Digital Commons Network^™

Using Ai For Qualitative Labeling: Consistency And Comparisons, James Temple

Honors Program Theses

This paper continues research that evaluates the capacity of artificial intelligence (AI) to perform qualitative coding tasks. The previous study found that AI models lacked consistency with themselves and did not agree with human coded data. Since that study, AI’s general level of intelligence has increased. Hence, this study re-evaluates how well the newest set of AI models (Claude 3 and Gemini) can perform qualitative coding tasks. When tested, the new AI models perform about the same or better than previous models depending on the metric tested. While Gemini and Claude 3 do not agree with human output any more …

Gender Transgressions In Pre-Modern Italian Painting, Belle Tassent

Honors Program Theses

This thesis explores works of art made in pre-modern Italy. Chapter One examines portraits of ‘Female Courtiers’ which display women’s adaptation of the ideal male courtier’s characteristics. These characteristics surpass that of the ideal woman who lack independence and who are confined by man-made definitions of the ideal. Chapter Two discusses a progression of the female courtier concept in which heroines are shown physically dominating men in art. The female artists of these paintings participated in the paragone at the time in which they competed against their male counterparts. Whereas non-transgressive portraits of women remained stable over time, men had …

Facilitating Factors For Female Leadership In Finance, Haleigh Woloszak

Honors Program Theses

High levels of gender inequity remain in finance leadership positions. This research is interested in the factors that facilitate female leadership in finance roles as opposed to the challenges women face in this industry. Through semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, this paper explores the education, career development, organizational practices, professional support networks, and personal factors of successful women in finance. Commonalities among interviewee’s responses suggest that capabilities, one’s perspective on their career, personal support and domestic responsibility, and workplace relationships play a role in the success of the women in our sample. Additionally, participants discuss in depth specific organizational and …

Exploring The Motivators Of Medical Tourism By Americans, Sebastian Uribe

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this study was to look at the factors that influence Americans' decisions to engage in medical tourism (going overseas for medical treatment). The research aimed to empirically analyze the key criteria motivating Americans to participate in medical tourism. This involved a comprehensive examination of factors such as cost considerations, waiting times, the availability of procedures, and possible destinations. The study utilized both primary and secondary data. The primary data was collected by the means of a Qualtrics survey, in which a representative US respondent´s sample was used to test the various underlying hypotheses. A mixed-methods approach was …

Full-Cost Accounting Of The Beef Industry, Nicole Marshall

Honors Program Theses

In the face of escalating environmental challenges and ethical concerns surrounding beef production, this study conducts a comprehensive examination of the industry's true external costs. Utilizing a full-cost accounting framework, the research scrutinizes the environmental, health, and animal welfare impacts associated with beef production in comparison to plant-based alternatives, particularly the Beyond Burger. Key factors analyzed include water and energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, land use, health and nutritional impacts, and animal welfare practices. Through a comparative analysis, this study aims to provide insights into the sustainability and ethical considerations of dietary choices, shedding light on the broader implications for …

Public Discourse, User Reactions, And Conspiracy Theories On The X Platform About Hiv Vaccines: Data Mining And Content Analysis, Jueman (Mandy) Zhang, Yi Wang, Magali Mouton, Jixuan Zhang, Molu Shi

Journalism & Public Relations Faculty Publications

Background:

The initiation of clinical trials for messenger RNA (mRNA) HIV vaccines in early 2022 revived public discussion on HIV vaccines after 3 decades of unsuccessful research. These trials followed the success of mRNA technology in COVID-19 vaccines but unfolded amid intense vaccine debates during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is crucial to gain insights into public discourse and reactions about potential new vaccines, and social media platforms such as X (formerly known as Twitter) provide important channels.

Objective:

Drawing from infodemiology and infoveillance research, this study investigated the patterns of public discourse and message-level drivers of user reactions on …

Treechain: Decentralized Tree Management Common Platform, Ho Yin, Angus Law

School of General Education & Languages (THEi)

In Hong Kong, urban development and aesthetics have often overlooked the importance of proactive tree management. As time passes, the risks associated with trees increase, posing significant safety threats to stakeholders regarding both life and property. While numerous tree management strategies exist worldwide, the critical question remains: are these approaches comprehensive and effective enough to ensure safety and protection? The stagnation of the development of comprehensive tree management can be attributed to underdeveloped tree risk assessment systems and a shortage of qualified professionals willing to commit to the industry's growth. Given these circumstances, haphazard implementation of tree management practices is …

1-800-Help-Me-With-Open-Science-Stuff: A Qualitative Examination Of Open Science Practices In Communication Sciences And Disorders, Danika Pfeiffer, Austin Thompson, Brittany Ciullo, Micha E. Hirsch, M. El Amin, Andrea Ford, Jessica Salley Riccardi, Elaine Kearney

Speech-Language Pathology Faculty Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of communication sciences and disorders (CSD) assistant professors in the United States related to barriers and facilitators to engaging in open science (OS) practices and identify opportunities for improving OS training and support in the field.

Method: Thirty-five assistant professors (16 from very high research activity (R1) institutions, 19 from institutions with other Carnegie classifications) participated in one 1-hour virtual focus group conducted via Zoom recording technology. The researchers used a conventional content analysis approach to analyze the focus group data and develop categories from the discussions.

Results: …

House Journal Seventy-Fourth General Assembly State Of Colorado Second Extraordinary Session, Colorado General Assembly

Colorado House and Senate Journals

No abstract provided.

The Watchmen In The Song Of Songs: An Intertextual Study, Gabriel Xavier Del Valle

Master's Theses

Problem

The watchmen are a shocking feature in the Song of Songs that have received limited exploration and research. Their dual nature in the Song of Songs is illustrated by their two responses to the women in the song; benign indifference illustrated in Song of Songs 3:1-5 and hostility exemplified in Song of Songs 5:2-8. This has led to a myriad of interpretations regarding their function and identity; however, none have been subject to a thorough examination. The watchmen have not been previously investigated as a potential metaphorical or symbolic representation of the brothers related to the woman in the …

Challenges To Building A Viable Alternative To Ethnonationalism In The Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict Setting, Philip Gamaghelyan, Sevil Huseynova

School of Peace Studies: Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Uni Faculty Handbook, 2024 - 2025, University Of Northern Iowa.

University Faculty Documents

University of Northern Iowa Faculty Handbook, Effective July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025.

Predicting Waste Management Behaviors Using An Extended Theory Of Reasoned Action Model, Alvin Patrick M. Valentin, Phoemela Bianca S.D. Bonifacio, Sofia Isabelle Corinne O. Castro, Jerica Charity A. Cruz, Talisha Isabelle L. Sy, Elmer Lewis O. Trinidad

Quantitative Methods and Information Technology Faculty Publications

Rapid urbanization has resulted in a significant increase in the amount of waste generated, which threatens the health and safety of millions of people worldwide. For our cities to become environmentally sustainable, proper waste management has become essential. A major source of pollution resulting from improper waste management are developing countries, such as the Philippines which is a top contributor to plastic wastes in oceans. Existing studies in this context focus on the effectiveness of specific waste management programs, and there is an opportunity to extend theories to improve our understanding of the waste management behaviors of households. Using an …

Building Pre-Service Teachers’ Capacities In Integrating Computational And Digital Literacies: Faculty Values And Beliefs (Full Paper), Olamide Ogungbemi, Aman Yadav, Michelle C. Fraboni, Marta Cabral, Nadia Kennedy, Meg Ray, Line A. Saint-Hilaire

Open Educational Resources

Several studies have emphasized the necessity of enhancing pre-service teachers' technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) (Niess, 2011; Baran, 2019). However, the contribution of teacher educators to the development of teacher candidates' abilities to teach computational and digital literacies remains insufficiently explored. To do this, we examined teacher education faculty's beliefs and values concerning the integration of computing and digital literacy (CDL) in classrooms. Based on interviews with 32 faculty, we identified themes including how CDL can support disciplinary learning and challenges for implementing CDL into teacher education. We discuss the significance of this work for teacher education.

The Calvin Forum: Winter 2024, Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

CONTENTS - Vol. 33., Winter 2024

Main Features: 5 - Letter from the President

8 - Introduction: What does it mean to be Reformed?

10- Coming around the table to explore our reformed identity

14 - Understanding reformed identity from a teaching, learning, & scholarship perspective

18 - Essays on being Reformed

20 - Reformed identity through the eyes of a Professor of philosophical theology

24 - New faculty members' reflections on Reformed Identity

28 - Looking ahead: A faculty project on the Reformed Identity of Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Seminary News: 32 - Latino Minitries program update …

Powdery Mildew And Its Management In Wheat, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Powdery mildew is a fungal leaf disease that reduces yield and grain quality in susceptible wheat varieties. Disease is both stubble-borne and carried over on green bridge (secondary spread by wind borne spores). It has multiple, fast life cycles in a growing season and can be difficult to control once established. The best approach is an integrated disease management strategy.

With wheat area in Western Australia dominated by susceptible varieties, such as Scepter, powdery mildew remains a concern for growers statewide and has been particularly persistent and damaging in the Esperance Port Zone.

Medical Students’ Attitudes And Motivations Toward Research, Nina Li, Danxun Li, Curt Bay, Uzoma Ikonne

Health Sciences Education Symposium

PURPOSE : The recent pass/fail scoring change for the USMLE Step 1 exam has significant implications for residency applicants. It is anticipated that research productivity will gain greater importance in the evaluation process. The NRMP provides quantitative data on residency applicants’ publications. However, there is a scarcity of studies focusing on their research experience. To support medical students, we aim to understand their attitudes, motivations, and experiences in conducting research.

METHOD: This is a cross-sectional study among second-year medical students at Eastern Virginia Medical School between October and November 2023. A questionnaire was used to assess students’ motivations and perceived …

Evaluation Of An Interprofessional Education Elective On Complex Care Coordination, Genevieve Beaird, Kelly Lockeman, Abigale Matulewicz

Health Sciences Education Symposium

Purpose and Background: Engaging health professional students in meaningful community-based care is an important step toward developing the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed for addressing health inequity in our future workforce (Andermann, 2016). Serving clients that have high healthcare utilization and multiple barriers to care is one mechanism to teach students how to address critical social determinants of health needs. Oftentimes, students are not provided the opportunity to engage with clients across transitions in care or over a longitudinal period, but rather are tasked with addressing needs in an acute-based or clinic-based, single-encounter setting. Clinical experiences limited to discrete …

Solid Angle Measure Approximation Methods For Polyhedral Cones, Allison Fitisone

Theses and Dissertations--Mathematics

Polyhedral cones are of interest in many fields, like geometry and optimization. A simple, yet fundamental question we may ask about a cone is how large it is. As cones are unbounded, we consider their solid angle measure: the proportion of space that they occupy. Beyond dimension three, definitive formulas for this measure are unknown. Consequently, devising methods to estimate this quantity is imperative. In this dissertation, we endeavor to enhance our understanding of solid angle measures and provide valuable insights into the efficacy of various approximation techniques.

Ribando and Aomoto independently discovered a Taylor series formula for solid angle …

Nebraska Seed Focus, March 2024, Nebraska Crop Improvement Association

Nebraska Seed Focus

Nebraska Seed Focus, March 2024

Front Matter

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Nameless: Mormon’S Dramatic Use Of Omission In Helaman 2, Nathan J. Arp

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

There are many reasons why a narrator may choose to provide or withhold the names of various characters. This article hypothesizes that Mormon intentionally omitted the name of a key character from the book of Helaman related to the origin of the Gaddianton robbers. While it is not possible to know exactly what information Mormon and other Nephite recordkeepers had or preserved, it is at least plausible that Mormon might have intentionally omitted the name of a clandestine operative in the first two chapters of Helaman as a specific strategy to emphasize this operative’s secrecy and allow the reader to …

Lds Perspectives On The Atonement?, Blake T. Ostler

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

Latter-day Saint Perspectives on Atonement promises to provide new perspectives on the atonement that reflect awareness of scriptural and theological scholarship. The essays on the scriptural background are solid. The essays providing theological perspectives are uneven, at best. Indeed, the theological essays show little awareness of the major works in philosophical theology in the last sixty years—with one notable exception. Moreover, a feminist perspective that argues against seeing Christ’s blood that he shed as an appropriate basis for atonement theory receives the greatest attention. This review elucidates, explores, assesses, and critiques these approaches.

Insights Into The Story Of Korihor Based On Intertextual Comparisons, Noel Hudson

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

A brief outline of the saga of Korihor, the Anti-Christ, is provided along with a discussion of his affinities with other Book of Mormon anti-Christs, including those in the order of Nehors. Literary allusions suggesting Korihor as a foil to the king of the Lamanites are examined. Evidence of a schism among the order of Nehors leading to violence is discussed. Korihor’s unusual death is examined within the context of the theme of crushing the serpent from the stories of Adam, Eve, and Cain.

More Evidence For Alma As A Semitic Name, Neal Rappleye, Allen Hansen

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

Beginning with Hugh Nibley, several Latter-day Saint scholars have highlighted a deed found among the Bar Kokhba documents as evidence of the name Alma as a Jewish male name in antiquity. Here we highlight a second attestation of the same name used for a Jewish male from a slightly earlier period, as well as other evidence from Hebrew toponymy that helps corroborate not only that Alma is a Hebrew name, but also supports the etymology proposed by Latter-day Saint scholars and is suggestive of wordplays previously identified in the Book of Mormon text. Past critics have mocked the name Alma …

Nurture And Harvest: A Continued Conversation With The Annotated Book Of Mormon, Kevin Christensen

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

Because Grant Hardy’s important book deliberately contextualizes the Book of Mormon in light of “the generally agreed upon findings of modern biblical scholars and historians,” it invites further discussion on points in which the Book of Mormon and other significant biblical scholars and historians challenge those findings. Hardy also declares that his commentary “is consistently focused on the plain meaning of the text,” which is understandably appealing, but which is in tension with Joseph Smith’s foundational observation that “the different teachers of the religion understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the …

Aftermath Of The Martyrdom: Aspirants To The Mantle Of The Prophet Joseph Smith, R. Jean Addams

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

In the weeks, months, and years following the murders of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum, several aspirants stepped forward to claim the mantle of the prophet. Who were these individuals with claims to the leadership of the church? What were their motives? How were these men able to inspire large numbers of saints to follow them? What became of their efforts and how are their works manifest in the present day? The reasons that members or prospective members chose or rejected the claims of these aspirants are examined, as are the churches of the organizations that were …

“That They May Know That They Are Not Cast Off Forever”: Jewish Lectionary Elements In The Book Of Mormon, Bradley J. Kramer

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

It is not uncommon for Jews who join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to notice connections between certain events in the Book of Mormon and modern Jewish practices associated with the feasts of Passover, Weeks, Tabernacles, and Rosh Hashanah. Aware that traditional Christianity holds not only that Jews were ousted from God’s covenant but that Jewish traditions in support of that covenant are spiritually worthless, these Jews find great comfort in these connections as well as in Book of Mormon statements that affirm their continued inclusion in that covenant. But aren’t there also connections to the modern …

Restoring Melchizedek Priesthood, John S. Thompson

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

Church historical sources make four differing claims as to when, how, and by whom Melchizedek priesthood was restored. These seemingly conflicting sources have led to many theories about what happened, including the idea that Joseph Smith changed his narrative and rewrote history as his ideas of priesthood evolved. A closer look at the sources, more carefully defining the terminology, and being more aware of ancient patterns provide a better solution for understanding the purpose and relationship of these four narratives and thus the nature of the Melchizedek priesthood Joseph Smith restored.

Full Issue

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

No abstract provided.