Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Sail: Saliency-Driven Injection Of Aria Landmarks, Ali Selman Aydin, Shirin Feiz, Vikas Ashok, Iv Ramakrishnan

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Navigating webpages with screen readers is a challenge even with recent improvements in screen reader technologies and the increased adoption of web standards for accessibility, namely ARIA. ARIA landmarks, an important aspect of ARIA, lets screen reader users access different sections of the webpage quickly, by enabling them to skip over blocks of irrelevant or redundant content. However, these landmarks are sporadically and inconsistently used by web developers, and in many cases, even absent in numerous web pages. Therefore, we propose SaIL, a scalable approach that automatically detects the important sections of a web page, and then injects ARIA landmarks …

Smartcitecon: Implicit Citation Context Extraction From Academic Literature Using Unsupervised Learning, Chenrui Gao, Haoran Cui, Li Zhang, Jiamin Wang, Wei Lu, Jian Wu

Computer Science Faculty Publications

We introduce SmartCiteCon (SCC), a Java API for extracting both explicit and implicit citation context from academic literature in English. The tool is built on a Support Vector Machine (SVM) model trained on a set of 7,058 manually annotated citation context sentences, curated from 34,000 papers in the ACL Anthology. The model with 19 features achieves F₁=85.6%. SCC supports PDF, XML, and JSON files out-of-box, provided that they are conformed to certain schemas. The API supports single document processing and batch processing in parallel. It takes about 12–45 seconds on average depending on the format to process a …

Acknowledgement Entity Recognition In Cord-19 Papers, Jian Wu, Pei Wang, Xin Wei, Sarah Rajtmajer, C. Lee Giles, Christopher Griffin

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Acknowledgements are ubiquitous in scholarly papers. Existing acknowledgement entity recognition methods assume all named entities are acknowledged. Here, we examine the nuances between acknowledged and named entities by analyzing sentence structure. We develop an acknowledgement extraction system, AckExtract based on open-source text mining software and evaluate our method using manually labeled data. AckExtract uses the PDF of a scholarly paper as input and outputs acknowledgement entities. Results show an overall performance of F₁=0.92. We built a supplementary database by linking CORD-19 papers with acknowledgement entities extracted by AckExtract including persons and organizations and find that only up to …

Opening Books And The National Corpus Of Graduate Research, William A. Ingram, Edward A. Fox, Jian Wu

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Virginia Tech University Libraries, in collaboration with Virginia Tech Department of Computer Science and Old Dominion University Department of Computer Science, request $505,214 in grant funding for a 3-year project, the goal of which is to bring computational access to book-length documents, demonstrating that with Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs). The project is motivated by the following library and community needs. (1) Despite huge volumes of book-length documents in digital libraries, there is a lack of models offering effective and efficient computational access to these long documents. (2) Nationwide open access services for ETDs generally function at the metadata level. …

Text-Map Analysis: An Introduction To The Method And An Examination Of Relationship Self-Regulation And Religion, Joe M. Chelladurai, David C. Dollahite, Loren D. Marks

Faculty Publications

The twofold purpose of this article is to (a) introduce text-map analysis and demonstrate its utility and (b) to examine systemic processes between relationship self-regulation and religion. In the first part, we propose a novel approach to qualitative data analysis termed mapping and analysis of processes and sequences. We then present procedural steps and diagrammatic conventions to chart sequences and connections between concepts and events sing flowchart diagrams we call text-maps. In the second part, using text-map analysis with a case study, we examine relationship self-regulation and religion in a Latter-day Saint couple. We draw upon three episodes …

Emotion-Related Socialization In The Classroom: Considering The Roles Of Teachers And Peers, Carlos Valiente, Jodi Swanson, Dawn Delay, Ashley M. Fraser, Julia H. Parker

Faculty Publications

The goal of this paper was to apply aspects of the heuristic model advanced by Eisenberg, Cumberland, and Spinrad (1998)to the study of socialization that takes place in preschool and elementary school classrooms. Investigating socialization in this context is important given the number of hours students spend in school, the emotional nature of social interactions that take place involving teachers and students, and the emotions students often experience in the context of academic work. Guided by Eisenberg and colleagues’(1998) call to consider complex socialization pathways, we focus our discussion on ways teachers, peers, and the classroom context can shape students’ …

Surviving Secular Society: How Religious Families Maintain Faith Through Community And Parenting Practices, Quinn Galbraith, Christina Riley, Alexandra Carlisle, Heather Kelley

Faculty Publications

In pluralistic society, religious families may struggle with adapting to non-religious culture. This can be concerning for religious parents who attempt to raise their children to be religious in a non-religious environment. This study draws upon qualitative interviews with 130 highly religious individuals in Ireland and the UK to analyze what perceived challenges religious families experience in secular society and what coping mechanisms they employ to counteract secular influences. Researchers identified three common challenges: outside pressure to conform, media misrepresentation, and immoral messages in media. They identified three potential coping mechanisms: controlling access to media, building religious community, and teaching …

Italian Adaptation Of The Group Questionnaire: Validity And Factorial Structure, Gary Burlingame, Francesca Giannone, Cinzia Guarnaccia, Salvatore Gullo, Maria Di Blasi, Cecilia Giordano, Gianluca Lo Coco

Faculty Publications

The Group Questionnaire (GQ) is a measure recently developed by Krogel et al. (2013) for the evaluation of the therapeutic relationship in group. The GQ identifies a three-factor model of the relationship that allows to measure quality (Positive Bonding, Positive Working and Negative Relationship) and structure (member-member, member-leader and member-group), dimensions in group. This work shows the results of a first study on the Italian validation of the GQ. In this study the GQ was administered to 536 subjects from 32 non-clinical groups of undergraduate students. The cross-cultural validity of the GQ in the Italian population has been examined by …

Association Between Exposure To Air Pollution And Total Gray Matter And Total White Matter Volumes In Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study, Bruce L. Brown, Lance D. Erickson, Shawn D. Gale, Jacqueline E. Anderson, Dawson W. Hedges

Faculty Publications

Total brain gray-matter and white-matter volumes can be indicators of overall brain health. Among the factors associated with gray-matter and white-matter volumes is exposure to air pollution. Using data from the UK Biobank, we sought to determine associations between several components of air pollution—PM2.5, PM2.5–10, PM10, nitrogen dioxide, and nitrogen oxides—and total gray-matter and total white-matter volumes in multivariable regression models in a large sample of adults. We found significant inverse associations between PM2.5 concentration and total white-matter volume and between PM2.5, PM2.5–10, PM10, nitrogen dioxide, and nitrogen oxide concentrations and total gray-matter volume in models adjusted for age, sex, …

Religion As A Source Of Tolerance And Intolerance: Exploring The Dichotomy, Quinn Galbraith, Alexandra Carlisle, Ben White

Faculty Publications

Previous research on tolerance and intolerance in religion has focused on individuals’ internal religious commitment and their relationship within religious groups. In exploring religion’s ability to generate both tolerance and intolerance, this qualitative study draws on data from interviews with 220 highly religious individuals living in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 2016 in order to suggest how religious individuals see themselves interacting with tolerance and intolerance in their daily lives. Many of our subjects identified themselves as tolerant people while viewing others as intolerant of their religious beliefs. An analysis of our findings and prior research suggests that religious …

Does Inhibitory Control Training Reduce Weight And Caloric Intake In Adults With Overweight And Obesity? A Pre-Registered, Randomized Controlled Event-Related Potential (Erp) Study, Scott A. Baldwin, Alexandra M. Muir, Whitney D. Allen, Kaylie A. Carbine, James D. Lecheminant, Chad D. Jensen, C. Brock Kirwan, Michael J. Larson

Faculty Publications

A cognitive intervention that may reduce weight and caloric intake is inhibitory control training (ICT; having individuals repeatedly withhold dominant responses to unhealthy food images). We conducted a randomized controlled trial where 100 individuals with overweight or obesity were assigned to complete a generic (n = 48) or food-specific ICT (n = 52) training four times per week for four weeks. Weight and caloric intake were obtained at baseline, four-weeks, and 12-weeks. Participants also completed high-calorie and neutral go/no-go tasks while N2 event-related potential (ERP) data, a neural indicator of inhibitory control, was measured at all visits. Results …

Prevalence Of Depressive Symptoms In The Elderly Population Diagnosed With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Wendy C. Birmingham, Beata Dziedzic, Zofia Sienkiewicz, Anna Le ´Nczuk-Gruba, Ewa Kobos, Wieslaw Fidecki, Mariusz Wysokiski

Faculty Publications

Introduction: A sharp rise in the population of elderly people, who are more prone to somatic and mental diseases, combined with the high prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus and diabetes-associated complications in this age group, have an impact on the prevalence of depressive symptoms. Aim of the work: The work of the study was the evaluation of the prevalence of depressive symptoms in the elderly population diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Materials and methods: The pilot study was conducted in 2019 among 200 people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus, aged 65 years and above, receiving treatment in …

The Routledge Companion To Accounting In Emerging Economies, Leticia Camacho

Faculty Publications

Weetman (emer., Univ. of Edinburgh, UK) and Tsalavoutas (Univ. of Glasgow, UK) divide this book into four sections: "IFRS [International Financial Reporting Standards] in Emerging Economies," "The Accounting Profession in Emerging Economies," "Audit, Governance and Accountability," and "Researchers' Experiences and Reflection." The first section covers Brazil, Russia, China, Malaysia, and Vietnam and includes a chapter on the corporate reporting environment and IFRS adoption in eight South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation countries.

Understanding Diversity – Perspectives From University Departments Hosting Large Percentages Of International Students, K. James Hartshorn, Maureen Snow Andrade, Norman W. Evans, Gwyneth Gates

Faculty Publications

The international student enrollment in some university departments has grown to the point that these students are the majority. This study sought to determine the extent to which departments hosting large numbers of international English as a second language (ESL) students demonstrate awareness and planning to address these learners’ needs. Analyses were conducted in reference to a framework designed to aid institutions in meeting international ESL students’ needs. Findings indicate some awareness of students’ needs and related strategies for linguistic and cultural development. They also demonstrate that the proposed framework could foster more intentional strategies to ensure international student success.

Regional Connections To National Authority Files, Jeremy Myntti, Nicole Lewis, Allison M. Mccormack, Ken Rockwell

Faculty Publications

Local and regional authority files exist to cover gaps in national and international authority files. These types of authority files should not exist alone if they are going to be fully utilized by other institutions that may have resources about the same individuals or topics. This article discusses how the Western Name Authority File, a regional controlled vocabulary of personal names and corporate bodies, can link to larger authority files such as the Library of Congress Name Authority File and Wikidata. Workflows and issues encountered with linking this local authority file to larger authority files are discussed.

Rosegate Projectile Points In The Fremont Region, James R. Allison, Robert J. Bischoff

Faculty Publications

The Fremont projectile point typology was developed in the 1980s. An early revision combined the Rose Spring Corner-notched and Eastgate Expanding-stem types into a combined Rosegate type with an end date of AD 900-1000. Some archaeologists recognize that these projectile points persist to approximately AD 1300 but others use the earlier date range, and much of the relevant information is confined to gray literature. Furthermore, there is a varied approach to these types. Some use the original two types, while others use Rosegate or a combination of Rosegate, Rose Spring, and Eastgate. We used projectile point typology data, illustrations, and …

Pre-Columbian Rock Mulching As A Strategy For Modern Agave Cultivation In Arid Marginal Lands, Hector Ortiz-Cano, Jose Antonio Hernandez-Herrera, Neil C. Hansen, Steven L. Petersen, Michael T. Searcy, Ricardo Mata-Gonzalez, Teodoro Cervantes-Mendivil, Antonio Villanueva-Morales, Pil Man Park, J. Ryan Stewart

Faculty Publications

Cultivation of C3 and C4 crops in semi-arid regions will be severely constrained as global temperatures rise. Consequently, alternative crops need to be sought out that adapt well to heat and drought and are productive despite limited access to water. Traits, such as crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), enable economically important species such as those in the Agave genus adapt to drought and high temperatures. The succulence and high efficiency of agaves, which enables them to produce biomass with little water, underscores their feasibility as an alternative crop for semi-arid regions, such as the Sonoran Desert in the southwestern U.S. In …

Climbing The Stratification Ladder And The Decreasing Of Small Entrepreneurs Number In The Field Of Asgm In North Minahasa, North Sulawesi, Antonius Purwanto

Masyarakat: Jurnal Sosiologi

This article is the result of research on artisanal and small-scale gold mining in Tatelu. The study was conducted using field theory and qualitative research methods. With the permission from the government, mining activities become stable because there is certainty of ownership rights. Mining activities are managed by entrepreneurs, cooperatives, and the village government and have provided welfare for the people of Tatelu and surrounding areas. Villagers involved in mining have transformed economic capital obtained from mining into physical capital in the form of village infrastructure, housing, cultural or educational capital, and investment in other economic activities. There is vertical …

Social Development In The Urban Informal Sector: A Case Study Of Street Vendors In Pasar Minggu, Jakarta, Cucu Nurhayati

Masyarakat: Jurnal Sosiologi

Street vendors are basically able to sustain the economy of the urban poor. However, their existence is considered to cause disorder in the way they often deal with disciplinary actions organized by the government. The policy set by the provincial government on street vendors should be addressed to the cultural dimension, by minimizing acts of violence and instilling the values of cleanliness and order. Previous studies see street vendors as alternative economic actors who have a stake in the national economy. The studies also put more emphasis on policies (structure) and behaviour of street vendors (culture) so that they do …

The Duality Of Community Development And Community Relations Functions Csr Program Of Oil And Gas Company: Case Study Of Oil And Gas Company In Subang, West Java, Putri Yuliasari

Masyarakat: Jurnal Sosiologi

After the Reformation, various companies implement CSR programs with various goals, features, and forms. This article discusses the latent function of the BROERI Program of PT Pertamina EP Asset 3 Subang Field as an instrument to build corporate relations with its stakeholder (Community Relation), besides its manifest function in capacity building and community independence (Community Development). The previous studies have been more dominant in highlighting and focusing on the evaluation of community development functions of the CSR programs, rather than their community relation function. Whereas for oil and gas companies, the risk of conflict with communities and other local stakeholders …

Investigating The Impact Of Explanation On Repairing Trust In Ai Diagnostic Systems For Re-Diagnosis, Lamia Alam

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

AI systems are increasingly being fielded to support diagnoses and healthcare advice for patients. One promise of AI application is that they might serve as the first point of contact for patients, replacing routine tasks, and allowing health care professionals to focus on more challenging and critical aspects of healthcare. For AI systems to succeed, they must be designed based on a good understanding of how physicians explain diagnoses to patients, and how prospective patients understand and trust the systems providing the diagnosis, as well as the explanations they expect. In this thesis, I examine this problem across three studies. …

Quantifying Water Recharge And Water Use In Hand Dug Wells: A Case Study Of Thiawor, Senegal, West Africa, Celine Carus

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

For many rural communities in Senegal, water is an essential life-giving need received only through a network of hand dug wells. Increasing rainfall variability in the Sahel has driven greater water insecurity for those communities that rely on rain-irrigated systems for agriculture. This study investigates the retrieval, purposes, and quantities of seasonal water usage on a small domestic scale, as well as an analysis of perceived water availability in the wells during the rainy season. Additionally, using a combination of interview data and pumping test data obtained from the village wells, water usage and estimated daily needs are calculated and …

Salted Fish And Spawning Capitalism: The American Fur Company’S Fishing Experiment In Lake Superior, Brendan Doucet

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The American Fur Company established and operated commercial fishing stations in Lake Superior from 1834 until the company dissolved in 1842. The role that the company played in the fur trade created ecological and economic conditions that had detrimental impacts on the Anishinaabe’s ability to practice traditional ways of life and diminished the Lake Superior region of fur bearing mammals. These conditions were exasperated in their commercial fishing efforts which brought about a transition in relations between labor, capital, and the environment. This was a period of transition for both the AFC and the Anishinaabeg who by the 1800’s had …

Plasticless: A Comparative Life-Cycle, Socio-Economic, And Policy Analysis Of Alternatives To Plastic Straws, Karuna Rana

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Around 500 million plastic straws per day are being consumed in the U.S. (U.S. National Park Service, 2019), and nearly 7.5 million straws are reported to lie around U.S. shorelines (Borenstein, 2018). The estimated cost of plastic pollution is reported to be $13 billion in economic damage to marine ecosystems each year (Avio et al., 2017). The ongoing action against the use of single-use plastic straws has created a surging demand for sustainable alternatives to plastic straws, with nearly ten types of single-use and reusable drinking straws now on the market. Given that no one study quantifies and compares the …

Linking Energy Efficiency And Public Health: A Case Study Of Illinois, Azat Turegeldin

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

A growing body of research has established the connection between emissions from fossil fuels and severe impacts on human health, such as asthma attacks in children and adults and chronic cardiovascular problems. This work evaluates in monetary terms the implementation of two energy-saving scenarios. Illinois, as a state with high coal electricity generating content, has been chosen as a case study to quantify the impacts brought up by air pollution on public health. The potential benefits of improved air quality and health are the considered results of implemented energy efficiency technologies. This report is a culmination of a summer internship …

The Impacts Of Accessibility On Vulnerability Of Place In Comfort Castle, Jamaica, Heather Thole

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Jamaica experiences meteorological, hydrological, and geological natural hazards that can produce island-wide impacts. The island’s exposure to multiple hazard types requires effective and sustainable mitigation and disaster risk management to lessen potential impacts, especially for vulnerable populations and communities. Comfort Castle, a small rural farming community, sits in the upper Rio Grande Valley of Portland parish and experiences earthquakes, landslides, hurricanes, heavy rainfall, and floods. Steep terrain and remoteness due to geographic location affect the community’s geophysical vulnerability. Their social vulnerability results from a lack of employment, health, educational, and livelihood resources within the community. Together, geophysical, and social factors …

The Value Of Carbon Sequestration In The Developing World: Making The Economic Case For Tree Planting In Laos, Vongdalone Vongsikeo

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Tree plantations in developing countries are mostly driven by private sectors, mainly to increase forest cover and meet the timber demand. However, research studies on tree plantations in Laos, for instance, show that despite high profitability tree farmers and private companies face many challenges such as low timber quality, low timber selling price and slow plantation expansion. These challenges could be the result of slow policy improvement processes or the lack of basis on the justification of government intervention. This study uses a policy decision tool - a cost-benefit analysis to evaluate social costs and social benefits from private tree …

The Stained Glass Of Knowledge: On Understanding Novice Mental Models Of Computing, Briana Christina Bettin

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Learning to program can be a novel experience. The rigidity of programming can be at odds with beginning programmer's existing perceptions, and the concepts can feel entirely unfamiliar. These observations motivated this research, which explores two major questions: What factors influence how novices learn programming? and How can analogy by more appropriately leveraged in programming education?

This dissertation investigates the factors influencing novice programming through multiple methods. The CS1 classroom is observed as a "whole system", with consideration to the factors present in it that can influence the learning process. Learning's cognitive processes are elaborated to ground exploration into specifically …

A Framework For Building Assessment And Learning Tools For Digital Skills, Ann Ciesla

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Technology continues to intertwine with aspects of our everyday lives, requiring a new set of skills in exploring and experimenting with user interfaces. For those who grow up and keep up with technology, these skills are second nature. But for those who do not, such as older adults, these skills can be hard to master. User interfaces are changing regularly, and it is no longer suffices to teach older adults how to solve a specific problem on a specific interface. The knowledge they gain is insubstantial because it does not help when the technology changes. They no longer understand how …

Empowering Women Through Physical Education And Sports In Moldova, Aprille Hibbard

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Girls and women face obstacles when it comes to empowerment, whether it be cultural, socioeconomic, political or religious. As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Moldova, I tried to help the girls and women in my community overcome some of these obstacles by promoting female participation in physical education and sports. Primary obstacles were the poor insulation and heating in the gymnasium, which prevented girls and women from participating in sports and physical education from October-April. Working with a Let Girls Learn (LGL) grant allowed us to repair the condition of the gymnasium, add additional sports teams and clubs to the …