Digital Commons Network^™

Urate-Lowering Therapy Use Among Us Adults With Gout And The Relationship Between Patients’ Gout Treatment Status And Associated Comorbidities, Marcos J. Ortiz-Uriarte, Jeanlouis Betancourt-Gaztambide, Alexandra Perez Rivera, Youssef M. Roman

HPD Articles

Gout is one of the most common inflammatory conditions with a growing global prevalence. Individuals with gout are at higher risk of developing chronic conditions, such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and cardiovascular diseases. In this study, the association between uratelowering therapy (ULT) use and the prevalence of these conditions was evaluated. This observational cross-sectional pharmacoepidemiologic study used the 2013–2018 biannual cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The inclusion criteria were adults that were 30 years of age or older that had a diagnosis of gout. The association between patients’ ULT treatment status and dyslipidemia, coronary …

Overcoming Uncertainties In Molecular Visualization, Thomas Wischgoll

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

Uncertainties are difficult if not impossible to avoid. Capturing data from the analog world almost always results in some form of uncertainty. The amount of uncertainty depends on the method of measurement and its accuracy. When visualizing data that has some associated uncertainty, it is essential to properly process and convey such uncertainty and especially the amount of uncertainty keeping in mind that additional processing steps can amplify the uncertainty. There are various sources of uncertainty, such as numerical limitations or limitations of the capture device. However, there are other sources of uncertainty. Some of these uncertainties stem from model …

The Bison, February 3, 2023

The Bison Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Financial Capability – Examining The Impact Of Financial Education On U.S. Military Members, Philip Mason Chapman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In 2018 a national survey was conducted of 27,091 participants designed to gauge financial capability. While the survey revealed that financial education matters, there is a gap between those with a military background and their civilian counterparts. This dissertation is designed to address how this discrepancy can exist when military individuals have unlimited access to financial education. Even with this access, investors with a military background make poorer financial decisions while simultaneously claiming to have a higher level of financial satisfaction and financial knowledge. Financial education has long been associated with an individual’s desire to seek professional financial assistance and …

Police Demographics And Stress Relief Program Utilization, Michael Wayne Whittington

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Police officers face challenges from operational and organizational stressors. Officers often have access to stress relief programs offered by their employers such as Peer Support Programs, Employee Assistance Programs, or Chaplaincy Programs. The implementation of these stress relief programs is based on the perception of need and anecdotal evidence. Police stress and stress relief studies offer mixed results as to the way an officer chooses one program or another. One understudied area to determine stress relief program utilization is demographics. Variables such as experience, education, marital status, race, sexuality, and gender may factor into the decision as to which stress …

Lived Experiences And Insight On Development Of Emotional Intelligence In Professional Nursing Practice, Jennifer L. Jessen

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative, experiential narrative study was to examine how emotional intelligence is applied in clinical nursing practice and how a nurse develops those skills in professional practice using a qualitative, experiential narrative design. The selected research participant was asked to verify her emotional quotient (EQ) score with the MSCEIT emotional intelligence test and participate in repeated interviews detailing the major events, patients, coworkers, mentors, and support systems in her life from her first experiences in healthcare to the present. Evidence of emotional intelligence (EI) was identified in her stories and applied to the Salovey and Mayer model …

Unheard Voices: Minority Female Presence In Fiction Including Folklore And Fantastical Elements, Breanna Renae Grayson

Masters Theses

This thesis is about the representation of women and racial minorities and the incorporation of folklore and fantastical elements in contemporary American short fiction. This incorporation includes the characterization of nonwhite characters in fiction and the role they serve. Also, the main idea is to provide an explanation concerning the importance and relationship it has for minority female writers and readers. The Artistic Statement defines the author’s reasons, inspirations, and creative process for her choices in creative writing. The Critical Paper is supported by research and data to describe the use of fantastical elements and how they are implemented into …

Technology In Cognitive Research: Methods To Examine Second Language Processing In Study Abroad Research, Mandy Faretta-Stutenberg, Irene Finestrat, Kara Morgan-Short

Faculty Books & Book Chapters

This chapter provides an overview of research instruments and technologies that can inform questions about language processing among study abroad learners. Specifically, we consider behavioral, eye-tracking, and electrophysiological methods. For each method, we provide a description of the approach, including how data are collected, analyzed, and interpreted. Then, we summarize findings from research employing the method that includes a study abroad context. Finally, we consider the limitations of the method and gaps in the extant literature, and provide guiding principles for researchers interested in utilizing the technique. The chapter concludes with suggestions for future research and a discussion of the …

Sga 54 Senate 2023-02-03 Minutes, Niu Student Government Association Senate

Student Government Association Archives

No abstract provided.

Remote Staff Instruction To Implement Thorough Handwashing With Individuals With Autism, Monica Patel

Doctoral Dissertations

Behavioral skills training (BST), a behavior analytic training model including instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback, has been a widely effective training method for staff, caregivers, and students. Results from BST component analyses suggest that instructions, when presented without subsequent rehearsal and feedback, are often ineffective; however, the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the physical distancing measures required to prevent its spread have increased the need for easily disseminated virtual staff training models, particularly with respect to implementing activities of daily living programs which may further help to prevent the spread of infectious disease in the workplace. Thus, we evaluated …

Emotion Classification Of Indonesian Tweets Using Bidirectional Lstm, Aaron K. Glenn, Phillip M. Lacasse, Bruce A. Cox

Faculty Publications

Emotion classification can be a powerful tool to derive narratives from social media data. Traditional machine learning models that perform emotion classification on Indonesian Twitter data exist but rely on closed-source features. Recurrent neural networks can meet or exceed the performance of state-of-the-art traditional machine learning techniques using exclusively open-source data and models. Specifically, these results show that recurrent neural network variants can produce more than an 8% gain in accuracy in comparison with logistic regression and SVM techniques and a 15% gain over random forest when using FastText embeddings. This research found a statistical significance in the performance of …

Cognitive Appraisal, Workplace Social Courage, And Psycap, Quinn Denny

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study responds to calls for empirical investigation of courage as well as the discovery of positive psychological capital (PsyCap) antecedents. Courage and PsyCap are considered positive constructs associated with beneficial workplace outcomes. As an example, Workplace Social Courage (WSC) predicts organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). PsyCap is robustly correlated with performance outcomes, well-being, and sustainability. For its societal appeal, courage is not yet robustly validated. Further, interventions have demonstrated resultant increases in PsyCap, yet little is known of its antecedent variables. Also, to be discovered, are what variables mediate WSC. These gaps in research present opportunity for additional empirical investigation …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Former Foster Students Learning Through Online Educational Environments, Tiffany Sue Beckwith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of former foster students in online educational environments. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs acted as the theory guiding this study, as it was essential when investigating how unmet needs for foster children affected their motivation to learn and feelings of belongingness with their school. This study was designed to answer the following central research question: What are the experiences of former foster students who have taken part in online education? Using a transcendental phenomenological approach, I collected the lived experiences of the participants to uncover emerging themes during online …

Gender Roles In Super Bowl Commercials: A Qualitative Longitudinal Content Analysis From 2013-2022, Christa Loree Havenhill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although numerous studies have examined gender stereotypes in advertising, relatively few have investigated the communication of gender roles in Super Bowl commercials. The Super Bowl attracts the largest televised audience in the United States; thus, it holds the power to shape, influence, and reinforce attitudes and beliefs. Through a sociocultural lens, this qualitative study examines the communication of gender roles in Super Bowl commercials across a 10-year period from 2013 to 2022. Utilizing a longitudinal content analysis design, 279 Super Bowl advertisements from 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2022 were analyzed. The problem addressed is how the depiction of gender roles …

The Difference In Geometry Achievement Between Students Who Utilize Lfm Strategies And Those Who Do Not: A Nonequivalent Control-Group Pretest/Posttest Study, Amanda Nicol

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental nonequivalent control-group pretest/posttest study was to identify whether there is a difference in Geometry achievement between students who utilize Learning for Mastery (LFM) strategies compared to those who do not at the high school level. This study provided insight into instructional and assessment strategies that may increase student achievement, understanding, and retention. Seventy-three high school mathematics students enrolled in Geometry courses, grades nine through twelve, from a suburban high school in Northwestern New Jersey were assessed in this study. Students were given a pretest, participated in daily classwork and instructional strategies for ten weeks, …

The Impact Of Mental Health Diagnoses In Combination With Learning Disorders, Tanya S. Gulledge

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this research is to build on previous research that showed a significant relationship between students with socially devalued identities, poor mental health, and lower academic achievement and suggested tailored and targeted treatments as a possible protective factor. To develop programs to assist students in achieving higher scores, one must first determine the impact of comorbid mental health diagnosis and specific learning disorder on academic achievement. A quantitative causal-comparative study was used to determine if there is an impact of mental health diagnoses in combination with specific learning disorders for students with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or …

French Military Tactics In The American Civil War: An Analysis Of The Influence Of Antoine Henri Jomini’S Principles In Two Selected Battles And A Campaign, Michele M. Hawes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Between 1796 and 1815 the Napoleonic Wars had Europe in a constant state of conflict. Ultimately, a shifting coalition of Europeans defeated the French Emperor, but not before the world was changed forever. The Napoleonic Wars planted the seeds of the unified states of Germany and Italy, the United States doubled in size with the Louisiana Purchase, and perhaps most significantly, the definition of modern warfare became aligned with French military tactics. On the heels of the French Revolution, Napoleon had come remarkably close to conquering Europe through the combination of his leadership, audacity, and mastery of the art of …

Civil Gang Injunction Effects: The Perceptions Of Residents And Neighbors Of Their Safety, Marc M. Collazo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This hermeneutic phenomenological study aimed to assess the general effectiveness of civil gang injunctions based on community members' perceptions of their safety in Los Angeles County, California. The theory that served as the foundation for this study was social disorganization, as interpreted by Shaw and McKay (1972). It helped to gauge how well community members understood their lived experiences and perceived the effects of injunctions on their safety. The following question guided this study: Do local citizens believe communities are safer and more secure when civil gang injunctions are used? Eight community members from two Los County cities were chosen …

A Multidimensional Grounded Theory Study Of Personal Confidence Among Female Theological Educators, Claudia Dempsey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In recent decades, several notable studies have revealed that women do not generally experience the same level of confidence as men. This is significant for women because of the debilitating implications of underconfidence. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was, therefore, to explore common antecedents and deterrents of confidence so as to provide a theoretical framework related to the phenomenon of underconfidence among female theological educators while also providing insight into the multidimensional nature of confidence. The selected audience of this study were Christian female educators teaching within theological schools accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). …

The 2015 Migrant Crisis: An Impact To Germany?, Irish Nicole Solinsky

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The 2015 European Migrant Crisis emerged when an influx of refugees settled in Europe from 2015-2019. The asylum seekers fled their homelands to evade a myriad of crises such as violence and war, corruption and abuse, and poor socioeconomic conditions. Of the European states, Germany welcomed the largest number of migrants. This was in part due to Germany’s existing immigration policies in a post-Second World War environment, but also due to Germany’s resounding economic strength. Germany has significantly low unemployment rates and the highest gross domestic product (GDP) in Europe. As such, Germany’s position is one of uncontested significance within …

Effect Of Intense Social Media Use On Middle School At-Risk Students Test Scores In Science And Math: An Ordinal Logistic Regression Analysis, Terry M. Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to investigate the intensity of social networking use, gender, and socioeconomic status as possible predictors of eighth grade at-risk middle school students’ math and science test scores. Because this study hypothesized a general linear model between an ordinal response variable and more than one explanatory variables, ordinal logistic regression analysis was used. Social media is pervasive in the daily lives of students and so it can have a possible deleterious influence on student achievement. This idea continues to animate practitioners, researchers, parents, and all others interested in the achievement and success of …

Netprophet 3: A Machine Learning Framework For Transcription Factor Network Mapping And Multi-Omics Integration, Dhoha Abid, Michael R Brent

2020-Current year OA Pubs

MOTIVATION: Many methods have been proposed for mapping the targets of transcription factors (TFs) from gene expression data. It is known that combining outputs from multiple methods can improve performance. To date, outputs have been combined by using either simplistic formulae, such as geometric mean, or carefully hand-tuned formulae that may not generalize well to new inputs. Finally, the evaluation of accuracy has been challenging due to the lack of genome-scale, ground-truth networks.

RESULTS: We developed NetProphet3, which combines scores from multiple analyses automatically, using a tree boosting algorithm trained on TF binding location data. We also developed three independent, …

Black Women’S Body Image, Breast Cancer, And Post Traumatic Growth, Harriette Richard, Antonia S. Mead

The Journal of the Research Association of Minority Professors

Black women’s body image is influenced by several factors but when women have breast cancer, a “new normal” extends from diagnosis to long after reconstruction. This pilot study examines Black women’s breast cancer experience beginning with social networks, diagnosis, health care, the medical community, and breast reconstruction, ending with PTSD and Post Traumatic Growth (PTG). A convenience sample was surveyed and a qualitative research methodology was utilized to analyze responses from Black female breast cancer survivors. Research questions included body image perceptions after surgery and post-reconstruction. The participants go through adversity, find strength, and grow, ready to face the next …

Eeg Decoding Of Finger Numeral Configurations With Machine Learning, Roya Salehzadeh, Brian Rivera, Kaiwen Man, Nader Jalili, Firat Soylu

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

In this study, we used multivariate decoding methods to study processing differences between canonical (montring and count) and noncanonical finger numeral configurations (FNCs). While previous research investigated these processing differences using behavioral and event-related potentials (ERP) methods, conventional univariate ERP analyses focus on specific time intervals and electrode sites and fail to capture broader scalp distribution and EEG frequency patterns. To address this issue a supervised learning classifier—support vector machines (SVM)—was used to decode ERP scalp distributions and alpha-band power for montring, counting, and noncanonical FNCs (for integers 1 to 4). The SVM was used to test whether the numerical …

Rhino Conservation In Africa, Andrew N. Rowan

WellBeing News

The recovery of white rhinos from a small population of 20 animals in 1895 to tens of thousands today is a major conservation success story, but we are again facing a rapid decline in the numbers of both species of African rhinoceros due mainly to poaching. Demand for rhino horn, mainly from the Far East, has led to an epidemic of poaching. The healthy population of white rhinos in South Africa’s Kruger National Park has fallen from just under 12,000 individuals in 2010 to around 2,200 in 2022. At the current rate of decline, white rhinos will be eliminated from …

Knowledge Transfer In Technological Innovation Clusters, Vania Lopes Simoes Fioravanti, Fabricio Stocker, Flavio Macau

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose:

The aim of this research is to analyze the knowledge transfer process in technological innovation clusters. The problem of the study addresses how organizations can act in a network to enhance experiences and gains, particularly in the aspect of knowledge management.

Design/methodology/approach:

The study is qualitative, applied through a case study, cross-sectional and multiple sources of evidence – semistructured interviews, nonparticipant observation and analysis of documents and secondary institutional data. The case analyzed was the Technology Park of São José dos Campos, in Brazil, involving private companies, governmental organizations, universities and research institutions.

Findings:

The results reinforce the arguments …

Legitimacy And Online Proceedings: Procedural Justice, Access To Justice, And The Role Of Income, Avital Mentovich, J.J. Prescott, Orna Rabinovich-Einy

Law & Economics Working Papers

Courts have long struggled to bridge the access-to-justice gap associated with in-person hearings, which makes the recent adoption of online legal proceedings potentially beneficial. Online proceedings hold promise for better access: they occur remotely, can proceed asynchronously, and often rely solely on written communication. Yet these very qualities may also undermine some of the well-established elements of procedural-justice perceptions, a primary predictor of how people view the legal system’s legitimacy. This paper examines the implications of shifting legal proceedings online for both procedural-justice and access-to-justice perceptions. It also investigates the relationship of both types of perceptions with system legitimacy, as …

Reliable Detection Of Location Spoofing And Variation Attacks, Chiho Kim, Sang-Yoon Chang, Dongeun Lee, Jinoh Kim

Faculty Publications

Location spoofing is a critical attack in mobile communications. While several previous studies investigated the detection of location spoofing attacks, they are limited in their performance and lack the consideration of emerging attack variations. In this paper, we present a data-driven methodology for the reliable detection of location spoofing and its variations. To enhance the performance, we introduce and utilize a new set of features, which is differential in nature and enables the checking of the mobility constraints and inconsistency. Our comparison study with the previous research shows that the presented scheme using the new features significantly improves the accuracy …

Health Care Provider’S Perceptions Of The Transition Between Pediatric To Adolescent And Adulthood: A Qualitative Inquiry, Antoinette W. Coward, Andrea E. Mcdonald

The Journal of the Research Association of Minority Professors

This study examines the current practices provided from pediatric to adult health care for children with special health care needs at FQHCs using the Six Core Elements of Health Care. Methods: A phenomenological approach was used to recruit and interview ten (10) health leaders from FQHCs. The participants were recruited through this letter sent to the Mid-Atlantic Association of Community Health Center. The researchers-initiated contact with the key informant to introduce them to the study. After consent was obtained, demographic information collected, and interviews were scheduled. During the semi-structured interview session, the key informant was asked questions related to their …

A Review Of 3d Polymeric Scaffolds For Bone Tissue Engineering: Principles, Fabrication Techniques, Immunomodulatory Roles, And Challenges, Hassan Nageh, Ahmed G. Abdelaziz, Sara M. Abdo, Mohga S. Abdalla, Asmaa A. Amer, Abdalla Abdal-Hay, Ahmed Barhoum

Nanotechnology Research Centre

Over the last few years, biopolymers have attracted great interest in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine due to the great diversity of their chemical, mechanical, and physical properties for the fabrication of 3D scaffolds. This review is devoted to recent advances in synthetic and natural polymeric 3D scaffolds for bone tissue engineering (BTE) and regenerative therapies. The review comprehensively discusses the implications of biological macromolecules, structure, and composition of polymeric scaffolds used in BTE. Various approaches to fabricating 3D BTE scaffolds are discussed, including solvent casting and particle leaching, freeze-drying, thermally induced phase separation, gas foaming, electrospinning, and sol–gel techniques. …