bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The comic aner : the family man in Athenian Old Comedy
Authors:   , Carpenter Robert
Published: September 2024

This paper builds on the argument of G.M. Sifakis that, "Types, then, are what the analysis of the dramatic structure of Old Comedy as a genre should aim at specifying" (Sifakis, 135). In this paper, I identify the father and husband, as he appears in certain plays of Old Comedy, as a kind of type character that I label the comic aner. I have chosen to use the Greek "aner" to capture the multifaceted nature of his position in the Greek oikos. The purpose of this paper is to identify the type's primary characteristics and then to consider what an analysis of Old Comedy from this perspective can tell us about the plays and the purposes of their authors. The paper is intended to proceed from the broadest view of the aner as a type in chapter one to a specific example of the function of one variant of the type, Dikaiopolis, in chapter four. The first chapter introduces the type character and identifies him within the plays of Aristophanes and suggests his presence in fragmentary plays of other authors. The second chapter considers how the aner produces humor specifically in his role as a father and husband. Chapter three considers how andres in the Clouds and Wasps indicate Aristophanes' involvement in a broader philosophical conversation on the nature of parent-child relationships. Chapter four examines how broader cultural trends that place greater emphasis on family in the face of hardship during the Peloponnesian War find expression in Aristophanes' Acharnians through the figure of the aner Dikaiopolis. The paper thus illustrates not only the existence of the type, but also its significance.
A case study of experiential learning in a non-formal STEM education program
Authors:   , Huber Christal Dawn
Published: September 2024

Non-formal STEM education programs can expose youth to STEM concepts outside the formal school environment. These programs employ education techniques such as hands-on learning, problem-solving, and connection to authentic science experiences. Youth participating in non-formal STEM programs are more likely to consider themselves science people and pursue STEM degrees and careers. The purpose of this case study was to describe how experiential learning occurs in a non-formal STEM educational program to understand better how youth-adult partnerships occur and how youth identify with a non-formal STEM education program. This study utilized a qualitative single case study design, selecting a FIRST FRC robotics team of youth ages 14-18 as the case of interest. Data was collected through interviews, photo-elicitation, observations, and document analysis. Several themes emerged through analysis guided by experiential learning and positive youth development conceptual frameworks. Six main themes emerged: a.) guiding peers through the learning process, b.) figuring it out for themselves, c.) feeling uncertain about how much support is desired, d.) discovery and application of personal interests and skills, e.) being a robotics kid versus a kid in robotics, and f.) developing stress and mitigating its impact. These themes provided insight into how learning occurred in a non-formal STEM program. Although many aspects of experiential learning were observed, such as hands-on learning and application of skills, other components, such as reflection, were not as outwardly apparent. Additional insight was gathered on the role of STEM subject matter experts in youth STEM programs. Although STEM subject matter experts frequently do not possess expertise in youth development, several aspects of positive youth development and youth-adult partnerships were observed. Lastly, belongingness emerged as a component of identity development, with several youth in the program identifying as "robotics kids."
The role of prosocial behavior and peer belonging in adolescents' classroom engagement
Authors:   , Hung Chen Yu
Published: September 2024

Students' prosocial behavior is linked to their own and their classmate's engagement in the classroom. This raises the question of through what pathway prosocial behavior is linked to engagement. This study investigates whether early adolescents' peer belonging mediates the relationship between prosocial behavior and classroom engagement. The potential moderation effect on gender was also investigated due to gender differences that favor girls. Participants were 679 middle school students from rural, low-income communities in the Midwestern United States (51 percent girls, 49 percent boys; Mage= 12.65, SD = 1.09). Students completed self-report surveys in the spring of 2022. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the main effect of students' perceptions of their own and their classmates' prosocial behavior on peer belonging and emotional, behavioral, and cognitive engagement, and the mediating effect of peer belonging on engagement. Results suggest that students' perceptions of their own and their classmates' prosocial behavior were positively linked to their emotional, behavioral, and cognitive engagement. Additionally, these relationships were mediated by peer belonging for emotional and behavioral (but not cognitive) engagement. These findings were robust across gender. Findings have implications for classroom-based intervention.
Motherhood and food in twenty-first century transnational fiction
Authors:   , Perrigo Anna
Published: September 2024

This dissertation discusses the ways in which intimate relationships between mothers and their children in contemporary transnational fiction is connected to global geopolitical events through foodways. In Chapter One, we examine Elaine Castillo's America is Not the Heart and Viet Thanh Nguyen's The Sympathizer. Both novels are focused on characters who move to California from Asian and Pacific Island countries as a result of political instability and postcolonial fallout. Food in this chapter is related to power, as characters vacillate between hunger and satiation and between powerlessness and powerfulness. Chapter Two is focused on Elif Shafak's The Bastard of Istanbul and Rachel Yoder's Nightbitch and is concerned with how food and consumption allow characters to express the inexpressible, especially around generational gendered violence. It builds on -- and questions -- the discussion of maternal virtue set forth in Chapter One. Finally, Chapter Three contains a discussion of James Hannaham's Delicious Foods and Helen Oyeyemi's Gingerbread and how each novel contains conventions of neoslave narratives that are intended to encourage readers to examine the tenuous distinction between consumer and the (metaphorically) consumed, allowing us to examine questions of race and subjectivity as they function in contemporary neoliberal economy.
A client-server architecture for modern times
Authors:   , Ries James Edward
Published: September 2024

Client-server computing (Maffeis 2003) at its zenith in the 1990's (Sinha 1992) provided rich and diverse technology on both sides of the wire. Clients had the ability to perform literally any operation. Code could be written in any language on either side, and the decision of where to deploy a component could be changed easily to optimize performance. However, this version of client-server computing never fully reached its promise due to two concerns: 1) corporate IT departments struggled with deploying rich clients, patching them with updates, and upgrading them uniformly and 2) a lack of security standards meant that the great power of clients also represented a potential threat from malware, and even from simple programming errors. The rise of the World Wide Web brought a standard client: The web browser, which allowed Javascript code to be deployed seamlessly to clients. Version compatibility between client and corresponding server could easily be maintained, and standardized browser "sandboxes" (Prevelakis and Spinellis 2001) mitigated many security concerns. However, early implementations of the Javascript runtime suffered from both performance and capability limitations, though these limitations have been mitigated greatly over time. Nonetheless, the security restrictions of the browser sandbox represent a significant limitation on work that can be done on the client side. For example, an application that requires client-side system calls simply cannot be written fully in Javascript. Furthermore, Javascript applications currently lack support for threading, the ability to offload work to GPUs, and other performance innovations. Finally, for many developers, Javascript is an "acquired taste" at best. Software developers should be free to work in the languages and frameworks they commonly use for server applications and stand-alone applications such as C, C++, Java, C#, or Python. We revisit the original client-server paradigm, but with a modern improvement: advances in containerization can be used to solve the deployment issue. We consider an architecture in which an extended web protocol allows servers to provide a container to the client that is version-compatible with the server. Further, since the container has all necessary dependencies, the client software within can be written in any language. Architects can move components between client and server container images to address performance and convenience as needed. We include a security negotiation phase in the protocol, so that clients can limit the capabilities of the client-side container as desired. Finally, we compare the performance, capabilities, and security of sample browser-based client-server applications with analogous fully container-based applications.
Parental involvement in children's piano learning : parent-child interaction and teacher-parent communication
Authors:   , Tong Lun
Published: September 2024

This dissertation consists of three projects that were designed to investigate parent-child interaction and teacher-parent communication about children's piano learning. In the first project, I reviewed the literature on the theoretical frameworks, methods, and influential factors in parental involvement and teacher, parent, and child interactions in music learning. The second investigation is a qualitative descriptive study of the characteristics, intended results, and children's perspectives of Chinese parents' interaction with their children about piano learning. Emergent themes included (a) multifaceted motivational strategies aimed at consistency in piano learning, (b) verbal and non-verbal guidance about piano learning, (c) preferring supportive over critical parental interactions, (d) well-rounded education, and (e) self-driven or parent-influenced motivation. The third project investigated piano teachers' perspectives, barriers, and strategies in communication with their students' parents. Results indicate that most participants are open and positive towards the various expectations of parents, and perceive that parental involvement benefits the piano learning of young children. The main communication barriers are the lack of time participants have to communicate with parents and the unrealistic expectations of the parents. The strategies include reporting to parents about piano lessons, encouraging parental involvement, and encouraging a home music environment change according to age level. Taken together, results from these projects indicate that parents should (a) be positive and encourage the students, (b) cooperate with teachers, and (c) align expectations with teachers before classes. Piano teachers should (a) adapt involvement strategies as students age, (b) maintain open communication channels, (c) align expectations with parents before classes, and (d) be flexible in communication with parents.
Dynamic spatio-temporal models integrating physics for extreme environmental processes
Authors:   , Yoo Myungsoo
Published: September 2024

Spatio-temporal processes are ubiquitous and prevalent across disciplines. Understanding the mechanisms underlying processes and integrating this information into models is of great interest, as it can improve forecasting accuracy and align with scientific motivation. Examples of such models include Partial Differential Equation (PDE) Models or Physics-Informed Neural Network Models in the applied mathematics or deep learning community, respectively. However, these models often overlook uncertainty quantification despite its crucial role, considering that real-world processes necessarily involve inherent errors that physical laws cannot fully explain. Dynamic Spatio-Temporal Models (DSTMs) offer a flexible and effective approach by embedding physics laws within the Bayesian Hierarchical Model (BHM) framework and accounting for dependencies in space and time conditionally. This dissertation explores integrating physics laws while accounting for uncertainty within BHMs and neural network models for complex environmental processes. To start, a novel approach utilizing a level-set method and low-rank representation within a BHM is developed to model the evolution of wildfire boundaries in the presence of uncertainty in data and a lack of knowledge about the boundaries. Subsequently, a hybrid model that nests an echo state network within a level-set method to accommodate nonlinearity is developed. This model is computationally efficient and includes calibrated uncertainty quantification. Lastly, a new class of DSTMs, capable of accommodating both high and low extremes through a regime-switching scheme of stable distributions with varying tail indices, is presented. This last method is illustrated on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) observations emanating from wildfires in the prairie region of the US.
Using DIC for intermediate bent restraint of MoDOT prestressed bridges
Authors:   , Bommelje Olivia Grace
Published: September 2024

This thesis investigates the use of digital image correlation (DIC) techniques to capture bridge deflections and rotations in order to validate a finite element model (FEM) of the same bridge. The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) commissioned this study to better understand the amount of rotational rigidity provided by intermediate diaphragms to the top of intermediate bent columns. A thorough literature review identified key parameters for accurate DIC results, which were the camera resolution, target contrast, and target illumination. Controlled laboratory experiments were conducted to confirm the DIC system's optimal conditions and ability to capture multiple targets during testing. Subsequently, experimental tests were performed pre-stressed girder bridge MoDOT Bridge A8697 in Keytesville, MO, focusing on the intermediate bent joint. DIC equipment targeted the intermediate bent cap, diaphragm, and unloaded-side girder flange to measure the x and y displacements. These readings were compared with traditional LVDTs taken at similar locations. The analysis revealed that the DIC system successfully captured displacements as small as 0.007 inches, although vertical displacements had reduced confidence due to camera instabilities during testing. Despite this limitation, the DIC results were in good agreement with the FEM predictions, particularly in terms of calculated rotations. This study validated the FEM's accuracy for further efforts to numerically analyze the amount of rotational restraint at the top of intermediate bent columns.
Behavior and prefence in fixed versus variable ratio token production schedules
Authors:   , Bradshaw Kailee Paige
Published: September 2024

Understanding preference and providing choices is often recommended to those in applied behavior analysis (ABA). The current study aims to evaluate if children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a preference for fixed ratio (FR) or variable ratio (VR) token production schedules in token economies. The study also evaluates if their preference corresponds with their correct responding and on task behavior. The results of this study indicated that neither participant suggested a clear preference for one schedule over the other. However, when the participants were provided a choice, one participant's correct responding and on task behavior corresponded with their preference in that test phase 60 percent of opportunities and the other participant's correct responding and on task behavior corresponded with their preference in that test phase 100 percent of opportunities. Though results from this current study displayed that preferences for FR and VR token production schedules are individualizes across children with ASD, the results highlight the importance of evaluating individual's preferences and allowing them to have choices within their skill acquisition procedures.
Authenticity, authorship, and autofiction : an autofictional reading of Elena Ferrante
Authors:   , Diggs Ashton Elizabeth
Published: September 2024

The autotheoretical practice of "life-thinking" provides rich spaces for considering when, how, and if the personal can be theoretical. Autofiction, however, complicates these questions even further. Italian novelist Elena Ferrante, who publishes under a pseudonym, calls into question nearly every facet of authorship, as she reveals that her characters are based upon her own life. Despite this admission, Ferrante, as we know, isn't real. My research will first position Ferrante in an autofictional context using theories of autofiction and autotheory before examining her alongside autofiction writer, Rachel Cusk. I'll examine Cusk's novels in contrast to Ferrante's, as Cusk often denies us access to the narrator, even though Cusk herself is a public figure we have access to. I'll then bring in Annie Ernaux, who, despite her rejection of autofiction, writes startlingly intimate autofiction that resembles the intimacy of Ferrante's writing. Ernaux, however, is a public author figure, which I'll consider at length. In combination with Eve Sedgwick's idea of "reparative reading" I plan to consider how Ferrante can be read, in keeping with her wishes as an author and the reader's need to see the line between reality and fiction. Considering histories of women's authorship, I'll examine Ferrante alongside Cusk and Ernaux and determine what can be done with a woman author that we don't get to know, who must be read as closely as any of her characters.
Zero modes of origami-inspired trusses
Authors:   , Lawless Paul
Published: September 2024

The subject of this paper is to use methods from linear algebra to study the zero modes, or folding modes, of periodic structures or mechanisms. First, we introduce a first-order analytical method to find the zero modes of one cell in these patterns. By adding multipliers, this gives the trend throughout the pattern. We apply this method to a case study of two planar mechanisms: a simple essentially 1D lattice from literature, and a slightly more complicated 2D case. 3D prints of this second case matched the analytically predicted behavior, validating this method. With these insights, we turned to the fully 3D case of the Yoshimura origami pattern and related patterns, by considering the trusses formed by the pattern. For this case, we primarily applied numerical methods. This allowed easy visualization of its modes and modification of the pattern. The Yoshimura pattern constructed from n-sided polygons was found to have 2(n - 3) zero modes (in addition to the rigid-body transformations), regardless of the number of layers, with both methods. For n = 4, each of the two modes were entirely localized to either end of the structure. n [greater than] 4 had modes localized towards either end, but not completely so. Modes remained symmetric, occurring on both ends, despite various modifications made to the n = 4 pattern. The twist angle had the largest impact on these modes at critical angles. Twisting opposite of the Yoshimura pattern gave the Kresling pattern, which had more than two bulk modes. Zero twist gave a cylindrical pattern with one linear and one constant bulk mode. In between, modes were somewhat localized, approaching the full localization of the Yoshimura case when approaching the Yoshimura twist angle.
An ecofeminist creation : how Poor Things rewrites and re-animates Frankenstein
Authors:   , Nash Molly Byrne
Published: September 2024

Alasdair Gray was one of the preeminent Scottish writers in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. His 1992 novel, Poor Things, represents a culmination of his carefully curated and craftily charged textual maneuvers as well as a rewrite of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1831). His creation of a rewritten, adapted text endows his novel with further significance as it belongs to a genre that seeks to critique and contrast our current realities with those that existed before. Continually, by choosing such a canonized and popular piece as his pre-text, Gray's work belongs within a lineage of adaptations that have reimagined the Frankenstein myth across time and space. However, Gray's novel is no traditional spinoff, rather he has collaged a variety of narratives to create a historiographic metafictional text that subverts historical myth with fictional fact (or literary certainties, such as Victor Frankenstein producing the Creature). Poor Things' continual disruption of notions of truth and reality constitutes a postmodern novel that questions any concrete conclusions and problematizes the notion of history itself. Specifically, Gray has inserted intimate details related to Shelley's life within his novel while simultaneously rewriting her infamous monster story. This thesis uncovers the extensive, deliberate connections Poor Things has to its pre-text and the life of its author as well as the notable diversions it makes. By examining these choices through an ecofeminist lens, it becomes clear how Gray is participating in a sustainable and radical literary practice--rewriting--by highlighting the abundance of content that art can be created from. Gray has re-animated the environmental and ethical questions integral to Shelley's text and personal context; Poor Things continues the legacy of her work by reimagining and recycling these myths to show their perennial value. Much like Victor Frankenstein, Gray has manipulated a variety of disparate parts and given them new life within Poor Things.
Advancements in hyperpolarized xenon MRI : methodological exploration and image reconstruction for enhanced assessment of pulmonary disease
Authors:   , Ruppel Mia
Published: September 2024

The human respiratory system is remarkable, tirelessly facilitating the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide to sustain life. However, the prevalence of chronic respiratory illnesses underscores the need for advancing our understanding of lung pathophysiology and treatment. In this exploration, we emphasize the pivotal role of imaging techniques in unraveling lung structure and function, particularly through the lens of hyperpolarized xenon MRI. This investigation navigates through the complexities of respiratory health, delving into methodologies, clinical applications, and experimental procedures associated with hyperpolarized xenon MRI. We thoroughly discuss gas and dissolved phase image analysis, image reconstruction, optimization strategies, and artifact mitigation techniques to enhance the diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities of this emerging technology. Collaboration between researchers and clinicians is paramount in integrating hyperpolarized xenon MRI into respiratory medicine, ultimately improving outcomes for individuals with chronic respiratory illnesses.
Towards enabling distributed situational awareness for autonomous system collaboration
Authors:   , Scully Christopher W.
Published: September 2024

State of the art research towards multi-agent AI requires the ability to perceive within a given environment. This involves a process of ingesting raw information streams into explainable representation of the surrounding environment. This process may be referred to as achieving situational awareness. These information streams are often singular, reducing information to what is relevant for a targeted sensor context, which limits their ability to allow multiple autonomous platforms to perceive based on the total available information. There are many domains where situation awareness is necessary, such as in search and rescue context to effectively triage autonomous agent efforts. To enable distributed situational awareness, herein we present the steps adopted to standardize the management of information streams across contexts of varying sensor domains, the process of investigating the validity of this system, and the additional infrastructure that has helped facilitate situational awareness. This system is enabled through the Robot Operating System 2 (ROS 2), which we outline the steps taken to evaluate it within a distributed context, such as communication performance, sensor processing, and infrastructure management. Based on ROS 2's system components, we show a system that enables sensor information to retain its generalized form, which other platforms can manipulate for their targeted need without the unnecessary destruction of data to perceive within its system. We seek to establish a meaningful connection from the concepts of autonomous agent collaboration research to be practically applied.
The Wagnerian mythos : national origin and musical culture
Authors:   , Sheets Gregory Parker
Published: September 2024

In the mid-nineteenth century Richard Wagner participated in a project of German identity building through his operas based on Germanic sagas. Even in his less-mythic dramas, such as Tannhauser, Wagner brings together disparate mythologies, histories, and/or legends to celebrate a narrative of shared "Germanness". In these works, Wagner works to establish the continuum which Benedict Anderson identifies as crucial to formations of national consciousness. His use of the medieval German literary canon as well as various Norse sagas as source materials establishes the German "antiquity", and his narratives provide his opinion on--and thus assume the existence of--the present and potential future for Germans. I argue that through this lens it is possible to track a consistent image of "Germanness" in several of Wagner's most important works. Exclusion also played a major role for Wagner, however, as his operas frequently warn against the dangers of "foreign influence." As evident in his polemic writings, Wagner sought to create a definition of "Germanness" which excluded various groups, primarily German Jews. This exclusion also served to solidify Wagner's self-styled place at the top of the German musical canon. This study seeks to identify Wagner's nationalistic project in several of his earlier works as well as his chef-d'oeuvre Ring des Nibelungen and trace how he and the Wagnerians sought to maintain his vision of "Germanness" into the 20th century.
Gender dynamics in South Asian religious contexts : a comparative study of Hindu, Islamic, and Sikh sacred narratives
Authors:   , Villanova Adam T
Published: September 2024

"Rationale and Research Objectives: The examination of women, gender, and sexuality within religious narratives holds profound significance in deciphering the intricate interplay between culture, religion, and society. Focusing on the Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh traditions provides a unique and fertile ground for this investigation. Several compelling factors underscore the importance and timeliness of this research: Religious Pluralism and Cultural Syncretism: India's diverse religious landscape offers an unprecedented opportunity to explore how varied religious traditions interpret and depict women and sexuality within their sacred narratives. Gender Dynamics and Societal Norms: Portrayals of women and sexuality in religious narratives often mirror, reinforce, or contest prevailing societal norms and values. Understanding these representations can shed light on evolving gender dynamics and societal norms in the region. Interdisciplinary Approach: By integrating textual analysis, this research adopts a multi-disciplinary approach that bridges religious studies and gender studies. Such an approach is vital for comprehensively understanding the numerous factors influencing the representations of women, gender, and sexuality within religious narratives. Global Relevance: In an increasingly interconnected world, where gender equality is a subject of global discourse, this research's findings extend beyond regional boundaries. Examining portrayals of women and sexuality in the sacred stories of the Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh traditions contributes to the global dialogue on gender and religion. Considering these factors, this thesis aims to explore, analyze, and comprehend the complex interplay between religious beliefs and societal norms concerning women, gender, and sexuality in the context of South Asian religious traditions."--Page 2.
Effect of newsgames on audience understanding and engagement with news content
Authors:   , White Abigail Marie
Published: September 2024

Digital media and the internet have increased the ways in which news can be shared, including through formats like newsgames, which combine journalism and gameplay. Previous studies have found that using newsgames in journalism can be persuasive in message sharing and increase audience emotional response. This study explored how exposure to a relevant newsgame before a complex news story would impact participant engagement and understanding of the news story. A total of 164 participants took part in an online experiment in which the participants were exposed to either a newsgame followed by a news story or to only the news story and then responded to a series of self-reported outcome measures about their understanding and perception of the news story. The results of this study showed that the inclusion of a newsgame as a message element prior to exposure to a news story had a statistically significant impact on the participant's understanding and engagement. The results show that with the given stimuli, the inclusion of newsgame stimuli prior to message stimuli had a negative overall effect on the audience's understanding of news content. When considering time spent, the inclusion of a newsgame prior to message stimuli resulted in an adverse effect that was not statistically significant. The engagement measure had a positive impact by including one of the newsgame options and a negative impact by including the other newsgame, though neither was statistically significant.
The ethics of documentary representation in brand storytelling : a conceptual framework
Authors:   , Hua Wei
Published: September 2024

[EMBARGOED UNTIL 05/01/2025] In this thesis, I develop a conceptual framework for the ethics of documentary representation in brand storytelling, broadly described as the advertising practice of using elements and techniques of documentary filmmaking to create nonfiction brand stories. Guided by the pragmatist intellectual tradition and its requirement for theoretical contextualization, I draw upon concepts and theories from advertising, documentary media, and narrative hermeneutics to generate a more holistic, integrative understanding of the overarching ethical considerations--referred to theoretically as inherent concrete ethical demands--for evaluating the practice of documentary representation in brand storytelling. In particular, I theorize in this thesis that authentic indexicality and reflexive narration are the two inherent concrete ethical demands for this unique type of advertising practice. More specifically, authentic indexicality deals with the genuine connection between a brand story and reality, while reflexive narration deals with whether a brand story is reflexively (re)constructed and presented to audiences. In combination, these two inherent concrete ethical demands produce four ethical ideal types of documentary representation in brand storytelling, which are prudent representation, imposture representation, superficial representation, and inappropriate representation. Supplementary exemplars are presented as an empirical extension of the four ideal types. Scholarly contributions, future research directions, and implications for professional practice are also discussed.
Evaluation of soil properties in log landings after subsoiling and biochar amendments
Authors:   , Rumpf William Richard
Published: September 2024

[EMBARGOED UNTIL 05/01/2025] Log landings are a necessary component of timber harvest infrastructure that decrease overall impact of harvest activities by concentrating management operations to a small area. However, the soil on the landings themselves can be significantly degraded as a result of heavy machine traffic. This study evaluates the efficacy of biochar application and subsoiling used singly and in combination to reduce compaction and improve soil fertility as a means to improving vegetation reestablishment. Fifteen landing sites were selected across Hoosier National Forest in Indiana, Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri, and Shawnee National Forest in Illinois. Landings were divided into treatment plots of biochar at 22.4 Mg ha-1 , subsoiling to a depth of 20in, a combination treatment, and control, with seeded and unseeded subplots. One-year post treatment findings show that surface applications of biochar reduce compaction by ~18-19 percent in the top 10cm of soil regardless of seeding or subsoiling (P < 0.05). The biochar amended soils also saw a significant increase in active carbon, potassium, magnesium, and plant available phosphorous, as well as marginal increases in total carbon and nitrogen. Comparison to pretreatment data showed that removal of slash and mulch on landings reduced bulk density (P = 0.001) regardless of treatment by allowing vegetation and removal of insulation that attenuates freeze thaw cycles.
The opposite of gone
Authors:   , Cox Hayli May
Published: September 2024

Sandra Gilbert writes, "What if, cries the griever, just as the sci-fi writer does." Tentatively titled The Opposite of Gone, this nonfiction project employs personal narrative in experimental and lyric forms alongside research to examine the --precariously speculative-- place in which grievers often live. Drawing on both feminist theories of grief and care as well as personal experience--the loss of a partner to suicide and the deep and unlikely bond formed with his mother, as well as the histories of mental illness, premature death, and the supernatural in the writer's family--the book examines the effects our current ideologies and institutions of grief and care have on us. Perhaps even more importantly, the project unveils the barriers which prevent earlier and more proactive instances of intergenerational knowledge-sharing which disrupt harmful expectations of isolation and suppression of our pain and grief.
Innovative fabrication of skin-interfaced bioelectronics for multimodal health monitoring
Authors:   , Zhao Ganggang
Published: September 2024

Skin-interfaced wearable electronics capable of real-time monitoring of vital biophysiological signals have gained significant attention. However, traditional wearable devices often face challenges such as the use of costly materials, intricate fabrication processes, and poor stability under mechanical stress and prolonged wear. Moreover, the limited breathability of substrates can compromise comfort and cause inflammation over long-term use. My research primarily addresses these challenges by innovating materials, adapting fabrication technologies, and modifying devices to enhance breathability, stretchability, affordability, and other unique characteristics essential for on-skin wearables. The dissertation starts from the development of cost-effective, eco-friendly, and breathable wearable electronics. Direct writing technique to apply conductive graphite patterns onto cellulose paper, facilitating the development of on-skin electronics (chapter 1). Then laser-scribed molybdenum dioxide (LSM) with high electrical conductivity, biocompatibility, chemical stability, and MRI compatibility.is developed to achieve mask-free, high-resolution, and large-scale fabrication of highly conductive materials on flexible substrates and Janus devices capable of monitoring both bodily and environmental signals (Chapter 2) is also obtained. Using phase-separation technology, we develop porous composites of silver nanowires (Ag NWs) with an ultralow percolation threshold. These composites enable strain-resilient near-field communication (NFC), facilitating wireless powering and data transmission for both skin-interfaced and implantable bioelectronics (Chapter 3). Last work is focus on the engineering cellulose nanofiber interfaces (CNFI) on porous substrates to achieve surface flatness for high-quality bioelectronics printing and to construct mechanical heterogeneity for strain-resilient bioelectronics. Additionally, CNFI for microfluidic channel (MFC) is also constructed for continuous and real-time collection, transportation, and discharge of sweat (Chapter 4).
Multimodal data fusion for real-time detection of obstructive sleep apnea
Authors:   , Paul Tanmoy
Published: September 2024

Sleep apnea is a respiratory disorder that is characterized by interruption in breathing during sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common form of apnea affecting about 29.4 million adults in the United States. It has been linked with multiple health complications including daytime fatigue, cardiovascular dysfunction, pre-operative, and post-operative complications, etc. Severe form of apnea can even be lethal if not treated timely. Yet about 80 percent of the OSA patients remain undiagnosed. Overnight polysomnography (PSG) is the current gold-standard of OSA diagnosis that has various limitations including expense, set-up complexity, and lack of facilities for conducting an overnight PSG. As a result, an alternative of laboratory PSG is highly desired. This study proposes an artificial intelligence (AI) based OSA detection model that is capable of detecting apneic activity in real-time without the supervision of a sleep expert using an optimum number of sensors. Electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood-oxygen saturation signals (SpO2) were collected for apnea detection from an open-source database. Multiple AI models were developed to detect apnea from the individual signals and their fusion. In addition, this work adopts depthwise separable convolution to build a lightweight and low-parametric apnea detection model from the raw signals without any signal pre-processing. The proposed model involves fewer floating-point operations resulting in improved energy efficiency per prediction. Moreover, the model operates on an overlapping processing window of 12s enabling per-second detection of apnea. Furthermore, this work performs a qualitative post-hoc visual explanation technique on the model and provides insights into the reasoning behind its decisions.
Variability in timing of oak and maple autumn tree phenology across oak-hickory stands in Rock Bridge State Park, Columbia Missouri
Authors:   , Thomas Tara Alyssa
Published: September 2024

[EMBARGOED UNTIL 05/01/2025] Tree phenology research provides evidence and indications of forest ecosystem dynamics and species environmental response to phenomena such as global climate change. The current literature has explored the various drivers of spring tree phenology among deciduous forests globally, however, fall seasons have seen less research studies. While there is abundant research available on fall phenology's influence on wildlife seasonal responses, there is not significant advancement in understanding what factors play into the timing of individual tree response to phenological change in end of season (EOS). In this study, three key phenophases of autumn leaf senescence were observed and compared annually at a species and community level in the Gans Creek Natural area of Rock Bridge State Park, Columbia, MO. Over a 5-year period (2018-2022), the day of year values and duration (in days) intervals of white oak (Quercus alba), red oak (Quercus rubra), and sugar maple (Acer saccharum) were collected using high-resolution-ground-based observation methods. Data was analyzed using multiple statistical techniques to compare mean values of the three phenophases duration and day of year intervals of interspecific and intraspecific samples. The data showed that intraspecific insignificant variability exists at the community level of oak to oak and maple to maple, but the interspecific variability of oak to maple yields a much stronger significant relationship. Coupling the autumn leaf senescence with green period over the 5-year interval showed that sugar maple produced a shorter green period annually than white oak and red oak species and produced an earlier and shorter end of season progression. These results can be used in the future to further examine tree phenology patterns at a local scale.
KEPEMIMPINAN TRANSFORMASIONAL KEPALA SEKOLAH TERHADAP KUALITAS LAYANAN AKADEMIK
Authors: Lestari Hana , Rahmawati Ima , Ulfatul Hasanah Siti
Published: September 2024

The quality of school academic services is an effort provided by educational institutions in the form of responsive, friendly and accurate service, providing individual attention, providing adequate facilities and administration to meet the expectations and satisfaction of users of educational services in the field of learning. The aim of this research is to describe the influence of transformational leadership on the quality of academic services at A-accredited private MTs in Pamijahan Bogor District. The number of samples taken was 102 teachers, using a probability sampling method with a simple random sampling technique. The research method used is quantitative research with data collection techniques using questionnaires. The data analysis technique used is simple linear regression. Based on the results of the analysis, it was found that transformational leadership has a positive effect on the quality of academic services. This shows that the stronger the transformational leadership, the higher the quality of academic services available at the school. Therefore, to improve the quality of academic services, we hope to pay more attention to the transformational leadership of school principals in order to improve the quality of academic services.
Intention to have children of young couples in Ho Chi Minh City – the case study in Thu Duc City and Binh Chanh District
Authors:   University of Social Sciences & Humanities, VNU-HCM, Viet Nam, Phạm Trân Gia , Trần Oanh Nguyễn Tường ,   University of Social Sciences & Humanities, VNU-HCM, Viet Nam
Published: September 2024

The article aims to investigate the intention to have children in the next 3 years of young couples in Ho Chi Minh City along with the factors affecting their intention to have children. The research orientation is the theory of planned behavior applying in the fertility intention by Ajzen I and Klobas J. The sample size includes 120 young couples (60 men and 60 women), who have no children and have one child in Thu Duc City (directly under Ho Chi Minh City) and Binh Chanh District. The information collection tools are structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews. The analytical methods used in this study are the descriptive statistics, the bivariate correlation analysis, and the binary logistic regression. The research findings show that young couples agree with the norm of having more children in the future, have a positive attitude towards having children, but their ability to control having children is limited. Majority of young couples want to delay childbirth and do not intend to have children in the next 3 years. Attitudes towards having children and professional work are the strongest predictors of childbearing. Based on the research findings, the article proposes the functional agencies need to issue policies to create favorable conditions for young couples to have children.
The Vietnam Communist Party's views on higher education through the 8th to 13th National Party Congresses
Authors:   University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU-HCM, Trương Mẫn Doãn
Published: September 2024

After overcoming the economic crisis in 1996, Vietnam’s higher education has transformed and achieved remarkable successes, greatly contributing to raising the position of our country's higher education in the world as well as to the process of industrialization, modernization, and international integration. To gain these achievements, it is thanks to the thorough leadership of the Vietnam Communist Party and State with many reasonable, timely, and decisive guidelines and perspectives. Based on the reality of Vietnam’s higher education during the period of industrialization, modernization, and international integration, this study clarifies the Vietnam Communist Party's role in higher education in each period through analyzing the views related to higher education at the 8th to 13th National Congresses of the Vietnam Communist Party (hereinafter referred to as the Congress). To achieve the purpose of the research, the author uses the scientific literature review method as the main method. Besides, the author also uses the methods of analysis -synthesis, interpretation, and comparison. The results of the study show that there is a clear development in the Vietnam Communist Party's awareness of the role of higher education in relation to the world and domestic situations during the periods of industrialization, modernization, and international integration. However, there are also difficulties and challenges in implementing the above guidelines. Accordingly, the author has made recommendations to further enhance the role of Vietnam’s higher education.
Some features of the Sen Dolta festival among the Khmer people in Loc Ninh district, Binh Phuoc province today
Authors:   University of Thu Dau Mot, Vietnam, Tran Duc Minh , Tran Dung ,   University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU-HCM, Vietnam
Published: September 2024

Southeast region as well as in the Mekong Delta – the Southwest region and other areas. The festival reflects many distinctive cultural features, including customs, beliefs, arts, community relationships, especially the Khmer people’s way of behaving towards their ancestors’ spirits. Although there are the same origin and meaning as the Khmer community in the Mekong Delta – the Southwest region, due to the impact of many factors, besides the similarities, the Khmer festivals in Loc Ninh district also possess characteristic cultural traits. Based on a comparative perspective and the ecological-cultural theory, combined with the ethnographic fieldwork method, the research results indicate that the Sen Dolta festival of the Khmer people in Loc Ninh district, Binh Phuoc province has undergone changes and at the same time formed unique features, different from those in other Khmer regions, especially compared to the Khmer people in some localities in the Mekong Delta – the Southwest region. In addition to factors such as the historical context, social interactions, cultural exchange and acculturation among ethnic groups, etc., the specific natural conditions and ecological environment are the significant factors shaping the unique cultural traits as well as modifying the Sen Dolta festival of the Khmer people in Loc Ninh district, Binh Phuoc province and in the Southeast region today.