Digital Commons Network^™

You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown: An Analysis Of Compassion, Friendship, And Overcoming Obstacles, Jessamyn L. Miller

Master's Theses

Since the late 1960s many things have changed. With the inception of the Internet, much of the world has gone viral––including newspapers. Children rarely find the same joy their parents found in a nostalgic printed Sunday morning comic strip. In addition, societal tragedies have increased with almost daily occurrences highlighted on the news. With an influx of recent tragedies too close to home, this thesis examines arts advocacy facts, anti-bulling campaigns, and the themes of friendship, compassion, and overcoming obstacles within a production of Clark M. Gesner’s musical You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown [Revised]. Charles M. Schulz’s classic characters …

Dialect Use Within A Socially Fluid Group Of Southern Resident Killer Whales, Orcinus Orca, Courtney Elizabeth Smith

Master's Theses

Resident killer whales, Orcinus orca, of the Northeastern Pacific form stable kinship-based matrifocal associations and communicate with group-specific repertoires of discrete calls (dialects) that reflect these associations. The gradual fission of matrilines is usually consistent with dialect variations among groups that may manifest as differences in call usage at the repertoire level or subtle structural differences of the calls themselves. Therefore, matrilines that are more closely related tend to be more acoustically similar. Within the endangered community of Southern Resident killer whales (SRKWs), recent evidence shows that one particular group (L pod) exhibits the lowest rate of intrapod association …

An Evaluation Of Metric Methods Of Race Differentiation In The Human Pelvic Girdle For The Application Of Expert Witness Testimony, Laura Natalie Yurka

Master's Theses

Research has shown that measurements from the pelvic bones and femur can be utilized for race estimation when the skull is absent or damaged. The literature reported levels up to 95% accuracy when utilizing discriminant function analysis to simultaneously classify race and sex. This research examined the previously reported methods of race estimation within the evidence standards for forensic science as well as current statistical standards. New metric measurements from the pelvis and femur were also proposed and tested to assess their utility as race indicators. Finally, this research addressed concerns that skeletal collections like the Robert J. Terry Skeletal …

Approximation Of The Scattering Amplitude Using Nonsymmetric Saddle Point Matrices, Amber Sumner Robertson

Master's Theses

In this thesis we look at iterative methods for solving the primal (Ax = b) and dual (A^T y = g) systems of linear equations to approximate the scattering amplitude defined by g^Tx =y^Tb. We use a conjugate gradient-like iteration for a unsymmetric saddle point matrix that is contructed so as to have a real positive spectrum. We find that this method is more consistent than known methods for computing the scattering amplitude such as GLSQR or QMR. Then, we use techniques from "matrices, moments, and quadrature" to compute the scattering amplitude …

Exploring The Glucocorticoid Actions Of 1Α-Hydroxycorticosterone (1Α-Oh-B) In The Elasmobranch Fishes, Faith Nichole Lambert

Master's Theses

The corticosteroid 1α-hydroxycorticosterone (1α-OH-B) is unique to the elasmobranch fishes. It is thought that 1α-OH-B acts as both the primary glucocorticoid (GC) and mineralocorticoid (MC) in these fishes, a dual role analogous to that of cortisol in the teleost fishes. The MC characteristics of 1α-OH-B are well supported, but data supporting its GC functions are lacking. In this study, the putative GC actions of 1α-OH-B were examined. The first experiment characterized the physiological stress response of the Atlantic stingray (Dasyatis sabina) to air exposure, with particular regards to the roles of corticosteroids and metabolic fuels. Results demonstrate that …

Mapping The Distribution Of Barrier Island Slash Pine Woodland And Determining Growth Responses Of Pinus Elliottii To Hurricane Katrina (2005) On Cat Island, Mississippi, William Richard Funderburk

Master's Theses

Barrier islands are ubiquitous features along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico North American coastline and are subjected disturbances such as extreme episodic events. The wind, waves, and storm surges of Hurricane Katrina heavily impacted the Mississippi–Alabama barrier island chain on August 29, 2005. Cat Island experienced a 7-m storm surge, the highest wind energy in the chain, but was estimated to have the least amount of forest mortality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the distribution of Pinus elliottii on Cat Island Mississippi and evaluate relationships of elevation with mean radial growth rate (mm y ̄ ˡ), …

The Effect Of Artery Bifurcation Angles On Fluid Flow And Wall Shear Stress In The Middle Cerebral Artery, Zachary Ramey Jones

Master's Theses

Saccular aneurysms are the abnormal plastic deformation of veins and arteries that can lead to lethal thrombus genesis or internal hemorrhaging. Medication and surgery greatly reduce the mortality rates, but treatment is limited by predicting who will develop aneurysms. A common location for saccular aneurysm genesis is at the main middle cerebral artery (MCA) bifurcation. The main MCA bifurcation is comprised of the M1 MCA segment, parent artery, and two M2 segments, daughter arteries. Studies have found that the lateral angle (LA) ratio of the MCA bifurcation is correlated with aneurysm formation. The LA ratio is defined as the angle …

A Novel Dual Modeling Method For Characterizing Human Nerve Fiber Activation, Frank Daniel Sugden

Master's Theses

Presented in this work is the investigation and successful illustration of a coupled model of the human nerve fiber. SPICE netlist code was utilized to describe the electrical properties of the human nervous membrane in tandem with COMSOL Multiphysics, a finite element analysis software tool. The initial research concentrated on the utilization of the Hodgkin-Huxley electrical circuit representation of the nerve fiber membrane. Further development of the project identified the need for a linear circuit model that more closely resembled the McNeal linearization model augmented by the work of Szlavik which better facilitated the coupling of both SPICE and COMSOL …

Investigation Of Dairy Wastewater Using Biowish, Ada Mingwah Chan

Master's Theses

Various bacterial products from BiOWiSH^TM Technologies have been tested in dairy wastewater experiments to determine the bacterial mixes’ ability for enhanced degradation of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), solids, and nitrate concentrations. The dairy wastewater was augmented with various bacterial composition obtained from BiOWiSH^TM. The bacterial mixes experimented were US Aqua, Thai Aqua, BMT, Osprey, Fruit Wash, KLB, LCM1, and MDG. Method development was a crucial process to optimize and test the effects of the BiOWiSH^TM Technologies bacterial mixes.

After 5 experiments, the BOD tests showed that for some of the tests, the redosage of bacteria helped …

Participatory Democracy In The Chinese Cyber World: Case Studies From Weibo, Duyi Li

Master's Theses

This thesis discusses features of citizen communication on Weibo, the Chinese social media platform, and its relationship to participatory democracy in China. Weibo is a complex social space due to the interplay of different forces and social actors. On the one hand, Weibo provides the space for bottom-up political participation: it expands the horizontal discursive space where plural discourses coexist and interact; provides a social sphere where counter-discourses are created; a space where the culture of resistance is formed; and serves as an alternative source for information. On the other hand, the vertical political control of the state, and the …

Hadrian's Wall: A Study In Function, Mylinh Van Pham

Master's Theses

Earlier studies on Hadrian's Wall have focused on its defensive function to protect the Roman Empire by foreign invasions, but the determination is Hadrian's Wall most likely did not have one single purpose, but rather multiple purposes. This makes the Wall more complex and interesting than a simple structure to keep out foreign intruders. Collective research on other frontier walls' functions and characteristics around the empire during the reign of Hadrian are used to compare and determine the possible function or functions of the Wall. The Wall not only served political purposes, but also had economic and social uses as …

Well Clear: General Aviation And Commercial Pilots' Perception Of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles In The National Airspace System, Joseph Taylor Ott

Master's Theses

The purpose of this research was to determine how different pilot types perceived the subjective concept of the Well Clear Boundary (WCB) and to observe if that boundary changed when dealing with manned versus unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) as well as the effects of other variables. Pilots' perceptions of the WCB were collected objectively through simulator recordings and subjectively through questionnaires. Together, these metrics provided quantitative and qualitative data about pilot WCB perception. The objective results of this study showed significant differences in WCB perception between two different pilot types, as well as WCB significant differences when comparing two different …

Effects Of Depth, Site, And Season On Phenotypic Variation Of The Geniculate Coralline, Calliarthron Tuberculosum Around The Monterey Peninsula, California, Jasmine Elena Ruvalcaba

Master's Theses

Coralline algae are ubiquitous in near-shore marine environments. In particular, geniculate corallines occur in intertidal and subtidal habitats with abundances typically higher at shallow depths. Due to the high abundance of Calliarthron tuberculosum in Monterey kelp beds, this species was chosen to study effects of depth, site, and season on morphology and physiology. To further understand this pattern, populations from 3 and 10 m depth were sampled at two sites to examine morphometric variables including total length, total width, and number of branch tips as well as, physiological variables including respiration, photosynthetic, and calcification rates. Growth rates were also quantified …

Did Money Matter? Interpreting The Effect Of Displayed Wealth On Social Relations Within An Enslaved Community, Matthew Clark Greer

Master's Theses

Social relationships structure daily life in a startling, and important, variety of ways. However, when considering the social world that existed inside slave quarters across the Virginia Piedmont (and the Antebellum South), archaeologists have not been able to come to a clear consensus on how to approach the study of social networks; with some researchers focusing on social standing, seen most often through the role of material wealth to create connections, and others focusing on how interactions can be meaningfully interpreted from the archaeological record. This thesis represents an attempt to bridge these two theoretical stances, by looking to see …

Developments Of Gigapixel Microscopy, Siyuan Dong

Master's Theses

Fourier ptychographic (FP) imaging is a recently developed technique to get high-resolution high-throughput imaging. FP iteratively stitches together many variably illuminated, low-resolution intensity images in the Fourier space to expand the frequency passband and recover a high-resolution sample image.

There are several latest developments of the Fourier ptychographic imaging scheme. FP scheme can be used as adaptive imaging method. An image-quality metric is defined as a guide star for the optimization process, and system corrections are then performed to maximize such a guide star. The adaptive FP scheme performs system correction by modifying the complex transfer function in the recovery …

Development Of A High Precision Quantum Dot Synthesis Method Utilizing A Microfluidic Reactor And In-Line Fluorescence Flow Cell, William Henry Lafferty

Master's Theses

Quantum dots show great potential for use as spectral converters in solar cells, lighting applications, and biological imaging. These applications require precise control of quantum dot size to maximize performance. The quality, size, and fluorescence of quantum dots depend on parameters that are difficult to control using traditional batch synthesis processes. An alternative, high precision process was developed for the synthesis of cadmium-selenide quantum dots using a microfluidic reactor and fluorescence flow cell. The process required creating separate cadmium and selenium precursors that were then mixed in a nitrogen environment at 17°C. Using an NE-300^® syringe pump, the solution …

A Comparison Of Meat Purchasing Attitudes Across Generations, Jamie M. Mickelson

Master's Theses

To identify the factors that influence different generations meat purchasing behaviors. The list of the features for respondents to report are desirable to them when they purchase meat. The results of features will provide the answer to meat purchasing attitudes across generations, which will help to analyze which features influence generations purchasing behaviors. There were 290 respondents to the survey. The target markets are split in to four groups – young Millennials, older Millennials, Generation Xers, and Baby Boomers. The highest desirability for respondents decisions to purchase meat is good value for the money and second is no hormones added. …

Early Characteristics Of Children Who Lose Their Autism Diagnosis Between Age Two And Four, Emily Moulton

Master's Theses

Emerging literature indicates that a subset of children with a documented ASD lose their diagnosis and demonstrate cognitive and adaptive abilities within the average range. Multiple factors including symptom severity, cognitive and language abilities, adaptive skills and early intervention may help to predict these highly positive outcomes. Participants in the present study include 207 children diagnosed with an ASD by clinical best estimate at approximately age two (T1) and subsequently re-evaluated at approximately age four (T2). 171 (82.6%) children retained an ASD diagnosis (ASD-ASD) at re-evaluation and 19 children (9.2%) were determined to meet the following criteria for an “Optimal …

Dcamp: Distributed Common Api For Measuring Performance, Alexander Paul Sideropoulos

Master's Theses

Although the nearing end of Moore’s Law has been predicted numerous times in the past, it will eventually come to pass. In forethought of this, many modern computing systems have become increasingly complex, distributed, and parallel. As software is developed on and for these complex systems, a common API is necessary for gathering vital performance related metrics while remaining transparent to the user, both in terms of system impact and ease of use.

Several distributed performance monitoring and testing systems have been proposed and implemented by both research and commercial institutions. However, most of these systems do not meet several …

Improving And Expanding The Capabilities Of The Poly-Picosatellite Orbital Deployer, David Pignatelli

Master's Theses

The Poly-Picosatellite Orbital Deployer (P-POD) has undergone a series of revisions over the years. The latest revision, described in this Master’s Thesis, incorporates new capabilities like EMI shielding, an inert gas purge system, and an electrical interface to the CubeSats after they are integrated into the P-POD. Additionally, some mass reduction modifications are made to the P-POD, while its overall strength is increased. The P-POD inert gas purge system successfully flew, on a previous revision P-POD. The P-POD components are analyzed to a set of dynamic loads for qualification, and successfully undergoes random vibration qualification testing. The P-POD encounters some …

Dsm-5 Autism Criteria Applied To Toddlers With Dsm-Iv-Tr Autism, Dasal T. Jashar

Master's Theses

The DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) include substantial revisions, including the combination of the subcategories (Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, and PDD-NOS) into one dimensional category of ASD, combining the social and communication domains into one, and requiring two rather than one repetitive and restrictive behaviors (RRBs). Concerns have been raised about the DSM-5’s sensitivity for very young children, especially since RRBs may not manifest in this age group. In order to address concerns about the sensitivity of the DSM-5 ASD criteria in toddlers, the current study examined if toddlers who received an ASD diagnosis under the DSM-IV-TR …

Dsm-5 Autism Criteria Applied To Toddlers With Dsm-Iv-Tr Autism, Dasal T. Jashar

Master's Theses

The DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) include substantial revisions, including the combination of the subcategories (Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, and PDD-NOS) into one dimensional category of ASD, combining the social and communication domains into one, and requiring two rather than one repetitive and restrictive behaviors (RRBs). Concerns have been raised about the DSM- 5’s sensitivity for very young children, especially since RRBs may not manifest in this age group. In order to address concerns about the sensitivity of the DSM-5 ASD criteria in toddlers, the current study examined if toddlers who received an ASD diagnosis under the …

Gene Expression Analysis Of Bovine Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells In Response To Adenovirus-Vectored Foot-And-Mouth Disease Vaccine, Frank Zappulla

Master's Theses

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) gives rise to a highly contagious and economically important disease of cloven-hooved animals. Vaccination reduces the economic impact by inducing serotype-specific protection. Recently, a replication-defective adenovirus-vectored foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) subunit vaccine was developed and licensed. Serum virus neutralization (SVN) titer ≥1.5 to FMDV is the best predictor of vaccine-induced protection. However, protection does not always correlate with the presence of neutralizing antibodies. For example, some animals with high SVN titer develop signs of disease, and conversely, some animals with negligible SVN titer are protected. Categorizing cattle on the parameters of seroconversion and protection status yields four …

Hybrid Silicon Mode-Locked Laser With Improved Rf Power By Impedance Matching, Bassem M. Tossoun

Master's Theses

The mode-locked laser diode (MLLD) finds a lot of use in applications such as ultra high-speed data processing and sampling, large-capacity optical fiber communications based on optical time-division multiplexing (OTDM) systems. Integrating mode-locked lasers on silicon makes way for highly integrated silicon based photonic communication devices. The mode-locked laser being used in this thesis was built with Hybrid Silicon technology. This technology, developed by UC Santa Barbara in 2006, introduced the idea of wafer bonding a crystalline III- V layer to a Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, making integrated lasers in silicon chips possible.

Furthermore, all mode-locked lasers produce phase noise, which …

The Effect Of Cyclophilin A On Vaccinia Virus Replication In Vitro, Kathryn Korhonen

Master's Theses

The host protein cyclophilin A (CypA) has been shown to be necessary for viral replication of several viruses, including human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus. Previous research done in the Geary laboratory, in collaboration with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, reported that cyclophilin A remains highly associated with vaccinia virus virions even after successive rounds of purification. The goal of this research is to further investigate how cyclophilin A affects vaccinia virus replication in vitro using primary tissues harvested from CypA (-/-) knockout mice to determine the difference in viral growth kinetics. Results showed different viral growth kinetics in …

Mother-Child Interactions And Emotion Regulation In Preschool Children, Courtney R. Lincoln

Master's Theses

Emotion regulation is a complex and dynamic process that begins in infancy and continues through toddlerhood and childhood with the support of parents, teachers, and other caregivers. Early caregiver-child interactions shape the way children learn to manage their emotions and the range of emotions that they express. The current study seeks to examine how maternal perceptions of preschool children’s emotion regulation and emotion lability are associated with mother-child interactions during free play. 30 mother-child dyads were recruited from two New England urban areas: one community sample and one sample recruited from Head Start locations. Dyads engaged in a free play …

An Insight To Psychological Health, Health Behaviors, And Bodyweight Among Correctional Employees, Christina Mignano

Master's Theses

Background: Correctional employees present a poor physical and mental health profile including high rates of overweight/obesity, poor health behaviors (diet, exercise, and sleep quality), high stress levels, and poor psychological health (e.g. high rates of depression, suicide, and divorce). Worse, correctional employees deny their stress and negative emotions as their occupational culture discourages expressing negative characteristics that would make one appear weak and deters seeking psychiatric help. Correctional employees are in need of effective health promotion efforts that address determinants of employee health with an all-inclusive view (mental/emotional/behavioral). Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess if stress and/or …

The Effects Of Music & Robotic Interventions On The Affective States, Interpersonal Synchrony, And Praxis Skills Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Isabel Park

Master's Theses

Background: Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) present with multiple comorbidities in addition to their primary impairments. These comorbidities include difficulties with affective states as well as motor problems such as poor interpersonal synchrony and poor praxis on imitation. In the present study, I examined the effects of two types of rhythmic interventions, music and robot, on the affective states and motor skills of children with ASDs as compared to the traditional standard of care intervention. Methods: Thirty-six children with ASDs between 5 and 12 years were randomly assigned to one of three groups: music, robot, or academic. All …

The Influence Of Workaholism On Work-Life Issues Through Boundary Management: Moderating Effects Of Telecommuting, Anna K. Young

Master's Theses

There are many personality and contextual variables that can contribute to negative home-domain functioning. The current study examined the effect of two specific variables, workaholism and telecommuting, on work-life issues. A moderated mediation model was tested, in which boundary flexibility mediated the relationship between workaholism and telecommuting and work-to-family conflict and family disengagement. Additionally, telecommuting was tested as a moderator of the indirect effect of workaholism on work-life issues through boundary flexibility willingness. I recruited 494 full-time, salaried, working adults through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Though there were many significant direct effects, the data only suggested partial support for the indirect …

G9a Is Required For Normal Cerebral Cortical Development, Saranya Santhosh Kumar

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.