Digital Commons Network^™

Cultural Imperialism, Tv And Children Spectatorship In Contemporary Ghana., Aba Micah

Master's Theses

A content and discourse analysis of television programs is performed to show that Ghanaians do enjoy their local programs but very little time is allocated for children’s content on both the public and private stations. Instead, foreign content has flooded the TV channels for both adult and children’s programs and this is concerning because culture is being lost amongst the new generation. Also, in an era where representation matters, African children should be represented in the media. This paper centers on cultural and media imperialism and representation of the African child in the media and we find that TV programs …

Political Revolutions And Women's Progress: Why The Egyptian Arab Spring Failed To Deliver On The Promises Of Women's Rights, Anne Song

Master's Theses

The mass participation of women in the 2011 Egyptian Arab Spring began what many thought would be a new feminist movement. As news cycles started showing the central role of women in the Arab Spring, many people including the women who demonstrated believed women’s rights were on the horizon. This study shows why the 2011 Arab Spring did not deliver on the promises of women’s rights in Egypt. Explaining the historical, religious, and societal influences on women’s rights in Egypt, and using data from the Arab Barometer and reports from the World Bank and UN, this study shows that the …

Don’T Worry Be Happy: Analysis Of Happiness As An Economic Measurement, Kofi Boadu

Master's Theses

Everyone wants to be happy. Happiness however never seems to be a national goal. A possible answer is that happiness is subjective and on its own may not be reflective of the economic status of a country. Therefore, should people’s happiness should be treated equally with other traditional economic measurements? This cross-country level study looks at the relationship between happiness and traditional economic measurements; mainly GDP per capita. Questions concerning whether GDP per capita indeed captures the overall well-being of a citizen and happiness’ eligibility as an economic measurement are addressed. Findings confirm that happiness and GDP per capita are …

Female Risk Aversion: Experimental Evidence From Myanmar, O Mandalay

Master's Theses

Present literature shows that the risk tolerance of females is generally lower than that of males, but in some circumstances, it can exceed – when concerning the welfare of the offspring, for example. Many experiments and data suggest that the dynamics of female risk tolerance depend on context and type of rewards involved as well as cultural norms. In our experiment, holding the culture and the context fixed, we found that females took less risk than males. Our experiment was conducted in Myanmar using a lottery selection method to measure risk over five consecutive rounds. We found 1) female risk …

Impact Of Innovative Menstrual Technology And Awareness On Female Empowerment Outcomes In Rural Nepal, Anjali Limbu

Master's Theses

In developing countries, menstruation poses two significant challenges for females. First, the resources required for periods are expensive for those in low-income communities. Hence, the absence of such menstrual products lowers females’ access to schooling and employment. Next, periods are also heavily stigmatized – especially in poorer or rural areas. Such taboos surrounding menstruation negatively impacts females’ psychological development and hamper their prospects of socialization. Thus, to analyze this issue, we ran a randomized control trial in Nepal, where we provided reusable menstrual pads and / or health seminar to 312 schoolgirls and 100 of their mothers. Our outcomes demonstrate …

The Development And Validation Of A Biomechanical Model To Describe Golf Swings: A Focus On Rotational Mechanics And Performance, Andrew D. Cohen

Master's Theses

This work presents the creation, validation, and utility of a new full body biomechanical model to describe the golf swing. The model used 47 retroreflective markers to capture swing data with a 12-camera Vicon MX motion capture system. Motion data was collected at 250Hz, the data was processed, and a 17 segment custom biomechanical model was constructed in Visual3D (c-motion, Derwood, MD). Data from 10 subjects was collected. The swing was divided by 4 event times—Address, Peak Backswing, Impact, and Follow Through—at which the kinematics of the swing were analyzed. Validation results indicated excellent agreement between expected joint angles and …

Investigating Perceptual Discrimination Of Timing Cues In Synthetic Vocalizations In Rodents And Humans, Peter Satonick

Master's Theses

Animals' ability to understand and classify speech and non-speech vocalizations is highly robust, in spite of variations in tonal frequency composition (Belin et al., 2008; Shannon et al., 1995). This ability suggests that timing cues within any given sound envelope are important for discriminating such sounds. However, prior studies examining perceptual thresholds for discriminating timing cues often include tonal cues as well. In this study, we synthesized simple white noise sound burst sequences that contain the timing cues present in natural vocalizations sequences, but that are also devoid of underlying tonal cues. We then trained Long Evans rats and Humans …

Development Of Tools For A 3d Reconstructed Intracortical Volume Around Microelectrode Arrays, Aparna Nambiar

Master's Theses

Extensive research using penetrating electrodes implanted in the central and peripheral nervous systems has been performed for many decades with significant advances made in recent years. While these penetrating devices provide proximity to individual neurons in-vivo and perform effectively for several months, they are prone to failure over a year and longer. 2D Histology studies using serial tissue sections have been extremely insightful over the years in identifying and quantifying most of these factors such as astrocytic scar formation, microgliosis, and neuronal death, around the implant sites. However, there are significant limitations of 2D histological studies in providing a holistic …

Epidemiology Of Sudden Death In Organized Youth Sports In The United States, 2007-2015, Brad D. Endres

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Encoding Of Episodic Context With Abstract And Concrete Concepts, Charles Davis

Master's Theses

In theories of grounded cognition, abstract concepts, like concrete ones, are grounded in our experiences with the world. However, rather than emphasizing the sensorimotoric aspects of our experience as they do for concrete concepts (e.g., coffee), grounded theories emphasize situational and internal factors for the representation of abstract concepts (e.g., decision). Despite some success in showing that situational and internal factors are important for abstract concepts, a mechanism by which such contextual factors are encoded and re-instantiated with the concept has yet to be elucidated. The present study sought to make headway on finding such a mechanism by …

The Effect Of Participant Gender And Exposure To Social Embarrassment Messages On Evaluations Of Binge Drinking Messages, Seth Mccullock

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Nexrad-Based Sub-Daily Intensity Duration Frequency Curves Over Conus, Daniel Mcgraw

Master's Theses

The establishment of design storm parameters is a critical step in hydrologic design and flood-risk management. Intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves are commonly used as they yield the expected intensity of a given storm duration and frequency of occurrence. Due to the long record length and reliability of the data, rain gauges have been used historically to generate at-point IDF curves. However, limitation in gauge coverage or distribution can result in uncertainties in IDF generation from the data interpolation methods. A potential solution to this limitation is the incorporation of radar-based Quantitative Precipitation Estimates (QPEs) in deriving IDF relationships. Radar-based estimates offer …

Assessment Of A Modified Heat Tolerance Test In Recreational Runners, Kelsey M. Rynkiewicz

Master's Theses

Exercising in hot and humid conditions is a stressful environment that can be taxing on the human body. In certain situations, uncompensable heat stress may occur in which there is an overwhelming of the thermoregulatory system. This may result in exertional heat illnesses, particularly exertional heat stroke, which warrant rapid and appropriate treatment to avoid long term complications, or even death.

Returning to activity, duty, or play after an exertional heat stroke, or for those who exhibit difficulty exercising in the heat, is a complex process. However, heat tolerance tests have been used, particularly in warriors, as an evaluation tool …

Telomerase Activator 65 (Ta-65) Favorably Affects Parameters Of Metabolic Syndrome - A Pilot Study, Minu Sara Thomas

Master's Theses

Abstract

Background: Telomerase Activator 65 (TA-65), a compound extracted from Astragalus membranaceus, was developed to increase or maintain telomere length. Objectives: To determine the effects of TA-65 on the parameters of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Methods: We recruited 40 patients aged 32-70 years with MetS to determine the effects of TA-65 on dyslipidemias and anthropometrics in this at-risk population. This was a double-blind, randomized crossover design in which patients were allocated to consume either 16 mg daily of a TA-65 supplement or placebo for 12 weeks. Following a 3-week washout, participants were allocated to the alternate treatment for an …

Near Field Mixing Characteristics Of A Variable Density Non-Reacting Jet In A Hot Vitiated Crossflow, Kyle T. Linevitch Jr

Master's Theses

The mixing characteristics in the “extreme” near field of a non-reacting jet in crossflow were experimentally investigated in an environment relevant to gas turbine combustors. A turbulent jet was injected into a hot vitiated crossflow of combustion products at 1500K. Different jet-to-crossflow momentum flux ratios and jet-to-crossflow density ratios were studied using three different jet exit velocity profiles; a fully developed turbulent pipe flow with 4% turbulence intensity (TI), a top-hat flow with 8% TI, and a turbulent pipe-like flow with 40% TI. Center-plane scalar mixing of the jet and crossflow were investigated using measured temperature fields from planar laser …

Easy Breathing For Schools: A Promising School - Based Asthma Program, Jing Marrero

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

La Contribution De L’Espace Et De La Temporalité Dans L'Oœuvre De Pierre Pevel A La Reconsidération De La Fantasy, Oceane Rouxel

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Protein Nanoparticles For Use In Photodynamic Therapy, Melissa Limbacher

Master's Theses

Bovine serum albumin was cross-linked under controlled conditions to form protein colloidal nanoparticles, and particle size has been controlled from 20 to 100 ± 10 nm by choosing appropriate reaction conditions. The particles are then labeled with a small set of fluorescent dyes and the absorption as well as the emission wavelengths of the colloids (GlowDots) are controlled without changing the particle size, unlike quantum dots. GlowDots are convenient for cellular imaging and therefore, we examined their photochemcial stabilities under defined sets of conditions. For example, GlowDots that have peak absorption wavelengths at 494, 543, and 576 had sufficient stabilities …

Current Status Of Professional Networks Addressing Sex Education In The United States: An Initial Exploratory Thematic Analysis, Aliya Subhit

Master's Theses

Sex education in the United States has been a highly debated topic. The history of sex education depicts the changing narratives of both the public and the government’s ideals on the topic. Due to the discrepancy between the publics attitudes and perceptions versus the governments ideals, this thesis is the first of its kind to conduct an initial thematic analysis of available bodies of knowledge across the five core mental health disciplines (i.e., marriage and family therapy, psychiatry, clinical psychology, clinical social work, and psychiatric nursing) to determine how the current state of sex education programs in the U.S. is …

L'Almanach De La Seconde Moitié Du Xixe Siècle: Formes Et Fonctions D'Un Nouvel Objet Informationnel De Rupture Moderne, Clemence Lucchini

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Cranial Neural Crest Cell Differentiation Towards An Osteoblastic Fate, Sean Congdon

Master's Theses

The world health organization estimates that craniofacial defects affect between 2-3% of all live births, with complications ranging from aesthetic issues to severe mental retardation (Marcucio 2015). It is estimated that for a pathology resulting in craniofacial aberrations, each affected individual costs society ~1 million dollars in corrective and palliative care (Singh 2014). Current investigations into genetics underlying these defects have revealed 564 human (HPO 2017) and 3297 murine (MGI 2017) genes thought to be involved in craniofacial pathologies. Facial development requires a population of cells known as Cranial Neural Crest Cells (CNCCs) to properly migrate from the neural plate …

The Burden Of Child Sexual Abuse In Connecticut Emergency Departments, 2011 To 2014, Kathryn Bentivegna

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Dietary Nitrate Supplementation On Swimming Performance In Collegiate Swimmers 2018, Christopher Daniel Mosconi

Master's Theses

The desire for performance enhancement is a common goal amongst athletes. Recently a number of studies have reported various performance enhancing effects of dietary nitrate (NO3-) via beetroot juice (BRJ) supplementation. Research has indicated that the various performance enhancing effects of BRJ can be attributed to a decrease resting systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and submaximal volume of oxygen consumption (VO2), while increasing vasodilation and mitochondrial efficiency. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether BRJ supplementation improves swimming performance in collegiate level swimmers. Methods: Eight collegiate trained swimmers underwent a double-blind 5-day chronic supplementation …

The Effectiveness Of Men's Lacrosse Shoulder Pads In The Attenuation Of Linear Impact Forces 2018, Ryan S. Dambach

Master's Theses

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Men’s lacrosse is a sport that is growing in popularity. The mandatory shoulder pads have no limit of use standards and are rarely studied. The purpose of the study was to measure peak impact force (IF) of new and used lacrosse shoulder pads. METHODS: Six lacrosse shoulder pads, three new models (Warrior MPG 8.0 shoulder pad, STX Jolt shoulder pad and Warrior Player’s Club Hitlyte shoulder pad) and three used models of the same shoulder pads with at least four seasons of use (Warrior MPG shoulder pad, STX Jolt shoulder pad and Warrior Player’s Club Hitlyte shoulder pad) were …

The Effects Of A Short-Term, Unilateral, Lower-Body Resistance Training Program On Balance In College-Aged Resistance-Trained Participants 2018., Daniel Semprini

Master's Theses

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a short-term, unilateral, lower-body resistance training program would significantly improve static and dynamic balance in experienced college-aged resistance-trained participants when compared to a control group’s regular, bilateral lower-body resistance training program. Participants: A total of twenty-four participants were recruited to participate in the study. Four participants ended up dropping out due to injury and time constraints, leaving the final total sample size at twenty. Methods: Participants completed a series of three questionnaires (International Fitness Scale, International Physical Activity, and Sociodemographic Questionnaire) and the informed consent. The participants were randomly divided …

Learning To Run On An Lbppt: Neuromuscular And Metabolic Adaptations 2018, Jordyn Naylon

Master's Theses

Previous research on lower body positive pressure (LBPP) treadmills have focused primarily on muscle activation (EMG), spatiotemporal variables, and metabolic differences from running on a standard treadmill. The current study aimed to establish the necessary accommodation time needed for runners to display reliable metabolic and neuromuscular responses on the LBPP treadmill. Fifteen habitually trained runners (11 males, 4 females, average± SD VO2Max=62.81 ± 5.43mL.kg-1.min-1) ran a total of 3, 15-minute trials on the AlterG® treadmill during a single testing session. For each trial, the AlterG® was set to support 30% of body weight at 70% of the speed at which …

Integrated Computer Science Unit For Early Exposure To A Diverse Population, Di Hoang

Master's Theses

Reports from major tech companies, such as Airbnb, Facebook, Microsoft, Google, Apple, and Yahoo, indicate that gender diversity and ethnic diversity are lacking in the tech industry [22]. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projected a 24% increase in the number of software development positions (roughly an increase of 300,000 jobs) between 2016 and 2026 [64]. The main motivation behind this thesis is to expose computer science to young children and encourage teachers to include computer science in their classrooms in the hope of contributing to the current effort of increasing diversity within tech fields in the next decade.

This …

Sok: A Practical Cost Comparison Among Provable Data Possession Schemes, Alex Michael Bartlett

Master's Theses

Provable Data Possession (PDP) schemes provide users with the ability to efficiently audit and verify the integrity of data stored with potentially unreliable third-parties, such as cloud storage service providers. While dozens of PDP schemes have been developed, no PDP schemes have been practically implemented with an existing cloud service. This work attempts to provide a starting point for the integration of PDP schemes with cloud storage service providers by providing a cost analysis of PDP schemes. This cost analysis is performed by implementing and analyzing five PDP schemes representative of the dozens of various PDP approaches. This paper provides …

Analysis Of Verification And Validation Techniques For Educational Cubesat Programs, Noah Weitz

Master's Theses

Since their creation, CubeSats have become a valuable educational tool for university science and engineering programs. Unfortunately, while aerospace companies invest resources to develop verification and validation methodologies based on larger-scale aerospace projects, university programs tend to focus resources on spacecraft development. This paper looks at two different types of methodologies in an attempt to improve CubeSat reliability: generating software requirements and utilizing system and software architecture modeling. Both the Consortium Requirements Engineering (CoRE) method for software requirements and the Monterey Phoenix modeling language for architecture modeling were tested for usability in the context of PolySat, Cal Poly's CubeSat research …

Optimizing The Distributed Hydrology Soil Vegetation Model For Uncertainty Assessment With Serial, Multicore And Distributed Accelerations, Andrew Adriance

Master's Theses

Hydrology is the study of water. Hydrology tracks various attributes of water such as its quality and movement. As a tool Hydrology allows researchers to investigate topics such as the impacts of wildfires, logging, and commercial development. With perfect and complete data collection researchers could answer these questions with complete certainty. However, due to cost and potential sources of error this is impractical. As such researchers rely on simulations.

The Distributed Hydrology Soil Vegetation Model(also referenced to as DHSVM) is a scientific mathematical model to numerically represent watersheds. Hydrology, as with all fields, continues to produce large amounts of data …