AUETD (Auburn University)
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Navigating the Read 180 Literacy Program with English Language Learners: A Teacher Inquiry Lens
Get PDFThis research study used teacher inquiry to examine the ways one White, monolingual teacher navigated a prescribed literacy program with English Language Learners (ELLs). The purpose of this study was to explore ways in which teachers could potentially navigate prescribed programs in culturally and linguistically relevant (CLRP) ways, particularly as the standardization of literacy programs, along with the number of ELLs in U.S. schools, continue to rise. The qualitative data analysis was completed in two phases: Phase One outlined critical incidents and Phase Two analyzed within and across those critical incidents to identify patterns, themes, and tensions for components of CLRP, defined by critical love, multilingualism, and multimodality. Finding explored the ways in which I navigated tensions and challenges while attempting to create space for critical love through relationality, translanguaging through pedagogical processes and cognitive processing, and multimodality through new literacies. Implications drawn from this study including considerations for practice for teachers to shift towards CLRP by “teaching in the cracks” of prescribed programs while disrupting their own implicit, biases, whiteness, and niceness to make space for those changes
The Characterization and Carbon Storage Potential of the Paleozoic Ketona Dolomite of Central Alabama
No full textThis study explores the viability of the Ketona Dolomite, a thick carbonate formation in central Alabama, as a potential reservoir for long-term CO₂ storage through its thorough petrological classification. A variety of analytical methods were employed to assess the formation’s mineral composition, texture, porosity, and reactivity. These include petrographic thin section analysis for structural and mineralogical interpretation, X-ray diffraction to determine bulk mineral composition, and scanning electron microscopy for high-resolution imaging of surface features and post-reaction textures. Controlled dissolution experiments using both hydrochloric acid and carbonic acid simulated fluid-rock interactions to evaluate reactivity and the potential for changes in porosity. Although the Ketona lies well below the depth reached by the well drilled at the location of interest, additional physical samples were collected from outcrops and well bore cuttings across Alabama to support laboratory testing and analysis. The absence of in situ sample material, temperature, and pressure conditions limit the application of resultant data however, the observed low porosities ranging from .07-3.3%, pure dolomitic composition comprising 82%-100% of lithic material, and moderate dissolutive behavior inform the provisional classification of the unit as an unsuitable reservoir and provide strong foundation for further reservoir modeling. The combination of field data, sample-based laboratory experiments, and high-resolution imaging provides a detailed picture of the Ketona Dolomite and its classification as a fine to coarse grained mostly clean fractured crystalline dolomite with minimal calcite & chert inclusions. These findings contribute to a broader understanding of carbonate reservoir dynamics and support ongoing efforts to identify and evaluate viable CCS targets in the southeastern United States
Parental Effects and Commercial-Scale Sperm Cryopreservation Techniques for Blue Catfish
No full textCatfish are an important U.S. aquaculture species, with the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) female by blue catfish (I. furcatus) male hybrid constituting most of the harvest. Hatchery issues persist with male blue catfish due to late sexual maturity, lethal sperm collection procedures, and variable sperm quality. There is also a lack of biomarkers that can be used to predict fresh and cryopreserved sperm quality. Thus, the objectives were to (i) relate male morphometrics, hormones, and sperm parameters to offspring traits; (ii) examine parental contributions to offspring traits using cryopreserved sperm; (iii) pinpoint physiological biomarkers of fresh and frozen-thawed sperm quality and cryotolerance; and (iv) develop new sperm freezing technology using large volume straws (2.5 mL). In this thesis, it was demonstrated that male broodstock size was positively related to offspring performance, cryopreserved sperm kinematic traits were positively related to hatching success, and maternal and paternal effects were significant throughout early ontogeny. Moreover, males with “good and “bad” sperm quality had varying concentrations of sperm fatty acids, where levels of monounsaturated (MUFA) and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) predicted sperm quality. Finally, sperm frozen at -20ºC/min with methanol (10%) and 100 mmol trehalose had similar results to fresh sperm. Overall, this research will identify biomarkers related to sperm quality and offspring performance. Results also establish the groundwork for future commercial-scale gene banking for an economically important farm animal, the blue catfish
Smartphone-Mediated Augmented Reality: Extended Fitts' Law and Immersive Interaction Metrics via Hand Tracking
No full textAugmented Reality (AR) is rapidly emerging as a revolutionary technology capable of transforming education and training by making highly interactive and immersive experiences possible. Efficient user interface (UI) design for AR, particularly on ubiquitous smartphone platforms, demands for greater insight into the manner in which users interact with virtual content in real-world settings. This study addresses inherent shortcomings in the application of Fitts's Law, a classic model of human-computer interaction, to explain and predict user performance in hand gesture interaction in smartphone-based AR, a context that presents unique challenges to dominant HCI principles. Specifically, current applications of Fitts's Law and its 3D extensions often fail to adequately address several factors critical to smartphone-based AR. They encompass the dynamic frame of reference movements inherent in hand-held AR interaction, where device and user hand are both in motion, the variable quality of tracking provided by the smartphone camera, impacting the reliability of gesture recognition, perceptual challenges inherent in accurate depth perception on non-stereoscopic screens, and the individual performance signatures introduced by different hand gesture paradigms, such as pinch and point gestures. These factors introduce complexities not fully explained by typical Fitts's Law models.
To address these knowledge gaps and transcend the limitations of existing models, this study goes beyond typical Fitts's Law research in that it collects high-fidelity performance information like device movement, gesture confidence, occlusions, and depth errors in addition to typical movement time and target distance. Additionally, this study aims to contribute empirically cognizant guidance and theoretical advancement to help immersive field with respect to design for more effective and user-centric AR applications, particularly learning and training on an easily available platform like smartphones
Development of Non-Proprietary Ultra-High-Performance Concrete and Determining Tensile Testing Methodology
Get PDFUltra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) is a unique material due to having post-cracking tensile strength. To utilize this material in design and construction, a method must be used to test the tensile strength of UHPC. This thesis aims to determine a recommended tensile testing method and develop a non-proprietary UHPC that meets the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requirements for UHPC. The development of non-proprietary UHPC was accomplished by testing different mixtures with varying raw materials. The raw material variables tested were the steel fiber dosage, silica fume dosage, fine aggregate gradation, and water-binder ratio. Both objectives were accomplished by testing the compressive, flexural, and tensile strength of UHPC. Based on the materials tested, a steel fiber dosage of 1.5% is recommended for UHPC as it provides sufficient toughness and post-cracking tensile strength. An inverse analysis was performed to correlate the flexural strength to tensile strength. The results of this study indicate that steel fibers are the only raw material tested that significantly affected the tensile and flexural strength. Flexural testing is recommended for UHPC because it provides more reliable results when compared to uniaxial tensile testing
Hybrid Modeling for Estimating Solid Transport Critical Velocity and its Uncertainty
No full textThe accurate prediction of critical velocity is crucial for multiphase flow applications where the critical velocity is defined as the minimum carrier fluid velocity that transports solid particles without any deposition in wellbores/pipelines. This work uses a parallel structure hybrid
modeling approach that combines semi-mechanistic and data-driven models. Three semi-mechanistic models, namely the Mantz (Mantz, 1977), Oroskar and Turian (Oroskar and Turian, 1980), and the Tulsa (Najmi, 2015) models are used as the semi-mechanistic models, and the GPM (Gaussian Process Modeling) (Rasmussen and Williams, 2006) is used as the data-driven model. Using this parallel hybrid modeling structure, two different hybrid modeling frameworks are introduced, which are referred to as ‘Hybrid Modeling Framework I’ and the ‘Hybrid Modeling Framework II’. These frameworks adopt the same parallel hybrid modeling structure and provide prediction uncertainty and aim to make more accurate predictions of uncertainty compared to the semi-mechanistic models. In addition, Hybrid Modeling Framework II includes the development of a semi-mechanistic model selection process to decide which semi-mechanistic model is more appropriate to be used for a given operating condition. Results yield that hybrid models by these two hybrid modeling frameworks provide more accurate predictions of critical velocities compared to the semi-mechanistic models overall based on the root mean square error (RMSE) metric.
Additionally, area metric (AM) is used for predictions made by two frameworks which enable us to compare both mean and the variance of the predictions and the measurements. The comparison of the RMSE and AM values for the hybrid models’ predictions produced by the two different hybrid modeling frameworks reveals that lower RMSE and AM values are obtained by the Hybrid Modeling Framework II compared to Hybrid Modeling Framework I. The semi-mechanistic model selection process embedded in Hybrid Modeling Framework II provides more accurate predictions of critical velocity by identifying the correct semi-mechanistic model and the corresponding hybrid model to use for a certain operating condition
Comparing Methodologies for Using Vehicle Specific Power as a Powertrain Independent Measure of Platoon Energy Consumption for Implementation in a Predictive Control Strategy
Get PDFThe combination of extensive fuel costs and outsized emissions impact make heavy duty trucking an ideal target for energy saving measures. To limit energy consumption in this transportation sector, platooning efforts have been explored to reduce aerodynamic drag. However, an impediment to platooning adoption is its poor ability to handle real world disturbances. One of the more effective methods to overcome disturbance sensitivity is the implementation of predictive control strategies, which can relieve concerns around the real-world platooning practicality. The performance impacts brought on by the introduction of a predictive longitudinal controller was explored herein. Predicative control with a cost function jointly optimizing for inter-vehicle distance and fuel utilization intentionally allowed more variation from the set following distance to reduce the severity and frequency of high load (torque/fuel) operational points. While current predictive controls strategies operate using fuel consumption predictions, this limits the applicability of these control strategies in vehicles with nonconventional powertrains. Therefore, developing a powertrain independent metric capable of replacing fuel rate in the predictive control cost functions would allow facilitate modularity in the platooning setup.
An exploration of Vehicle Specific Power, VSP, as a powertrain independent platooning metric was conducted. This exploration compared three possible methods of replacing fuel rate with VSP: direct replacement, a mean sum of absolute VSP differences method, and a sum of positive VSP method. The sum of positive VSP was found to be more accurate and less cumbersome than other proposed methods. This method was also amenable to linearization. For these reasons, the sum of positive VSP was found to be the preferred powertrain independent energy parameter for usage in a future predictive longitudinal control strategies
Branched Amphiphilic Peptides Capsules for RNA Delivery: Design, Synthesis, and Optimization
No full textRNA is a versatile biomolecule with diverse therapeutic applications for vaccine development, cellular engineering, and other areas of biomedicine. Alone, however, RNA has little therapeutic potential, being readily degraded by environmental nucleases, and proving ineffective at cellular entry and expression. Delivery vectors are therefore needed to facilitate the protection and transfection of RNAs into cells. For this purpose, organic nanoparticles are most often used. Branched amphiphilic peptide capsules (BAPCs) are a novel class of organic nanoparticles which have previously been shown effective at RNA delivery in various in vivo systems with insect and murine models. Previously, BAPC peptides have varied significantly between batches and dependent on the synthesizer, resulting in high variation in experimental BAPC formulation impurities and results. BAPC toxicity has also received little investigation and never been directly compared with major FDA-approved or clinically used nanoparticle formulations such as lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). Here, I outline standardized synthesis, purification, and assembly protocols for branched amphiphilic peptides which compose BAPCs. Furthermore, I investigate
potential mechanisms associated with BAPC toxicity in comparison to LNPs and elucidate potential avenues for the improvement of BAPC formulations moving forward. This work will allow for high-fidelity reproduction of BAPCs on any synthetic-chemistry capable lab bench. Further, this work outlines a comparable level of toxicity for BAPCs when compared to leading lipid alternatives, impressing the potential of this platform as a future clinically-relevant nanoformulation
Examining sleep extension as a feasible strategy for improving cardiometabolic health in emerging adults with habitual short sleep
No full textThe purpose of this dissertation was to determine the feasibility and efficacy of a two-week sleep extension intervention (increasing time in bed for 1 hour/night) to improve metrics of cardiometabolic health in emerging adults. In Aim 1 we sought to determine whether sleep extension (habitual/extension) in emerging adults who self-reported sleeping <7 hours/night improves in-laboratory resting brachial and central blood pressure and peripheral vascular function compared to a control group (habitual/habitual).We had 32 emerging adults complete a two-week sleep extension protocol where they increased time in bed by 1 hour/night. In Aim 2 the purpose was to determine whether sleep extension (habitual/extension) in emerging adults who self-reported sleeping <7 hours/night could lead to improvements in health behaviors such as hydration, appetite regulation and metabolic health assessed via 24-hour urine collection, an ad libitum breakfast, and a fasting blood draw compared to a control group (habitual/habitual). Individuals in the intervention (sleep extension) group showed an increase in sleep duration by 29.5 minutes and self-reported better sleep quality. In our cohort of emerging adults, we did not find the sleep extension intervention to influence any of the measures of blood pressure or vascular function. Furthermore, we found that sleep extension did not improve several of the health behaviors. In the present study we highlight that sleep extension is feasible in emerging adults, however, the efficacy for this intervention to improve health outcomes needs to be further tested in future studies and could specifically target emerging adults or other individuals with pre-existing risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases
Sexual Assault as a Potentially Morally Injurious Event: The Role of Religiosity in Post-Assault Outcomes
No full textMoral injury is an emerging concept within psychology and the study of religion/ spirituality. While it is well-established within the military context, there are ongoing efforts to study moral injury within civilian populations and to explore its development from an experienced event (versus perpetrated or witnessed). The current study with Christian, Jewish, and Muslim women (N=139) builds on previous moral injury research by exploring sexual assault as a potentially morally injurious event (PMIE) and the role of religiosity in moral injury symptom development. Additionally, the role of a conservative sexual attitude was explored as a moderator in this relationship. It was hypothesized that higher religious commitment, negative religious coping, authoritarian God-concept, and greater sexual conservatism would all serve as unique predictors for greater moral injury symptoms, and that greater sexual conservatism would significantly moderate the relationship between intrinsic religious orientation and moral injury symptoms. Moral injury was assessed using three outcomes: moral injury symptoms, stress integration, and religious/spiritual struggle. Three hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to analyze the data. In this sample, only the control variables of PTSD symptoms and intrinsic religious orientation were significantly related to moral injury symptoms. No control or predictor variables were significant in the analysis of stress integration. Control variables of PTSD symptoms and Christian vs. other religious affiliation were significantly related to religious/spiritual struggle. The findings of this study could help advance research about moral injury among religious individuals, and as a byproduct of sexual assault. Results confirm a relation between moral injury and PTSD as well as the potential role of specific facets of religiosity in moral injury development; however, results indicate that further study is needed to identify specific mechanisms that may connect religiosity and moral injury. Clinically, results could be used to support the assessment of moral injury symptoms among clients endorsing sexual victimization, promote further development of treatments for moral injury, and encourage ongoing efforts to distinguish PTSD and moral injury symptoms