Digital Commons Network^™

Copula Based Models For Bivariate Zero-Inflated Count Time Series Data, Dimuthu Fernando

Mathematics & Statistics Theses & Dissertations

Count time series data have multiple applications. The applications can be found in areas of finance, climate, public health and crime data analyses. In most scenarios, time is an important part of the data. Time series counts then come as multivariate vectors that exhibit not only serial dependence within each time series but also with cross-correlation among the series. When considering these observed counts, and when a value, say zero, occurs more often than usual, analysis presents crucial challenges. There is presence of zeroinflation in the data. The literature on bivariate or multivariate count time series, as well as zero-inflated …

Annual Report Evaluation Highlights, Sophie Weider, Michaela Fascione, Kelsi West, Marcy Doyle

All Materials

No abstract provided.

Model-Free Sliding Mode Control In The Lateral And Direction Dynamics Of An Aircraft, Nicholas Hutson

Theses

Traditional control methods require extensive tuning or a derivation of a system model making them increasingly antiquated for use on new, more complex systems. Sliding Mode Control has emerged as a more effective alternative as a control method that can directly handle nonlinear systems with increased robustness while guaranteeing stability. However, it is still limited by the need for a system model for the derivation of the controller form. This work proposes a new model-free control method based on Sliding Mode Control referred to as Model-Free Sliding Mode Control where the form of the controller is only dependent on system …

Amulet: Addressing Emotional Abuse, Wentao Sun

Theses

In a world grappling with the scourge of psychological violence, particularly gaslighting, in intimate relationships, the "Amulet" project presents a visionary design solution. Positioned at the intersection of emotional abuse and technology, the project conceptualizes Amulet as a biometric system embodied in a hypothetical skin tattoo and extendable across digital devices. The Amulet project explores the potential role of design in challenging and addressing this insidious form of abuse. The core elements of the project include designing a unique brand identity for Amulet and the creation of a user-friendly interface that offers an intuitive and empowering user experience. The designed …

A Search Of M31 For Giant Radio Pulses From Radio Pulsars And Magnetars, David Saroff

Theses

We present results of a 40-hour survey of the nearby galaxy M31 for giant radio pulses (GRPs) from radio pulsars using the Green Bank Radio telescope (GBT) in the 300 MHz to 400 MHz band. We note that GRPs from known pulsars in the Milky Way or its nearest companion galaxies, the Magellanic clouds, if relocated to M31, would not be detectable with the GBT in the 300 MHz to 400 MHz band. However, the brightest GRPs from a pulsar in M31, like the Crab pulsar B0531+21, are within a factor of 2 of detectability. Our observations cover a projected …

Dust Reverberation Mapping Of Active Galactic Nuclei: Effects Of Survey Duration And Sampling, Shaelyn Shadwell

Theses

In the next few years, large-scale surveys with a time domain element, such as the ten-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), will produce an immense data set to study variable and transient astronomical sources such as active galactic nuclei (AGN). AGN are located at the center of most galaxies and have five major components: a supermassive black hole (SMBH), an accretion disk, the broad-line region (BLR), a dusty circumnuclear torus, and the narrow-line region (NLR). The torus is believed to have a two-component structure: a geometrically thin circumnuclear disk and a hollow dusty cone along the polar axis. …

Using Natural Language Processing To Support Software Security Requirement Development, Spencer Herzog

Theses

The advent of Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools has had profound effects upon the software requirements engineering process. Engineering requirements are a key part of software development, guiding the overall process and ensuring that the resulting software can properly accomplish the desired results without any issues. NLP tools have been used alongside requirements engineering for many years, in a variety of tasks. Our study investigates the uses of NLP tools, including OpenAI's large language model (LLM) tool ChatGPT as well as a novel Natural Language Inference (NLI) model that our team proposed, for the use of classification of various software …

Effects Of Environmental Pollutants On Liver Disease: Role Of The Gut-Liver Axis., Ngozi Victoria Adiele

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polystyrene (PS) microplastics are environmental pollutants associated with various diseases including toxicant associated fatty liver disease (TAFLD). Previously, exposure to Aroclor 1260 (a PCB mixture) has been shown to exacerbate TAFLD, partly through Aroclor 1260 induced gut dysbiosis. Studies has also demonstrated that PS exposure alters gut microbiome composition and induced obesity. However, the effects of Aroclor 1260 on the gut and the effects of PS on the liver are still understudied. Therefore, we hypothesize that environmental pollutants will disrupt the gut-liver axis through changes in gut and its microbiome as well as changes in liver …

Noise-Resilient And Adaptive Distributed Control Techniques For Microgrids, Seyed Iman Habibi

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

This dissertation focuses on addressing the critical tasks of secondary control in microgrids, particularly in the islanding operating mode. The presence of noise in sensors and communication links necessitates the design of a noise-resilient secondary control approach. In response, this dissertation introduces the Nonlinear Generalized Minimum Variance (NGMV) control approach into the islanded AC and DC microgrid's secondary control system. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated through MATLAB simulations. Additionally, the dissertation presents an adaptive, model-free, and data-driven control approach for secondary voltage control in AC microgrids, addressing uncertainties. By employing Unfalsified Adaptive Control (UAC), the approach selects …

Neuroaffirmative Approaches To Extended Reality: Empowering Individuals With Autism Spectrum Condition Through Immersive Learning Environments, James Hutson, Caitlyn Mcginley

Faculty Scholarship

Traditional teaching and working environments often prioritize extroverted qualities, disadvantaging individuals with conditions that impact social engagement, such as autism spectrum condition (ASC). These individuals usually thrive in calmer, low-key learning environments but face challenges in lecture-style classes, and traditional office environments leading to marginalization in academic and professional settings. This study explores the neuroaffirming potential of extended reality (XR) in creating immersive learning and working environments tailored to the unique needs of individuals with ASC. By focusing on four key factors—indirect social engagement, digital communication preferences, sensory sensitivity, and avatar-based communication—XR technologies can provide a supportive and accommodating environment …

Sex Differences In Resting Metabolic Rate Among Athletes And Association With Body Composition Parameters: A Follow-Up Investigation, Andrew R. Jagim, Margaret T. Jones, Andrew T. Askow, Joel Luedke, Jacob L. Erickson, Jennifer B. Fields, Chad Kerksick

Faculty Scholarship

The purpose of this study was to examine sex differences in resting metabolic rate (RMR) and associations between measured RMR and body composition parameters in athletes. One-hundred and ninety collegiate men (n = 98; age: 20.1 ± 1.6 yr.; body mass: 92.7 ± 17.5 kg; height: 181.6 ± 6.2 cm, body mass index: 28.0 ± 4.7 kg/m2) and women (n = 92; age: 19.4 ± 1.1 yr.; body mass: 65.2 ± 11.0 kg; height: 168.0 ± 6.6 cm, body mass index: 23.0 ± 3.6 kg/m2) athletes volunteered to participate in this study. Athletes completed a body composition assessment using air …

A Randomized Controlled Trial To Examine The Impact Of A Multi-Strain Probiotic On Self-Reported Indicators Of Depression, Anxiety, Mood, And Associated Biomarkers, Kylie E. Walden, Jessica M. Moon, Anthony M. Hagele, Leah E. Allen, Connor J. Gaige, Joesi M. Krieger, Ralf Jäger, Petey W. Mumford, Marco Pane, Chad M. Kerksick

Faculty Scholarship

Objective: To examine the efficacy of supplementing with a multi-strain probiotic (MSP) on changes associated with mood, anxiety, and neurotransmitter levels.

Method: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled fashion, 70 healthy men and women (31.0  ±  9.5  years, 173.0  ±  10.4  cm, 73.9  ±  13.8  kg, 24.6  ±  3.5  kg/m2 ) supplemented with a single capsule of MSP (a total daily dose of 4 × 109 colony forming units [CFU] comprised of a 1 × 109   CFU dose from each of the following strains: Limosilactobacillus fermentum LF16, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus LR06, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LP01, and Bifidobacterium longum 04, Probiotical S.p.A., Novara, …

Effects Of Parental Deployment On Military-Connected High School Students And Strategies For Academic Success, Sean T. Lucas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract The problem investigated in this study was unknown opportunities that exist for educators to meet the academic needs of students who are affected by combat parental deployment and how this challenge of combat deployment disrupts the family’s dynamic, thus challenging their children academically. The Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard made up about 1% of the total United States population in 2015. Most of these people were married, 42% had children, and 54% of their children were in kindergarten to 12th grade. The Department of Defense school system is comprised of 166 accredited schools across 11 foreign …

(A Lack Of) Effects Of Acute Social Stress On Attentional Bias To Threat, Colton L. Hunter, Grant Shields

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Attentional biases toward or away from emotionally evocative stimuli have been well documented and are known to be clinically relevant, making it important to understand how various factors contribute to them. Some work has suggested that acute stress modulates attentional biases, but this work has produced inconsistent results. For example, many studies have found that stress enhances attentional bias, others that stress decreases attentional bias, and others still that there is no effect of stress at all. Methodological differences may explain these inconsistencies. For example, discrepancies exist between studies in participant sex (e.g., mixed sample vs. all men) and in …

A Data-Light And Trajectory-Based Machine Learning Approach For The Online Prediction Of Flight Time Of Arrival, Zhe Zheng, Bo Zou, Wenbin Wei, Wen Tian

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The ability to accurately predict flight time of arrival in real time during a flight is critical to the efficiency and reliability of aviation system operations. This paper proposes a data-light and trajectory-based machine learning approach for the online prediction of estimated time of arrival at terminal airspace boundary (ETA_TAB) and estimated landing time (ELDT), while a flight is airborne. Rather than requiring a large volume of data on aircraft aerodynamics, en-route weather, and traffic, this approach uses only flight trajectory information on latitude, longitude, and speed. The approach consists of four modules: (a) reconstructing the sequence of trajectory points …

Abyssal Hydrothermal Springs-Cryptic Incubators For Brooding Octopus, James P. Barry, Steven Y. Litvin, Andrew Devogelaere, David W. Caress, Chris F. Lovera, Amanda S. Kahn, Erica J. Burton, Chad King, Jennifer B. Paduan, C. Geoffrey Wheat, Fanny Girard, Sebastian Sudek, Anne M. Hartwell, Alana D. Sherman, Paul R. Mcgill, Aaron Schnittger, Janet R. Voight, Eric J. Martin

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Does warmth from hydrothermal springs play a vital role in the biology and ecology of abyssal animals? Deep off central California, thousands of octopus (Muusoctopus robustus) migrate through cold dark waters to hydrothermal springs near an extinct volcano to mate, nest, and die, forming the largest known aggregation of octopus on Earth. Warmth from the springs plays a key role by raising metabolic rates, speeding embryonic development, and presumably increasing reproductive success; we show that brood times for females are ∼1.8 years, far faster than expected for abyssal octopods. Using a high-resolution subsea mapping system, we created landscapescale maps and …

A Review For Green Energy Machine Learning And Ai Services, Yukta Mehta, Rui Xu, Benjamin Lim, Jane Wu, Jerry Gao

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

There is a growing demand for Green AI (Artificial Intelligence) technologies in the market and society, as it emerges as a promising technology. Green AI technologies are used to create sustainable solutions and reduce the environmental impact of AI. This paper focuses on describing the services of Green AI and the challenges associated with it at the community level. This article also highlights the accuracy levels of machine learning algorithms for various time periods. The process of choosing the appropriate input parameters for weather, locations, and complexity is outlined in this paper to examine the ML algorithms. For correcting the …

Habeas At Home And Heart: Progressive Era Cases Of Spousal Confinement To Nebraska's Psychiatric Households, Isabelle Childs

Digital Legal Research Lab

No abstract provided.

Vol 68 #4, Melanie Argo

MPLA Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Gamma Secretase Activating Protein Promotes End-Organ Dysfunction After Bacterial Pneumonia, Meredith S. Gwin, Mikhail F. Alexeyev, Aron M. Geurts, Ji Young Lee, Chun Zhou, Xi-Ming Yang, Michael V. Cohen, James M. Downey, Robert A. Barrington, Domenico Spadafora, Jonathon P. Audia, Dara W. Frank, Sarah Voth, Viktoriya V. Pastukh, Jessica Bell, Linn Ayers, Dhananjay T. Tambe, Amy R. Nelson, Ron Balczon, Mike T. Lin, Troy Stevens

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Pneumonia elicits the production of cytotoxic beta amyloid (Ab) that contributes to end-organ dysfunction, yet the mechanism(s) link- ing infection to activation of the amyloidogenic pathway that produces cytotoxic Ab is unknown. Here, we tested the hypothesis that gamma-secretase activating protein (GSAP), which contributes to the amyloidogenic pathway in the brain, promotes end-organ dys- function following bacterial pneumonia. First-in-kind Gsap knockout rats were generated. Wild-type and knockout rats possessed simi- lar body weights, organ weights, circulating blood cell counts, arterial blood gases, and cardiac indices at baseline. Intratracheal Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection caused acute lung injury and a hyperdynamic circulatory state. …

Gamma Secretase Activating Protein Promotes End-Organ Dysfunction After Bacterial Pneumonia, Meredith S. Gwin, Mikhail F. Alexeyev, Aron M. Geurts, Ji Young Lee, Chun Zhou, Xi-Ming Yang, Michael V. Cohen, James M. Downey, Robert A. Barrington, Domenico Spadafora, Jonathon P. Audia, Dara W. Frank, Sarah Voth, Viktoriya V. Pastukh, Jessica Bell, Linn Ayers, Dhananjay T. Tambe, Amy R. Nelson, Ron Balczon, Mike T. Lin, Troy Stevens

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Pneumonia elicits the production of cytotoxic beta amyloid (Aβ) that contributes to end-organ dysfunction, yet the mechanism(s) linking infection to activation of the amyloidogenic pathway that produces cytotoxic Aβ is unknown. Here, we tested the hypothesis that gamma-secretase activating protein (GSAP), which contributes to the amyloidogenic pathway in the brain, promotes end-organ dysfunction following bacterial pneumonia. First-in-kind Gsap knockout rats were generated. Wild-type and knockout rats possessed similar body weights, organ weights, circulating blood cell counts, arterial blood gases, and cardiac indices at baseline. Intratracheal Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection caused acute lung injury and a hyperdynamic circulatory state. Whereas infection led …

The Relationship Between Colorado Teacher Salary And Colorado Teacher Turnover, Jason Lee Seybert

Dissertations

This secondary research study used quantitative research methods to gather and analyze statistical data on specific factors that have been demonstrated to impact teacher retention and assessed their relative importance in impacting teacher turnover. The data utilized for this study were peer-reviewed, publicly available, government data collected by the Colorado Department of Education. The time period examined in this study was the school years of 2015-2019. The study found teacher salary was a significant determinant of teacher retention in Colorado. When controlling for other potentially important factors, such as academic performance, English language learners, socioeconomic status, minority students, and setting …

Experiences Of Middle School Students With Visual Impairments Accessing Technologies In Inclusive Classrooms, Anitha Muthukumaran

Dissertations

As the educational environment is moving more towards a technology-rich system, students with visual impairments (VI) educated in general education classrooms must be guaranteed equitable access to content curricula. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of middle school students with VI when accessing and using technologies in general education classrooms. In this multiple case study, three middle school students with VI were observed in general education settings for two school days. In addition to the students, general education teachers and teachers of students with VI (TVI) also participated in the study to understand how best they …

Impact Of Coronavirus Disease 2019 On Secondary Market Ticket Price, Attendance Demand, And Fan’S Willingness To Pay: National Football League (Nfl), Yo Han Lee

Dissertations

This study explores how coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affected secondary market ticket prices, the number of attendees, and fans’ willingness to pay in the National Football League (NFL). The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the sport industry, affecting everything from the scheduling and delivery of games to the financial health of teams, leagues, and related businesses. One of the most visible impacts of the pandemic has been the suspension, delay, and cancellation of many sporting events, including entire seasons of some professional sport leagues. Sporting events require large gatherings of people in close proximity, which is precisely the opposite of …

The Inevitabilities Of Activist Teaching: Exploring The Experiences Of An Activist Latinx Teacher In United States Public Schools After The Coronavirus Disease Of 2019 Pandemic, Simon Lewis Cropp

Dissertations

United States public schools post-Coronavirus Disease 2019 are experiencing a crisis as teachers leave the profession in record numbers, and enrollments in teacher preparation programs across the country continue to decline (Pelika, 2022). Simultaneously, Latinx students’ populations continue to grow while Latinx educators struggle to stay in the teaching profession and for the first time in decades, the achievement gap between Latinx students and their White peers has begun to grow (Amos, 2020; Bailey et al., 2021). Latinx teachers play a crucial role in helping Latinx students experience success in public schools, but a growing sub-population of resentful White Americans …

Perceived Support For Higher Education: Perspectives Of Refugee Students, Sibyl Rae Cornell

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of how students who are refugees describe their social supports, with a focus on their relationships with those who are supportive of their interest in higher education both within and outside of the school system. Few studies have explored the social capital of these students, and how it may influence their decision to attend college. Therefore, narrative inquiry was used to explore the educational journeys of 13 refugee youth planning to attend higher education in the United States. Through semi-structured interviews, demographic surveys, and the creation of social support …

Principal Actions That Impact Teacher Retention In High-Poverty Schools, Amy Elizabeth Bekins

Dissertations

Teaching is a profession facing many challenges; among the greatest is high teacher turnover, which is even greater in high-poverty schools. Working conditions are ranked lower in high-poverty schools, contributing to the increased turnover in those schools. Principals have a high impact on teacher turnover, second in impact only to socio-economic status. The purpose of this study was to examine principal actions at schools that serve high poverty areas that are able to retain teachers. A qualitative case study was conducted where a high-poverty school was selected with approximately 80% teacher retention, allowing room for the principal to remove ineffective …

A Bayesian Approach To Unit Lindley Mixed Model, Nirajan Bam

Dissertations

In the applied filed of many areas such as Business and Economics, Physical, Biological, Medical, Environmental, and Social Sciences, Psychology, and Educations outcome measurements like rates, proportions, and fractions are common. Researchers have proven that using normal linear regression to analyze the relationship between outcome measurements such as rates and proportions and a set of independent variables can violates key assumptions of the method. Transformation techniques are usually applied to correct the assumptions, but this practice can violate the probability property of bounded nature of outcome variables. Even though beta regression was one of the popular methods to analyze bounded …

Asparagine Restriction Enhances Cd8+ T Cell Metabolic Fitness And Antitumoral Functionality Through An Nrf2-Dependent Stress Response, J. N. Rashida Gnanaprakasam, Bhavana Kushwaha, Lingling Liu, Xuyong Chen, Siwen Kang, Tingting Wang, Teresa A. Cassel, Christopher M. Adams, Richard M. Higashi, David A. Scott, Gang Xin, Zihai Li, Jun Yang, Andrew N. Lane, Teresa Whei-Mei Fan, Ji Zhang, Ruoning Wang

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Robust and effective T cell immune surveillance and cancer immunotherapy require proper allocation of metabolic resources to sustain energetically costly processes, including growth and cytokine production. Here, we show that asparagine (Asn) restriction on CD8+ T cells exerted opposing effects during activation (early phase) and differentiation (late phase) following T cell activation. Asn restriction suppressed activation and cell cycle entry in the early phase while rapidly engaging the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2)-dependent stress response, conferring robust proliferation and effector function on CD8+ T cells during differentiation. Mechanistically, NRF2 activation in CD8+ T cells conferred by Asn restriction …

Chemokine Receptor Cxcr7 Activates Aurora Kinase A And Promotes Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancer Growth, Galina Gritsina, Ka-Wing Fong, Xiaodong Lu, Zhuoyuan Lin, Wanqing Xie, Shivani Agarwal, Dong Lin, Gary E. Schiltz, Himisha Beltran, Eva Corey, Colm Morrissey, Yuzhuo Wang, Jonathan C. Zhao, Maha Hussain, Jindan Yu

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

CXCR7 is an atypical chemokine receptor that recruits β-arrestin (ARRB2) and internalizes into clathrin-coated intracellular vesicles where the complex acts as a scaffold for cytoplasmic kinase assembly and signal transduction. Here, we report that CXCR7 was elevated in the majority of prostate cancer (PCa) cases with neuroendocrine features (NEPC). CXCR7 markedly induced mitotic spindle and cell cycle gene expression. Mechanistically, we identified Aurora Kinase A (AURKA), a key regulator of mitosis, as a novel target that was bound and activated by the CXCR7-ARRB2 complex. CXCR7 interacted with proteins associated with microtubules and golgi, and, as such, the CXCR7-ARRB2-containing vesicles trafficked …