bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lines in the sand : navigating native advertising through magazine professionals' policies
Authors:   , Puckett Lauren Elizabeth
Published: September 2024

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Informed by the persuasion knowledge model and advertising ethics theory, this research uses a representative case study to qualitatively analyze both (1) 176 native advertisements and editorial department stories from one regional special-interest magazine based in the Midwest and (2) five interview recordings from five employees within this magazine. The research seeks to gain a better understanding of how magazine practitioners make use of native advertising in their publications, why they feel the practice is necessary and what rules they use to guide their practice. The core finding of this research is that magazine professionals believe native advertising to be a necessary tool in the pursuit of profit. In order to justify the practice, these professionals emphasize that native advertising should provide a service to the reader. The research also found that practitioners purposefully design native advertising to mimic editorial content, but the line between mimicry and replication remains somewhat unclear. Finally, the research probes the concept of industry-wide guidelines for native advertisement usage, but practitioners remain divided on whether these guidelines are a practical idea. Through the study of one magazine, this research offers an informed understanding of how native advertising has proliferated in magazine media and what work must be done to shape it in the future.
CBFM (community-based forest management) : participation and perceptions. a case study in Malang, Indonesia
Authors:   , Soraya Dayu Kemalasari
Published: September 2024

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) has been implemented since 2001 in Indonesia involving timber-state enterprise and local communities in order to achieve the sustainable use of forest resources. The objectives of this study are to investigate the determinant factors affecting people's participation in the CBFM program and and to investigate the determinant factors which led to CBFM participants' perception about CBFM impacts. A survey was conducted with total of 210 respondents in five villages in Malang, East Java, Indonesia. Logistic regression results showed that at the 5 percent of significance level, years of farming experience, number of family who work on farm, the practice of agro-silvopasture and income derived from forest positively influenced people's participation in CBFM, while size of private land ownership and income not derived from forest had a negative association with people's participation. Results from ordinal regression and the discrete change in the probability indicated that CBFM participants' perceptions regarding environmental benefits of CBFM such as reduction of illegal logging and maintaining of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) were positively affected by both socio-economic characteristics (farm ownership, age, education) and knowledge (meetings, trainings, awareness of being CBFM's members). Those who had a positive perception about the economic benefits (increasing of household income) of CBFM were influenced by both knowledge (meeting and awareness of sharing benefits) and dependency on forest (income derived from forests). From these results, it can be said that knowledge is a vital component in affecting people's perception of CBFM, both on environmental and household income benefits.
Fantastic religion : fandom as religious practice
Authors:   , Wolff America Alexandra Judith
Published: September 2024

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] This project seeks to understand both the theoretical and tangible implications of fandom as a meaningful category within the field of Religious Studies and to illuminate a theoretical framework based in functionalist definitions of religion as a tool for fan studies analysis. Religion encompasses the processes by which individuals orient themselves in the world and produce meaning which is employed in the navigation of social systems. By focusing specifically on fandom as a religious practice I am taking seriously the function of fandom and fan communities as they orient individuals in the world, and extending the categorical privilege enjoyed by the label of "religion". In applying religion as an analytical frame, this project argues that fandom orients and produces meaning for its practitioners in such a way that these practices become set apart. This analysis of fandom takes place specifically within three distinct, though often overlapping sets of practices; the online construction of fan-fiction, attending comic conventions, and cosplay practice.
Indicators of journalistic role performance on Last Week Tonight
Authors:   , Bremer Arthur Alfred Cook
Published: September 2024

The purpose of this study was to analyze how John Oliver, the television host of HBO's Last Week Tonight, adopts journalistic role performance throughout the long-form segments of his program. Last Week Tonight, a satirical news show and spiritual successor to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, frequently devotes the majority of its half-hour, once-a-week program to conducting a deep-dive on an issue, sometimes independently of the weekly news cycle. Using field theory as a framework, this study explores how Oliver's position on a cable network, independent of the advertising system other news (and satirical) programs are built on, enables the television host use journalistic roles with less external resistance. This qualitative analysis found that while Oliver serves as a vocal champion for concepts such as democracy and empathy and the profession of journalism, there is very little to suggest he has the means or the inclination to replace the work of traditional journalists and is in actuality, by his own admission to his audience, very much dependent on their work.
A study of the Kansas City Chiefs crisis communication during the national anthem protests
Authors:   , Collins Devan Suzanne
Published: September 2024

This study explores the background of crisis communication and corporate social responsibility as they relate to practices in the sport industry. By building off the literature review, the study here aims to further research done in the area where crisis communication and corporate social responsibility intersect. This study looks specifically at the Kansas City Chiefs communication practices as a result of the National Anthem Protest that impacted the National Football League during the 2016, 2017, and 2018 seasons. Qualitative research methods and Image Restoration Theory are used to answer the research questions and understand how the Chiefs used their corporate social responsibility with the military to aid their crisis communication tactics and formulate their message strategies during the National Anthem Protest. Within the data set, it was found that the Chiefs utilized the message strategy of reducing offensiveness most, and that they did not directly address or apologize for the controversy.
Angling the truth : how sponsored content and media framing impact the charter school movement
Authors:   , Cothron Katie
Published: September 2024

This research explores the influence of information and understanding by parents of school-aged children as it relates to the charter school movement in the St. Louis area. By examining this topic using the framing theory, the researcher conducted focus groups where 24 participants were asked to read two articles- one written by a journalist, one written by a sponsored content provider. From there, users were asked a series of semi-structured questions related to the articles in order to access the potential influence these two articles had on their understanding of the charter school movement in the St. Louis area. By diving into this unexplored area of study, the researcher identified that even though participants were able to decipher between journalism and sponsored content, they felt as though both articles in the study didn't give a complete picture of the issue and sparked more questions than answers when it came to their understanding of the charter school movement in the St. Louis area. Ultimately, the researcher discovered the inundation of information and the frames used in the articles led to misunderstanding and confusion when it came to the charter school movement in the St. Louis area.
The effects of overstory retention on species composition and height growth following clearcut and group selection regeneration harvests in the Missouri Ozark Highlands
Authors:   , Good Guerric Thomas
Published: September 2024

The objectives of this study focus on whether treatment and aspect significantly influence tree regeneration. This study utilizes data from 16-year-old clearcuts and group openings within the Missouri Ozarks to assess the height and quantity of regenerating tree species. Additionally, a qualitative review of the efficacy of height reference charts developed by Vickers et al. (2017) was completed. Analysis of the sampled population revealed that trees had significantly greater mean heights within group openings compared to clearcuts, and the mean height of trees regenerating on protected slopes was significantly greater than trees on exposed slopes. The white oak group had significantly greater mean heights on protected slopes compared to exposed slopes and in group openings compared to clearcuts. Red and white oaks had significantly more individuals within clearcuts compared to group openings. When only trees within the tallest ten percent (90th percentile of height) of all sampled individuals were analyzed, there were significant differences in mean height and trees per hectare for regenerating oaks between the two treatments and aspects. Specifically, there were significantly more oaks above the 90th percentile within clearcuts, but oaks were significantly taller within group openings compared to clearcuts. Review of the height reference charts developed by Vickers et al. (2017) show that the charts can be effectively used to assess the 90th percentile of 16-year-old trees within clearcuts. Trees growing within group openings analyzed with the reference charts show that there were consistent differences from the data collected and the charts developed for clearcuts. For example, the red oak species group measured within group openings was consistently below the 90th percentile threshold shown for clearcuts, and white oaks within group openings on exposed slopes were taller than the expected 90th percentile line. Therefore, reference charts should be developed specifically for trees within group openings.
The million dollar question : a quantitative analysis of audience uses and gratifications in digital magazines
Authors:   , Heniff John Bucki
Published: September 2024

This study examines the audience engagement of millennial digital magazine readers through a perspective of uses and gratifications theory. A survey was distributed to 175 college students to discover why digital magazine readers read and consume digital magazine content in their everyday lives (following four core motivations based on past uses and gratifications research). These recorded reasons were then compared against the subject's self-stated likelihood to click on a digital magazine link that features a singular photo, a photo gallery or a video. The results of said survey found that readers preferred the singular photo presentation more than a gallery of photos or a video. Further, respondents stated that they were more likely to read a digital magazine for uses and gratifications of information and entertainment rather than that of personal and social identification, although there was no correlation found between certain uses and gratifications and a particular form of presentation media.
A study of how political candidates use persuasive messages on Twitter, specifically toward women voters
Authors:   , Hieger Lauren F.
Published: September 2024

This purpose of this qualitative research is to analyze how political candidates use persuasive messages on Twitter, specifically toward women voters. The use of Twitter by political candidates has become extremely more prevalent since its inception in 2006. Using a rhetorical analysis of 600 tweets between six candidates for the U.S. Senate race in 2018, this study was able to determine how political candidates are using Twitter to convey messages to voters. Once the messages were coded and analyzed, the researcher discovered three main themes: ethos, acclaim, and leadership qualities. The majority of the tweets posted by the six candidates were designed to persuade the voter that the candidate was more favorable than others, more appealing, and typically more credible or created a sense of confidence in voting for this candidate. One of most surprising results of the study was the lack of women-specific messaging. While women make up the largest demographic of undecided voters, the percentage of tweets geared toward women-only was only three percent. Future studies could use this research to determine if the messaging strategies used for Twitter during the election also resulted in winning the Senate seat.
Spatial and disease ecology of the plains spotted skunk
Authors:   , Higdon Summer Danielle
Published: September 2024

The eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius) is a species of conservation concern across much of its range in the eastern U.S. due to a range-wide population decline that began in the 1940s. The reason for the decline remains unknown; a combination of factors, including habitat loss, disease, and overharvest, may have collectively led to the population decline. As a result, a subspecies of eastern spotted skunk, the plains spotted skunk (S. putorius interrupta) has been petitioned for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Despite the petition for listing, habitat associations and other basic ecological assessments remain limited across the historic range of eastern spotted skunks, and especially within the range of the plains spotted skunk in the Midwestern U.S. To address current knowledge gaps, identify future research opportunities, and assess potential causes of the decline, we developed three studies on the plains spotted skunk. ... This body of work collectively fills knowledge gaps in the literature on plains spotted skunks, while identifying areas of future research needs. Future efforts should seek to locate and identify habitat and resource requirements for additional populations of plains spotted skunk to get a more complete understanding of the ecology of the subspecies. Additional landscape-level questions, such as the extent to which populations are isolated, should be assessed. Further, recognition of the high prevalence of cranial damage cause by skunk cranial worm underpins how little we know about the disease ecology of the species and suggests a need for further research on the topic. Together, such landscape and disease ecology studies are a necessary area of research for supporting successful and informed management.
The perceived role of Twitter in young adults' political participation during the 2018 midterm elections
Authors:   , Knudson Lauren Bond
Published: September 2024

This study explores the relationship between young adults' use of Twitter and their political participation during the 2018 midterm elections. While contributing to previous literature, this study aims to extend research done at the intersection of social media use and political participation. This study looks at the perceptions of young adults' engagement during the 2018 midterm elections. Qualitative research methods were used to gain insight into how young adults engaged on Twitter during the 2018 midterm elections. Twitter was found to be a platform for voter mobilization among young adults. A variety of factors contribute to this perspective such as the consumption of news content and political messaging that encouraged users to go out and vote. Young adults were also found to have a personal connection to their engagement. Retweets, political beliefs, and candidate messaging are all types of content that reflect this personal connection. Young adults want to consume content that they find relatable, and that is an important part of the Twitter experience for them. While there are questions in the literature surrounding this topic, these findings illustrate that social media may both enable and restrict it's role in promoting democracy. Young adults' perceptions of their use of Twitter use goes beyond social media, but how it can be applied in a larger sense to political messaging in the utilization of Twitter.
Freshman interest group participation and second year academic success of engineering students
Authors:   , Meyer Caitlin Eileen
Published: September 2024

Students in their second year of college experience changes in support that can negatively impact their success. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as the sophomore slump, which can manifest itself as a decline in success with regard to changes in grade point average. Typically, higher education institutions provide support for students that focus on positive learning outcomes during their first year in college. One specific type of first-year success initiatives is Freshman Interest Groups which combine the shared academic experiences of freshman learning communities with a residential component. This study investigates whether Freshman Interest Groups at the University of Missouri are related to second-year academic success for students who declared an engineering major during their first year of study. Specifically, a regression-based statistical model correlates first-year participation in a Freshman Interest Group with second-year academic success (GPA, credit hours attempted, and credit hours earned). The sample draws upon first-year engineering majors at the University of Missouri for the years 2013-2016. The results indicate that Freshman Interest Group participation had no significant relationship with second-year academic success. One explanation of these results is that engineering students who participated in a Freshman Interest Group had stronger academic backgrounds (ACT subtests and high school core GPA) than students who did not participate in a Freshman Interest Group.
Effect of class wide function-based intervention teams (CW-FIT) and the good behavior game (GBG) intervention with children in a classroom
Authors:   , Parikh Dhwani Bhavesh
Published: September 2024

One common issue with children with developmental disabilities is compliance. In Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) individualized curriculum is developed for each student. However, Maggin et al. (2012) showed that group contingencies are effective in addressing challenging behavior in general education classroom. Research has been done with using two types of interdependent contingency, Class Wide Function Based Intervention Teams (CWFIT) and Good Behavior Game (GBG). They have each shown their strength in reducing disruptive behavior, but they have not been compared to see which intervention works better when applied alternatively. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effect of CW-FIT and GBG interventions on disruptive behavior of children in elementary school. The results showed that both the interventions were effective in reducing disruptive behavior. These findings suggested that both interventions work. We did not have a clear finding on praise versus reprimand during baseline, intervention and generalization phase.
Effect of localized national news on audience value perception
Authors:   , Rackers Emily Christine
Published: September 2024

The widespread usage of the internet and online media has changed the relationship between reader and online news publication. Previous studies have found that the greater public is unwilling to pay for online media, especially online news. This study explored how content angle, localized national news or standard national news, impacted audience perceptions of value, willingness to pay for online news, and likelihood to subscribe. A digital questionnaire was administered to 50 participants who were exposed to localized and standard versions of news stories and asked to make personal evaluations of the content and fictional news outlets. The results of this study showed that content angle, localized national versus standard national, has a significant effect on perceived value of news content, but no impact on the perceived value of news outlet. Beyond analyzing content angle' effect on value perceptions, this study measured how content angle and commitment to local community affected willingness to pay and likelihood to subscribe. However, the effect of content angle on willingness to pay and likelihood to subscribe was not statistically significant. Further, the interaction between content angle and individual commitment to local community was also not statistically significant.
Have "right", be "right" a study of the religion of consumerism
Authors:   , Brietzke Rebecca Lorraine
Published: September 2024

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] American society has evolved to equate the cost of a product with the status of a product. The current populace direct their attention to price as a means of justification for their consumption, because they believe it will elevate their position within society. However, what escapes modern purview and understanding is the inherent value of the product. The cost of a product should really be irrelevant, the more important factor is what, if any, value that commodity contributes to your life. It is apparent based my research that these two diametrically opposed concepts have been seemingly reversed. I focus on how advertising has been used as a mechanism to create myth, as Bruce Lincoln has described it. The myth making employed is drawn from shared historical American mythos, making them a powerful motivator. The new myths made Apple, Nike and De Beers, as I show in this study, capitalize on myth making in advertising to create a shared identity effectively manipulating consumer activity.
Quantifying evaporation of precipitation below the cloud base using a vertically pointing radar
Authors:   , Bongard Jonathon Thomas
Published: September 2024

Evaporation is the transformative process by which liquid water becomes water vapor. This is a very complex process that many times gets parameterized or even omitted in model forecasting. Previous work has been undertaken to quantify evaporation in an effort to overcome the lack of accountability for evaporation in forecasting. This is especially important for rainfall accumulation forecasting. This study aims to use a micro rain radar and radiosonde data from weather balloon flights to obtain observed data that can be used to calculate evaporation rates. Discussed here will be the variables that make evaporation so complex and how these variables can be better quantified attempting to calculate evaporation rates. Case studies are presented here with an example case study taken from the 29th of July 2018 in which balloon flights were performed ahead of an approaching frontal system. This was done in order to analyze the erosion of low-level dry layers as the system approaches. In doing so, the evolution of raindrop sizes can be studied between the cloud base and the surface. Also analyzed is how the evolution changes over time as the dry layer gets eroded by moisture advection ahead of the approaching storm system. A drop size to drop size viewpoint is discussed along with a look at total liquid water content which is a crucial variable in the quantification of evaporation. Finally, we used the lens of individual drop sizes and total liquid water content to analyze the effects of initial DSD height, averaged relative humidity, and vertical velocity on the evaporation process.
Site preparation for longleaf pine restoration on hydric sites : stand development and ground flora responses 15 years after planting
Authors:   , Crouch Connor Davidson
Published: September 2024

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) restoration is an important land management goal throughout the Southeast. On hydric sites within the Atlantic Coastal Plain, restoration may involve site preparation prior to planting in order to overcome challenges to seedling establishment, such as abundant competition and poor soil drainage. Short-term seedling responses to site preparation on these sites are well understood, with site preparation typically improving longleaf pine seedling growth but not survival. Investment in site preparation assumes that treatments will result in longterm benefits to stand establishment, yet lasting impacts of site preparation on longleaf pine are not well understood. Additionally, longleaf pine ecosystem restoration seeks not only to establish longleaf pine but also to maintain or improve the understory plant community. Little research has been conducted on the long-term effects of site preparation on vegetation in flatwoods sites. To fill these gaps in scientific understanding, we sampled longleaf pine plantations in Onslow County, North Carolina through three years and at 15 years after site preparation and planting. The eight study treatments we tested include an untreated control, six combinations of two vegetation control treatments (chopping or herbicide) with three soil manipulation treatments (flat [no treatment], mounding, or bedding), and an herbicide-chopping-bedding treatment. Our objectives were to determine the long-term impacts of site preparation on longleaf pine stand development and on the surrounding ground flora.
A partial equilibrium model of Afghanistan wheat market
Authors:   , Malakhail Fazal Rahman
Published: September 2024

This study focuses on the construction of a structural economic model for the wheat market in Afghanistan. We create two models with alternative approaches to model closure, one based on a price linkage approach and the other using a trade linkage approach. The study addresses two overarching questions. First, what will the wheat market in Afghanistan look like in the coming ten years? Second, how will the market respond to some internal and external shocks? Some of the assumed shocks (also referred here as alternative scenarios) are similar to past occurrences in the wheat market in Afghanistan. The alternative scenarios discussed are drought conditions, a wheat export ban from Pakistan, eliminating Pakistan's wheat export subsidy, increased wheat price in Kazakhstan, increased tariffs on wheat flour in Afghanistan, reduced transportation and transaction costs while importing wheat to Afghanistan and increased domestic production. The first scenario (drought) was examined using both the price linkage and trade linkage approaches. Drought decreases wheat yields and production, but using the price linkage model, it does not change domestic wheat price, as imports increase to fill the gap between reduced supply and consumption. In the trade linkage approach, the same scenario reduces yield and production but also increases domestic prices, while imports increase but not as much as in the first approach. A higher domestic price lowers domestic consumption. The increased Kazakh wheat flour price, higher tariffs on wheat products and eliminating export subsidies by Pakistan scenarios all reduce imports and increase domestic prices. Higher wheat prices might also reduce the food security of low-income households that do not producer their own food. On the other hand, increasing production through investing in irrigation rehabilitation, improving yield, and increasing efficiency in importing wheat will reduce the domestic wheat price in Afghanistan and can impact household food security. The impact of increase production on wheat producers depends on the effects it has on costs of production and how the required rehabilitation and expansion projects will be financed. Areas of future research can focus on exploring how these scenarios affect urban and rural households separately and estimating the impact of wheat price changes on the prevalence and severity of food insecurity.
Effect of induced hindlimb length difference on bodymounted inertial sensor measures of hindlimb lameness in horses
Authors:   , Pitts Jael B.
Published: September 2024

This study has investigated the effect of induced hindlimb length difference on differences in minimum and maximum pelvic heights in horses trotting in a straight line and lungeing on both hard and soft surfaces. The horses were trotted in a straight line and lunged in both directions on both hard and soft surfaces. Wilcoxon ranked sum tests were used to determine the effect of hindlimb length difference on differences in minimum (Pmin) and maximum (Pmax) pelvic height values. Difference in Pmin, indicating an impacttype lameness, in the limb with the elevation, was consistently measured in both the straight line and while lungeing. Difference in Pmax, indicating pushoff-type lameness, in the opposite, non-elevated limb, was found in the straight line but not while lungeing. A limited extended elevation trial was performed with no definitive pattern of results obtained. Statistics were not performed on this data and future study in this area is warranted.
The influence of fusarium species on sweet potato plant performance, root yield and quality
Authors:   , Kaluwasha Waana
Published: September 2024

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) is a global important food crop, that has recorded an increase in the consumption, and demand for especially organically produced sweet potatoes in recent years. Organic sweet potato growers however, face challenges due to the limited options available to manage soilborne diseases and pests that reduce sweet potato root yield and/or quality, of which Fusarium spp. are a common culprit. This presents a growing need for information under an organic sweet potato production system. The first part of the study evaluated five commonly grown sweet potato cultivars for their tolerance to Fusarium isolates, as well as their yield under field conditions over a two year period. The study revealed that infection by Fusarium isolates resulted in reduced plant vigor, which varied among cultivars. Similarly, the occurrence of Fusarium root rot in storage varied among cultivars, with Centennial proving to be most susceptible compared to Covington. An invitro inoculation study then demonstrated the potential use of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy to detect changes in root quality following infection by Fusarium. The last part of the study was conducted in collaboration with an organic sweet potato grower to develop a strategy of using cover and/or green manure crops, by evaluating their effects on plant health, weed suppression and root yield in organic production systems. The results showed that tilling the cover crops into the soil as green manure prior to transplanting sweet potato slips resulted in healthier sweet potato plants, greater weed suppression and greater root yield compared to plots without cover crops. Collectively, cultivar selection and incorporation of cover crops in sweet potato production could minimize the effects caused by Fusarium spp.
Exploring factors that affect customer satisfaction and dining intention in hotel restaurants compared to stand-alone restaurants
Authors:   , Liu Wanying
Published: September 2024

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] With the change of time, more and more hotels have chosen to operate food and beverage departments as separate revenue sectors from room departments, aiming to increase the total revenue. In other for hotel restaurant managers to better operate their properties, the process of customer behavior need to be understood. Nevertheless, the extant literature focused on stand-alone restaurants, and limited research has been conducted regarding consumer behavior in hotel restaurant industry. Considering the great differences between stand-alone restaurants and hotel restaurants, this research explores factors affecting customer satisfaction and dining intention in hotel restaurants compared to stand-alone restaurant. The results of this study proved that food and beverage quality, service quality, servicescape, price fairness, restaurant image, and local food accessibility positively affects customer satisfaction in hotel restaurants, and that food and beverage quality, servicescape, price fairness, restaurant image, and locational convenience have significant positive effect on dining intention in hotel restaurants. Whereas in the stand-alone restaurant subsample, the results indicated that food and beverage quality, service quality, servicescape, price fairness, and restaurant image have significant positive effect on customer satisfaction in stand-alone restaurants, and that food and beverage quality, price fairness, and locational convenience have significant positive effect on dining intention. Moreover, customer satisfaction was also verified to have a significant positive effect on dining intention in both types of restaurants.
Fuzzy-based conversational recommender for data-intensive science gateway applications
Authors:   , Ankathatti Chandrashekara Arjun
Published: September 2024

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Neuro-scientists are increasingly relying on parallel and distributed computing resources for analysis and visualization of their neuron simulations. Although science gateways (SG) have democratized relevant high performance/throughput resources, users require expert knowledge and training to fully utilize the capabilities of a science gateway. In this thesis, we aim to investigate the socio-technical challenges and opportunities to use conversational agents that can be presented as chatbots in guided interfaces of next generation SG. We explore a novel method to analyze user proficiency through a questionnaire design involving key cyberinfrastructure (CI)/SG stakeholders. Users interact with a context-aware chatbot that is embedded within SG to obtain simulation tools/resources to accomplish their goals. A questionnaire related to CI/SG and neuroscience domains is presented to the user and we use intuitionistic fuzzy logic to handle the fuzziness or vagueness in the user responses and create user profiles. We describe the use of a rule-based Mamdani Inference system which uses the user proficiency to provide guidance to users using an underlying recommender for cloud solution templates. The cloud solution template recommender suggests the best suitable cloud architecture to the users functional (RAM, CPU cores, storage) and nonfunctional (cost, performance, etc.) requirements. We explore the use of KNN algorithm to match user requirements with the catalog of templates to find most relevant templates based on user preferences. Evaluation results show that the questionnaire is consistent and reliable to capture the user proficiency in CI/SG and neuroscience domain. We simulate a series of queries from both expert and novice user and human expert annotation of the responses generated by the chatbot confirmed that our chatbot significantly helped in providing appropriate SG resources and tools based on user proficiency and thereby increasing the diffusion and adoption of CI/SG. We also show that our cloud solution recommender scheme improves the resource provisioning accuracy in a manufacturing science gateway application by up to 21 percent compared to the existing schemes.
Effects of heat stress on leukocyte function and gene expression in lactating dairy cows
Authors:   , Hirtz Libby Kathleen
Published: September 2024

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The effects of heat stress in animal agriculture are expected to become more serious as global temperatures continue to increase. Negative effects on production, reproduction, behavior, and health lead to greater costs for producers and decreased welfare for animals. In terms of health, the current literature does not provide conclusive evidence of the effects of heat stress on the immune system of dairy cows. To elucidate a potential cellular mechanism linking the effects of increased thermal stress on the regulation and function of immune cells, a ubiquitous cellular stress response pathway, termed the unfolded protein response (UPR), was examined. Additionally, a pair-feeding experiment was conducted in order to differentiate between heat stress (HS) and nutrient restriction effects within the cow. Three HS experiments were conducted in order to observe the effects of elevated environmental temperature on leukocyte function and response in dairy cows. We hypothesized that HS would invoke the UPR in blood leukocytes, and prolonged HS would cause suppressive effects on immune system factors. Additionally, we hypothesized that HS would lead to enhanced effects, beyond those observed in nutrient restricted cows, on UPR activation and immune suppression. ... While HS appeared to decrease expression of the same genes on d 5 of HS in the 15-d and pair-feeding experiments, the lack of treatment differences in the latter study indicates that this change cannot be attributed to HS effects. Thus, HS or nutrient restriction did not invoke the UPR nor lead to decreased expression of immune genes in blood leukocytes. However, increased secretion of TNFa in the HS and PF groups indicates that heat stress and feed restriction may enhance inflammatory cytokine secretion from leukocytes.
Intelligence-driven edge computing for visual cloud computing systems
Authors:   , Patman Jon
Published: September 2024

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The explosive growth and diversity of mobile devices such as smart phones and Internet of Thing (IoT) devices has prompted the evolution of network and resource management strategies that seek to mitigate the issues imposed by ever-increasing demands for such computational services. Computation offloading has been shown to be an effective approach for augmenting low-power devices with advanced processing capabilities by offloading computational tasks from users to nearby resources at the edge of the network resulting in better response times and lower resource consumption. The need for proactive cost prediction mechanisms is crucial for low-latency and non-diverging scheduling in dynamic network conditions. In this thesis, we discuss the aspects of developing an intelligence-driven offloading framework for large-scale image analytics in crisis management scenarios. We created several realistic datasets from wireless and wired networks as well as IoT devices and virtualized edge resources capable of running single and distributed state-of-the-art deep learning applications for pedestrian and face recognition services. Our framework uses Machine Learning to predict offloading costs in order to better inform scheduling decisions for multi-edge scales. We investigate several aspects of the learning problem such as feature engineering, model selection, offline data generation using networking testbeds, and the benefits of online learning when training data is limited. Evaluation results show that our learning-based approaches not only outperform traditional static estimation techniques, but also provide real-time training and inference capabilities ideal for scaling to large amounts of users in time-sensitive offloading environments.
Cost-performance trade-offs in fog computing for IoT data processing of social virtual reality
Authors:   , Wang Songjie
Published: September 2024

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Virtual Reality (VR)-based Learning Environments (VRLEs) are gaining popularity due to the wide availability of cloud and its edge (a.k.a. fog) technologies and high-speed networks. Thus, there is a need to investigate Internet-of-Things (IoT)-based application design concepts within social VRLEs to offer scalable, cost-efficient services that adapt to dynamic cloud/fog system conditions. In this thesis, we investigate the cost performance trade-offs for an IoT-based application that integrates large-scale sensor data from Social VRLEs and coordinates the real-time data processing and visualization across cloud/fog platforms. To facilitate dynamic performance adaptation of the IoT-based application with increased user scale, we present a set of cost-aware adaptive control rules. The implementation of the rules is based on an analytical queuing model that determines the performance states of the IoT-based application, given the current workload and the allocated cloud/fog resources. Using the IoT-based application in an exemplar VRLE use case, we evaluate the cost-performance trade-offs with three system architectures i.e., cloud-only, edge-only and edge-cloud architectures. Experiment results illustrate the best/worst practices in the cost-performance trade-offs for a range of simulated IoT scenarios involving monitoring user emotional data collected by using brain sensors. Our results also detail the impact of the system architecture selection, and the benefits in enabling feedback about student emotions to instructors during Social VR learning sessions. Lastly, we show the benefits of integrating our model-based feedback control in maximizing IoT-based application performance while keeping the associated costs at a minimum level.
Direct-from-sputum rapid phenotypic drug susceptibility test for mycobacteria
Authors:   , Butler Timothy Edward
Published: September 2024

The spread of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a leading global public-health challenge. Because not all biological-mechanisms of resistance are known, culture-based (phenotypic) drug-susceptibility testing (DST) provides important information that influences clinical decision-making. Current phenotypic tests typically require pre-culture to ensure bacterial loads are at a testable level (taking 2-4 weeks) followed by 10-14 days to confirm growth, or lack thereof.
Contactless extraction of respiratory rate from depth and thermal sensors
Authors:   , Fernandes Shawn
Published: September 2024

Monitoring of respiration and restless sleep can help detect sleep disturbances that may be indicative of poor health and functional deficits. The current methods of estimating the respiratory rate such as Pneumograph, Capnograph, Photo-plethysmograph (PPG), Respiratory inductance plethysmography (RIP), involve sensors that are in contact with the patient. However, we have a few scenarios such as in hospitals and senior retirement communities where we would like to non-invasively collect the respiration rate and restless body motion where we are not able to place these types of sensors on patients. The initial requirement was to non-invasively monitor vital activity of patients in psychiatric centers. This work investigates a novel approach to estimate the respiratory rate of a person lying on the bed using depth and thermal sensors along with other signal processing algorithms. The initial proof of concept tests were conducted on three subjects. Additional testing on a diverse group of ten participants (ranging in age and body type) was performed to validate the algorithm and the data collection method. The depth and thermal waveforms captured were tested to explore a new approach for detecting individual respiratory rate noninvasively, using various algorithms to detect the region of the bed, common grids where a person is present, best signal selection from grids, and accurately estimate the respiratory rate and amount of body movement during sleep. The performance results at approximately 30 frames per second for the set of 10 participants was a mean error difference of 0.6 breaths per minute for the time domain algorithm and 0.8 breaths per minute for the frequency domain algorithm.
Healthcare communication barriers encountered by child life specialists
Authors:   , Malkin Kendall
Published: September 2024

Communication in the healthcare setting can be complicated due to various reasons such as language barriers or complex medical terminology, yet effective communication is necessary for overall care and safety of an individual's well-being. There is an abundant amount of research about communication barriers by a variety of healthcare professionals, but there is limited research by child life specialists. This research study explores the perspective of communication barriers by certified child life specialists (CCLS) in the United States using the frameworks of transactional model of communication and critical incident technique. A total of 129 child life specialists completed an online survey identifying common communication barriers when interacting with patients and families. Nine participants from the survey responses were invited and completed follow-up interview sessions, further examining specific barriers encountered and the ways CCLS worked to address them. Findings were compared with previous research on healthcare communication barriers encountered by hospitalists and other multidisciplinary team members. The results will be useful for child life specialists working to increase patient satisfaction and promote family-centered care.
A study of Monteverdi's three genera from the preface to Book VIII of Madrigals in relation to operatic characters in Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in patria and L'incoronazione di Poppea
Authors:   , Coelho Julia
Published: September 2024

The construction of character on the early operatic stage by means of musical gestures is an indisputable achievement of Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643). Such an accomplishment was the result of a continuing development of musical ideas over many decades that encompassed additional modes of inquiry from philosophy to rhetoric. The merging of these fields is evidenced in the Preface to Book VIII, in which Monteverdi laid out a concate-nation of threefold divisions: three genera--concitato, temperato, and molle--in association with a high, medium, and low voice and with three emotions / virtues: anger, temperance, and humility / supplication. A detailed inquiry into the Preface terminology reveals its roots in a series of theoretical, rhetorical, and philosophical sources. An indepth musical analysis of Monteverdi's Venetian operas Ulisse and Poppea and their main roles--Penelope and Ulisse in the former, and Nerone, Poppea, Seneca, and the betrayed spouses in the latter--demonstrates that the application of the three genera went beyond Book VIII. The primary emphasis of this research is devoted to how Monteverdi extended this system, along with all his musico-rhetorical devices, to the construction of character and depiction of emotion in his operas. Such an analysis illustrates the development of the composer's musical aesthetic and his search for verisimilitude conveyed in his human operatic characters, a quest that he pursued for many years.
Effects of political media framing on news organizations' credibility
Authors:   , Barker Zara
Published: September 2024

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] This research examines whether news framings adopted by major news organizations influence audience responses. To do so, push alerts sent out to the news organization's application push alert subscribers were chosen as the experimental stimuli. The study defined audience responses as their perceived message credibility, message effectiveness and message persuasion. The findings of an online experiment with a 4 (news organizations: ABC, CNN, NBC, FOX) x 2 (outlet cue: presence vs. absence) mixed factorial design showed that there is a statistically significant difference in audience responses (such as message credibility) as a function of news organizations. Future research in this area should be conducted to test the message of a push alert and its effect on the news consumer, as research in that area is tremendously limited.