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Evaluating the Interdependency of the PEAK Comprehensive Assessment as It Relates to Performance Estimation and Curricular Programming for Autistic Learners
No full textAssessments are widely used by behavior analysts throughout the field of Applied Behavior Analysis when determining curriculum and intervention for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This thesis combines and discusses two collaborative manuscripts that revolve around the subject of one commonly used ABA assessment and curriculum. The PEAK Relational Training System (PEAK, Dixon 2014-2016) provides a wide-ranging assessment and training program that incorporates Skinnerian verbal operant learning and derived relational responding expressed in contemporary Relational Frame Theories (Hayes et al., 2001). The PEAK Comprehensive Assessment (PEAK-CA; Dixon, 2018) was developed to standardize and streamline assessments from all four PEAK modules (Direct Training, Generalization, Equivalence, Transformation) into a single direct assessment to provide an estimate of performance across each of these verbal and relational learning modalities. In the first chapter, 174 PEAK-CA scores were obtained from de-identified data from a prior approved study with participants receiving behavior analytic autism services and evaluated the interdependency of items using a principal component analysis (PCA). Results of the PCA revealed both a 2 and 3 factor model where items in the PEAK-CA were highly interdependent. These results support the interdependence of relational learning and verbal operant learning while generally supporting clustering of PEAK-CA items within and across modules that build in relational complexity allowing for shaping of language and cognitive skills within the curriculum. The second chapter aimed to determine underestimation in the PCA by identifying the total number of trial blocks until mastery in mastered PEAK programs from a de-identified data set from a previously approved study. 22 participants diagnosed with ASD were a part of this study along with 861 total mastered programs across all participants. Results showed an underestimation in the PCA in that majority of PEAK programs are mastered in the first trial block and decay in mastery over subsequent trial blocks
From Institutional Trauma to Institutional Healing
No full textThe societal struggles in American higher education have intensified in recent years, impacting various facets of academic life. Enrollment declines, rising costs, student debt, and emerging alternatives pose significant threats to colleges and universities. The COVID-19 pandemic further strained institutions, leading to deeper budget cuts and potential closures. Falling tuition revenue coupled with culture wars and political polarization have led to prolonged institutional trauma in higher education institutions. Conservative-leaning states have restricted faculty tenure, courses dealing with social and political inequity, and DEI initiatives, while progressives emphasize universities\u27 role in fostering critical thinking and truth.
Organizational trauma can significantly impact an organization’s well-being. It can arise from a single catastrophic event or persistent issues such as workplace biases, discrimination, and poor communication. For many campuses, this manifests as chronic stress, apathy, and mental health challenges, leading to turnover and low productivity. Understanding and addressing organizational trauma is crucial. Strategies include fostering resilience through supportive leadership, trust-building, and inclusive practices.
Thoughtful solutions and collective efforts are needed to heal and strengthen American democracy. The 2024 election outcome remains uncertain, raising questions about the future of not only higher education, but American democracy. Addressing these challenges requires a concerted effort to bridge divides, promote critical thinking, and uphold the purpose of higher education. The path forward remains complex, but collective action is essential to repair and strengthen our civic health
Scent Trailing in Neonate Agkistrodon Piscivorus When Exposed to Conspecific and Heterospecific Chemical Cues
No full textChemosensation is central to snake ecology, playing an essential role in predator recognition, foraging success, and communication with conspecifics. In areas with cold winters, neonatal snakes often trail chemical cues from older individuals to locate communal hibernacula essential for winter survival. Juvenile Northern Cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus) form social bonds with littermates and have been shown to trail chemical cues of conspecifics in the fall. However, the effect of relatedness on trailing phenomena has not been tested. Using y-maze experiments I evaluated trailing behavior of 32 captive-born neonate Northern Cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus) to determine if (1) subjects prefer to trail siblings over non-relatives, and (2) whether cottonmouths would also trail cues of a closely related species, the copperhead (A. contortrix). In the conspecific trailing experiment, a non-significant majority of individuals trailed their siblings’ cues over an unrelated conspecific neonate. The heterospecific trailing experiment showed that neonatal cottonmouths did not respond to copperhead cues, with equal numbers of subjects selecting the copperhead versus blank control cues. Copperheads and cottonmouths are occasionally observed hibernating together; however, this does not appear to be a result of heterospecific scent trailing. My results suggest that females may preferentially follow kin, though larger samples would be needed to provide strong evidence
Optimizing Sports Outcome Prediction Through Feature Engineering and Machine Learning
No full textThe challenge of predicting the outcome of a team game lies in the high complexity and dynamics of the sports data. This thesis focuses on the aspect of using feature engineering and the genetic algorithm to predict the winner and the score of various sports events. Generally, it deals with how machine learning algorithms are combined with state-of-the-art feature engineering techniques in sports datasets derived from various sports disciplines. In this thesis, five different machine learning models have been applied, classification and regression trees (CART), random forest (RF), stochastic gradient boosting (SGB), eXtreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and extreme learning machine (ELM), with feature selection driven by Genetic Algorithms and autoregressive weights. Moreover, Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) is used to emphasize the impact of game performances in recent times. This thesis shows that these techniques can achieve a high prediction accuracy by integrating machine learning with carefully engineered features. The presented framework is aimed at robustness across many sports datasets; as such, it becomes a versatile tool for predicting results in different team sports. Three experiments were conducted using basketball, soccer and American football datasets. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach significantly improves prediction accuracy across a variety of sports, as the conducted experiments showed improvements in both predicting the winner of a match and estimating the final score of such a match, when compared with other studies that utilized the same set of data
Strategic Implications Caused by Hypersonic Strike Weapons
No full textEmerging technology is having a substantial impact on strategic stability. This thesis will analyze the impact of developing hypersonic weapon systems globally on strategic stability. Hypersonic weapons are defined as weapons that travel at least five times the speed of sound (Mach 5). Hypersonic Strike Weapons (HSW) are hypersonic weapons capable of maneuvering at hypersonic speeds that makes them much more difficult to engage when traveling at such high speeds. They are a relatively new technology that is currently being pursued by multiple nations throughout the world.
The United States is currently the only country that has officially declared all hypersonic strike weapons will remain conventional, with adversary nations suggesting that they are arming hypersonic strike weapons with nuclear warheads. If other nations arm their hypersonic weapons with nuclear warheads, a decapitating strike becomes a serious threat that has to be considered when developing defensive strategies. This could lead to a decrease in strategic stability around the globe as more nations become fearful of others first strike capabilities. This could cause nations to have their nuclear response on a much shorter tether, bringing back situations that have not been seen since before the end of the cold war.
As hypersonic weapons become operational, national defense strategies will have to adapt to the emerging threats to nations around the globe. Without a proper response an increase in risk and a decrease in strategic stability could occur.
This thesis looks at what hypersonic weapons are, what nations are looking at developing them, what purpose they may hold in a nation’s strategic arsenal, what strategic instabilities are caused by the development and operationalization of hypersonic weapons and the rhetoric that follows along with them. The paper concludes with some thoughts on possible ways to limit the instabilities caused by hypersonic weapons and its impact on strategic stability and U.S. defense policy
Quantitative Trait Loci Influencing Elemental Content in Grapevine Leaves
No full textIn grapevine, the influence of the plant’s elemental composition (the ionome) on fruit and wine quality is well established, but its genetic underpinnings have received limited scientific attention. In this study, I analyzed the leaf ionome of 131 interspecific F1 hybrid progeny plants from a cross between a Vitis rupestris Scheele (♀) and a Vitis riparia Michx (♂) parents, which were replicated in four different environments: Southwest Missouri, Central Missouri, South Dakota, and New York. I sampled leaves at three different times during the growing season at all four locations and had the concentration of 20 elements measured using ICP-MS. Positive and negative correlations among the concentration of various elements were consistent across the four geographic locations in the highest-node leaves at anthesis. Correlation in other leaf samples were limited mostly between the South Dakota, and New York locations. Varimax-rotated Principal component analysis (PCA) performed on the leaf ionome demonstrated that PC1 and PC2 accounted for 17.30% and 10.50% of variance, respectively. Using a GBS-based linkage map and the ionomic profile as a phenotype, 9 recurring QTL were mapped, indicating the presence of genomic regions which influence the accumulation of individual elements. Three QTL were identified at p0.0125. Interestingly, this PCA-derived QTL mapped to the same marker as the QTL peak for K concentration. The novel leaf ionome QTL identified in this study further our understanding of the genetic basis of elemental composition in grapevine and offer actionable data for markerassisted selectio
Navigating Sexual Consent in Japan
No full textEmploying an exploratory sequential research design, including focus groups and an online survey, this thesis explores the factors influencing how Japanese people navigate the gray zones of sexual consent. This study not only addresses gaps in the literature on sexual consent but also provides a preliminary understanding of Japanese individuals’ perceptions, beliefs, behaviors, and experiences in ambiguous sexual interactions, which is particularly meaningful given Japan’s recent legal revisions and changing sociocultural landscape. Findings indicated the impact of traditional sexual scripts on consent perceptions, with gender and relationship norms contributing to the dismissal of sexual assaults within specific relationships. It was also found that the presence of nonconsent communication was crucial in determining sexual coerciveness. Moreover, the results suggested that token resistance beliefs might serve as a risk factor against sexual offending but a protective factor for sexual victimization. While it is too soon to draw any conclusions to inform sexual violence prevention and intervention policies given the study’s limitations, this thesis provides insights for future research, emphasizing the importance of understanding consent in diverse cultural contexts for fostering healthy sexual relationships in a manner that is respectful and effective within that culture
Construction of a Linkage Map Using Novel DNA Markers and QTL Detection for Grapevine Powdery Mildew Resistance in \u27Chambourcin’- Based Hybrids.
No full textIn the midwestern United States, the Vitis interspecific hybrid ‘Chambourcin’ is a very popular winegrape. Powdery mildew, caused by the fungus Erysiphe necator, is one of the primary causes of grape yield loss across the globe. Presently, specific genetic determinants for resistance to E. necator remain undiscovered in ‘Chambourcin’. To identify these factors, a controlled leaf disc assay was conducted for two years using the Automated Phenotypic System (APS) with 273 F1 genotypes from a cross of ‘Chambourcin’ and V. vinifera ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’. Additionally, a pioneer linkage map using the same number of ‘Chambourcin’- derived hybrids was constructed with 355 simple sequence repeats (SSR) and 1,394 RNaseH2- dependent amplicon sequencing (rhAmpSeq)-derived haplotype markers that clustered into 19 linkage groups. A quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis indicated a resistance locus (here named Ren16) was discovered on linkage group (LG) 7 explaining 8.90 % – 12.57 % of the total phenotypic variance. The markers used in the study can be directly used for future marker assisted selection (MAS). Furthermore, the localization of powdery mildew resistance regions is crucial for gene identification and pyramiding, ensuring sustainable protection against pathogens
Perfectly Disconnected: Examining the Role of Neuroticism in the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model
No full textNumerous studies have examined the effects of various personality traits on social functioning. Perfectionism is a multidimensional personality trait that has been related to lower social connection and perceived social support. The Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model (PSDM) suggests that perfectionism traits lead to interpersonal disconnection as those with perfectionism are inclined to intensely fear rejection due to the innate need to be accepted by others. Conflictingly, this leads to a distant presentation in social relationships, impeding interpersonal connection. While researchers have employed several variables to further examine the interpersonal nature of perfectionism, neuroticism has yet to be considered in the model as a factor that may impact this relationship. This study aimed to reestablish the relationship between dimensions of perfectionism, neuroticism, and perceived social support while evaluating whether neuroticism moderates the relationship between maladaptive perfectionism and perceived social support. While the results confirmed the relationship between maladaptive perfectionism and neuroticism as well as adaptive perfectionism and perceived social support, the moderating effect of neuroticism on the relationship between maladaptive perfectionism and perceived social support was not found. The implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed
Thermochronology and Exhumation Dynamics of Metamorphic Units in the Salmon River Suture Zone
No full textThe Salmon River suture zone in western Idaho records the Jurassic-Cretaceous (160-90 Ma) accretion of amalgamated volcanic arc terranes onto the North American continent. Rocks exposed at the surface record burial to depths of more than 20 kilometers, with unclear drivers for uplift and exhumation. Two competing hypotheses have been proposed to explain the transport of deep crustal rocks to the surface: (1) delamination of a dense lithospheric root resulted in rapid isostatic uplift of the crust and (2) exhumation of crustal blocks along thrust faults. To test these models, I present temperature-time (T-t) paths for mid-crustal metamorphic rocks constructed using U-Pb ages of zircon, apatite, and rutile, accompanied by closure temperature estimates for apatite and rutile presented in context with local structural relationships. Samples from higher-grade metamorphic rocks were found to have higher closure temperatures and older ages than juxtaposed lower grade rocks, suggesting initial exhumation in higher grade crustal blocks before juxtaposition and transport to the surface. These findings align with the hypothesis indicating that exhumation occurred as a series of thrust faults