (CIT), was then employed to explore and make predictions about the …

Factors Impacting Users’ Willingness To Adopt And Utilize The Metaverse In Education: A Systematic Review, Mousa Al-Kfairy, Soha Ahmed, Ashraf Khalil

All Works

Purpose: This study explores the factors influencing the adoption and acceptance of Metaverse technologies in educational settings. Despite the growing interest in immersive educational environments provided by the Metaverse, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding the elements that affect user engagement and acceptance. This paper aims to bridge this gap through a systematic review of empirical studies that apply Information Systems theories such as TAM, UTAUT, TPB, and their extensions. Methods: A total of 35 empirical studies were analyzed using a methodical review approach. The research methodologies employed in these studies include surveys, structural equation modeling, and interviews, …

Context-Aware Self-Supervised Learning Of Whole Slide Images, Milam Aryal, Nasim Yahyasoltani

Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

Presenting whole slide images (WSIs) as graph will enable a more efficient and accurate learning framework for cancer diagnosis. Due to the fact that a single WSI consists of billions of pixels and there is a lack of vast annotated datasets required for computational pathology, the problem of learning from WSIs using typical deep learning approaches such as convolutional neural network (CNN) is challenging. Additionally, WSIs downsampling may lead to the loss of data that is essential for cancer detection. A novel two-stage learning technique is presented in this work. Since context, such as topological features in the tumor surroundings, …

Effortless Mindfulness Toolkit: Easy Meditation Scripts To Begin Each Class., Brett Whysel

Open Educational Resources

The Effortless Mindfulness in the Classroom Toolkit is an open educational resource designed to create happier classrooms, boost student engagement, and foster a sense of community through brief, effective mindfulness exercises. This comprehensive toolkit provides educators with everything they need to seamlessly integrate mindfulness practices into their teaching routines, regardless of prior experience. The toolkit includes introductory slides, 15 ready-to-use meditation scripts, and accompanying audio recordings, covering a variety of mindfulness techniques such as focused breathing, body scans, and loving-kindness meditations. Each meditation is paired with a reflective prompt to deepen student engagement and reinforce the benefits of mindfulness. Additionally, …

Investigation Of Optically Pumped Gesn Quantum Well Lasers, Grey Steven Abernathy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Silicon photonic integrated circuits enable the capability of producing on-chip processing of photonic signals, including both emission and detection. Emission materials, however, have been limited for monolithic integration due to high processing temperatures, indirect bandgap materials, and material integration complications. The (Si)GeSn material system has recently attracted attention due to the bandgap transition from the Si and Ge, naturally indirect bandgap, to direct bandgap with sufficient Sn incorporation. Additionally, the low growth temperature (CMOS compatible; <400 >°C) of (Si)GeSn materials can enable the monolithic integration of the highly desired mid-infrared light emission on the Si Photonic platform. This dissertation first discusses …

An Examination Of The Perspectives Of Principals Of High-Performing Urban High Schools And Establishing Cultures Of Care, Emily Buss

Education Doctoral

The study examined the role of principal leadership behavior in creating cultures of care in urban high schools. Further, the study assesses how culture contributes to urban high school performance while also considering the nuances of urban schools. Additionally, the study provides a review of the literature examining components such as urban high school context, principal behavior, cultures of care, and urban high school placement and specialization. Tichnor-Wagner and Allen’s (2016) typology of care was used as the theoretical framework. The study used a qualitative research design to study the experiences of seven principals and recently retired principals of high-performing …

Plcs: A Recipe For Success? The Impact Of Professional Learning Communities On Teacher Practice And Teacher Retention, Jeannine Carr

Education Doctoral

This qualitative phenomenological study examined elementary teachers’ perceptions of professional learning communities (PLCs) and the impact they have on their professional practice, particularly concerning teacher retention. Semi-structured interviews were utilized to gain data on how teachers feel about the work they are engaged in when functioning as a PLC within their school. Through this research, teachers evaluated if the time spent in PLCs has improved their work lives and job satisfaction, thus impacting their commitment to stay in the profession. The findings revealed that teachers view PLCs as providing meaningful opportunities for professional growth, collaboration, and developing student-centered practices. Factors …