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Severity Analysis of Large Truck Crashes- Comparision Between the Regression Modeling Methods with Machine Learning Methods.
Get PDFAccording to the Texas Department of Transportation’s Texas Motor Vehicle Crash Statistics, Texas has had the highest number of severe crashes involving large trucks in the US. As defined by the US Department of Transportation, a large truck is any vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 10,000 pounds. Generally, it requires more time and much more space for large trucks to accelerating, slowing down, and stopping. Also, there will be large blind spots when large trucks make wide turns. Therefore, if an unexpected traffic situation comes upon, It would be more difficult for large trucks to take evasive actions than regular vehicles to avoid a collision. Due to their large size and heavy weight, large truck crashes often result in huge economic and social costs. Predicting the severity level of a reported large truck crash with unknown severity or of the severity of crashes that may be expected to occur sometime in the future is useful. It can help to prevent the crash from happening or help rescue teams and hospitals provide proper medical care as fast as possible. To identify the appropriate modeling approaches for predicting the severity of large truck crash, in this research, four representative classification tree-based ML models (e.g., Extreme Gradient Boosting tree (XGBoost), Adaptive Boosting tree(AdaBoost), Random Forest (RF), Gradient Boost Decision Tree (GBDT)), two non-tree-based ML models (e.g., the Support Vector Machines (SVM), k-Nearest Neighbors (kNN)), and LR model were selected. The results indicate that the GBDT model performs best among all of seven models
An Analysis of Regional Corporate Injustice, Culture and Accountability
Get PDFCoal miners’ struggles with black lung disease can be traced to the 1800s. Back then, coal miners fought to make the industry accept that coal mine dust was the culprit behind black lung disease, but they failed. By 1900, some clinicians started recognizing that coal miners suffered from anthracosis or asthma. The miners realized that they could accomplish more if they worked as a team and formed the United Mine Workers of America. They attempted to get compensation for disabled coal miners but failed repeatedly. Their hard work gradually brought about change with the passage of the 1969 Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act which allowed the government to inspect coal mines, establish safety coal-dust level policies, and compensate sick coal miners. Gaining black lung disease benefits was not as easy as expected. Despite several thousand coal miners applying for black lung disease benefits, only a few thousand received them since the coal companies would mostly appeal benefit award claims for decades until the coal miner and/or his wife gave up or died. After the act was passed, there was a decrease in black lung disease cases until 2000, when the number started to rise again, especially among young coal miners. Many scholars have been looking for an explanation for the sudden increase in black lung disease cases since 2000. Some theorize that the increase was caused by coal mining companies cutting corners and not maintaining safe coal dust levels; the true extent of the problem was unknown because all coal miners do not test themselves for black lung disease. This research uses rational choice theory to analyze the decisions of key players, such as the federal government (Congress and the President), coal miners, black lung disease medical experts, coal mine operators/owners, and appellate courts, to identify patterns in the way their decisions impacted the US Department of Labor’s ability to implement the 1969 Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act (Policy) and the amendments added years later and also determine whether the federal government has properly implemented coal mining safety and health policies in the coal mining industry. The researcher would consider coal mine explosion investigations, criminal and/or civil cases related to coal mine explosions, violations to Environmental Protection Agency policies, and attempts by coal miners, and watchdog and coal mining organizations to obtain monetary damages and/or a judicial order to stop the federal government from issuing a coal mining permit or stop implementing the policies for coal mining federal agencies such as the MSHA. Coal mine explosion investigations and criminal/civil cases began in 2000 and has continued since then. The literature review suggests that the black lung cases among coal miners first noticeably rose in the mid 1990s. This research will answer the following questions: 1. How are the major findings of the mine explosions reports, criminal cases, and civil cases related to the administration of justice? 2. How are the major findings from the mine explosions reports, criminal cases, and civil cases related to the administration of black lung disease benefits? 3. How do the actions of key players (state and federal legislators, coal mining operators/owners, coal miners, and the federal government and federal agencies) possible hinder the US Department of Labor’s ability to implement the 1969 Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act (Policy) and its later amendments? How can it be determined whether the federal government has properly implemented coal mining safety and health policies in the coal mining industry
Investigating the Detoxification of Cadmium by the Tardigrade Hypsibus Exemplaris.
Get PDFHeavy metals such as Cadmium are known stressors in aquatic environments due to being persistent in nature and the ability to bioaccumulate in organisms. Cadmium ranks 7th on the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry’s 2019 Substance Priority List. It is also listed as a substance of very high concern by the European Chemicals Agency. Thus, it is considered one of the most important environmental and occupational pollutants existing. This study aimed at investigating the cellular responses to the heavy metal Cadmium (Cd) and observe the processes that are involved in its detoxification. Tardigrade specimens (Hypsibius exemplaris) were exposed to varying concentrations of cadmium ranging from 1mg/l to 15mg/l at 6, 12 and 24-hours intervals. The expressions of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione-s-transferase) were measured after cadmium exposure. Tardigrade viability was also assessed based on observed locomotive movements of the tardigrades. The results of this study indicate that antioxidant defense components in the tardigrade Hypsibius exemplaris are significantly affected by cadmium toxicity. The viability analysis showed that the in vivo acute exposures decreased starting from the 5 mg/L concentration over a 24-hours period. The results show that cadmium can induce the excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting in oxidative stress as ROS was statistically significantly higher than control after 24 hours of cadmium exposure (
The Predictability of Selected Academic Demographic and Family Related Factors on the Academic Achievement of Middle School Students.
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to examine the relationship and predictability of selected demographic, academic and family related factors on the academic performance of middle school students. Specifically, this study will be concerned with the predictability of the variables gender, ethnicity, standardized mathematics scores, standardized reading scores, family income, type of household, socioeconomic status and primary language spoken in the home on the academic performance of middle school students as measured by their STAAR’s social studies scores. A quantitative correlational research design was employed in the current investigation. A linear relationship was not found between the demographic factors of gender and ethnicity and the academic performance of middle school students regarding their social studies scores. Middle School Students’ gender and ethnicity were not independent predictors of their social studies scores. A statistically significant relationship was found between the academic factors of STAAR’s mathematics scores, STAAR’s reading scores and social studies scores of middle school students. The variable STAAR’s mathematics scores did contribute significantly to the STAAR’s social studies scores of middle school students. The variable STAAR’s reading scores was not an independent predictor of middle school students’ STAAR’s social studies scores. A significant linear relationship was not found between family related factors (family income, type of household, SES and primary language spoken in home) and the STAAR’s social studies scores of middle schools’ students. The variables family income, type of household, SES and primary language spoken in home were not independent predictors of the STAAR’s social studies scores among middle school students
Examining the Relationship Between LEP Status and Delinquency Amongst High Schools Across America
Get PDFThis research is intended to examine the relationship between the enrollment of Limited English Proficient (LEP) students in American high schools and the rate of delinquency on campus. While the stigma and general belief that immigrants and criminality are correlated has existed throughout American History, empirical research findings have generally indicated the inverse to be true and often find that immigrants engage in lower rates of delinquency in comparison to their non-immigrant counterparts. Previous work in the field has primarily identified immigrants by legal or technical categorization, primarily nativity and immigrant status. Fewer are the studies who identify this group through cultural variables, such as acculturation variables. With the intention of furthering the understanding of the proposed immigrant-crime nexus, this study seeks to add a unique and missing element to the current body of knowledge that is immigrant criminality – examining the role that Limited English Proficient (LEP) status plays on delinquency in high schools. Using a secondary data analysis, this study examines the impact that LEP enrollment has on the rates of delinquency in high schools in a multi-state analysis. The results of this study determine that the rate of LEP enrollment in a high school did not impact the rate of arrests or referrals on campus and LEP students are less likely than non-LEP students to be arrested or referred to law enforcement, The findings from this study yield insight into the understudied relationship between LEP students and delinquency across high schools in America as well as contribute to the ever-expanding field of immigrant crime schools in a multi-state analysis. The results of this study determine that the rate of LEP enrollment in a high school did not impact the rate of arrests or referrals on campus and LEP students are less likely than non-LEP students to be arrested or referred to law enforcement, The findings from this study yield insight into the understudied relationship between LEP students and delinquency across high schools in America as well as contribute to the ever-expanding field of immigrant crime
Evaluating the Chronic Effect of Food Coloring Dyes on Biological Life Functions of Model Organism; Caenorhabditis Elegans
Get PDFFood coloring dyes are substances known to enhance the appearance of food or drink by imparting color when it is added. They have been in large commercial food production as well as in its use in domestic food applications and non-food applications. The toxic effects of food coloring dyes have been seen in the enzymatic breakdown of the azo linkage of the dye molecule by enzyme; azo reductase. The degradation of such food dye products give rise to increased toxic effects that affect the nervous system.
Caenorhabditis elegans is a bacterial feeder, free-living soil nematode used as a model organism to investigate the chronic effects of the exposure of food coloring dyes on its biological life functions. C. elegans have closely related genetics to that of humans, with 60 to 75% of human genes identified as disease-related and possess C. elegans analogs. Research studies have shown that children exposed to different food coloring dyes exhibited ADHD as result of exposures to food coloring dyes (Boris M, et al). The different food coloring dyes used for this analysis contain the active food dye ingredients; Allura Red, Brilliant Blue, Tartrazine in varying compositions and are evaluated for their chronic effects.
This study aimed to determine the toxicological endpoints of food coloring dyes; Red coloring dye, Yellow coloring dye, Green coloring dye, Orange coloring dye on the biological life functions of C. elegans such as locomotion, egg laying, egg hatching, progeny size, lifespan, pharyngeal pumping, generation time. In these analyses, toxicity evaluation of the food coloring dyes in C. elegans showed the presence of reproductive toxicity in the egg-laying, egg-hatching and brood size assays with results showing Red food coloring dye with main active dye ingredient, Allura Red having the highest reproductive toxicity. These data show that treatment of C. elegans in the early stages of growth is also detrimental in bringing about damage to reproductive organs. Behavioral changes as a result of chronic exposure to Red coloring dye, Yellow coloring dye, Green coloring dye, Orange coloring dye were seen in the locomotion and esophageal pumping assays with significant statistical differences between the treatment groups and the control group.
The lifespan of C. elegans suffered detrimental effects with Orange food coloring dye showing the lowest life span, having main active dye ingredient, Tartrazine. Thus, the reproductive changes and behavioral modifications that occurred due to the exposure of C. elegans to Red coloring dye, Yellow coloring dye, Green coloring dye, Orange coloring dye resulted in detrimental effects to the biological life functions of the C. elegans
The Predictability of Personal, Academic, and Service Rated Factors on Perceived Academic Success in Mathematics of College Students.
Get PDFIn recent years, student completion of the first-year and second-year college curriculum has become a significant barrier to student success and retention especially at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Despite low pass and retention rates, many degree programs in the U.S. require at least one college-level mathematics course, and the failure in this math course has contributed disproportionately to the failure to complete the first and second year curriculum. The purpose of this study was to examine the predictability of the relationship between selected personal, academic, and service-related factors and the perceived academic success in mathematics among college students. Specifically, this study was concerned with the predictive power of the variables gender, ethnicity, course schedules, degree program, type of instructional method, tutoring, advisement, and faculty mentoring on the perceived academic success in math among college students. Participants were selected from two higher education institutions located in the southern region of the United States, and they were also administered a Modified Version of the Mathematics Attitudes and Perceptions Survey. A correlational research design was utilized in the present study that allowed the researcher the opportunity to examine the relationship and predictability between two or more predictor variables and one criterion variable.
It was expected that selected personal, academic, and service related factors do have some predictive validity with respect to the academic mathematics success of college students. Also, it was expected that service related factors would contribute to the predictability of the perceived academic success in math among college students.
Several findings were obtained from the results of this empirical investigation. First a linear relationship was found to exist between the personal related factors of gender and ethnicity, academic related factors academic major, college readiness, traditional instructional method and online instructional method, and the perceived academic success in mathematics among college students. Second a statistically significant linear relationship was not found to exist between the service related factors of tutoring, cooperative learning, and the perceived academic success in mathematics among college students. Finally, the service-related factor of cooperative learning was found to be independently related to the perceived academic success of college students in mathematics
Identification, Isolation Isolates from Houston, Texas, and Characterization of Bacteria Watershed
Get PDFAny major flooding event in a heavily populated urban area can lead to significant health risks. Stagnant water can cause pollution to leak into water and soil such as chemical and biological contaminants. Some of these pollutants will solubilize into the water, while other contaminants will stick in the soil. Harmful biological and chemical agents in floodwater and soil could affect human health. Chemical agents like polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH), pesticides, and heavy metals are some of the contaminants found in the soil of watershed banks. Furthermore, biological agents such as bacteria, fungus, parasites, and viruses can cause detriment to the health of humans and the environment (Murtaza et al.,2014).
In this study, bacteria isolates were obtained from the soil of the following bayou and creek banks; Dickinson, Cypress Creek, and Horsepen bayou located near Houston Texas. The samples were taken by triplicate from different point sites during the summer and fall of 2018. From the pool of samples, ten unknown samples were taken for isolation. After the preliminary screening and biochemical test, the samples were
subjected to the Partial 16S rDNA gene sequencing and Biolog testing, which was used for further identification of the microorganisms. All ten bacteria were genetically identified. The most relevant bacteria for human health risks were Pseudomonas putida and Pseudomonas fluorescens.
These two-gram negative bacteria were monitored for growth and biofilm in the presence of different concentrations of lead (Pb) over time. P. putida was significantly impacted by lead between 4-8 hours period of exposition. P. fluorescens, shows similar patterns over the 5 to 12 hours period.
Regarding the biofilm production, P. putida was formed during a 6-hour time-lapse, which showed significant impact (p\u3c0.05) when compared with the Pb concentration against the control. In contrast, P. fluorescens biofilm formation was visualized between 6h -12 h. At 6 hours, the biofilm production increased significantly in the bacteria with lead treatment than without Pb (0 ppm). Interestingly, at 12 hours of time-lapse, as the concentration of Pb increased (≥600 ppm), bacteria became very sensitive to Pb treatment, and the biofilm formation was drastically reduced (p\u3c0.05).
The findings in this study show that these two types of Pseudomonas species have different responses when in contact with heavy metals like lead, which can negatively impact the ordinary communities of microorganisms in the soil
New Approach for Assigning Mean Oxidation Number of Carbons to Organonitrogen and Organosulfur Compounds
Get PDFOrganonitrogen and organosulfur compounds are abundant in the natural environment. To understand the biological redox pathways properly, it is important for learners to be able to count the oxidation number of organic carbons. However, the process of counting is not always easy. In addition, organonitrogen and organosulfur molecules are seldom studied. To compensate these problems, this paper explores the bonddividing method, which can effectively determine the mean oxidation number of carbons of organonitrogen and organosulfur molecules. This method uses the cleavage of carbon-sulfur and carbon-nitrogen bonds to obtain the organic and inorganic fragments. The mean oxidation numbers of carbon atoms, nitrogen atoms, and sulfur atoms can be calculated by the molecular formulas of their fragments. Furthermore, when comparing organosulfur or organonitrogen molecules in a redox conversion, the changes of the mean oxidation numbers of carbon atoms, nitrogen atoms, and sulfur atoms can be used as indicators to identify the redox positions and determine the number of transferred electrons
Gender Norms and their Impact
Get PDFThis study examines how gender norms/stereotypes affect people and the different ways these expectations manifest in society. This scholarship shows how media, school, careers, and other sources are indicated to greatly impact the enforcement of stereotypes. It also presents the way people’s behavior is encouraged and discouraged to conform to the norms affecting overall productivity, performance, psychological well-being, and physical well-being. Studies have also shown a correlation in the future careers that are pursued by men and women in relation to the social norms imposed throughout development. The results in this study reveal a shortage of gender diversity in career fields. This study concludes by indicating a change in the negative impact gender norms have had requires a change in a society as a whole