Digital Commons Network^™

On The Variability Of In Situ Surface Layer Refractivity Measurements, Douglas M. Pastore, Ryan T. Yamaguchi, Qing Wang, Erin E. Hackett

Marine Science

Direct measurements of profiles of atmospheric properties near the ocean surface and within the marine atmospheric surface layer often contain a large degree of variability. The variability observed can be explained by numerous technical and natural reasons such as the temporal variability over the time span a profile is measured (unsteadiness in the mean), spatial variations (inhomogeneity), turbulent fluctuations, and measurement uncertainty. In this study, we explored the observed variability in vertical distributions of refractive index measured with a tethered-balloon-based marine atmospheric profiling system (MAPS). MAPS profiled the atmosphere from approximately 0.5 to 50 m, with instantaneous (order 1 s) …

The Finance And Economics Women’S Network (Few): Encouraging And Engaging Women In Undergraduate Programs, Joy Buchanan, Darwyyn Deyo

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

We describe a novel intercollegiate resource for engaging more undergraduate women in finance and economics programs. In response to the gender gap in undergraduate studies, we developed the Finance and Economics Women’s Network (FEW) to support women majoring in finance and economics through FEW clubs. These clubs provide professional skill development and visibility for women in these professions through speaker events. Students run FEW clubs, and faculty advisors and community professionals support them. We also conducted a descriptive survey of students and report the responses. Finally, we provide a constitution template to facilitate the creation of FEW clubs.

Ocean Connectivity And Habitat Characteristics Predict Population Genetic Structure Of Seagrass In An Extreme Tropical Setting, Udhi E. Hernawan, Kor-Jent Van Dijk, Gary A. Kendrick, Ming Feng, Oliver Berry, Christopher Kavazos, Kathryn Mcmahon

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Understanding patterns of gene flow and processes driving genetic differentiation is important for a broad range of conservation practices. In marine organisms, genetic differentiation among populations is influenced by a range of spatial, oceanographic, and environmental factors that are attributed to the seascape. The relative influences of these factors may vary in different locations and can be measured using seascape genetic approaches. Here, we applied a seascape genetic approach to populations of the seagrass, Thalassia hemprichii, at a fine spatial scale (~80 km) in the Kimberley coast, western Australia, a complex seascape with strong, multidirectional currents greatly influenced by extreme …

On Irs-Assisted Covert Communication With A Friendly Uav, Xiaobei Xu, Linzi Hu, Sha Wei, Yuwen Qian, Shihao Yan, Feng Shu, Jun Li

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Driven by the rapidly growing demand for information security, covert wireless communication has become an essential technology and attracted tremendous attention. However, traditional wireless covert communication is continuously exposing the inherent limitations, creating challenges around deployment in environments with a large number of obstacles, such as cities with high-rise buildings. In this paper, we propose an intelligent reflecting surface (IRS)-assisted covert communication system (CCS) for communicating with a friendly unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in which the UAV generates artificial noise (AN) to interfere with monitoring. Furthermore, we model the power of AN emitted by the UAV using an uncertainty model, …

Spatial Patterns In Host-Associated And Free-Living Bacterial Communities Across Six Temperate Estuaries, Alessandra L. Suzzi, Michael Stat, Troy F. Gaston, Megan J. Huggett

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

A major goal of microbial ecology is to establish the importance of spatial and environmental factors in driving community variation. Their relative importance likely varies across spatial scales, but focus has primarily been on free-living communities within well-connected aquatic environments rather than less connected island-like habitats such as estuaries, and key host-associated communities within these systems. Here we sampled both free-living (seawater and sediment) and host-associated (estuarine fish hindgut microbiome, Pelates sexlineatus) communities across six temperate Australian estuaries spanning ∼500 km. We find that spatial and environmental factors have different influences on these communities, with seawater demonstrating strong distance-decay relationships …

Establishing Effective Conservation Management Strategies For A Poorly Known Endangered Species: A Case Study Using Australia’S Night Parrot (Pezoporus Occidentalis), Nicholas P. Leseberg, Alex Kutt, Megan C. Evans, Tida Nou, Scott Spillias, Zoe Stone, Jessica C. Walsh, Stephen A. Murphy, Mike Bamford, Allan H. Burbidge, Kate Crossing, Robert A. Davis, Stephen T. Garnett, Rodney P. Kavanagh, Robert Murphy, John Read, Julian Reid, Stephen Van Leeuwen, Alexander W. T. Watson, James E. M. Watson, Martine Maron

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

An evidence-based approach to the conservation management of a species requires knowledge of that species’ status, distribution, ecology, and threats. Coupled with budgets for specific conservation strategies, this knowledge allows prioritisation of funding toward activities that maximise benefit for the species. However, many threatened species are poorly known, and determining which conservation strategies will achieve this is difficult. Such cases require approaches that allow decision-making under uncertainty. Here we used structured expert elicitation to estimate the likely benefit of potential management strategies for the Critically Endangered and, until recently, poorly known Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis). Experts considered cat management the …

Modulation Recognition Of Low-Snr Uav Radar Signals Based On Bispectral Slices And Ga-Bp Neural Network, Xuemin Liu, Yaoliang Song, Kuiyu Chen, Shihao Yan, Si Chen, Baihua Shi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In this paper, we address the challenge of low recognition rates in existing methods for radar signals from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) with low signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). To overcome this challenge, we propose the utilization of the bispectral slice approach for accurate recognition of complex UAV radar signals. Our approach involves extracting the bispectral diagonal slice and the maximum bispectral amplitude horizontal slice from the bispectrum amplitude spectrum of the received UAV radar signal. These slices serve as the basis for subsequent identification by calculating characteristic parameters such as convexity, box dimension, and sparseness. To accomplish the recognition task, we …

Confirmatory Factor Analysis Of Two Self-Efficacy Scales For Astronomy Understanding And Robotic Telescope Use, R. Freed, David H. Mckinnon, M. T. Fitzgerald, S. Salimpour

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper presents the results of a confirmatory factor analysis on two self-efficacy scales designed to probe the self-efficacy of college-level introductory astronomy (Astro-101) students (n=15181) from 22 institutions across the United States of America and Canada. The students undertook a course based on similar curriculum materials, which involved students using robotic telescopes to support their learning of astronomical concepts covered in the "traditional"Astro-101 courses. Previous research by the authors using these self-efficacy scales within a pre-/post-test approach showed both high reliabilities and very high construct validities. However, the scale purporting to measure students' self-efficacy in relation to their use …

Dos/Ddos-Mqtt-Iot: A Dataset For Evaluating Intrusions In Iot Networks Using The Mqtt Protocol, Alaa Alatram, Leslie F. Sikos, Mike Johnstone, Patryk Szewczyk, James Jin Kang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Adversaries may exploit a range of vulnerabilities in Internet of Things (IoT) environments. These vulnerabilities are typically exploited to carry out attacks, such as denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, either against the IoT devices themselves, or using the devices to perform the attacks. These attacks are often successful due to the nature of the protocols used in the IoT. One popular protocol used for machine-to-machine IoT communications is the Message Queueing Telemetry Protocol (MQTT). Countermeasures for attacks against MQTT include testing defenses with existing datasets. However, there is a lack of real-world test datasets in this area. For this reason, this paper …

An Analysis Of The Suitability Of Philosophy As A Core K-12 Public School Subject, Mark Christopher Blythe

Doctor of Education (EdD)

In 2005 Michael Katz invited philosophers of education to reinvigorate the inquiry into what is required to provide a proper education for everyone to lead a productive life. In the literature review, I analyze the suitability of philosophy in teaching K-12 students how to think and reason logically—essential abilities for a productive life. I also examine the educational landscape through the philosophy of Nicholas Rescher’s Cognitive-Values Theory and address the value of learning philosophy. I present a Philosophical Dialectic that shows how epistemic diversity (aporetic clusters) justifies making philosophy a K-12 core subject while analyzing philosophers’ reasons for including philosophy …

Raising The Floor From The Back Door: Shareholder Proposals As A Mechanism For Raising Minimum Wage, Laura Carrier

Washington and Lee Law Review

When adjusted to reflect inflation, the federal minimum wage is almost 40 percent lower than it was in 1970. The Biden Administration tried and failed to legislatively raise the minimum wage, and political deadlock will continue to kill legislative change. The shareholder proposal, a nonbinding recommendation to management that shareholders can submit for a vote at a public corporation’s annual meeting, presents a path for improving the wages of many workers in the absence of federal legislation. This Note analyzes the best approach to crafting a shareholder proposal on minimum wage that will prompt an effective increase in the minimum …

Exploring The Impact Of Students Demographic Attributes On Performance Prediction Through Binary Classification In The Kdp Model, Issah Iddrisu, Peter Appiahene, Obed Appiah, Inusah Fuseini

Knowledge Engineering and Data Science

During the course of this research, binary classification and the Knowledge Discovery Process (KDP) were used. The experimental and analytical capabilities of Rapid Miner's 9.10.010 instructional environment are supported by five different classifiers. Included in the analysis were 2334 entries, 17 characteristics, and one class variable containing the students' average score for the semester. There were twenty experiments carried out. During the studies, 10-fold cross-validation and ratio split validation, together with bootstrap sampling, were used. It was determined whether or not to use the Random Forest (RF), Rule Induction (RI), Naive Bayes (NB), Logistic Regression (LR), or Deep Learning (DL) …

Development And Testing Of A New Method For Velocity-Selecting White Dwarfs From Gaia By Galactic Population, Joseph Hammill

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The detailed processes by which spiral galaxies form remains an open question in modern cosmology. Observations of the current configuration of spiral galaxies including the Milky Way reveal thin and thick disk and halo populations which must all be accounted for in formation theories and likely have distinct ages. Using the Milky Way as an example to probe this question, we are studying the formation history of these structures.

This work details our approach to age-dating the galaxy, velocity-selecting targets from a sample of white dwarfs from the Gaia DR3 catalog that have also been age-analysed using BASE-9. BASE-9 uses …

Modeling, Control, And Hardware Development Of A Thrust-Vector Coaxial Uav, Andrew North

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This thesis introduces a unique thrust vector coaxial unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configuration and presents a comprehensive investigation encompassing dynamics modeling, hardware design, and controller development. Using the Newton-Euler method, a dynamic model for the UAV is derived to gain in-depth insights into its fundamental flight characteristics. A simple thrust model is formulated and modified by comparing it with data obtained from vehicle testing. The feasibility of manufacturing such a vehicle is assessed through the development of a hardware prototype. Finally, a linear state feedback controller is designed and evaluated using the non-linear dynamics model. The results demonstrate successful validation …

Accreditation As A Framework For School Improvement: A Quantitavite Study, Michael A. Burroughs

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This study investigated the perceptions of heads of schools from accredited schools concerning whether the accreditation process, as prescribed by the League of Christian Schools (LCS), leads to improvement in leadership capacity and the impact of instruction on the learning environment. The League of Christian Schools has developed an accreditation process that is based in systems theory as espoused by Senge (2006), which contributed to the theoretical framework for this study. Administrators in LCS member K12 schools provided 25 responses to an anonymous online survey. Quantitative data were collected and analyzed to determine perceptions regarding increased organizational capacities in the …

Characterization Of Antimicrobial Properties Of Excrement And Functional Microbiome Of Black Vultures (Coragyps Atratus), Bridgette Gray

Theses

Black vultures, Coragyps atratus, are obligate scavenging birds that consume and dispose of decaying carcasses and carrion. They fulfill a key ecological niche in the environments in which they live. It has been observed that these vultures sometimes excrete bodily waste onto their legs. This adaptive behavior could help aid them in controlling bacteria and other microbes they encounter while stepping into a carcass to eat. This study directly examined the antimicrobial properties of the excrement of black vultures across various bacterial species utilizing a zone of inhibition test and a nematode species utilizing a survival assay. The black vulture …

Moving Forward With Music To Promote Student Growth: A Mixed Methods Study With 9th-Grade Algebra 1 Students, Willie Mae Dean

Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate what effect music had on student achievement and student behavior during independent practice time for 9th-grade Algebra 1 students. Benchmark assessments from the participating district, a focus group of six students, and four in-person teacher interviews provided the data for this study. The beginning-of-year Galileo Algebra 1 benchmark assessment was used as a baseline for the study. Algebra 1 teachers were asked to participate in one of three ways, to play teacher-selected music, to allow students to listen to their own music, or allow no music to be played during …

Inclusivity In Introductory Stem Courses: A Guide To Improving Student (And Instructor!) Mindsets, Lou K. Charkoudian, Carla Fröhlich, Mike Hildreth

Books

Inclusivity in Introductory STEM Courses: A Guide to Improving Student (and Instructor!) Mindsets grew out of a Cottrell Scholar Collaborative project to help create more inclusive STEM learning spaces, in collaboration with FLAMENet, a national network of science faculty, psychologists, and education researchers working to develop and research interventions to promote resilience and tenacity among college-level STEM students. The book is a compilation of the specific approaches discussed in project mini-workshops, as well as a collection of contributions from individual Cottrell Scholars about various interventions they have implemented at their institutions.

Measuring Resilience To Sea-Level Rise For Critical Infrastructure Systems: Leveraging Leading Indicators, Lamis Amer, Murat Erkoc, Rusty A. Feagin, Sabarethinam Kameshwar, Katharine J. Mach, Diana Mitsova

Faculty Publications

There has been a growing interest in research on how to define and build indicators of resilience to address challenges associated with sea-level rise. Most of the proposed methods rely on lagging indicators constructed based on the historical performance of an infrastructure sub-system. These indicators are traditionally utilized to build curves that describe the past response of the sub-system to stressors; these curves are then used to predict the future resilience of the sub-system to hypothesized events. However, there is now a growing concern that this approach cannot provide the best insights for adaptive decision-making across the broader context of …

High Performance Scene Generator For Testing Of Imaging Sensors, Austin Modoff

Electrical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Since the invention of modern solid-state imaging sensors in the 1980s, considerable advancements have been made, improving aspects such as frequency response, dynamic range, resolution, and wavelength diversity, as well as inventing many different types of sensor architectures such as framing sensors and event sensors. While considerable improvements in this field are evolving every day, the methods by which to test and validate these systems remain unchanged. Many of these test platforms require specialized designs to test only one or two specific qualities. For example, a spinning disk in front of a black body source to measure the frequency response …

Intervention Playbook For Homeschool Families, Rebecca Huisman

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The growing trend of homeschooling has led to the rise of independent charter schools in California by providing families with the flexibility to tailor their children's education while aligning with state standards. This school improvement plan focuses on assisting educators at Blue Ridge Academy, an indepedent charter school in Los Angleles, California, by providing a toolkit of interventions to help homeschooled students achieve grade-level proficiency in language arts and mathematics. The intervention playbook, developed by using evidence-based research and action studies, simplifies interventions in ELA and math for early and upper elementary students. The aim of the playbook is to …

Incorporating Social-Emotional Learning Into Middle School Classrooms, Jessica Wolles

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This article is how the implementation of social-emotional learning in a middle school can improve behavior, academics, mental health, and social awareness amongst adolescents. This paper examines research from twenty research articles to communicate the need for social-emotional learning to be implemented in a middle school. This article outlines the school improvement plan for implementing a social-emotional learning curriculum.

Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports And Student Behavior, Taylor Ahlers

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

In response to a growing number of behavior incidents and an overall increase in negative behavior, this school improvement plan has been developed in an effort to help support students, decrease negative student behavior, and create a positive school atmosphere. This school improvement plan has been developed based on an extensive literature review, current Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) interventions, and a district needs assessment. This school improvement plan consists of the development of a PBIS leadership team, professional development training sessions, weekly and bi-weekly meetings to assess data, and weekly school-wide assemblies to celebrate positive student behavior. This …

Improving Instruction, Social-Emotional Behavioral Health, And Attendance, Angela Keeney

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Every Student Succeeds Act (2015) requires all schools to ensure that all students are receiving a quality education. Multiple measures are used to evaluate the quality of instruction students receive. The Iowa Department of Education assigns a rating to a school based on students’ assessment scores, which measure students’ reading, math, science, and social studies proficiencies. Schools also receive percentages for components of a Conditions of Learning survey. Based on assessment data scores, Blue Grass Elementary score received a commendable rating. However, improvements can be made to improve instruction using differentiated instruction by implementing a multi-tiered system of support and …

Improving Math Fact Fluency In Students, Hilary Sprague

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Developing a solid math foundation is crucial for all students to ensure success. One of the foundational skills that students need to develop is the ability to find, recall and answer basic math facts accurately and effortlessly. Research has shown that students need to master their basic math facts to be successful in their math progression. Tier 2 interventions, educational math games, and computer-based math games were used to instruct, provide practice, and supplement core math instruction. The purpose of this school improvement project is to increase the proficiency scores of students with their basic math fact fluency. This school …

Multi-Tiered System Of Supports For Homeschool Families In A Home School Assistance Progra, Stacy Picard

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Systematic, explicit reading instruction including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension has been shown to be effective at teaching nearly all children to read. The Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework is used in schools for identifying students who need supplemental instruction and ascertaining their areas of weakness. It is also used for monitoring the progress of students and facilitating ongoing instructional decisions. Homeschool families typically do not have access to scholarly research about effective reading instruction or to tools for determining if their children are making adequate progress or if a change in instruction is needed. The Knoxville …

Effects Of Parental Involvement On Academics, Jessica Stamer

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

A child needs their parents to be involved in their educational experience to support social emotional growth and academic growth during the developmental years of their life. It is no surprise that there are many issues that come from little parental involvement. In order to have the optimal parental involvement, educators must encourage involvement through a variety of ways based on the needs to the families in their classroom. Districts must have set plans, support, and encouragement for staff in place to ensure this goal is being met.

Dong Qing Fang’S Musical Depiction Of Lin Chong: An Analysis Of Chinese Traditional Music Elements In His Cello Composition Of 2009, Congcong Bi

Doctoral Projects

Dong Qing Fang (b. 1981) is a prolific composer of cello music. His contribution includes twenty compositions, many of which have been performed around the world.[1] While Fang is the most famous composer in China as well as a leading figure of recent music, his compositions have not been recognized world-wide. This project focuses on his representative cello composition Lin Chong (2009). Lin Chong is a significant character in Chinese literature, known for his role in the classic novel, Water Margin (1524). Fang's musical portrayal of Lin Chong's life incorporates elements of Chinese traditional music.

The methodology for this …

Improving Discipline Practices With Restorative Justice: A School Improvement Project, Ryan Schultz

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Research indicates that punitive discipline practices, such as zero-tolerance policies and exclusionary approaches, have shown limited effectiveness and create potential harm in schools. In contrast, school discipline and culture based on restorative practices have shown great promise as an alternative. This school improvement project seeks to promote a change from a punitive, exclusionary discipline system to a research-based system rooted in restorative methods in a suburban public school district in the Midwest. The goal was to integrate restorative practices with a district's existing MTSS framework, emphasizing positive alternatives to exclusionary punishments, equity prioritization, and healthy relationships. By educating staff, students, …

Flammability Properties Of The Pyrolysis Gas Generated From Willow Wood, Maria Mitu, Domnina Razus, Dorin Boldor, Cosmin Marculescu

Faculty Publications

Willow wood presents a real interest for biomass pyrolysis due to its fast growth, renewability, and high energy density. Following the pyrolysis of willow wood in an inert atmosphere, a multi-fuel gaseous mixture was obtained, with the following composition (by volume): 38.20% CO/21.87% H2/17.44% CH4/1.15% O2/17.15% CO2/4.19% N2. The propagation of laminar premixed flames in these multifuel mixtures with air was investigated numerically for initial temperatures from 298 to 500 K, initial pressures from 1 to 20 bar, and fuel equivalence ratios between 0.60 and 2.00. The combustion of these gaseous mixtures as free laminar premixed flames was simulated by …