Digital Commons Network^™

Developing Engineering Career Pathway Perceptions For Students Interacting With Near-Peer Mentors In An Informal Learning Environment, Deidre Horne Mangin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Given the worldwide shortfall of engineers that threatens innovation and global stewardship, educators and industry must find ways to engage and prepare the next generation of engineers. To attract and train candidates to fill global needs, researchers need to expand engineering career pathway perceptions for students of all ages. Engineering education programming, whether formal or informal, not only encourages students to hone soft skills such as design thinking, communication, emotional intelligence, and evaluation but also promotes traditional technical skills. Fostering engineering self-efficacy and thus promoting engineering career pathways is an emerging area of study that has the potential to mitigate …

Software Reliability Model Estimation For An Indeterministic Crime Cluster Through Reinforcement Learning, Dileep Kumar Kadali, R.N.V. Jagan Mohan, M. Chandra Naik

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

The software reliability model estimates the probability of data failure in a specific environment, significantly impacting reliability and trustworthiness. The paper study focuses on cluster crime data, i.e., indeterministic in Neutrosophic Logic, using a software reliability model. The study utilizes reinforcement learning, Neutrosophic logic, and non-homogeneous Poisson process crime data to estimate indeterministic cluster data in crime. The "Non-homogeneous Poisson Process with Neutrosophic Logic" technique performs well in evaluating and deterring crime based on crime data analysis. The crime cluster involving offenders correctly classified as failure to accomplish does better than uncertain cluster reliability estimation with least squares and logistic …

Peace With Painful Memories, Mona Muzammil, Muzammil Arshad, Washain Muzammil

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Chemistry)

This Book helps you identify and heal from childhood emotional neglect so you can be more connected and emotionally present in your life.

Do you sometimes feel like you’re just going through the motions in life? Do you often act like you’re fine when you secretly feel lonely and disconnected? Perhaps you have a good life and yet somehow, it’s not enough to make you happy. Or perhaps you drink too much, eat too much, or risk too much to feel something good. If so, you are not alone and you may be suffering from emotional neglect.

Are you one …

Star-Based Reachability Analysis Of Binary Neural Networks On Continuous Input, Mykhailo Ivashchenko

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) have become a popular instrument for solving various real-world problems. DNNs’ sophisticated structure allows them to learn complex representations and features. However, architecture specifics and floating-point number usage result in increased computational operations complexity. For this reason, a more lightweight type of neural networks is widely used when it comes to edge devices, such as microcomputers or microcontrollers – Binary Neural Networks (BNNs). Like other DNNs, BNNs are vulnerable to adversarial attacks; even a small perturbation to the input set may lead to an errant output. Unfortunately, only a few approaches have been proposed for verifying …

Anodic Cyclizations To Form Alkaloid Ring Systems And The Role Of The Second Oxidation Step, Zachary Tyler Medcalf

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

In chapter 1 we will explore the essential background on electrochemistry and anodic cyclization reactions, laying the foundation for understanding the subsequent chapters. In chapter 2, we will explore the mechanistic model established for anodic olefin coupling reactions and the importance of the second oxidation step in the success of these reactions. We showed how a fast second oxidation step can be used to push an anodic cyclization down a kinetic pathway. We will also explore how this step impacts the generation of product in photoelectron-transfer initiated radical cation reactions. It is evident that a fast second oxidation step alone …

Rosarugosides A And D From Osa Rugosa Flower Buds: Their Potential Anti-Skin-Aging Effects Intnf-Α-Induced Human Dermal Fibroblasts, Kang Sub Kim, So-Ri Son, Yea Jung Choi, Yejin Kim, Si-Young Ahn, Dae Sik Jang, Sullim Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This present study investigated the anti-skin-aging properties of Rosa rugosa. Initially, phenolic compounds were isolated from a hot water extract of Rosa rugosa's flower buds. Through repeated chromatography (column chromatography, MPLC, and prep HPLC), we identified nine phenolic compounds (1-9), including a previously undescribed depside, rosarugoside D (1). The chemical structure of 1 was elucidated via NMR, HR-MS, UV, and hydrolysis. Next, in order to identify bioactive compounds that are effective against TNF-α-induced NHDF cells, we measured intracellular ROS production in samples treated with each of the isolated compounds (1- …

Near-Collapse Of The Geomagnetic Field May Have Contributed To Atmospheric Oxygenation And Animal Radiation In The Ediacaran Period, Wentao Huang, John A. Tarduno, Tinghong Zhou, Mauricio Ibañez-Mejia, Laércio Dal Olmo-Barbosa, Edinei Koester, Eric G. Blackman, Aleksey V. Smirnov, Gabriel Ahrendt, Rory D. Cottrell, Kenneth P. Kodama, Richard K. Bono, David G. Sibeck, Yong Xiang Li, Francis Nimmo, Shuhai Xiao, Michael K. Watkeys

Michigan Tech Publications

Earth’s magnetic field was in a highly unusual state when macroscopic animals of the Ediacara Fauna diversified and thrived. Any connection between these events is tantalizing but unclear. Here, we present single crystal paleointensity data from 2054 and 591 Ma pyroxenites and gabbros that define a dramatic intensity decline, from a strong Proterozoic field like that of today, to an Ediacaran value 30 times weaker. The latter is the weakest time-averaged value known to date and together with other robust paleointensity estimates indicate that Ediacaran ultra-low field strengths lasted for at least 26 million years. This interval of ultra-weak magnetic …

Including Methane Emissions From Agricultural Ponds In National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, Martino E. Malerba, Tertius De Kluyver, Nicholas J. Wright, Odebiri Omosalewa, Peter I. Macreadie

Climate Science Research Articles

Agricultural ponds are a significant source of greenhouse gases, contributing to the ongoing challenge of anthropogenic climate change. Nations are encouraged to account for these emissions in their national greenhouse gas inventory reports. We present a remote sensing approach using open-access satellite imagery to estimate total methane emissions from agricultural ponds that account for (1) monthly fluctuations in the surface area of individual ponds, (2) rates of historical accumulation of agricultural ponds, and (3) the temperature dependence of methane emissions. As a case study, we used this method to inform the 2024 National Greenhouse Gas Inventory reports submitted by the …

Increasing Motivation In Stem Education: A Self-Talk Classroom Intervention, Tiffany L. Copeland, Richard Allen, Sofia Pham, Kristin Gagnier

Research Day

INTRODUCTION: This study examines a social-emotional learning intervention that teaches positive self-talk to high school students from underrepresented minority groups in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The setting of this study is a place-based program that immerses students in hands-on STEM activities while located in Philadelphia’s life science hub. Before taking a science assessment, students will learn to say self-talk statements such as “I will give my best effort” and “I can achieve a high score.”

METHODS: This mixed method quasi-experimental design compares pre- and post-program data using an ANOVA. Student science performance will be measured using a probe …

What Is The Value Of Value Neutrality? Exploring The Tension Between Objective Scholarship And Activist Scholarship, Julia C. Newman

Gettysburg Social Sciences Review

In recent decades there has been an increase in activist scholarship, a specific type of work where scholars seek to generate knowledge and pedagogies that aim to solve issues of inequality through political change. The emergence of activist scholarship poses a challenge to the long-standing ideal of value neutral scholarship and, as a result, universities and academics are grappling with these competing visions of scholarship. Complete value neutrality within scholarship is impossible yet remains a desirable ideal. But in seeking value neutrality the voices of those who have been historically undermined should not have their thoughts dismissed simply because their …

Characterizing Potentially Harmful Environmental Legacy Issues Within A Declining Midwest City: A Street Sediment Study Of Northeastern Terre Haute, Indiana, Katelyn Adams '24, Ken Brown

Senior Scholarly and Creative Symposium

Urban settings face unprecedented environmental challenges that include legacy issues as well as emerging pollution problems (e.g., micro-plastics) that continually impact the public health of its communities. Determining the baseline abundances of potentially harmful contaminants in soil, sediment, air, and water is essential to protecting residents. This study examines anthropogenic pollution in street sediments collected from three neighborhoods located in northeast Terre Haute, Indiana. Using stereomicroscopy, SEM/EDS, pXRF analyses, and geospatial analysis (GIS), the goal of this work is to characterize the types of pollutants present and place important constraints on their potential sources.

Stereomicroscopy on nine street sediment samples …

Peer Educator Recognition & Awards Banquet, April 17, 2024 [Program], University Of Northern Iowa. Undergraduate Studies Program.

Graduation with Distinction Posters

The program for the 2024 Peer Educator Recognition & Awards Banquet held on April 17, 2024.

Dating The Ste. Genevieve Limestone In West-Central Indiana Using Sr-Isotope Stratigraphy, Claire Wolfe '24

Senior Scholarly and Creative Symposium

A section of Mississippian limestone is exposed in quarry walls at the DePauw Nature Park in Greencastle, Indiana, but its precise age is not known. This research project aimed to date the exposed wall using 87Sr/86Sr isotopic ratios to determine the absolute age. Ten samples of brachiopods and ooids were collected at various levels along the stratigraphic column. Isotope ratios were measured in these samples at ALS Scandinavia using a Neptune Plus MC-ICP-MS. Those ratios were then placed on a LOESS seawater Sr-isotope curve (McArthur, 2020) to determine the absolute age range for each sample. Whereas several samples were contaminated …

Measurement Of Transmission Efficiency Of Blue Light Blocking Devices, Jada Lee

Honors Theses

Technology and light sources have experienced a revolution in recent years leading to the production of light emitting diode (LED) bulbs. White-light LED bulbs undergo degradation over time, leading to a rise in color temperature and a proportional increase in the emission of blue light from these bulbs. The small size of LEDs makes them the optimal choice for electronic devices because of their limited screen size. This means that blue light now exists in red, green, and blue solid-state illumination systems that did not exist a decade ago. It is debated if blue light induces toxic effects on the …

Post-Mucilage Status Of The Teleost Fish Assemblages In The Sea Of Marmara, Mustafa Sari, Uğur Karadurmuş

Turkish Journal of Zoology

A frightening mucilage event occurred in the Sea of Marmara (SoM) from November 2020 to July 2021, leaving devastating effects on maritime industries, fishing activities and the benthic ecosystem. The mucilage led to intense fish mortalities, particularly affecting species like smelt, anchovy, and picarel, with severe consequences for benthic ecosystems and various marine species. This study aims to analyze the possible long-term effects of the recent mucilage disaster on species diversity and biomass by assessing the current status of teleost fish assemblages in the SoM. The data set is based on bottom trawl surveys carried out at 52 points at …

Examining Social And Academic Integration Of International Students From Saudi Arabia And Mexico Attending Universities In The United States, Faisal Alqadiri

Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the problems and challenges of social and academic integration in U.S. higher education institutions for Saudi Arabian and Mexican undergraduate international students. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive, and causal-comparative study was to examine the relationship among (a) demographic variables (i.e., age, gender, education, marital status, nationality, and previous academic performance), (b) academic integration, (c) social integration, and (d) intent to drop out among Saudi and Mexican students studying at U.S. colleges and universities. In addition, the study compared whether Saudi and Mexican female students were less integrated academically and socially than their male counterparts. Previous …

Exploration Of Teachers’ Opinions Regarding The Instructional And Extracurricular Activities To Develop Transformational Leadership Qualities In Middle And Secondary School Students In Saudi Arabia, Mona Alkathiri

Theses & Dissertations

Research Focus. The purpose of the current study was to examine the opinions of KSA teachers regarding the appropriate instructional, extra-curricular, and understanding activities that pertain to the development of leadership, social skills, and personal traits of KSA secondary school students.

Research Methods. This study employed a qualitative, case study research design as an exploratory method of analyzing how transformational leadership principles could be the central organizing principle reorganizing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) public school system by 2030. A purposive sample of 18 active secondary school participants were recruited from a population of teachers in middle and secondary …

Effectiveness Of Student-Corrected Pretests To Increase Spelling Test Scores Of Students With Adhd And Low Working Memory, Melissa J. Johnson

Master of Education Program Theses

This action research study investigated the efficacy of student corrected pretests as a part of spelling instruction especially as it affects learners with ADHD or low working memory in a 3rd and 4th grade classroom. After pre-tests were implemented in the classroom, spelling tests scores were compared to previous test scores when pre-tests were not implemented. Findings showed that spelling pre-tests had a moderately significant effect on final test scores.

Implementing A Multi-Tiered System Of Supports, Hayley Vander Wal

Master of Education Program Theses

This action research project examined the implementation of a multi-tiered system of supports in a math classroom at a private, Christian suburban school in central Iowa. The researcher utilized the four essential indicators of MTSS to support a small group of four students who were the participants in her study. The intervention targeted the seventh grade math skills of simplifying expressions and solving equations using various methods. Analysis of the triangulated data showed growth in each of the students at varied amounts. Findings of the study suggest that students need consistent, protected Tier 2 intervention to make the most significant …

Enabling More Efficient Solar Thermal Energy Production And Storage, Allan Wilson

Poster Presentations

Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) stores & transfers energy using a Thermal Energy Storage Fluid (EIA AEO 2022)

Understanding The Public Reaction To Major United States Environmental Policies Through Twitter, Ryan Giammarco

Honors Projects in Data Science

An increased focus on access to general data as well as a continued lack of usable environmental data have resulted in an odd phenomenon where the public does not have the opportunity to understand their environment on a deep level. The goal of this research is to understand, as a result, how people both talk and feel about certain environmental changes, particularly those in the realm of politics. Through word clouds and sentiment analysis performed with historical Twitter data collected between 2010 and 2022, we can identify the general trends in both conversation and feeling as they relate to a …

Formation Of Diazirine Functionality For Propellant Applications, Abby Mock

Poster Presentations

Overall, this research focuses on a cost-effective approach which minimizes synthetic overhead when assembling compounds with diazirine functionality. The goals are to prevent the surplus use of ammonia in the formation of the diaziridines and use electrochemistry to perform the oxidation of diaziridines. In addition, this project will evaluate the efficiency of different diazirine molecules as propellants.

Cotl 2024 Conference Program, S. Raj Chaudhury, Lisa Lacross, Hannah Wilson

CoTL 2024 Conference Program

The program for the 2024 Conference on Teaching and Learning.

A Novel Correction For The Multivariate Ljung-Box Test, Minhao Huang

Computational and Data Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

This research introduces an analytical improvement to the Multivariate Ljung-Box test that addresses significant deviations of the original test from the nominal Type I error rates under almost all scenarios. Prior attempts to mitigate this issue have been directed at modification of the test statistics or correction of the test distribution to achieve precise results in finite samples. In previous studies, focused on designing corrections to the univariate Ljung-Box, a method that specifically adjusts the test rejection region has been the most successful of attaining the best Type I error rates. We adopt the same approach for the more complex, …

Representations Of Solutions Of Time-Fractional Multi-Order Systems Of Differential-Operator Equations, Sabir Umarov

Mathematics Faculty Publications

This paper is devoted to the general theory of systems of linear time-fractional differential-operator equations. The representation formulas for solutions of systems of ordinary differential equations with single (commensurate) fractional order is known through the matrix-valued Mittag-Leffler function. Multi-order (incommensurate) systems with rational components can be reduced to single-order systems, and, hence, representation formulas are also known. However, for arbitrary fractional multi-order (not necessarily with rational components) systems of differential equations, the representation formulas are still unknown, even in the case of fractional-order ordinary differential equations. In this paper, we obtain representation formulas for the solutions of arbitrary fractional multi-order …

Simulacra And Historical Fidelity In Digital Recreation Of Lost Cultural Heritage: Reconstituting Period Materialities For The Period Eye, Trent Olsen, James Hutson, Charles O'Brien, Jeremiah Ratican

Faculty Scholarship

The advancement of digital technologies in art history has opened avenues for reconstructing lost or damaged cultural heritage, a need highlighted by the deteriorated state of many artworks from the 1785 Salon. Grounded in the concept of the “Period Eye” by art historian Michael Baxandall, which emphasizes understanding artworks within their original historical and cultural contexts, this study proposes a subfield focused on Reconstituting Period Materialities for the Period Eye. This methodology bridges comprehensive historical research with generative visual artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, facilitating the creation and immersive virtual reality viewing of artworks. Beyond mere visual replication, the approach aims …

The Lived Experiences Of K-12 Instructional Technology Leaders During Covid-19, Robin Jackson

Dissertations

This study examines the lived experiences of K-12 Instructional Technology Leaders in rural schools and school districts throughout Mississippi. It sought to explore the challenges that were encountered, the strategies they were employed, and the lessons that were learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, as traditional classroom teaching and learning was abruptly transitioned to 100% online or remote teaching and learning. Five participants were recruited. Only one participant holds the actual title of an instructional technology leader of their school district, while the other four assumed the role and responsibilities of an instructional technology leader for their schools or school districts. …

Specifying And Estimating Vector Autoregressions Using Their Eigensystem Representation, Leo Krippner

Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics

This article introduces the principles and mechanics of the eigensystem vector autoregression (EVAR) framework, where a VAR may be specified and estimated directly via its eigenvalue and eigenvector parameters. Using explicit constraints on the eigensystem permits control of a VAR ís allowable dynamics, which is illustrated empirically with standard and time-varying VAR estimations specified to be always non-explosive.

Advancing Sentiment Analysis Through Emotionally-Agnostic Text Mining In Large Language Models (Llms), Jay Ratican, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

The conventional methodology for sentiment analysis within large language models (LLMs) has predominantly drawn upon human emotional frameworks, incorporating physiological cues that are inherently absent in text-only communication. This research proposes a paradigm shift towards an emotionallyagnostic approach to sentiment analysis in LLMs, which concentrates on purely textual expressions of sentiment, circumventing the confounding effects of human physiological responses. The aim is to refine sentiment analysis algorithms to discern and generate emotionally congruent responses strictly from text-based cues. This study presents a comprehensive framework for an emotionally-agnostic sentiment analysis model that systematically excludes physiological indicators whilst maintaining the analytical depth …

Pre-Plinian Perplexity: Identifying And Constraining An Anomalous Pdc During The Initial Stages Of The May 18, 1980 Mt. St. Helens Eruption, Justin Crevier

Geosciences Undergraduate Theses

The Mount St. Helens (MSH) 18 May 1980 eruption was a formative event for a generation of volcanologists. With so much data available from detailed studies of the Blast and Plinian phases, MSH could aptly be called one of volcanology's greatest teachers—and the volcano may yet have more to teach us. The transition period, which occurred between the end of the Blast phase (0830) and the beginning of the Plinian phase (0920) on the morning of May 18, 1980, has not yet benefited from the same degree of comprehensive review as either of those phases. The conditions which caused the …