Digital Commons Network^™

Conceptualizing The Promise Of Life Skills Education For Adolescent Girls In The Global South: A Critical Discourse Analysis, Olivia Casey

Master's Theses

In recent years, international development organizations have increasingly championed life skills education as a crucial tool for empowering girls in the global South. However, while life skills education continues to gain momentum and popularity within the international development landscape, the heterogeneity of life skills interventions remains significant. In this study, I aimed to uncover how key global actors differently conceptualize life skills and the promises they are understood to hold for adolescent girls in the global South at the current moment. Utilizing the methodology of critical discourse analysis, I examined key documents on girls’ life skills education published by central …

Cultivating Hope, Weaving Peace: Colombian Educators Building Pathways To Teach About The Armed Conflict, Laura Vesga Villalba

Master's Theses

Communities affected by conflict require additional educational support in order to adequately reflect on their situation and learn peacebuilding skills. Research is needed to examine how peacebuilding education is being approached through an intergenerational lens, to address the trauma that is carried throughout generations and the healing and reconciliation that may be brought about through successful critical peacebuilding education programs. The purpose of this study is to analyze the formal and informal educational approaches to teaching about the armed conflict in Colombia. The research methodology for this study was phenomenological research conducted through semi-structured interviews. Results illustrated that educational approaches …

Unfamiliar Territory: A Preliminary Exploration Of The Experiences Of International Junior Transfer Students, Nicole Mcintyre

Master's Theses

Over one million international students attend American institutions of higher education each year. For many of these students, community colleges are an accessible and increasingly popular enrollment option because they offer small class sizes, intensive English language courses, and affordable tuition costs. Many international students enrolled in community college seek to transfer to a four-year university and complete a Bachelor’s degree. To date, the experiences of international students who successfully complete this transfer pathway have gone largely unstudied. As a result, very little is known about the international junior transfer population. This qualitative study utilizes a phenomenology methodology to explore …

Exploring The Gendered Nature Of Leadership Development For Female Student-Athletes At The United States Naval Academy, Jennifer Gobin

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Intramuscular Injection Of Plant Derived Antimicrobials: A Potenial Use Against M.Bovis In Cattle, Elizabeth Johnson

Master's Theses

Plant derived antimicrobials (PDAs) such as trans-cinnamaldehyde, eugenol and carvacrol, possess strong antibacterial properties yet are generally regarded as safe. In the current crisis of antibiotic resistance, the use of PDAs as alternatives to prevent and control bacterial infections in livestock has gained momentum. The inhibitory effects of PDAs on common bacteria such as C.difficile, Listeria, Salmonella have been widely studied. PDAs have also been found effective in wall-less bacteria such as Mycoplasma, for which common antibiotics are not effective and vaccines are not always effective. In animal husbandry, PDAs can be potentially added in feed to metaphalactively prevent …

Best Practices For Renovating Golf Course Fairways To More Sustainable Bentgrasses In The Northeastern United States, Zoe Esponda

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Characterization And Membrane Stability Study For The Switchable Polarity Solvent N,N-Dimethylcyclohexylamine As A Draw Solute In Forward Osmosis, Kevin K. Reimund

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Sooting Propensities Of Face Gasolines In Counterflow Diffusion Flames, Peter Vannorsdall

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Water Table, Soil Moisture And Evapotranspiration Conditions Following The Removal Of Conifers From Two Encroached Meadows, Tyler J. Davis

Master's Theses

Montane meadows provide essential habitat for a variety of unique species and important ecosystem services in the western United States. Although important, meadows have experienced increased rates of conifer encroachment due to climate change, fire suppression and grazing. To combat meadow degradation from conifer encroachment, land managers have employed various restoration strategies one of which is conifer removal. Multiple studies have investigated the relationship between meadow hydrology and vegetation; however, few have assessed the effect of conifer removal on meadow groundwater. The goal of this study is to determine if the removal of conifers from an encroached meadow has an …

The Quiet Classroom Game With An Indiscriminable Contingency In A High School, Stefanie Schrieber

Master's Theses

The Quiet Classroom Game (QCG) is an interdependent group contingency utilized to decrease classroom noise levels, increase student engagement, and decrease disruptive behaviors in the classroom setting. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effects of the QCG in three high school classrooms in the Southeastern United States. Classrooms were recruited based on teacher reports of excessive noise and high rates of disruptive behavior. A multiple baseline design with two intervention phases was utilized to examine the effects of the intervention. The first phase was the QCG alone, and the second phase was the QCG with an …

Localized Method Of Approximate Particular Solutions For Solving Optimal Control Problems Governed By Pdes, Kwesi Acheampong

Master's Theses

In this thesis, the method of approximate particular solutions(MAPS) and localized method of approximate particular solutions(LMAPS) with polynomial basis, and radial basis functions are proposed and applied on the optimal control problems(OCPs) governed by partial differential equations(PDEs).

This study proceeds in several steps. First, polynomial basis and radial basis functions are used to globally approximate solutions for the PDEs which have been combined into a single matrix system numerically from the optimality conditions of the OCPs. Secondly, polynomial and radial basis functions are used to locally approximate particular solutions for the same matrix system numerically. We use these approaches to …

Localized Method Of Approximate Particular Solutions For Solving Fourth-Order Pdes, Lionel Amuzu

Master's Theses

In the past, dealing with fourth-order partial differential equations using the Local Method was not reliable due to difficulties in solving them directly. An approach such as splitting these equations into two Poisson differential equations was adopted to alleviate such challenges. However, this has a limitation since it is only applicable to Dirichlet and Laplace boundary conditions. In this paper, we solve fourth-order PDEs directly using the LMAPS. The improvement on the accuracy of this method was as a result of the proposed distribution of boundary conditions to alternating boundary points. And, also the use of suitable shape parameter; calculated …

Development And Employment Of Environmental Dna Methods For The Detection Of Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus Leucas) In A Freshwater And Estuarine Interface In The Mobile-Tensaw Delta And Mobile Bay, Alabama, Katherine Schweiss

Master's Theses

Species conservation and management is influenced by the quality of monitoring methods employed, especially when targeting elusive, but ecologically significant species, like elasmobranchs. Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) are highly mobile predators that rely on estuaries and freshwater rivers for maturation, resources, and refuge; their ability to withstand changing environmental conditions may mean they are linking ecosystems through their habitat usage and movements. Rather than setting nets or attaching acoustic monitoring devices, which can be expensive, time-consuming, and invasive, the analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) for tracing species presence was used to target C. leucasDNA. The present research …

Early Recruitment Of Crassostrea Virginica To Restored And Natural Oyster Reefs In The Western Mississippi Sound: Larval Supply And Post-Settlement Success, Leah Morgan

Master's Theses

The eastern oyster (C. virginica) is a foundation species that improves water quality, protects shorelines, provides refuge for other organisms, and contributes to commercial fisheries. Successful early recruitment of eastern oyster is vital for resupplying adult populations in the face of habitat loss. Coastal oyster populations are challenged by freshwater input, hypoxia, predation and overfishing. Consequently, substantial efforts have been dedicated toward oyster restoration within the northern Gulf of Mexico. The overall objective of this study was to consider the role and importance of early recruitment to oyster restoration in western Mississippi Sound. During the summer 2018 recruitment period, we …

Multi-Point Flux Approximations Via The O-Method, Christen Leggett

Master's Theses

When an oil refining company is drilling for oil, much of the oil gets left behind after the first drilling. Enhanced oil recovery techniques can be used to recover more of that oil, but these methods are quite expensive. When a company is deciding if it is worth their time and money to use enhanced oil recovery methods, simulations can be used to model oil flow, showing the behavior and location of the oil. While methods do exist to model this flow, these methods are often very slow and inaccurate due to a large domain and wide variance in coefficients. …

Effects Of Water Table Depth And Edaphic Characteristics On Plant Diversity In A Southern Mississippi Pitcher Plant Bog, Patrick Kirby

Master's Theses

This study examined the effects that water table depth and soil characteristics have on plant species richness and species composition within pitcher plant bogs across seasons. Eight piezometers were installed at random distances to monitor long-term water table depth and pressure fluctuations along a ~710-meter line transect traversing upland and bog habitats. Vegetation sampling quadrats (n=128) were set up near each piezometer. Cover data and water table depths were collected in spring and late summer. Soil samples collected from each treatment group were used to obtain soil texture and nutrient data. The summer collection period yielded a total gdiversity of …

Estimating Body Mass Through Bone Mineral Density Studies Using Dexa (Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry), Kaitlin Harstine

Master's Theses

Identification of a decedent is one of the primary goals of forensic anthropologists. In order to do this, one must build a biological profile based on the remains that are provided. Sex, age, ancestry, and stature are four of the most common, however a fifth addition piece of information that could be beneficial is body mass. The goal of this research is to explore the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and body mass, using data collected from dual x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans of 107 collegiate football athletes. Athletes are a good fit for this study because they have achieved …

The Thiol Specific Antioxidant (Tsa1) Gene Is Required For Survival In Macrophages And Oxidative Stress Resistance In Histoplasma Capsulatum, Lauren Kennedy

Master's Theses

Histoplasma capsulatum(Hc) is a pathogenic fungus that causes one of the most common invasive fungal respiratory diseases, Histoplasmosis. Histoplasmaundergoes a dimorphic shift from mold to yeast which is crucial to pathogenesis of the organism.

The thiol specific antioxidant gene, Tsa1,is strongly upregulated in the yeast (pathogenic) morphotype. This data led to the hypothesis that this gene plays a role in protecting Hcfrom host mediated oxidative attack. To characterize Tsa1 function, a knockdown strain (tsa1-RNAi) was created by RNAi gene silencing. Expression of Tsa1in the tsa1-RNAistrain was reduced to 10% that …

Involuntary Signal-Based Grounding Of Civilian Unmanned Aerial Systems (Uas) In Civilian Airspace, Keith Conley

Master's Theses

This thesis investigates the involuntary signal-based grounding of civilian unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in unauthorized air spaces. The technique proposed here will forcibly land unauthorized UAS in a given area in such a way that the UAS will not be harmed, and the pilot cannot stop the landing. The technique will not involuntarily ground authorized drones which will be determined prior to the landing. Unauthorized airspaces include military bases, university campuses, areas affected by a natural disaster, and stadiums for public events. This thesis proposes an early prototype of a hardware-based signal based involuntary grounding technique to handle the problem …

The Quiet Cafeteria Game, Mary Ware

Master's Theses

Due to the prevalence of disruptive behavior in schools, educators are required to allocate time and resources to manage student behavior problems (Murphy, Theodore, Aloiso, Alric-Edwards, & Hughes, 2007). Disruptive behaviors take place in the classroom and other non-classroom settings, which can negatively impact the academic success of students. Specifically, noisemaking is a disruptive behavior that educators report as being one of the most concerning disruptive behaviors, thus, increasing the need for effective interventions to address disruptive behavior in non-classroom settings (Sun & Shek, 2012). The current study evaluates the effects of a decibel-level based interdependent group contingency, the Quiet …

Fracture Analysis Of The Lower Oceanic Crust, Atlantis Bank, Southwest Indian Ridge, Trent Jackson

Master's Theses

Atlantis Bank (AB) is an oceanic core complex (OCC), formed at the slow-spreading (spreading rate/yr) Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR)-Atlantis II transform junction. AB is a domal massif composed of lower crustal and upper mantle rocks exhumed along a normal-sense detachment shear zone/fault. OCCs are of high interest since oceanic crust comprises the majority of Earth’s crust and OCCs form up to 15% of the crust that is formed at slow-spreading ridges. Brittle deformation, such as faults and fractures provide pathways for fluids to interact with the crust, which increases heat and mass exchange between the crust and hydrosphere, and is …

Elevated Adhd Symptoms As A Predictor Of Rule Violations Among Male Juvenile Offenders, Kathleen Lolley Ramsey

Master's Theses

Youth with ADHD are disproportionately at-risk for engaging in criminality and aggression relative to the general population, and this may be a function of underlying executive function deficits associated with self-regulation. More specifically, youth with ADHD may be susceptible to difficulties with behavioral regulation (impulsivity) and emotional regulation (e.g., managing feelings of anger). The current study sought to expand on previous research to examine the relationship between ADHD symptoms and aggression and the potential moderating effects of anger control among institutionalized youth. Archival data comprising a sample (N=119) of male adolescents who were admitted to a maximum-security residential facility were …

Expanding The Fear Of Loss Of Vigilance Theory: Using Intolerance Of Uncertainty, Responsibility For Harm, And Fear Of Sleep To Predict Nocturnal Panic Attacks, Nicole S. Smith

Master's Theses

Nocturnal panic involves experiencing panic attacks out of a sleeping state without obvious causes such as nightmares or loud noises. Roughly half of patients with panic disorder will experience nocturnal panic in addition to panic attacks while awake, or daytime panic. Like daytime panic, nocturnal panic also occurs in other disorders such as PTSD. The Fear of Loss of Vigilance theory is currently the only model available to explain nocturnal panic. It suggests that nocturnal panickers fear states in which they cannot easily react to or protect themselves from danger. Prior research using a self-report measure to differentiate nocturnal and …

Is The Written Component Of Tootling Effective? A Comparison Of The Group Contingency To A Comparison Writing Procedure, James Derieux

Master's Theses

Previous tootling literature has demonstrated positive effects of the intervention when implemented in settings from elementary school (e.g., Skinner, Cashwell, & Skinner, 2000) to high school (e.g., Lum et al., 2019). Several studies have shown meaningful effects for the tootling intervention on increasing class-wide academically engaged behavior (AEB) and decreasing disruptive behaviors (DB) (e.g., Cihak et al., 2009). However, no studies in the current literature have examined the effects of the individual components of the tootling intervention on class-wide behaviors. The current study sought to examine the effects of the written component of the tootling intervention on class-wide levels of …

Terrorism And Organized Crime: An Analytical Study From An International Law Perspective, Leila Mejdoubi

Master's Theses

With the spread of terrorism and its growing risks since the start of the 21^st century, a wide range of reports and studies have emerged. This funding comes from a special relationship between terrorist organizations, organized crime syndicates, and their cooperation with each other, which has enabled terrorist organizations in particular to carry out recruitment efforts and operations alike. It has also fueled an international black market for smuggling and trade in drugs and arms. Under what conditions do violent terrorist groups driven by extreme Islamist ideology collaborate with organized criminal enterprises to generate the requisite resources to pursue …

Archaeobotanical Analyses Of The Winterville Mounds Site (22ws500) And Other Southeastern Ceremonial Complexes, Dana Hauffe

Master's Theses

The prehistoric Southeast region of the United States has had very limited archaeobotanical research focused on botanicals’ medicinal or ritualistic characteristics. An analysis of reported botanical remains recovered from Winterville Mounds (22WS500) and seventy- two other Late Woodland and Mississippian sites, from seven states, was conducted to identify their potential medicinal and ritual use of seventy-five botanicals based on reported ethnobotanical evidence. By classifying botanicals into four classes, modeled after the dissertation of Dr. Michele Williams in 2000, taxon frequency and feature ubiquity is configured and utilized to identify the possible ceremonial and medicinal use plants. At Winterville Mounds Site …

Machine Learning Applications To Predict Road Crash And Soccer Game Outcomes, Lu Bai

Master's Theses

Machine learning has become a cutting-edge and widely studied data science field of study in recent years across many industries and disciplines. In this thesis, two problems (1- crash severity prediction, 2- soccer game outcome prediction.) were investigated by using a set of machine learning approaches, namely: Ridge regression, Lasso Regression, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Neural Network (NN), Random Forest (RF).

The first study is focused on investigating the critical factors affecting crash severity on a comprehensive time-series state-wide traffic crash data. The dataset covers crashes occurred in the state of Connecticut between 1995 and 2014. Traffic crashes are an …

Measurement Of Polishing Rate As A Function Of Pad-Independent Abrasive Friction For Chemical Mechanical Polishing, Christopher Mcgowan

Master's Theses

As features on integrated circuits continue to grow smaller, they become more susceptible to damage from sequential planarization steps during fabrication. As planarization (known as chemical mechanical planarization, or simply CMP) is preformed multiple times and on every stage of fabrication, potential damage from it represents a significant financial risk, motivating a more fundamental understanding of the material removal process. CMP typically consists of a stiff polymer pad being used to bring a chemically active colloidal suspension of nanoscale particles into contact and relative motion with the substrate to be polished. For narrow sets of conditions, CMP is typically seen …

Distribution, Abundance, And Trophic Ecology Of Anguilliform Leptocephali In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Lillian Collins

Master's Theses

All species of anguilliform eels have pelagic leptocephalus larval stages, which provides a means of monitoring the population dynamics of these otherwise cryptic and hard to study species. The goals of this study were to: 1) describe the distribution and abundance of anguilliform eel leptocephali across the northern Gulf of Mexico, and 2) examine the trophic ecology of leptocephali using stable isotope values of carbon and nitrogen (δ13C and δ15N). A 25-year (1990-2014) ichthyoplankton dataset provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP) was used to examine interannual variations in leptocephalus distribution, …

Changes In Antarctic Bottom Water Formation During Interglacial Periods, Samuel Glasscock

Master's Theses

In the modern Southern Ocean and during the last interglacial period, Marine Isotope Stage 5, there are observations that point to reduced Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) formation. These reductions are believed to be driven by an increase in the strength of the Southern Ocean density stratification due to surface water freshening. Any reduction in AABW formation has important implications for global climate as AABW plays a vital role in the cycling of carbon in the world’s ocean. The primary question this study seeks to answer is do these AABW reductions occur during any of the other interglacials of the past …