Digital Commons Network^™

Exploration Of The Mental Health Impacts Of Drought On Rural Nebraskans Via Remembered Perceptions, Grace Schleining

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Drought is a sociological phenomenon. It is a well-known occurrence across the midwestern United States; the drying out of the soil, the failing of crops, and the constant dryness and heat… this is all drought. Inspired by my earliest memory of this climate phenomenon I sought to determine whether we can identify evidence of negative mental health impacts and/or well-being in rural Nebraskans due to drought, thus my research question: Can we identify negative effects of drought on rural Nebraskan mental health and/or wellbeing? In this study, rural Nebraska community members, who are involved with the agricultural sector, were interviewed. …

Tuning Out: Intersections Of Music And Literature In The Contemporary French-Language Novel, Alexander James Claussen

Department of Modern Languages and Literatures: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The past thirty years have seen a shift in French-language novels as authors move from the self-reflexive formal experimentation of the nouveau roman and its successors toward a literature that is again concerned with plot, character, and above all, the problems of the contemporary world. This “retour au récit” is accompanied by a resurgence of interest in writing the self (through experiments in autofiction), the past (through explorations of collective memory and collective guilt), and the present (through novels that challenge existing social structures and seek to define and develop new collective or national identities).

This dissertation examines the (re)turn …

Analyzing The Impact Of Feature Selection Using Information Gain For Airlines Customer Satisfaction, Farah Aqilah Bohani, Farah Syazwani Mohamed Rashid, Yuzi Mahmud, Sitti Rachmawati Yahya

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

Feature selection has become a focus of research in many fields that deal with machine learning and data mining because it makes classifiers cost-effective, faster, and more accurate. In this paper, the impact of feature selection using filter methods such as Information Gain is shown. The impact of feature selection has been analyzed based on the accuracy of two classifiers: J48 and Naïve Bayes. The Airline Customer Satisfaction datasets have been used for comparing with and without applying Information Gain. As a result, J48 achieved 0.33% and 0.29% improvements in accuracy after applying Information Gain for 10-fold and 20-fold cross-validation, …

Sir Fractional Order Of Covid-19 By Adams Bashforth-Moulton Method, Zubaidah Sadikin, Zaileha Md Ali, Fatin Nadira Rusly, Nuramira Husna Abu Hassan, Siti Rahimah Batcha, Noratika Nordin

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

This study addresses a research gap by introducing fractional order derivatives into the SIR model for tracking COVID-19 in Malaysia. The Caputo sense fractional derivative and the Adams Bashforth Moulton method are employed to analyse the COVID-19 behavior and stability. By manipulating fractional order derivative values, this study investigates their impact on key SIR parameters, observing that lower values accelerate the attainment of asymptotic behavior in populations. The stability analysis reveals two equilibrium points: an unstable disease-free equilibrium and a stable endemic equilibrium within the system. This pioneering exploration of fractional order derivatives in the context of Malaysia's COVID-19 modeling …

Modeling And Predicting The Dynamics Of Covid 19 In Malaysia A State Space Approach, Wan Munirah Wan Mohamad, Syazwani Mohd Salleh, Tengku Farah Busyra Tengku Nadzion, Abdul Latif Mohd Riza, Azmirul Ashaari

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

The emergence of COVID-19 in Malaysia in January 2020 marked the beginning of a significant public health challenge. Despite the transition to the endemic phase on April 1, 2022, the global impact of the virus remains substantial. This research aims to forecast the cumulative number of detected cases and deaths by employing a state-space model derived from the Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered (SIR) model, capturing the multi-wave dynamics of COVID-19. The modeling focuses on estimating the trends within the time interval spanning from week 1 to week 12, commencing in mid-June 2022. Real-time data sourced from the Ministry of Health in Malaysia serve …

Exploratory Analysis With Association Rule Mining Algorithms In The Retail Industry, Alaa Amin Hashad, Khaw Khai Wah, Alhamzah Alnoor, Xinying Chew

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

Every year the retail sector expands quickly. These industries are becoming more competitive and difficult to operate in due to their expansion. Changing consumer buying habits, a decline in people's spending capacity and an increase in international retailers are a few of the difficulties that must be overcome. In the context of mining frequent item sets, many methods have been proposed to push various kinds of limitations inside the most well-known algorithms. This study presents an exploratory analysis for retail stores that uses market basket analysis as one of the data mining techniques to identify frequent patterns in customer purchases. …

A Study On The Relationship Between Game Based Learning And Secondary School Students Mathematics Achievement In Smk Kompleks Gong Badak, Nur Sajidah Che Mansor, Nur Syazana Rosly

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

Digital game-based learning (DGBL) is an instructional method that incorporates educational content or learning principles into video games with the aim of engaging learners. The teaching techniques in schools are mostly still teacher-centered where the practice of exercise and memorization of tips and formulas are emphasized in learning. This research studied the relationship between game-based learning with the achievements of students in SMK Kompleks Gong Badak, specifically in Mathematics. Quantitative approach-based research and a single cross-sectional design were employed. A set of questionnaires were used for data collection. Data samples were collected from approximately 100 students in the selected school. …

Methodological Concerns In Developing Malaysian Adolescent's Profile On Mental Health, Hairulliza Mohamad Judi, Hazura Mohamed

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

Adolescence is a crucial period for mental and social development, and the profile of Malaysian adolescents in terms of their mental health has significant implications for their education and social outcomes. Mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and stress are prevalent among Malaysian adolescents; and these issues can negatively impact their academic performance and overall well-being. Poor mental health may influence social interactions and relationships, which can impact their ability to form healthy friendships and family relationships, communicate effectively, and function in society. The development of mental health profile of Malaysian adolescents is critical to their success in education …

Drowsy Driver Detection System Via Facial Recognition And Driving Data, Nur Iman Kamila Azharudin, Hafizah Mansor, Shaila Sharmin

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an estimated 17.6% of all fatal crashes in the years 2017–2021 involved a drowsy driver. This study proposes a drowsy driver detection system that uses both facial recognition and vehicular data to detect if a driver is feeling sleepy behind the wheel. We aim to address a lack of works in the literature that combine data measured from the driver (image or biological data) and vehicular data for drowsy driver detection. Our primary data was collected from simulated driving sessions in which a camera was used to record test drivers’ faces while …

A New Framework For Deploying Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Using Containerization Approach, Nukman Samsuddin, Mohamad Yusof Darus, Muhammad Azizi Mohd Ariffin

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to virtual learning, pushing educational institutions to adopt innovative solutions like Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI). However, traditional VDI faces performance issues due to resource limitations. This research aims to enhance VDI performance and scalability by proposing a new framework based on containerization to address performance degradation issues such as unutilized CPU and memory usage in VDI. Four key performance metrics—CPU performance, memory performance, boot time, and latency—were evaluated. This research employed a qualitative method involving five phases: problem identification, planning, design and development, testing, and result analysis. The results show that the proposed containerization …

The Effectiveness Of Educational Games In Learning Mathematics Among Secondary School Students, Nur Hanani Rosni, Nurhilyana Anuar, Aminatul Solehah Idris

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

Educational games in learning have established an alternative learning environment among students. It helps to improve students' knowledge and skill acquisition. Through educational game learning, it provides students with challenges and a sense of accomplishment. The challenges in teaching-learning mathematics subjects are student's lack of problem-solving skills and lack of interest during the lessons. Therefore, this study aims to implement educational games in learning mathematics to increase students' interest and determine its effectiveness. The study was conducted in one of the secondary school districts of Seri Manjung, Perak. A cluster sampling technique was used which comprised 32 respondents from the …

Design And Fabrication Of Iot Smart Farm, Hazim Sharudin, Ab Aziz Mohd Yusof, Haszeme Abu Kasim, Noor Hafiz Noordin, Aiman Muqhriz Usuloudin

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

This project will help farmers stay connected with their farm from anywhere. It can help to observe the temperature, humidity, and potential of hydrogen (pH) in the land. Most farmers will have difficulty keeping watch on the farm when traveling far away for work. The constant hot weather in Malaysia supports this. So, this project aims to design and fabricate an automatic plant watering system that helps farmers keep the farm in check at any place and time. The project will use a few sensors such as a temperature, pH, and soil humidity sensor to get the information needed and …

Prediction Of Diabetic Retinopathy Among Diabetic Neuropathy In T2dm Patients Using Data Mining Algorithm, Nur Balqis Oon, Zuraida Khairudin, Hezlin Aryani Abd Rahman, Norbaizura Kamarudin, Nur Syamimi Haji Abu Bakar, Nor Azimah Abd Aziz

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic neuropathy (DN) are the most common complications among diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. Despite the widespread awareness, the implications of these serious diabetes complications remain poorly understood. Hence, this study aims to determine the association between DR and DN, predict DR and identify the significant risk factors associated with DR among DN patients based on the best predictive model obtained. Three models are employed in this study; Logistic Regression (LR) (Forward, Backward, Enter and Optimize), Decision Tree (Information Gain, Gini Index and Gain Ratio) and Artificial Neural Network with a splitting of 70-30. This study involved …

Osteoarthritis Grading A Synthesized Magnetic Resonance Images Technique, Qiu Ruiyun, Siti Khatijah Nor Abdul Rahim, Nursuriati Jamil, Raseeda Hamzah, Xiaoling Fu

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

Osteoarthritis (OA) in the knee is a major cause of decreased activity and physical limitations among older people. Identifying and treating knee osteoarthritis in its early stages can help patients delay the progression of the condition. Currently, early detection of knee osteoarthritis involves the use of X-ray images and assessment using the Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grading system. Doctors' evaluations can be subjective and may differ among different doctors. Similar to a computer systems analyst, the automatic knee OA grading and diagnosis can be a valuable tool for doctors, enabling them to streamline their workload and provide more efficient care. An innovative …

Predicting Covid 19 Trends A Deep Dive Into Time Dependent Sirsd With Deep Learning Technique, Abdul Basit, Jasni Mohamad Zain, Abdul Kadir Jumaat, Nur’Izzati Hamdan, Hafiza Zoya Mojahid

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as Coronavirus Disease 2019, has affected over 700 million people globally, resulting in approximately 7 million deaths. Research has proposed multiple mathematical models to institute a disease transmission framework and predict the disease growth. Most of the existing mathematical disease growth prediction models are less effective due to the exclusion of the re-susceptible scenarios and overlooks their timedependent properties, which change continuously during the viral transmission process. Another popular prediction technique is deep learning approaches. However, existing methods often fail to accurately capture the dynamic trends of epidemics during their spreading phases in short-term and …

Impact Pathways Of Emerging Its To Mitigate Supply Chain Vulnerability: A Novel Dematel-Ism Approach Based On Grounded Theory, Xiaoting Guo, Zhaojun Yang, Jun Sun, Yali Zhang

Information Systems Faculty Publications

Enterprises leverage emerging ITs like big data analytics, the Internet of Things, and blockchain to enhance the resilience of their supply chains in volatile environments. Nevertheless, the precise mechanisms through which these technologies mitigate supply chain vulnerability remain elusive. This study identifies nine emerging ITs and fourteen mitigating factors that contribute to reducing supply chain vulnerability, drawing from both literature and interviews. Employing a novel DEMATEL-ISM approach, it unveils multi-stage impact pathways through which these technologies decrease supply chain vulnerability based on the degrees of their interactions. Utilizing grounded theory methodology, the study delves into the significance of individual factors …

Reducing Vehicle Licensing And Titling Fraud, Mallory Brown, Andrew Martin, Jeeyen Koo, Jennifer Walton

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This study reviews Kentucky’s vehicle licensing and registration program, evaluates methods of motor vehicle title fraud, examines current anti-fraud mechanisms in Kentucky, reports on vehicle titling and anti-fraud efforts in other states, assesses Ohio’s vehicle inspection program, and develops a proposal for a new Kentucky rebuilt title inspection program. Researchers developed the proposal based on historical Kentucky vehicle registration and titling data, a survey of other states, and other information provided by Kentucky’s Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing and other agency partners. Kentucky historical data revealed consistently high numbers of salvage title applications as well as spatial concentration in rebuilt …

Rethinking Food Waste To Mitigate Climate Change: Actions And Conversations On Zero Waste, Keilin Elizabeth Huang

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Taking On The Challenge: Teaching Banned And Challenged Books As A Citizenship Tool, Ell C. Rose , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

No abstract provided.

Differences In The Metabolic Outputs Of Caulobacter Crescentus Modify The Kinetics Of Silver Nanoparticle Dissolution, Tyler M. Hicks , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used within commercial products due to their distinct antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. As their utilization continues to increase, their inevitable improper disposal could present lasting environmental ramifications due to their nonspecific biotoxicity. One microorganism of interest is Caulobacter crescentus, a common freshwater bacterium found in locations where AgNPs end after their disposal. C. crescentus has two distinct cell types—a stalked and a swarmer form—each with their own unique function and metabolic outputs. Approximately 15% of the C. crescentus metabolome varies with cell cycle, thus making this an interesting and environmentally relevant model organism for …

Beyond The Classroom: Examining The Impact Of An After-School Program On Latineimmigrant Youth In Philadelphia, Lucia Navarro , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

No abstract provided.

Thinking Outside The Membrane: Investigating The Structure Of The Influenza A M2 Ectodomain, Kyra Roepke , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

Influenza A leads to annual epidemics that result in three-to-five million cases of severe illness each year and occasional devastating pandemics. Some current prevention and treatment methods target the M2 membrane protein on the surface of the virus. However, viral mutability and drug resistance require the targeting of more conserved parts of the protein.

The goal of this thesis was to investigate the secondary structure and dynamics of the M2 ectodomain (M2e), which is highly conserved across influenza viruses and across evolutionary time. The structure of M2e has previously been challenging to study because of its flexibility. In this study, …

Exploring N-H Bond Activation And C-H Bond Activation By Tripodal Tris(Nitroxide) Aluminum And Gallium Complexes, Vivian W. Guo , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

The activation of H–X (X = O, N, C) bonds is a common primary step in introducing alcohols, amines, and hydrocarbons into catalytic processes used in various industries. Precious metal complexes are commonly used as catalysts to activate H–X bonds through formal metal-based oxidative addition. However, since precious metals are scarce, expensive, toxic, and environmentally harmful, developing non-precious metal coordination complexes for H–X bond activation is essential. As a result, we investigate the activation of O–H, N–H, and C–H bonds through tripodal tris(nitroxide) aluminum and gallium complexes to develop a green strategy for broad-based H–X bond activation. Past members of …

Optical Fiber Magnetic Field Detector, Aiden Tomov , '24, Paige Poteet , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

This project demonstrates an optical approach to magnetic field detection. Operating as an adapted Mach-Zender interferometer, the apparatus begins by splitting an infrared beam of light into two separate paths, each with 50% of the overall power. These paths are segments of single-mode photonic crystal fiber (PCF) and are of equal lengths. One of the PCF paths has its air holes infused with EMG 700 ferrofluid which, by nature of ferrofluids, has a tunable refractive index (RI). The beams are recombined and shone into a power meter for analysis. When the ferrofluid-infused path encounters a magnetic field, the RI within …

Cost-Effective Pv Panel Back Mount For Temperature Control And Heat Utilization, Jiuning Ren , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

The efficiency of a PV panel is limited by its temperature, where panel efficiency drops with increasing operating temperature, resulting in low panel efficiency in hot summers. This project aims to design and implement a cheap and efficient cooling system for a PV panel in the form of a panel back mount. For this project, Solar Lab facilities were updated and used as systems for testing the functionalities of the back-panel mount design. These facilities include a Q.PEAK DUO BLK-G8+ 340 Monocrystalline silicon module PV panel, a Prostar PS-15M solar charge controller for power maximization and PV panel power monitoring, …

From Visual Data To Auditory Landscapes In Arcgis Pro, Grace Hegland , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

Data visualization is a central component to understanding spatial information in ArcGIS Pro. However, visualization creates an accessibility issue for visually impaired users. While ArcGIS supports two screen readers, JAWS and Microsoft Narrator, their ability to convey spatial relationships is limited to reading textual summaries and textual pop ups of spatial data [1]. This Senior Design project explores using data sonification to map ArcGIS data to piano pitches to create an auditory model of visually displayed map data. This auditory model allowed users to find facts and discover geospatial data trends. Ensuring fair access to information is essential for an …

Left Out In The Cold: Care, Neglect, And Homelessness In Anchorage, Alaska, Natalie C. Fraser , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

In the Summers of 2022 and 2023, Anchorage, Alaska closed all low-barrier emergency homeless shelters, forcing approximately 250 people to camp, unsheltered, throughout the city. The city’s actions spawned a crisis as people were left without food, water, or medical services, yet also sparked massive volunteer mobilization of mutual aid. This ethnographic study is based on three months of fieldwork grounded in participant observation at 3rd & Ingra, a large homeless encampment on the edge of downtown Anchorage. I studied three groups of people–policymakers, nonprofit employees, and volunteers–in order to understand how each of these groups conceptualizes homelessness and justifies …

Battery Powered Rice Cooker, Mateo Casalino , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

A small low power rice cooker was modified so that its power source came from an external power supply. This allowed the devicet to be remotely operated from a traditional wall socket. A long testing process was carried out to see in-depth information about the current, power, and voltage draw of the rice cooker over an entire cooking and “keep warm” cycle. From this data, the power draw was integrated to find the total energy consumption of the rice cooker and determined what size and type of battery was needed to be purchase. With both the rice cooker and battery …

From Crisis To Care: Non-Profit Approaches To Homelessness And Mental Health In Philadelphia Throughout Covid-19, Yomaris Melecio , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

In this study, I explore the intersection of homelessness and mental health in Philadelphia through the lens of three non-profit organizations dedicated to addressing these challenges. Central questions guiding this research include: “How do these organizations understand and integrate mental health considerations into their missions and services? How did the Covid-19 pandemic impact their services?” My methodology involves analyzing data from the City of Philadelphia's Office of Homeless Services to understand homelessness trends, while also examining non-profit organizations' responses to COVID-19 challenges. This includes assessing mission alignment, financial management, and service provision through mission statement analysis, financial allocation, and comparing …

Soul Craft As The Work Of Sorrow And Hope: An Analysis Of “The Inner Life” In The Practice Of True Religion, Bethany Winters , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

No abstract provided.