Digital Commons Network^™

Towards Automated Scaffolding Of Learners' Code Comprehension Process, Priti Oli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This dissertation focuses on strategies and techniques to enhance code comprehension skills among students enrolled in introductory computer science courses (CS1 and CS2). We propose a novel tutoring system, \textit{DeepCodeTutor}, designed to improve the code comprehension abilities of novices. DeepCodeTutor employs scaffolded self-explanation to facilitate a deeper understanding of code. Our user study demonstrates the effectiveness of DeepCodeTutor, with detailed results reported in this dissertation. DeepCode Tutor incorporates various components such as expert-generated code explanations and scaffolding based on students' knowledge gaps. Although effective, expert-generated explanations and scaffolding are resource-intensive and difficult to scale. To address these challenges, we explore …

Impacts Of Glycol Runoff On Water Quality: A Case Study Of Memphis International Airport, Alyssa Riley Huffman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This thesis investigates the impacts of glycol runoff on water quality before and after the installation of a consolidated deicing facility (CDF) at the Memphis International Airport (MEM). Deicing operations at airports are crucial for ensuring safe air travel during cold weather, yet they contribute to environmental concerns due to chemical runoff. Glycol runoff, mainly composed of ethylene and propylene glycol, poses risks to aquatic ecosystems, including oxygen depletion and biodiversity loss. This study focuses primarily on water quality in Nonconnah, Days, and Hurricane creeks around the MEM. The research assesses glycol's effects on water quality and macroinvertebrate populations in …

Annual Forage Insurance Program Performance, Jay Parsons

Cornhusker Economics

In 2014, the Annual Forage Insurance Program (AFIP) was offered for the first time by the USDA – Risk Management Agency (RMA) as a pilot program for the states of Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. It was expanded to include Colorado in 2016 and New Mexico in 2017. This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the program, and the goal of this article is to provide a summary of where the program is and how it is being used. We will focus specific attention on Nebraska but also provide an overview of the national picture.

The …

Unfaithful Brands: How Brand Attachment Can Lead To Negative Responses To Influencer Marketing Campaigns, Kara Bentley, Priyali Rajagopal, Katina Kulow

Business Faculty Articles and Research

The use of influencer marketing campaigns has increased exponentially in recent years as brands have embraced such campaigns in order to capitalize on the relationships that social media influencers (SMIs) have built with their followers as a means of increasing brand awareness and sales. Although influencer marketing is extensively utilized in practice, much is still unknown about the effects of these campaigns, including potential downsides and audience-level variables that could moderate their success. In the current research, we find that partnering with SMIs is perceived as a norm violation for consumers with a high brand attachment, negatively impacting consumption intentions. …

Re: Approval Letter Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Resubmittal Of The Grove Gulch Sedimentation Bay 100% Remedial Design (Submitted On July 10, 2024), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Office Of Research, Economic Engagement And Outreach Update, July 17, 2024, Office Of Research, Economic Engagement And Outreach

Office of Research, Economic Engagement and Outreach

No abstract provided.

Innovative Designs Of 3d Scaffolds For Bone Tissue Regeneration: Understanding Principles And Addressing Challenges, Mohamed Selim, Hamouda M. Mousa, G. T. Abdel-Jaber, Ahmed Barhoum, Abdalla Abdal-Hay

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Meeting the escalating demands in biomedical applications has spurred the creation of diverse scaffolds, where the selection of materials and manufacturing techniques stands as a linchpin in fostering bone tissue formation. These scaffolds provide a fundamental structural framework that supports cell growth and differentiation. It is vital for tissue repair, addressing various biological requisites such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and mechanical properties becomes imperative. This comprehensive review discusses recent advancements in the techniques for manufacturing 3D scaffolds tailored specifically for bone tissue engineering applications. Stereolithography, fused deposition modelling, selective laser sintering, binder jetting, electron beam melting, and bioprinting (including laser-based, inkjet …

The Landscape Of Cancer-Associated Transcript Fusions In Adult Brain Tumors: A Longitudinal Assessment In 140 Patients With Cerebral Gliomas And Brain Metastases, Manmeet Ahluwalia

All Publications

Background: Oncogenic fusions of neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase NTRK1, NTRK2, or NTRK3 genes have been found in different types of solid tumors. The treatment of patients with TRK fusion cancer with a first-generation TRK inhibitor (such as larotrectinib or entrectinib) is associated with high response rates (>75%), regardless of tumor histology and presence of metastases. Due to the efficacy of TRK inhibitor therapy of larotrectinib and entrectinib, it is clinically important to identify patients accurately and efficiently with TRK fusion cancer. In this retrospective study, we provide unique data on the incidence of oncogenic NTRK gene fusions …

The Impact Of Social-Structural Factors On The Health Of Migrating Older People In China : Testing The Buffering Effect Of Social Capital And Social Integration, Anqi Chen

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

While older adult migration in China has received significant attention, the related health research and the pivotal role of social relations have been underexplored. This study, grounded in the theory of the relationship between social capital and health, as well as the social integration theory of migration, examines the associations between social relations and health inequalities under the social structure of Chinese society including socio-economic status, hukou and urban/rural residence.

Methodology: Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) 2018 survey, three health outcomes are physical function, cognitive function, and mental health. The sample consists of 3,137 …

Make Plans For Summer Fun At Uab Legacy Family Day On Aug. 11, Shannon Thomason

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

Greater Aperture Counteracts Effects Of Reduced Stomatal Density On Water Use Efficiency: A Case Study On Sugarcane And Meta-Analysis, Daniel Lunn, Baskaran Kannan, Amandine Germon, Alistair Leverett, Thomas E. Clemente, Fredy Altpeter, Andrew D.B. Leakey

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Stomata regulate CO₂ and water vapor exchange between leaves and the atmosphere. Stomata are a target for engineering to improve crop intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE). One example is by expressing genes that lower stomatal density (SD) and reduce stomatal conductance (g_sw). However, the quantitative relationship between reduced SD, g_sw, and the mechanisms underlying it is poorly understood. We addressed this knowledge gap using low-SD sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrid) as a case study alongside a meta-analysis of data from 10 species. Transgenic expression of EPIDERMAL PATTERNING FACTOR 2 from Sorghum bicolor (SbEPF2) in sugarcane …

From Classroom Interaction To Academic Success: Tracing The Mediating Role Of Effective Communication In Faculty-Student Dynamics, Nadia Dahmani, Wael Ali, Mohammed Aboelenein, Mohammad A.K. Alsmairat, Mursal Faizi

All Works

This paper aimed to determine the impact of faculty communication style, student proactiveness, and academic discipline on student academic performance and student-faculty relationship quality in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) higher education context. This study also aimed to contribute to the literature by verifying the mediating impact of communication effectiveness between the selected factors. Using a cross-sectional survey design, the study sample comprised 193 university students, and it was analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results revealed that academic discipline and the professor’s communication style enhanced communication effectiveness, whereas student proactiveness had a minimal effect. The …

Crown Shy, Laura Francesca Kincaid

Dissertations and Theses

Crown Shy explores the ripple effects of inheritance--somatic, psychological, and material--and how such inheritance constellates into our adult relations and relating. In three parts, the text undermines nuclear family imaginings, first by pulling them out by the root, and later through radical practice, formal constraint, and syntactic ambiguity. By studying the natural world--the organizing principles of trees, insects, and flowers--Crown Shy attempts to glean strategy from evidence of what is already thriving. Reluctantly lyrical, the text quietly deplores the ramifications of commercial agriculture, including the speaker’s own family farm and ancestral homestead. With the weight of this origin point, …

Use Of Population-Weighted Density Index For Coronavirus Spread In The United States, Huseyin Yuce, Hannah Stauss, Adrienne Persad

Publications and Research

Background: Understanding how population density affected the transmission of COVID-19 is vitally important, since crowded cities were the epicenters for the disease. Since human contact was the main cause of the spread, population-weighted densities have been shown to be a better measure than conventional densities, since the variation in density across subareas matters more than the density in the total area. Objectives: This study investigates the impact of population-weighted density and other demographics on the rate of COVID-19 spread in the United States. Methods: The study considers population-weighted density and many other demographics. The population-weighted density index is the weighted …

Improving Hospital Performance Using Technological Performance Strategies To Reduce Misdiagnoses, Carlistus Nnabuife

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The burgeoning challenge of patient disease misdiagnosis presents a significant obstacle, important to hospital administrators because of their responsibility and concern for delivering quality health care. Grounded in the Kaizen continuous improvement model, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to identify and explore effective technological strategies used by four hospital administrators to reduce the incidence of disease misdiagnosis and improve organizational performance. Data were collected from participant interviews and relevant public documents. Thematic analysis included transcription review, data coding, and theme identification. Four themes emerged: (a) prioritizing the acquisition of advanced technology tools, (b) proper fitting of technology …

The Relationship Between Corporate Environmental Performance And Firm Value, Edward Basile

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increasing scrutinization of polluting industries raises concern for corporate leaders responsible for sustaining profitability while reducing environmental impacts. Nested in the enlightened value maximization theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions, waste and hazardous materials management, water and wastewater management, and firm value. The participants were 140 publicly listed industrial companies that disclosed corporate environmental impacts to environmental rating agencies. The results of the multiple linear regression were significant, F(3, 136) = 4.51, p < .01, R2 = .09. In the final model, two independent variables were significant, greenhouse gas emissions (t = –2.21, p = .03, �� = –.187) and waste and hazardous materials management (t = 2.62, p = .01, �� = .227). A fundamental recommendation emerging from this study is for industry leaders to establish a robust environmental impact disclosure strategy that accounts for sustainable production and long-horizon value maximization. The implications for positive social change include the potential to minimize an industry’s environmental footprint while jointly enhancing ecological stability, human flourishing, and environmentally responsible products and services.

Crispr-Cas9 And Cas12a Target Site Richness Reflects Genomic Diversity In Natural Populations Of Anopheles Gambiae And Aedes Aegypti Mosquitoes, Travis C Collier, Yoosook Lee, Derrick K Mathias, Víctor López Del Amo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Due to limitations in conventional disease vector control strategies including the rise of insecticide resistance in natural populations of mosquitoes, genetic control strategies using CRISPR gene drive systems have been under serious consideration. The identification of CRISPR target sites in mosquito populations is a key aspect for developing efficient genetic vector control strategies. While genome-wide Cas9 target sites have been explored in mosquitoes, a precise evaluation of target sites focused on coding sequence (CDS) is lacking. Additionally, target site polymorphisms have not been characterized for other nucleases such as Cas12a, which require a different DNA recognition site (PAM) and would …

Morphotype-Specific Calcium Signaling In Human Microglia, Thomas V Wuttke, Frederik Steiner, Katherine Figarella, Oliver Griesbeck, Olga Garaschuk

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Key functions of Ca2+ signaling in rodent microglia include monitoring the brain state as well as the surrounding neuronal activity and sensing the danger or damage in their vicinity. Microglial Ca2+ dyshomeostasis is a disease hallmark in many mouse models of neurological disorders but the Ca2+ signal properties of human microglia remain unknown.

Methods: We developed a novel genetically-encoded ratiometric Ca2+ indicator, targeting microglial cells in the freshly resected human tissue, organotypically cultured tissue slices and analyzed in situ ongoing Ca2+ signaling of decades-old microglia dwelling in their native microenvironment.

Results: The data revealed marked compartmentalization of Ca2+ signals, …

Changing Neighborhood Income Deprivation Over Time, Moving In Childhood, And Adult Risk Of Depression, Clive E Sabel, Carsten Bøcker Pedersen, Sussie Antonsen, Roger T Webb, Henriette Thisted Horsdal

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

IMPORTANCE: Complex biological, socioeconomic, and psychological variables combine to cause mental illnesses, with mounting evidence that early-life experiences are associated with adulthood mental health.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether changing neighborhood income deprivation and residential moves during childhood are associated with the risk of receiving a diagnosis of depression in adulthood.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cohort study included the whole population of 1 096 916 people born in Denmark from January 1, 1982, to December 31, 2003, who resided in the country during their first 15 years of life. Individuals were followed up from 15 years of age until either …

Assessing Environmental Injustice In Kansas City By Linking Paediatric Asthma To Local Sources Of Pollution: A Cross-Sectional Study., Elizabeth Friedman, Brian R. Lee, David Rahn, Beto Lugo Martinez, Atenas Mena

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE: A grassroots environmental-justice organisation in Kansas City has been examining the disproportionate exposure to air pollution experienced by residents living fenceline to the largest classification railyard in the USA. Prior analyses showed limited increased risk for asthma exacerbation for patients with asthma living closer to toxic release inventory (TRI) facilities and railyards. In this study, we assessed geographical asthma and environmental disparities, to further explore community-level disparities.

DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study of population-level asthma rates, which included rates for all asthma encounters and acute asthma encounters (urgent care, emergency department, inpatient admission). Distances from census-tract centroids to …

The Populist Discourse On The Environment: Framework And Evidence From Europe And The Americas, Francesco Duina, Hermione Xiaoqing Zhou

All Faculty Scholarship

What is the relationship between populism and the environment? Existing research answers this question by identifying empirical patterns emerging from the positions of specific populist parties. These patterns, however, are not leveraged to propose an overall framework for how populism itself relates to environmental positions. We adopt a deductive approach that draws from populism’s essence to articulate what we should expect. Populism is an ideologically ‘thin’ discursive approach centered on people-centrism and anti-elitism. The environment, as other substantive matters, is therefore a second-order issue. Given this, we should expect considerable variations across populists in their environmental positions. At the same …

Optoelectronic And Morphological Surface Resistance Evaluation Of Laser-Induced Graphene Counter Electrodes For Potential Applications In Cesium Lead Halide Perovskite Solar Cells, Ziad Khalifa, Sameh Osama Abdellatif, Rami Ghannam

Chemical Engineering

This study investigates the physicochemical, optical, and electrical characterization of laser-induced graphene (LIG) samples for integration as counter electrodes in cesium lead halide perovskite solar cells. The impact of laser processing parameters on electrode performance is explored, including laser power, laser speed, and beam defocus. Density functional theory (DFT) computational modeling is employed for atomistic investigation and work function estimation, demonstrating the density of states (DOS), quantum capacitance of the graphene sheets, and energy work function. NiO is utilized as a hole transport layer, and the energy work function of LIG is tuned accordingly. SEM measurements estimate thin film porosity, …

Brilacidin, A Novel Antifungal Agent Against Cryptococcus Neoformans, Camila Diehl, Dong-Gyu Kim, Tamara L Doering, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

UNLABELLED:

IMPORTANCE: Invasive fungal infections have a high mortality rate causing more deaths annually than tuberculosis or malaria. Cryptococcosis, one of the most prevalent fungal diseases, is generally characterized by meningitis and is mainly caused by two closely related species of basidiomycetous yeasts,

Cellular Endosomal Potassium Ion Flux Regulates Arenavirus Uncoating During Virus Entry, Amelia B Shaw, Hiu Nam Tse, Owen Byford, Grace Plahe, Alex Moon-Walker, Samantha E Hover, Erica Ollmann Saphire, Sean P J Whelan, Jamel Mankouri, Juan Fontana, John N Barr

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is an enveloped and segmented negative-sense RNA virus classified within the

Dietary Tea Polyphenol Supplementation And Its Impacts On Growth Performance, Plasma Parameters, And Antioxidant Capacity Of Juvenile Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (Gift: Oreochromis Niloticus), Christopher Peterson Daniel, Sahya Maulu, Wenqiang Jiang, Shiyou Chen, Linghong Miao, Xiangping Ge

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The term ‘tea polyphenols’ (TPs) comprises a broad range of polyphenol compounds present in tea, demonstrating positive health effects such as antioxidant activity, etc. in animals. This study investigated the effects of TPs supplementation in juvenile genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT); Oreochromis niloticus). Fifteen fish (weight: 13.46 ± 1.25 g) were distributed in six tanks and randomly assigned with diets containing graded levels of TPs (mg/kg): 0.00 (control), 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 in quadruplicate for 8 weeks. After the trial, the fish fed 500 mg/kg TPs exhibited a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in final body weight (FBW) compared with the control. Whole-body moisture content was elevated, while crude protein was lowered significantly (p < 0.05) by a 100 mg/kg TPs diet compared with the control. Plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was significantly elevated (p < 0.05) at over 200 mg/kg; triglyceride (TG) content was lowered (p < 0.05) by the TPs diet compared with the control diet. Catalase (CAT) was significantly enhanced (p < 0.05) by TPs except at 300 mg/kg; superoxide dismutase (SOD) was increased (p < 0.05) by 200, 400 and 500 mg/kg; total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) was enhanced (p < 0.05) by 400–500 mg/kg; glutathione (GSH) was improved (p < 0.05) by 500 mg/kg; and malondialdehyde (MDA) level was elevated (p < 0.05) in the 100–200 mg/kg TPs diet compared with the control. TPs can be utilized as a feed supplement to improve the plasma biochemical parameters and AOC of GIFT juveniles.

Sea Anemones (Actinia Equina) Show Consistent Individual Differences In Boldness And Thoroughness But Lack A Behavioural Syndrome, Samantha Simpson, Mark Briffa

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Behavioural syndromes are suites of behaviours that corelate between-individuals but the same behaviours may also show within-individual correlations owing to state dependency or trade-offs. Therefore, overall phenotypic behavioural correlations must be separated into their between- and within-individual components. We investigate how startle response duration (an index of boldness) and time taken to reject an inert item (an index of investigation thoroughness) covary in beadlet sea anemones, Actinia equina. Anemones took longer to reject a more complex item compared to a simpler one, validating this measure of investigation thoroughness. We then quantified between- and within-individual correlations using a Bayesian analysis and …

A Reinterpretation Of The Relationship Between Persistent And Resurgent Sodium Currents, Samuel P Brown, Ryan J Lawson, Jonathan D Moreno, Joseph L Ransdell

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The resurgent sodium current (I

Spanish Translation Of The Expert Recommendations For Implementing Change (Eric) Compilation, Amelia E Van Pelt, Alejandra Paniagua-Avila, Amanda Sanchez, Stephanie Sila, Elizabeth D Lowenthal, Byron J Powell, Rinad S Beidas

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Most implementation science resources (e.g., taxonomies) are published in English. Linguistic inaccessibility creates a barrier to the conduct of implementation research among non-English-speaking populations, so translation of resources is needed. Translation into Spanish can facilitate widespread reach, given the large proportion of Spanish speakers around the world. This research aimed to systematically translate the Expert Recommendations for Implementation Change (ERIC) compilation into Spanish as an exemplar for the linguistic translation process.

METHODS: Using the World Health Organization guidelines, this work translated the ERIC compilation strategy names, short definitions, and thematic clusters through a three-step process: 1) forward translation into …

Kantian Reason & Epistemic Humility, Elias Seeman

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

Immanuel Kant continues to be one of the most influential thinkers in the history of philosophy. His thought shapes much of contemporary culture and has dramatically influenced Christian philosophy and theology. While some of this influence is beneficial, there are components of Kantian thought – especially as it pertains to the capabilities of human reason to arrive at true knowledge of God – that are decidedly problematic. In this paper, two different readings on Kant’s work on this subject are presented, followed by a brief overview of key insights and shortcomings. The final section charts a positive way forward for …

Limit Theorems For Increments Of Branching Particle Systems With Linear Rates And Poisson Initial Condition, Alexander Kreinin, Vladimir V. Vinogradov

Journal of Stochastic Analysis

No abstract provided.