Digital Commons Network^™

Selection Of Soil Stabilization Methods For Low-Volume Road Applications, Peter J. Spinks

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines a potential method of selecting an ideal soil additive to assist road planners in selecting an ideal soil stabilizer for low-volume road construction with in-situ soils. Essential for the socioeconomic success of rural communities, low-volume soil or gravel roads account for approximately 54% of US road expenditures to maintain and remediate. Soil stabilization can provide significant savings in regards to the cost, effectiveness, and environmental impacts of these roads. With hundreds of commercially available soil treatment products available with significant variations to their effects, it can be difficult for road planners to select the most appropriate product. …

Accelerating Homomorphic Encryption In Risc-V Architectures With Hardware Based Number Theory Transform, Zachary Legg

Theses and Dissertations

Fully Homomorphic Encryption is an encryption paradigm enabling computations on encrypted data without the need for decryption. Such behavior is promising for securing DoD cloud computing but is also computationally demanding. To alleviate some of the computational load and accelerate FHE schemes, this research proposes adding a hardware accelerator, for the Number Theory Transform (NTT) operation, to a RISC-V processor. Thus enhancing FHE capabilities for potentially resource-constrained devices.

An Empirical Study On The Transfer Of Virtual Reality Assembly Training, Casey P. Wood

Theses and Dissertations

Virtual Reality technology provides new opportunities for enhanced training in a variety of career field. An important feature of any training is whether the knowledge and skills learned transfer to real world work performance. Scholars call this Training Transfer. In this study, a novel approach to measuring training transfer of a Virtual Reality assembly training is designed and executed. 23 Subjects were recruited for this human subject experiment. The findings indicate that training transfer was not significantly different between VR and traditional training, however factors such as affective cognitive consistency, task complexity, perceived task workload, and conscientiousness contributed to training …

Analyzing The Effects Of Atmospheric Turbulence On Polarization-Entangled Photon Pairs Using Quantum State Tomography, Noah S. Everett

Theses and Dissertations

To help in building a quantum-based communication link, we experimentally designed a system to simulate atmospheric turbulence and characterize its effects on a polarization-entangled photon-pair source. The simulated turbulence is constructed using two afocal optical systems with a phase plate inserted in each to mimic both weak and strong atmospheric turbulence respectively. After propagation, quantum state tomography (QST) is performed on each pair to reconstruct the density matrix of the pair’s overall polarization state. In characterization of the simulated turbulence, we were able to reach strengths up to a D/r0 of 18.2, which begins to approach the strong turbulent regime. …

Sensor-Based Vehicle Classification Using Machine Learning, Luke Mcfadden

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the classification of vehicles into heavy and light categories using acoustic, seismic, and magnetic sensor data. The effectiveness of using frequency domain data and classical machine learning techniques, is compared with the effectiveness of using time-series data and neural networks. The primary aim in doing so was to understand if modern neural network architectures could effectively remove the need for more traditional frequency based signals processing. A significant deliverable of this thesis was the feature importance determined for each of the three phenomenological types found within the data (acoustic, seismic, and magnetic). By analyzing the importance of …

Training Schedule For The 56th Maintenance Group, Samantha K. O'Rourke

Theses and Dissertations

The 56th Equipment Maintenance Squadron (56 EMS) provides equipment maintenance and back shop maintenance for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The squadron executes thousands of sorties and flight hours annually. This operations tempo requires maintenance to prevent equipment failures, minimization of aircraft downtime, insurance of safety and compliance, and training of maintenance personnel. The squadron incorporates periodic training sessions to train maintenance personnel skills needed by airmen. This research investigates the optimization of these training sessions employing mixed integer programming (MIP). A multi-objective MIP model is developed to address the complex needs of various training activities, such as: training regiments, …

Basecol2023 Scientific Content, Dmitri Babikov

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

Context. The global context of making numerous data produced by researchers available requires collecting and organising the data, assigning meaningful metadata, and presenting the data in a meaningful and homogeneous way. The BASECOL database, which collects inelastic rate coefficients for application to the interstellar medium and to circumstellar and cometary atmospheres, meets those requirements.

Aims. We aim to present the scientific content of the BASECOL2023 edition.

Methods. While the previous versions relied on finding rate coefficients in the literature, the current version is populated with published results sent by the producers of data. The paper presents the …

Fair Use In The Us Redux: Reformed Or Still Deformed?, Jane C. Ginsburg

Faculty Scholarship

In 2019, Professor Ginsburg delivered the Distinguished Visitor in Intellectual Property Lecture at the Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore. Titled “Fair Use in the US: Transformed, Reformed, Deformed?”, the lecture explored US caselaw applying the statutory fair use exception, highlighting its excesses and apparent rebalancing. Four and half years (and a pandemic) later, the Supreme Court has rendered decisions in two fair use cases (Google v Oracle; Andy Warhol Foundation v Goldsmith). Together, these controversies prompt inquiry whether the Supreme Court has redrawn the landscape of US fair use and copyright law, expanding fair use …

Acceleration And Release Of Solar Energetic Particles Associated With A Coronal Shock On 2021 September 28 Observed By Four Spacecraft, Bin Zhuang, Noé Lugaz, David Lario, Ryun-Young Kwon, Nicolina Chrysaphi, Jonathan Niehof, Tingyu Gou, Lulu Zhao

Faculty Publications

The main driver of the acceleration of solar energetic particles (SEPs) is believed to be shocks driven by coronal mass ejections. Extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) waves are thought to be the propagating footprint of the shock on the solar surface. One of the key questions in SEP research is the timing of the SEP release with respect to the time when the EUV wave magnetically connects with an observer. Taking advantage of close-to-the-Sun measurements by Parker Solar Probe (PSP) and Solar Orbiter (SolO), we investigate an SEP event that occurred on 2021 September 28 and was observed at different locations by SolO, …

Acceleration And Release Of Solar Energetic Particles Associated With A Coronal Shock On 2021 September 28 Observed By Four Spacecraft, Bin Zhuang, Noé Lugaz, David Lario, Ryun-Young Kwon, Nicolina Chrysaphi, Jonathan Niehof, Tingyu Gou, Lulu Zhao

Faculty Publications

The main driver of the acceleration of solar energetic particles (SEPs) is believed to be shocks driven by coronal mass ejections. Extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) waves are thought to be the propagating footprint of the shock on the solar surface. One of the key questions in SEP research is the timing of the SEP release with respect to the time when the EUV wave magnetically connects with an observer. Taking advantage of close-to-the-Sun measurements by Parker Solar Probe (PSP) and Solar Orbiter (SolO), we investigate an SEP event that occurred on 2021 September 28 and was observed at different locations by SolO, …

Quantum-Powered Battery Scheduling In Modern Distribution Grids, Diba Ehsani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rising need for exploiting a novel and evolved computation is an increasing concern in the power distribution system to address the exponential growth of distribution-connected devices. Scheduling numerous battery energy storage systems in an optimal way is one of the emerging challenges that will be more noticeable as the number of batteries, including residential, community, and vehicle batteries, increases in the grid. This thesis focuses on this topic and offers a necessary component in building the quantum-compatible distribution system of the future. Using a constrained quadratic model (CQM) on D-Wave’s hybrid solver as well as a binary quadratic model …

Feedback Loops: Going Negative, Patrick Barry

Articles

Aelet Fishbach is a professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business who has studied how people seek out and process negative feedback. One of the ways she has done this is through a classroom exercise in which she divides the students into two groups: feedback givers and feedback receivers. The givers are told to pair up with a receiver and communicate the following feedback in a one-on-one setting: The person's performance s unsatisfactory; improvement is needed; and there are concrete ways they can get on the right track.

Bridging Language Education Fields: An Interview With Kim Potowski, Paula Garrett-Rucks, Jason A. Kemp

Dimensions

At the beginning of the year (2024), interviewers Jason Kemp and Paula Garrett- Rucks had the pleasure of meeting with Kim Potowski over Zoom in a video- recorded, semi-structured interview to discuss Language Education. Transcripts from the recording were slightly edited and organized in the following question and response structure

Expanding Conversations: Experiential Learning Through Film In Asynchronous Online World Language Courses, Kelly F. Davidson, Karen Acosta

Dimensions

Many educators face challenges with online learning since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Online modalities became common in world language courses; however, challenges remain in creating communicative contexts. This study examined university student perceptions of an experiential learning sequence using films in Spanish and French at the intermediate level in an asynchronous online environment. Students were required to watch a movie and complete activities related to language and culture learning goals, followed by an in-depth survey about the experience. Participants expressed positive perceptions of the activities, finding them helpful in increasing interest and motivation, as well as in expanding their thinking …

Dimensions Volume 59 - Full Issue, Paula Garrett-Rucks, Jason A. Kemp

Dimensions

SCOLT Dimensions Volume 59

Fostering Novice L2 Pleasure Reading: The Role Of Comprehension, Text Difficulty, And Enjoyment, Victoria Rodrigo

Dimensions

This study reviews the effect of comprehension and perceived text difficulty in promoting reading enjoyment and interest to read more among novice learners practicing extensive and pleasure reading. Sixty-seven college students in their first semester of Spanish were asked to read a children-like story picture book in Spanish and were then given both a comprehension test and a brief perception questionnaire about how much they had enjoyed the story, how difficult they thought the reading had been, and whether they had interest to read more. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses show that (1) students’ perception on the level of difficulty …

Living In The ‘Blue Zone’ Of A Sea-Level Rise Inundation Map: Community Perceptions Of Coastal Flooding In King Salmon, California, Laurie Richmond, Kristina Kunkel

Local Reports and Publications

As sea-level rise (SLR) inundation maps proliferate, it is important to study their politics – both how they are created and how they act upon and shape various lives and places. This paper uses the example of King Salmon, CA – a rural, low-income residential area projected to be one of the most at risk to SLR on the US West Coast – to examine how a community responds to external projections showing SLR risk to their homes and businesses. Through interviews with 17 King Salmon community members and observation of a county-hosted ‘communities at risk’ workshop, we examined the …

Editor's Note, Jordan Bracewell

Mercer Law Review

No abstract provided.

School Pronouns And The Compelled-Speech Objection, Phillip Seaver-Hall

Mercer Law Review

America’s transgender youth are entrenched in a nationwide mental health crisis. A majority of transgender teenage boys have attempted suicide at least once, and roughly a third of transgender teenage girls have done the same. To mitigate this national emergency, many public school districts have begun requiring their teachers to use transgender students’ preferred names and pronouns. Many conservatives, however, insist that such rules violate the First Amendment’s prohibition of compelled speech.

This article thoroughly dissects that argument and exposes its flaws. It examines the compelled‑speech objection through the lens of the government speech doctrine, weighs countervailing academic‑freedom concerns, proposes …

Momentum: Experiential And Public Service Learning At Mercer Law School At The 150th Anniversary And Beyond, Sarah Gerwig

Mercer Law Review

In this, the 150th year since Mercer University opened the doors of its fledgling law school, it is good to reflect. We reflect on who we are, where we came from, where we want to be in 2173, if law school and the law and humankind still exist 150 years from now.

Law school faculty and administration often describe our students’ ethic of public service; 1Ls (as we call them with affection) often arrive eager for opportunities to help others—and help they do. Almost every student-led organization spearheads generous annual volunteer projects, including coordinating backpack donation drives, providing holiday presents …

Digital Hearings — In Arbitration And Litigation, Colby E. Scott

Arbitration Law Review (2009 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Dobbs, Bruen, And Domestic Violence: Fewer Abortions, More Guns, And The Effects Of Both On Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence, Gemma Donofrio

North Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Microplastics In Atlantic Ribbed Mussels (Geukensia Demissa) From The Delaware Inland Bays, Usa, Jeffrey Ashley, Amanda Pilat, Ariana Ohlweiler, Connor Ogden, Priya Modi, Spencer Talbot, Caya Smith, Justin O'Pella, Gulnihal Ozbay

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Due to the prevalence of plastic pollution in coastal ecosystems, aquatic organisms are at high risk for accumulating microplastics (MPs). Filter-feeding bivalves, such as mussels and oysters, may be exposed to, and subsequently accumulate, MPs due to the high volume of water they pass through their bodies. This study assessed the levels of MPs within Atlantic ribbed mussels (Geukensia demissa), a common filter feeder found along the United States Atlantic Coast, from 12 sites within Rehoboth Bay, Indian River Bay, and Little Assawoman Bay, collectively known as the Delaware Inland Bays. Composited mussels from each site were digested using potassium …

An Evaluation Of The Federal Transition Incentives Program On Land Access For Next-Generation Farmers, Megan Horst, Julia Valliant, Julia Freedgood

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Next-generation farmers face immense challenges in securing land. In recent years, some state- and federal-level land access policy incentives (LAPIs) have been implemented to address these chal­lenges. In this paper, we assess the Transition Incentives Program (TIP), an initiative of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Program that is funded by Congressional farm bills. TIP offers landowners two years of financial incen­tives for leasing or selling to a beginning or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher (categories of farmers defined by the U.S. Department of Agri­culture). In our study, we characterize TIP partici­pants to understand where and how TIP assists …

The Wall Between Latinas And Latinos? Gender And Immigration Enforcement Attitudes Among U.S. Latina/O Voters, Álvaro José Corral

Political Science Faculty Publications

Donald Trump’s surprising level of support among U.S. Latina/o voters in 2016 and his improved performance in the 2020 election posed a puzzle for Latina/o politics scholars given his stridently anti-immigrant agenda. Although scholars have acknowledged the political gender gap between Latinas and Latino men, few studies have outlined the theoretical basis or explored the empirical existence of gender differences in Latina/o immigration enforcement attitudes. Building on the Latina politics literature documenting Latinas’ greater engagement in solidarity work with immigrants and their greater desire for cultural transmission and the maintenance of pan-ethnic identity, I test two hypotheses. The first (the …

Rolling The Dice With Disability Rights: A Critique Of The Exclusion Of Gambling Disorder From The Americans With Disabilities Act, Danielle Oberlander

UNLV Gaming Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Casinos, Covid, And Coverage: Jurisprudential And Insurance Implications Of A Litigation Pandemic, Jeffrey W. Stempel

UNLV Gaming Law Journal

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 impacted all walks of American life. Litigation and insurance coverage disputes were no exception. In addition to the impact on dispute resolution procedure (e.g., postponed trials, masked trials, the rise of remote depositions, hearings, and oral argument), there were more than two thousand insurance coverage lawsuits spurred by pandemic-related restrictions on business operations and the resulting lost revenue.

Entertainment and retail venues not deemed “essential” were particularly impacted due to both official government orders closing or restricting operations as well as reduced customer demand stemming from fear of infection. Although some …

Investigating The Mechanisms Through Which Autophagy Controls Lipid Levels In Cyst Stem Cells., Jared Langdon

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

With an increase in the average age of the American population, incidents of age-related diseases and illnesses are rising across healthcare communities. Addressing these pathologies with a focus towards novel treatments warrants further research into their mechanistic origins. Lipid build up within cells has been correlated with increased risk for certain pathologies, namely Alzheimer's disease and type-2 diabetes (Demarco, 2020). In this study I aimed to investigate the origin of the increase in lipids, specifically we consider the effects of lipid build up on the maintenance of stem cell populations.

Analysis And Application Of The Offense-Defense Theory: Russia, Ukraine, And History., Kirby Ballard

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Political scientists and government advisors have long sought to understand what influences conflicts and how to predict them. Despite constant war, a commonly used empirical theory that can answer this question has not emerged. The majority of theories created are either conflict-specific or not empirically testable. Considering these factors, I sought out a theory that would help me better understand Russia's choice to invade Ukraine in the spring of 2022. I selected the offense-defense theory due to its many attempts to explain territorial conquest, the likeliness of conflict, and overall losses. The main focus of the theory is to explain …

10 The Illusion Of Democracy In Fashion Industry, Deniz Atik, Zeynep Ozdamar Ertekin

Marketing Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.