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The Value of Balance: Exploring Timelessness of Narrative Styles and Character Dynamics Through Animation
No full textDazzling: A Timekeepers Tale is a 2D/3D animated short film that explores timeless storytelling, perception of time, anthropomorphism, and friendship. The film illustrates the necessity for balance between curiosity and caution when striving to learn. Through the dual protagonists’ contrasting personalities, they reach a deeper understanding of each other, thus learning the value of balance. This theme was constructed around a fantasy space that will function as a means of understanding varying perceptions of time. Thesis research explores ideas of balance between traditional Western narrative structures such as the Hero’s Journey, Aesopic fables, and Buddy Comedy within a combination of animation mediums
Time Resolved Shock Tube Speciation Studies of Solid Fuel Decomposition Products at Ramjet Conditions
No full textSolid fuel Ramjets (SFRJs) are of interest to the navy and other defense applications because of their high specific impulse, ease of fuel transportation, and low relative cost. Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) is one of the main solid fuels of choice for SFRJs, and there is a need for updated chemical kinetic models for the decomposition products of HTPB which will aid in CFD simulations of SFRJs. This work is focused on collecting experimental data for HTPB decomposition products for SFRJ combustor conditions ranging from temperatures of 1000 – 1600 K, pressures of 5 ± 0.5 atm, and rich equivalence ratios of ϕ = 4 and ϕ = 4.76. The mixtures include multiple combinations of the main HTPB decomposition products, ethylene (C2H4), propene (C3H6), 1,3-butadiene (C4H6), benzene (C6H6), and toluene (C6H5CH3). IR (Infrared) laser measurements and cross-section correlations for ethylene, propene, and 1-3 butadiene were conducted, and a detailed decoupling strategy for removing interference is presented. Decoupled C2H4, C3H6, and C4H6 mole fractions as well as carbon monoxide (CO) are compared to predictions using the AramcoMech3.0 and NUIG 1.3 mechanisms. A sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the most sensitive reactions which would need further investigation for model improvement. A reaction path analysis was performed to understand the important pathways leading to the formation and consumption of ethylene, propene, and 1,3-butadiene. Additionally, the efforts to improve the models were conducted utilizing specific reactions sensitive to ethylene
Understanding Pre-Service Teachers’ Engagement, Application and Perception of Instructor Feedback in an Online Teacher Education Course: An Action Research Study
No full textTeachers should prioritize continuous professional development through shared experiences and reflective teaching to remain competitive in the global education system and become better teachers to assist language learners in achieving their goals (Vadivel et al., 2021). Professional development courses are crucial for enhancing teaching skills; however, there is a concern that such initiatives seem ineffective in promoting change in teaching practices (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017; Gore et al., 2017). Implementing effective instructional approaches in teacher education courses, such as feedback and reflection, is crucial for aspiring teachers to enhance their knowledge and professional growth (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017; Pharis et al., 2019). Instructor feedback is considered the most effective way to improve students’ comprehension of the course material (Brookhart, 2017; Kamberi, 2013).
Teacher education programs prepare in-service and novice teacher candidates (TCs) for various classroom settings. Although a virtual learning environment presents unique challenges for distance learners, TCs enrolled in online courses struggle academically due to a lack of feedback, particularly when working on research-based projects (Ching & Hsu, 2013; Jensen et al., 2021; Musingafi et al., 2015). To understand how instructor feedback makes a difference, a Qualitative Action Research approach was employed to learn more about participants\u27 perceptions, engagement, and application of the instructor\u27s feedback on EL teaching strategies. The results revealed that constructive and personalized feedback positively impacted teacher candidates\u27 understanding and application of EL instructional tools and strategies. This research study emphasizes the need to incorporate sophisticated instructional techniques in online teacher education courses to foster professional development and assist aspiring teachers in developing their EL teaching skills
The Global Thermophysical Properties Of (433) Eros
Get PDFWe present results from a shape-based, rotationally-resolved thermophysical model of near- Earth asteroid (433) Eros, using reflected and near-IR spectra collected at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) over 18 nights (25 disk-integrated spectra in total) from 2009-2019. The data sample a variety of viewing geometries, illumination angles, and rotational phases and therefore allow us to characterize Eros\u27s surface physical properties in detail, particularly at wavelengths in the thermal near- IR regime (λ \u3e 3.5 microns) that were not measured by the NEAR Shoemaker mission. Eros\u27s shape, spin state, density, albedo, and other physical properties measured by NEAR were incorporated into our model, leaving thermal inertia and surface roughness as free parameters. We find that a thermal inertia range of 100-150 J m-2 K-1 s-1/2 and a roughness crater fraction of 0.3-0.4 with crater opening angle 130° (equivalent adirectional rms slope angle of 32° ± 4°) fit data from 18 spectra at the 1σ level, but do not fit the remaining 7 spectra. This suggests that Eros\u27s thermal properties vary over its surface, which has important implications for linking remote sensing data to spacecraft measurements of the physical properties of near-Earth asteroids
“Let the Little Lady Have It!”: Carrie and Ella Rossetter and the Role of Corporate Women in Early Twentieth Century Business History
No full textThis thesis examines the entrepreneurial journeys of Carrie and Ella Rossetter, two pioneering women who navigated the male-dominated business landscape of early 20th century Florida. Their experiences challenge the prevailing narrative that women were largely excluded from corporate roles prior to World War II. The Rossetter sisters, through their respective ventures in the oil and insurance industries, illustrate the complexities faced by women entrepreneurs during this era, including societal expectations, gender norms, and limited access to capital. Despite operating within a framework that favored traditional feminine roles, Carrie and Ella found ways to assert their business acumen and establish successful careers. The thesis highlights the unique socio-economic conditions in Florida that allowed for a more flexible application of gender roles, particularly in rural areas where women\u27s contributions to family economies were more accepted. The Rossetters\u27 success was not merely a product of individual determination but also a reflection of their community\u27s support and their strategic navigation of societal expectations. They emphasized their familial ties and community involvement to mitigate potential stigma associated with being unmarried childless women in business. Moreover, this thesis explores the intersection of race and gender, illustrating how opportunities for white women like the Rossetters’ differed significantly from those available to Black women entrepreneurs. Ultimately, this research underscores the need for a more nuanced understanding of women\u27s roles in early American business history, advocating for further exploration of similar stories that reveal the resilience of entrepreneurial women
Deepfake Detection and Defense: An Analysis of Techniques and Robustness
No full textThe rise of deepfake media powered by the abrupt and rapid advances in generative AI, has introduced serious concerns and challenges in digital content verification. Although there is a wide range of detection strategies currently in use and being proposed, many remain limited in their ability to generalize across manipulation types, defend against adversarial attacks, or operate efficiently in real world scenarios. This paper presents a survey of deepfake detection and defense techniques, organized into ten technical categories: frequency-based, spatial-based, temporal-based, physiological-based, multimodal detection, adversarial attacks and defenses, forensic noise-based methods, watermarking and prevention strategies and dataset contributions. Drawing on one hundred studies, this study analyzes the design, strengths, and weaknesses of the proposed approaches in each category. Comparative tables and short summaries are also provided discussing how the models function, the performance trends, robustness under varying conditions, and the common trade-offs. A discussion then follows which identifies major research gaps such as limited dataset diversity, weak adversarial robustness, and high computational demands. The study then concludes by recommending directions for future research, including hybrid detection models, adaptive adversarial defenses, and the broader integration of multimodal and forensic techniques. This paper contributes to a better understanding of the current state and future direction of the deepfake detection and defense landscape. This insight is critical in ensuring the integrity of digital media in this era of rapidly advancing generative manipulation that shows no sign of slowing any time soon
The Transition of Tradition: The Modernismo Era of Puerto Rican Postcolonial Short Fiction
No full textModernismo, an artistic and literary cultural movement that swept across Latin America, profoundly shaped Puerto Rican short fiction by introducing innovative narrative techniques before the novel gained prominence on the island. Emerging during the sociopolitical upheaval following the Spanish American War and Puerto Rico\u27s annexation by the United States, modernismo responded to both European artistic trends and the cultural tensions of colonial transition. In my research, in Puerto Rico, Moderismo emerged in the short story before the novel. This research examines how Puerto Rican short stories by José Luis González and Emilio Díaz Valcárcel, from this era, grapple with themes of national identity, cultural resistance, and the complexities of assimilations into American norms. My analysis has raised these key questions: How does modernismo continue to influence and impact Puerto Rican as well as American literature? What significant literary works have emerged because of this movement? These questions lay the foundation of my argument that industrialization, politicization, and cultural marginalization fueled a modernismo revival in the early 1970s, whose impact and legacy can be interpreted through González’s “The Night We Became People Again” and Valcárcel’s “Black Sun.
Exploring the Potential Use of Health-State Indexes to Improve Estimates of Health Benefits of Environmental Regulation
No full textThis study explores a novel method to calculate the willingness to pay (WTP) for individuals of the general population to reduce the risk of having an illness. The purpose of the study is to observe the implications of the possibility to produce more accurate value of a statistical case (VSC) estimates for usage in regulatory agencies and environmental economics within benefit cost analyses (BCA). By joining aspects from both BCA and cost effectiveness analysis (CEA), such as the health-related quality of life (HRQL), and the value of a statistical life (VSL), this research aims to provide a more precise framework for valuing morbidity risk reductions. The study’s findings demonstrate a trend of closely approximated values for existing WTP benchmarks derived from stated preference studies and highlight the implications of the cost of illness (COI) values underestimating the general population’s WTP for morbidity risk reduction in environmental-related illnesses, such as chronic kidney disease, asthma, chronic bronchitis, and cardiovascular disease
Post-Translational Modification Of The Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor By Serine Proteases
No full textHypercholesterolemia is a disease affecting many Americans and adults worldwide and can lead to further complications such as atherosclerosis, stroke, or pulmonary embolisms making it a major risk factor for heart disease. The disease states are caused by chronically elevated levels of VLDLs that get broken down into LDLs. Cells expressing the LDLR can endocytose LDLs from the blood for use intracellularly as cholesterol and prevent plasma cholesterol deposition in the endothelium. Current treatments include leading healthier lifestyles through dieting and exercise, or pharmacological treatments targeting cellular cholesterol production or dietary cholesterol uptake from the GI tract. The SREBPs are known to upregulate the expression of the LDLR and prostasin, a serine protease. A connection between the receptor and protease would elucidate the LDL uptake pathway and prompt investigations into regulating cholesterol plasma levels through pharmacological inhibition to elevate the LDLR’s expression. However, this study’s results indicate the absence of a direct relationship between the cleavage of the LDLR and prostasin in vitro. Cleavage products were not observed in the HEK293 co-transfected with prostasin and the LDLR, or in the prostasin-expressing HeLa cells transfected with the LDLR. Cleavage of the LDLR extracellular domain (ECD) at sites close to the membrane was observed in HEK293 cells co-transfected with hepsin or matriptase, two closely related proteases to prostasin. It had been shown previously that matriptase can be activated by prostasin and hepsin, and matriptase cleavage of the EGFR ECD can be enhanced by prostasin. Further study is necessary to determine the precise mechanisms by which these membrane serine proteases regulate the LDLR presentation at the cell surface. Prostasin may still have an unknown role in the LDLR expression pathway as they are both regulated by the SREBPs, however, prostasin appears to lack the ability to cleave the ECD of the LDLR directly