Digital Commons Network^™

Motivations For And Against Participation In Neonatal Research: Insights From Interviews Of Diverse Parents Approached For Neonatal Research In The United States, Elliott Mark Weiss, Pamela K Donohue, Susan H Wootton, Emily Stevens, Stephanie L Merhar, Mihai Puia-Dumitrescu, Amanda Mercer, Ellie Oslin, Kathryn M Porter, Benjamin S Wilfond

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To describe parents' motivations for and against participation in neonatal research, including the views of those who declined participation.

Study design: We performed 44 semi-structured, qualitative interviews of parents approached for neonatal research. Here we describe their motivations for and against participation.

Results: Altruism was an important reason parents chose to participate. Some hoped participation in research would benefit their infant. Burdens of participation to the family, such as transportation to follow up (distinct from risks/burdens to the infant), were often deciding factors among those who declined participation. Perceived risks to the infant were reasons against participation, but parents …

Isolation And Upgrading Of Lignin From Agricultural Sources Using Phase Equilibria, Bronson Lynn

All Dissertations

In the emerging bioeconomy, agricultural residues from our nationwide crop harvests are positioned to be a cornerstone of renewable and sustainable fuels, chemicals, and materials. However, to be economically viable, the basic constituents of this plant matter must be separated and funneled to the appropriate application to maximize value and overall usability.

This work focuses on the component that has, to this point, been largely left behind: lignin. Although it is the most abundant aromatic biopolymer on the planet, making up 15-40% of grasses, hardwoods, and softwoods, the processing involved to isolate usable lignins is too complex and expensive to …

A Phenomenographic Analysis Of Undergraduate Student Perceptions Of The Geosciences And Geoscience Careers, Leah M. Wiitablake

All Dissertations

The climate crisis is upon us, whether we like it or not, and its undeniable effects are evident. Take, for example, Hurricane Helene, which caused unimaginable devastation to what was once considered a “climate haven,” Asheville, NC (Andreoni, 2024; Medina & Fausset, 2024). Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4, jumping from a Category 1 in less than 24 hours (Andreoni, 2024), and is noted by the National Hurricane Center as a major hurricane (National Hurricane Center & Central Pacific Hurricane Center, 2024). With the Earth now unlikely to remain below 1.5°C of warming (IPCC, 2023b), perhaps we can …

Socio-Ecological Drivers Of Anthropogenic Marine Debris Effects On Coral Reef Communities In The Florida Keys, Usa, Tokea Payton

All Dissertations

The Florida Keys reef tract has rapidly shifted from a structurally complex, hard coral-dominated reef to a less rugose, soft coral-dominated reef. Persistent anthropogenic stressors facilitate ecological transitions by including recreational and commercial fishing and increased anthropogenic marine debris. These artificial structures are becoming habitats for small marine taxa known as cryptofauna. Cryptofauna are among the most essential yet understudied reef taxa where little is known about their fate considering degrading coral reefs and increasing anthropogenic disturbance. With increased anthropogenic stressors on the marine environment, the SCUBA diving community has initiated extensive marine debris removal efforts to assist in cleaning …

Enhancing Low-Resource Language Performance In Multilingual Large Language Models, Mingqi Li

All Dissertations

The large language models play an important role in many natural language tasks. However, training these models requires large amounts of data, which is not available for many languages. A noticeable performance gap exists between English and other languages, with low-resource languages showcasing this gap prominently. Therefore, it becomes imperative to improve large language models for low-resource languages. To address these challenges, we developed knowledge distillation and strategic prompt-learning, and attention alignment methods to improve the representation capabilities of large language models for low-resource language, and then enhanced their performance in downstream tasks.

In our first study, we developed a …

Collision Hazard Prevention And Notification For Construction Worker Safety Using Audio Surveillance, Kehinde Elelu

All Dissertations

The construction industry faces significant safety challenges, with collision hazards ranking as the second highest cause of annual fatalities and injuries in the United States, as reported by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Current collision detection methods predominantly rely on proximity technologies, which necessitate costly and complex installations on each construction equipment piece. Furthermore, auditory situational awareness declines among workers due to hearing loss and intricate construction noises, which further heightens collision risks. This research introduces an innovative, low-cost, audio-based collision prevention technology aimed at enhancing auditory situational awareness for construction workers exposed to high noise levels. The …

A Multiple Mixed-Method Analysis On Empathy In First Year Engineering Education, Libby Flanagan

All Dissertations

This multiple mixed method analysis focuses on exploring how teaching empathy to first year engineering students interacts with their engineering identity and their personal definition of the role of an engineer. The participants received a four-lesson series on empathy and engineering in the Fall of 2023. They completed a pre- and post-survey as well as wrote five written reflections over the course of this semester. Analysis of the survey results found that composite empathy and engineering identity scores increased significantly over the course of this semester and that the increase in female composite engineering identity scores was significantly larger than …

Disability, Sense Of Belonging, And Inclusive Classroom Climates In Undergraduate Engineering, Candice W. Bolding

All Dissertations

In higher education, there has been a growing interest in identifying and addressing the systemic factors that impact the educational experiences and outcomes of underrepresented students pursuing degrees in engineering. Students who identify as having one or more disabilities are an underrepresented population in postsecondary engineering, and although this population of students possess numerous strengths that make them well suited for the field, they often face barriers and challenges that hinder their success within engineering programs. There exists a robust collection of literature examining the experiences and factors that impact other underrepresented groups within postsecondary engineering (e.g., students of color …

Understanding Support For Former Foster Youth: Independent Living Coordinators Perspectives On Resiliency For Foster Youth In Higher Education, Aaron Abbott

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the resilience of former foster youth in higher education, focusing on the perspectives of Independent Living Coordinators (ILCs) in Arkansas. The study explores the support systems and challenges that foster youth encounter, assessing factors that contribute to or hinder their educational success. Using a qualitative methodology with semi-structured interviews, it identifies key protective factors such as emotional support, stable mentorship, and institutional programs that promote resilience among foster youth. The findings suggest that tailored interventions and a strengths-based approach can significantly improve outcomes for this vulnerable student population. This research contributes to existing literature by offering insights …

Conceptual Platform For Basic Waterfall Manufacturing System Using Simulink With Lean- Agile Measurement Criteria, Maryam Khalid Abdul Wahid, Lamyaa Mohammed

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

This paper forms part I of two-part series that present the full path for constructing a Lean-Agile platform using Simulink and test the different criteria of such manufacturing systems. management of manufacturing systems is one of the main rules in engineering in order to reduce the waste (lean) and to fulfill the changing requirements of the market (agile). This paper describes the process of construction of the basic waterfall platform using Matlab/Simulink, and to develop the Matlab program that facilitates the input process of constants and variables into the model and then to show the results. this platform will mimic …

A Survey: Handwritten Signature Verification Using Different Methods, Zainab Ali Yakoob

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

Nowadays, with the development of correspondence via the Internet and the crises that occurred after 2019, many institutions in various fields, whether public or private, and banks and financial transactions, began to carry out most of them via the Internet and needed to sign various documents electronically. There are many problems with the signature images, documents, transactions, or files that make the verification process difficult or require preprocessing for signature. One important part of biometric authentication is signature verification, which tries to separate genuine signatures from fraud. Both online and offline signature verification techniques are examined in this survey. In …

Iot Based Football Player Training Session Simulation, Baydaa M. Merzah, Muayad Sadik, Ahmed N. Rashid

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

Simulation software is considered as an important step in the development of internet of things (IoT) scenarios and has been the subject of intense research in the past decade. While most previous efforts in simulating these devices have focused on the communication protocols and the sensor node layers Issues, a significant aspect remains in precisely measuring some health metrics of football players. Some of the IoT technologies are allowed to be used during the real match or training practice, while most of them were forbidden by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). One promising aspect, is to simulate the …

Intelligent Direct Inverse Control For Nonlinear Systems, Jenan Jabbar Abdulkareem, Omar Farouq, Hazem I. Ali

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

In this article, a modified self-recurrent wavelet neural network (MSRWNN) structure is used as a feedforward controller in the direct inverse control (DIC) method. Nonlinear dynamical systems are controlled with the help of this intelligent control strategy. The particle swam optimization (PSO) is used as an efficient optimization tool to determine the ideal MSRWNN parameter settings. A nonlinear dynamical system is considered to demonstrate the efficacy of the suggested control strategy. In addition, the ability of the MSRWNN to effectively regulate the nonlinear system under consideration is specifically assessed in terms of control accuracy and resilience to external disturbances via …

A Study For Self-Driving Car Analysis, Rasha I. Ahmed, Rana M., Matheel E. Abdulmunim

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

Computer vision has demonstrated itself to be a key component of recent technological advancements. Among computer vision applications, the self-driving automobile. The self-driving cars is one of the most significant developments in the automotive sector. Also Currently, artificial intelligence, especially neural networks, has contributed greatly to the field of automated driving. This paper presents an overview of the use of artificial neural networks for lane detection and demonstrates how this technology has become a key component of vision-controlled autonomous vehicles. ConVolutional Neural Networks (CNN) are used for lane detection, which contributes to the car's autonomous operation. Also, the conVolutional Neural …

Healthcare Based Block Chain Survey In Iot, Ghazwh Ganem Jumaa, Atheer Raheem, Rasha M. Mohsin, Abeer Tariq Maolood

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

Because block chain technology can improve distributed systems' security, dependability, and resilience, it has been gaining popularity. Research based on this technique has helped a number of fields, including data analysis, finance, remote sensing, and healthcare. The primary characteristics that make block chain technology appealing include distributed ledgers, decentralization, privacy, transparency, and data immutability. However, because there is a chance of a privacy breach, medical records that hold private patient information make this system extremely complex. The purpose of this project is to investigate block chain applications in the healthcare sector. We also include articles that touch on other topics, …

Blend Matters: Interactions Of Rice Cultivars On Milling, Physico-Chemical & End Use Traits, Bindu Regonda

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rice blending or mixing of different rice cultivars, a common practice in the industry, significantly impacts processing efficiency and end-product quality, yet its effects on end products remain understudied. This research investigated the implications of blending contemporary Arkansas rice cultivars through two comprehensive studies focusing on milling yields and physicochemical properties, instantization, and parboiling processes. Five long-grain cultivars, including hybrids (RT 7521 FP, RT 7321 FP, XP 753) and purelines (Ozark, CLL 16), were blended in various combinations and different drying.

The first study revealed that blending significantly affected milling yields and physicochemical attributes. Pre-drying blending yielded better results compared …

Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Exchange And Ecosystem Services In Ecosystems Managed For Nature-Based Solutions Using Eddy Covariance, Remote Sensing, And Models, Lucas Clay

All Dissertations

As global temperatures rise due to climate change, nature-based solutions are increasingly being used to restore nature and to remove carbon from the atmosphere. Nature-based solutions draw on methodologies such as ecological forestry and improved forest management to reduce emissions and maximize resilience. These protocols are still in their infancy and additional measurements and case studies are important to optimizing these protocols. Herein this dissertation we describe multiple measurement methodologies for both greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and for ecosystem services. In coastal wetland ecosystems, the need for GHG measurements is paramount to understanding the ability of these ecosystems to reduce …

Integrating Social And Ecological Insights In The Management Plan For An Emerging Conservation Landscape: Kanha-Pench Corridor, Hrishita Negi

All Dissertations

Since its inception in 1973, Project Tiger, which laid the groundwork for India's tiger conservation program, has grown from 9 to 53 intensively monitored and managed tiger reserves. With an increase in tigers' permanent occupancy outside of designated tiger reserves, one of the many challenges confronting India's tiger conservation has been managing its success, with a particular emphasis on this spillover population that ranges extensively in human-dominated, multi-use forest landscapes. This research illustrates the application of a participatory modeling approach to integrate human dimensions with ecological knowledge about tigers in a previously identified forest corridor in Central India. Key dimensions …

An Exploration Of The Role Of The Disorienting Dilemma In Professional Learning For Academic Library Instructors, Anne Grant

All Dissertations

This study uses an explanatory sequential mixed method design to understand more about the learning experiences of academic library instructors from 2- and 4-year institutions during a professional development session centered on using Universal Design for Learning. Transformative Learning Theory served as the lens to examine data, and the concept of a disorienting dilemma that serves as a trigger for deep learning in adults. The experiences of the participants are explained using data from a pre- and post-survey as well as semi-structured interviews with participants to learn more about factors that may predict whether or not participants experience a disorienting …

Quantile Regression And Change Point Analysis Of Remote Patient Monitoring Data From Cardiomems Hf System, Shanshan Jia

All Dissertations

Quantile regression provides a sophisticated analytical approach for clinical data, offering deeper insights into patient variability and risk assessment than conventional regression techniques. This study delves into the mathematical underpinnings of quantile regression, highlighting its advantages over ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, particularly in the context of predicting diastolic pulmonary artery pressure (PAP). We explore how this method can be applied to guide clinical interventions more effectively. By leveraging quantile regression’s ability to model different parts of the outcome distribution, we demonstrate its potential to enhance patient care through improved identification of high-risk individuals and the development of more personalized …

Neural Operator And Physics-Informed Deep Learning Approaches For Inverse Design Of Composites And Manufacturing Processes, Minglei Lu

All Dissertations

In this dissertation, artificial intelligence (AI) models are designed and used to accelerate inverse design of composites and manufacturing processes. The critical bottlenecks in machine learning (ML) including data availability, data quality, model generalization and adaptation, interpretability, physical consistency, and the ’black box’ nature of models for the inverse design are addressed. And the proposed AI models are tested under different engineering scenarios. Firstly, a fast deep neural operator (DNO) structure was developed to significantly reduce training time. This model was tested in the context of additive manufacturing, a transformative industrial technology that allows for the creation of materials with …

Advancing Visual Geometric Perception: Camera-Based Depth, Reconstruction, And Active Vision, Ziyue Feng

All Dissertations

The advancement of autonomous driving technology and intelligent robotic applications has emerged as a focal point in the realm of autonomy. One of the driving forces behind this trend is the profound understanding of the environment, and at the core of this endeavor lies the three-dimensional geometric perception. This dissertation embarks on a comprehensive exploration of this domain, emphasizing the advances of depth prediction, 3D scene reconstruction, and active vision to enhance geometric perception and scene understanding capabilities in autonomous driving, embodied AI, and robotics. In the domain of depth prediction, this research addresses the challenges of accurately inferring three-dimensional …

Composites From The Reaction Of Elemental Sulfur With Post-Consumer Plastic/Packaging Materials And Food Waste, Katelyn Derr

All Dissertations

Plastic waste is a growing epidemic. While advancements have been made in the chemical recycling of plastics, most waste plastics are deposited in the environment or landfills where they leech into their surroundings, creating a threat to ecological health. The reaction of these waste materials with elemental sulfur, an underutilized byproduct of the fossil fuel refining industry, to create high-sulfur content materials is a promising route to address the chemical recycling of plastics and proposes alternative building materials to environmentally unfriendly mineral-based materials. Single-use plastics such as food and beverage packaging account for a significant amount of plastic waste. The …

Polymersomes As Chemotherapeutic Agents Towards Non-Invasive Treatment Of Glioblastoma, Molli Garifo

All Dissertations

Glioblastoma (GBM) accounts for over 66% of all malignant central nervous system and brain tumors with a 5-year survival rate below 5%, which has remained relatively unchanged over the last four decades. To bypass the most challenging barrier to treatment, the blood-brain barrier (BBB), one intracranial implant is clinically available for GBM treatment. However, this treatment produces severe adverse effects with no significant improvements in patient outcomes. Developing an improved delivery system with a more effective chemotherapy drug will provide more controlled and specific treatment through local delivery. In this dissertation, I evaluate a hyaluronic acid-b-polylactic acid (HA-PLA) polymersome system …

Cross-Interactions Of Amyloid Proteins: Implications For Aggregation Dynamics And Disease Pathology, Zhiyuan Song

All Dissertations

Amyloid aggregation is a pervasive form of protein misfolding implicated in the pathology of several prominent human diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and type 2 diabetes (T2D). These diseases are marked by the accumulation of amyloid fibrils and toxic oligomers, which are highly dynamic and heterogeneous, posing challenges for understanding their roles in disease progression. Despite significant advances in the diagnosis and management of these conditions, no definitive cure is available. We investigate amyloid aggregation and cross-seeding, with a focus on amyloid-beta (Aβ), tau, alpha-synuclein (αS), and human islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) through discrete molecular dynamics (DMD) …

Genetic Testing And Anorexia Nervosa: Knowledge, Attitudes And Awareness, Sarah Ramsay

All Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three parts, each building on the results of the former, evaluating the treatment and research of anorexia nervosa (AN) from a healthcare genetics perspective. These three parts are bookended by an introduction and a conclusion summarizing key findings and providing suggestions for future work. First, in order to assess how Severe and Enduring Anorexia Nervosa (SE-AN) is defined in the literature, and inclusion of those with SE-AN in genetics research, a comprehensive literature review was performed. The review found a lack of consistent identification and inclusion of the SE-AN subtype in AN genetic study participants. Second, …

Agricultural Water Use In South Carolina - A Series Of Investigations To Support Long-Term Planning, Charles Pellett

All Dissertations

Agricultural water use in South Carolina has been the subject of some public debate. While there are several sources of information available, the accuracy of the relevant data has been called into doubt. Self-reported estimates may be biased; survey sampling and extrapolation methods yield wide ranges of uncertainty; and reporting compliance or response rate can change over time.

Agricultural water users self-report that their estimates of water use volumes are less accurate than the other major sectors of water use. Center pivot irrigation is the largest and fastest growing kind of agricultural water use in SC. Since the year 2000, …

Follow The Bloody Brick Road: Bleeding Kansas And The Emancipation Proclamation, Margaret Hu

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

To help illuminate Balkin’s project of Memory and Authority, this brief Essay considers a slice of American memory from Kansas’ historical archives and other primary sources, and examines its unique role in the Civil War. Specifically, it excavates the influence of Kansas’ leaders as advisors to President Abraham Lincoln. Prior to and during the Civil War, Lincoln relied upon the guidance of senior leaders from Kansas on matters ranging from guarding the White House, war strategies, the recruitment of former enslaved persons to the war effort, and the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation as a part of an effective …

Immediate Effect Of Local Vibration On Motor Unit Firing Behavior And Muscle Strength In Healthy Young Adult Males, Yuichi Nishikawa, Aleš Holobar, Kohei Watanabe, Toshihiko Komatsuzaki, Takanori Chihara, Jiro Sakamoto, Takashi Kawagoe, Hidetaka Nagayasu, Kyoko Mori, Kenji Kawano, Noriaki Maeda, Shinobu Tanaka, Allison S. Hyngstrom

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of vibration on motor unit (MU) firing behavior and physical performance of antagonist muscles in healthy young adult males.

Methods

Fourteen males (age = 24.3 ± 3.6 years) were included in this study. There were two conditions, one in which participants received 80 Hz vibration in the distal tendon of the hamstring for 30 s and the control condition (no vibration). High-density surface electromyography (HD-SEMG) signals and maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of knee extensor muscles were evaluated before and after the respective conditions and recorded from the vastus lateralis …

The Fields Of Care Project: Diabetes Education For Agricultural Laborers Of Stockton, California, Matthew Medel, Juan Fernando Rosero, Valerie Visochin, Antonella Winer

ELMSN E-Portfolio. A collection of Scholarly and Creative Works

No abstract provided.