Digital Commons Network^™

Complex Numbers Explain Why In Chinese Tradition, 4 Is Bad But 8 Is Good, Luc Longpre, Olga Kosheleva, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

In the traditional Chinese culture, 4 is considered to be an unlucky number, while the number 8 is considered to be very lucky. In this paper, we show that both "badness" and "goodness" can be explained if we take into account the role of complex numbers in the analysis of general dynamical systems.

Why Bump Reward Function Works Well In Training Insulin Delivery Systems, Lehel Dénes-Fazakas, Lásló Szilágyi, Gyorgy Eigner, Olga Kosheleva, Vladik Kreinovich, Nguyen Hoang Phuong

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

Diabetes is a disease when the body can no longer properly regulate blood glucose level, which can lead to life-threatening situations. To avoid such situations and regulate blood glucose level, patients with severe form of diabetes need insulin injections. Ideally, the system should automatically decide when best to inject insulin and how much to inject. To find the optimal control, researchers applied machine learning with different reward functions. It turns out that the most effective learning occurred when they used the so-called bump function. In this paper, we provide a possible explanation for this empirical result.

We Can Always Reduce A Non-Linear Dynamical System To Linear -- At Least Locally -- But Does It Help?, Orsolya Csiszar, Gábor Csiszar, Olga Kosheleva, Vladik Kreinovich, Nguyen Hoang Phuong

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

Many real-life phenomena are described by dynamical systems. Sometimes, these dynamical systems are linear. For such systems, solutions are well known. In some cases, it is possible to transform a nonlinear system into a linear one by appropriately transforming its variables, and this helps to solve the original nonlinear system. For other nonlinear systems -- even for the simplest ones -- such transformation is not known. A natural question is: which nonlinear systems allow such transformations? In this paper, we show that we can always reduce a nonlinear system to a linear one -- but, in general, it does not …

What Was More Frequently Used -- "And" Or "Or": Based On Analysis Of European Languages, Olga Kosheleva, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

Traditional logic has two main connectives: "and" and "or". A natural question is: which of the two is more frequently used? This question is easy to answer for the current usage of these connectives -- we can simply analyze all the texts, but what can we say about the past usage? To answer this question, we use the known linguistics fact that, in general, notions that are more frequently used are described by shorter words. It turns out that in most European languages, the word for "and" is shorter -- or of the same length -- as the word for …

How To Propagate Interval (And Fuzzy) Uncertainty: Optimism-Pessimism Approach, Vinícius F. Wasques, Olga Kosheleva, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

In many practical situations, inputs to a data processing algorithm are known with interval uncertainty, and we need to propagate this uncertainty through the algorithm, i.e., estimate the uncertainty of the result of data processing. Traditional interval computation techniques provide guaranteed estimates, but from the practical viewpoint, these bounds are too pessimistic: they take into account highly improbable worst-case situations when all the measurement and estimation errors happen to be strongly correlated. In this paper, we show that a natural idea of having more realistic estimates leads to the use of so-called interactive addition of intervals, techniques that has already …

Incidence And Laplacian Matrices Of Wheel Graphs And Their Inverses, Jerad Ipsen, Sudipta Mallik

Mathematics Faculty Research

It has been an open problem to find the Moore-Penrose inverses of the incidence, Laplacian, and signless Laplacian matrices of families of graphs except trees and unicyclic graphs. Since the inverse formulas for an odd unicyclic graph and an even unicyclic graph are quite different, we consider wheel graphs as they are formed from odd or even cycles. In this article we solve the open problem for wheel graphs. This work has an interesting connection to inverses of circulant matrices.

Navigating The Path To Safe Compounding In Health Systems, Thomas Pile, Craig Kimble, Alberto Coustasse

Management Faculty Research

Across the country health systems are facing increasing drug shortages that are forcing pharmacists to rely far more heavily on compounding to meet the needs of patients. Additionally, several high-profile compounding incidents have helped highlight the importance of ensuring best practices are followed during sterile and nonsterile compounding to support patient safety and high-quality care. Specifically, in 2022, 160 drug shortages were reported in pharmacies. From January 1, 2023, to March 31, 2023, 47 drug shortages were reported, 55% of which were for injectables. In response, compounding has increasingly become a solution to bridge that gap.

The Influence Of Grip Positioning On Muscle Activation Patterns In Tennis Forehand: A Preliminary Investigation, Magdalena Stepnik, Stephanie L. Jones

Exercise and Sport Studies: Faculty Publications

This study compared muscle activation patterns during the forehand stroke among thirteen nonprofessional tennis players across three grip positions [Eastern(4), Semi Western(6), Western(3)]. Surface electromyography was used to assess fourteen trunk and dominant upper arm muscles, while hitting forehand crosscourt shots using their preferred grip. Individuals using Semi Western grip demonstrated higher activation of proximal musculature responsible for horizontal flexion/internal rotation at the shoulder (Pectoralis), whereas those using Eastern grip had higher activation in distal musculature (FCU, ECR), acting primarily to control flexion/extension. These differences suggest the Eastern grip requires less axial rotation of the arm but more contribution of …

Niu Constitution & Bylaws And Fs Bylaws 2023-07-01, Northern Illinois University

University Council Archives

No abstract provided.

Staff Council Staff Appreciation Day, Prairie View A&M University

PV Staff Council Archival Documents

No abstract provided.

Staff Council Bylaws, Prairie View A&M University

PV Staff Council Archival Documents

No abstract provided.

School Supply Drive, Prairie View A&M University

PV Staff Council Archival Documents

No abstract provided.

News From Hope College, Volume 55.1: Summer 2023, Hope College

News from Hope College

No abstract provided.

Gouldian Finch Monitoring: Foraging Activity And Grass Phenology - Goomig Project 2022 To 2023, J Graff

Irrigated Agricultural Development in the North

The Goomig Project (Weaber Plains Development Project) is an irrigated agricultural development located approximately 30 km north of Kununurra, which involves clearing of approximately 9,260 ha of vegetation for agriculture. Approximately 11,470 ha of native vegetation surrounding, or remaining between, the cleared areas is designated as a buffer area (the study area) to be managed to protect surrounding conservation reserves and watercourses (Strategen 2014). Monitoring of Gouldian Finch wet season foraging activity and phenology and productivity of grasses important for foraging in the buffer area during ongoing operation are required as conditions of the approval for the project, and is …

Youth Tobacco Use In West Virginia, Andrea Milstred

Bridge Initiative for Science and Technology Policy, Leadership, and Communications

This Science and Technology Note addresses youth access to tobacco products in West Virginia. It outlines the pros and cons of regulatory actions, presents alternative methods for limiting youth access, and provides an overview of West Virginia’s current regulations.

Phad 690: Data Management & Statistical Software, Sujith Ramachandran Ph.D., Yinan Huang, Ms, Ph.D.

GMAS Course Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Critical And Cultural Language Pedagogy: Interdiscursive Multimodality As A Means Of Cccessible Multiliteracy And Social Equity/Justice In The Higher Education Classroom​, Brian Kapustka

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

This professional development presentation explores critical and cultural language pedagogy through a multiliteracies and multimodal framework in higher education classrooms. Drawing on scholarship in literacy studies, sociolinguistics, critical pedagogy, translanguaging, and discourse theory, the presentation examines how interdiscursive multimodality can function as a means of accessible multiliteracy and social equity in language education. It addresses the role of discourse, identity, power, and linguistic accessibility in shaping classroom practice and highlights strategies for promoting metalinguistic awareness, sociolinguistic sensitivity, trauma-informed pedagogy, and equitable evaluation practices. Through engagement with case studies on multimodal language learning and multiliteracies in online world language instruction, the …

Validation Of The Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment Among Diverse Individuals With Alcohol Use Disorder, Elena R. Stein

Psychology ETDs

Individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) are heterogeneous in terms of etiology, maintenance, symptoms, and recovery, yet current diagnostic categories fail to adequately capture this heterogeneity. Corresponding to the neurobiological addiction cycle, the Alcohol and Addictions Research Domain Criteria proposes a framework of three core domains disrupted in AUD: negative emotionality, incentive salience, and executive function. The Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment (ANA) is a hypothesized multimodal assessment battery of these three domains, which may better characterize AUD heterogeneity. The current study validated the ANA in a sample of drinkers (N=245) who were diverse with respect to ethnicity and alcohol treatment-seeking status. …

Music As An Ergogenic Aid During Resistance Training In An Adult Population: A Pilot Study, David R. Boulais

Master of Science in Kinesiology

Music has been found to produce feelings and emotions of power, reduce physical pain, and manage mood and affect. Ergogenic aids are regularly used in the resistance training (RT) setting to help improve performance. While the ergogenic effects of music are widely documented in aerobic exercise, research is lacking in the RT setting. The aim of this study was to examine the possible ergogenic benefits of music during RT workouts. Twelve individuals (mean age in years 49.8 ± 17.5 years) participated in the present online study, with nine female participants (mean age in years 48.2 ± 17.7) and three male …

Teaching Sift For Source Evaluation In Asynchronous One-Credit Information Literacy Courses, Allison Faix, Tristan Daniels

Library Faculty Publications

With an awareness of growing issues in teaching source evaluation, the authors explored new methods to incorporate this skill into one-credit asynchronous information literacy courses. The authors discovered improvements in student performance when using SIFT and identified key strategies for its implementation to achieve best results.

Year-Round Weather Alters Nest-Provisioning Rates In A Migratory Owl, Eliza D. Stein, Stephen R. Midway, Brian D. Linkhart

Faculty Publications

As global temperatures and precipitation become more extreme, habitat specialists are at particular risk of being pushed past their environmental tolerance limits. Flammulated Owls (Psiloscops flammeolus) are small migratory owls that breed in temperate conifer forests of western North America. Their highly specialized nesting and foraging requirements make them indicators of ecosystem health. Using 17 years of nest observations, we investigated how annual weather patterns affected Flammulated Owl nesting and foraging behaviors during the breeding season. We used generalized linear models with a changepoint parameter to evaluate nest provisioning and nestling growth rates in years of extreme temperature and precipitation. …

Rapidly Changing Range Limits In A Warming World: Critical Data Limitations And Knowledge Gaps For Advancing Understanding Of Mangrove Range Dynamics In The Southeastern Usa, Rémi Bardou, Michael J. Osland, Steven Scyphers, Christine Shepard, Karen E. Aerni, Jahson B. Alemu I, Robert Crimian, Richard H. Day, Nicholas M. Enwright, Laura C. Feher, Sarah L. Gibbs, Kiera O’Donnell, Savannah H. Swinea, Kalaina Thorne, Sarit Truskey, Anna R. Armitage, Ronald Baker, Josh L. Breithaupt, Kyle C. Cavanaugh, Just Cebrian, Karen Cummins, Donna J. Devlin, Jacob Doty, William L. Ellis, Ilka C. Feller, Christopher A. Gabler, Yiyang Kang, David A. Kaplan, John Paul Kennedy, Ken W. Krauss, Margaret M. Lamont, Kam Biu Liu, Melinda Martinez

Faculty Publications

Climate change is altering species’ range limits and transforming ecosystems. For example, warming temperatures are leading to the range expansion of tropical, cold-sensitive species at the expense of their cold-tolerant counterparts. In some temperate and subtropical coastal wetlands, warming winters are enabling mangrove forest encroachment into salt marsh, which is a major regime shift that has significant ecological and societal ramifications. Here, we synthesized existing data and expert knowledge to assess the distribution of mangroves near rapidly changing range limits in the southeastern USA. We used expert elicitation to identify data limitations and highlight knowledge gaps for advancing understanding of …

The Leadership Effectiveness Of The Judean Kings/Queen, Charles H. Gaulden

PhD in Organizational Leadership

In this study, the leadership effectiveness of the Judean kings/queen during the divided kingdom was examined. The research methodology utilized was a multi-case study of the Judean rulers through an exegetical analysis of 2 Chronicles 10-36. A multifaceted method was utilized for genre inquiry to explore the unique properties of the book of Chronicles. The study placed biblical literature into the history genre through the Chronicler’s varied conveyance methods. The textual units linked with the narrative analysis of the discovered location, repetition, and themes. Some intertextual engagement overlapped with archaeology, Kings’ records, and prophetic literature. The researcher identified seven leadership …

Development, Analysis, And Sensory Evaluation Of Improved Bread Fortified With A Plant-Based Fermented Food Product, Miriam Cabello-Olmo, Padmanaban G. Krishnan, Miriam Arana, Maria Oneca, Jesus V. Diaz, Miguel Barajas, Maristela Rovai

Dairy Science and Food Science Faculty Publications: 2022 to Present

In response to the demand for healthier foods in the current market, this study aimed to develop a new bread product using a fermented food product (FFP), a plant-based product composed of soya flour, alfalfa meal, barley sprouts, and viable microorganisms that showed beneficial effects in previous studies. White bread products prepared with three different substitution levels (5, 10, and 15%) of FFP were evaluated for physical characteristics (loaf peak height, length, width), color indices (lightness, redness/greenness, yellowness/blueness), quality properties (loaf mass, volume, specific volume), protein content, crumb digital image analysis, and sensory characteristics. The results revealed that FFP significantly …

The Banner - V. 158, No. 7 - (July/August 2023), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

No abstract provided.

Perceived Service Quality And Overall Satisfaction: From A Segmentation Perspective Unique To Golf Spectators, Tomo Tokuyama, Chris Greenwell, Junko Deguchi, Masashi Shinjo

Journal of Applied Sport Management

The purpose of the current study is to examine differences in the relationships between specific aspects of the service encounter and customer satisfaction attributable to consumers’ viewing situation and frequency of attendance. Questionnaires were distributed to spectators attending a major women’s golf tournament in Japan, and study participants were asked to rate various service elements and their level of attendance satisfaction. Respondents were grouped by viewing situations (one location, following a specific pairing, or moving the course randomly) and past attendance frequency (new spectators, light spectators, or frequent spectators). Shuttle bus service predicted satisfaction regardless of segment. Merchandise predicted satisfaction …

Turning Insight Into Action: A Case Study Assessing The Use Of Consumer Behavior Data In Minor League Baseball Marketing And Communication Strategies, Jessica R. Braunstein-Minkove, Ari Kim

Journal of Applied Sport Management

As the usage of data-driven decision-making (DDDM) has increased in sport business operations, organizations must refine the ways in which they both obtain and use data to understand and, ideally, meet the needs of their consumers. A qualitative analysis, including eight in-depth interviews with a Minor League Baseball’s (MiLB) front office staff, was conducted. This was done in order to better understand the organization’s decision-making process and how they use various types of data, including the results of quantitative results from an academic study, when determining how best to reach their consumers. After a thematic analysis, three primary and six …

Revisiting The Impact Of Divisional Affiliation On Secondary Market Ticket Prices In The National Football League, Yohan Lee, Moonsup Hyun, Stephen Shapiro, Alan Morse

Journal of Applied Sport Management

With the emergence of demand-based ticket pricing, professional sport organizations and marketers will benefit from a thorough understanding of pricing in the demand-driven secondary market. Ticket pricing studies often take divisional affiliation as a control variable; little research has focused on and examined the importance of divisional affiliation for secondary market ticket prices. Different from work indicating consumers’ preference for divisional games, this study revealed that higher ticket prices (i.e., consumer demand) accompanied non-divisional games. Additionally, the number of years between the away team’s visit to the home team’s stadium and the away team’s current winning percentage each played a …

Brand Extension Evaluation In Esports: A Case Study Of The Nba And Nba2k League, Glynn M. Mcgehee, Beth A. Cianfrone, Jackson Sears

Journal of Applied Sport Management

Professional sport leagues have created esport leagues and teams, which serve as brand extensions (e.g., NBA and NBA 2K League). These brand extensions can benefit the professional sports team brand by reaching various audiences in a different product category. The purpose of this study was to examine a traditional sport entity’s (NBA franchise) esport brand extension (NBA 2K League team). In partnership with an NBA team and the affiliated NBA 2K esports team, a survey of 195 individuals assessed the brand extension on several variables, including extension awareness, perceived quality, image fit, categorical fit, innovativeness, and authenticity of the extension. …

2023 Visiting Scholar Fellowship: Jack Mulder, Jack Mulder

Marian Fellowships and Other Sponsored Research in the Marian Library

Jack Mulder, philosophy professor and philosophy department chair at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, received the 2023 Visiting Scholar Fellowship for his project centered on Marian philosophical theology, or as he calls it, philosophical Mariology. Mulder’s existing scholarship has brought about dialogue between Protestant and Catholic thinkers concerning the Blessed Virgin Mary through several particular Marian chapters in books he has authored.

Mulder spent several weeks at the Marian Library to work on a forthcoming book project.

“I've never been to the library before, but I look forward to my visit,” Mulder says. “I’m simply eager to be in a …