Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Obesity On Resultant Knee Joint Loads For Gait And Cycling, Juan Gutierrez-Franco

Master's Theses

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease of cartilage and bone tissue and the most common form of arthritis, accounting for US$ 10.5 billion in hospital charges in 2006. Obesity (OB) has been linked to increased risk of developing knee OA due to increased knee joint loads and varus-valgus misalignment. Walking is recommended as a weight-loss activity but it may increase risk of knee OA as OB gait increases knee loads. Cycling has been proposed as an alternative weight-loss measure, however, lack of studies comparing normal weight (NW) and OB subjects in cycling and gait hinder identification of exercises that may …

Analysis Of Various Algorithmic Approaches To Software-Based 1200 Baud Audio Frequency Shift Keying Demodulation For Aprs, Robert F. Campbell

Master's Theses

Digital communications continues to be a relevant Field of study as new technologies appear and old methodologies get revisited or renovated. The goal of this research is to look into the old digital communication scheme of Bell 202 [67] used by APRS and improve software based demodulation performance. Improved performance is defined by being able to correctly decode more packets in an efficient, real time, manner. Most APRS demodulation is currently done using specialized hardware since that yields the best performance. This research shows that through using Sivan Toledo's javAX25 [72] software package, new demodulation algorithms can be implemented that …

Nanosatellite Probes In Interplanetary Space: An Augmented Cassini Mission, Trent T. Voris

Master's Theses

The exploration of interplanetary space is one of the most challenging and costly ventures in human history. The relatively low amount of information on other sites beyond Earth is largely due to the rarity of effective trajectories as well as the high levels of risk and complexity inherent in innovative space exploration. One solution to this lack of information is the use of deployable satellite probes to help augment the main mission and its instrumentation. This “Mother- Daughter” architecture allows for the low-cost exploration of hazardous sites and numerous points of interest without compromising the primary mission.

While the end …

Trpinav: A System For Terrain, Route, Points Of Interest, And Navigation, Lana Hodzic

Master's Theses

Maps are as fundamental to society as language and the written word. Maps are an abstraction of reality that help people to better understand the world around them. Route maps, specifically, depict a path from one place to another. Many route maps generated today contain excessive information making it difficult for people to process visually. Previous work has been done in generating routes, searching for nearby points of interest, and path generalization. This thesis proposes a system, TRPINav, that will integrate terrain data, route data, points of interest, and navigation in a cartographic visualization. This prototype navigation application includes a …

Incorporating Histograms Of Oriented Gradients Into Monte Carlo Localization, Michael K. Norris

Master's Theses

This work presents improvements to Monte Carlo Localization (MCL) for a mobile robot using computer vision. Solutions to the localization problem aim to provide fine resolution on location approximation, and also be resistant to changes in the environment. One such environment change is the kidnapped/teleported robot problem, where a robot is suddenly transported to a new location and must re-localize. The standard method of "Augmented MCL" uses particle filtering combined with addition of random particles under certain conditions to solve the kidnapped robot problem. This solution is robust, but not always fast. This work combines Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) …

Trust And Complacency In Cyber Security, Ashley Allison Cain

Master's Theses

Improved understanding of conditions that foster appropriate use of security tools by cyber security professionals is crucial for protecting companies from financial losses. Trust has been an important topic in the literature because of its role in allowing for cooperation among humans and automation and because of its relationship with appropriate use. The current study aimed to extend the finding that high trust leads to complacency in the domain of cyber security and to clarify a discrepancy in the literature about complacency’s operationalization by measuring information sampling behaviors directly. The sample consisted of 101 first year psychology students. The independent …

The Effects Of Online Course Pedagogies On Learning And Cognitive Workload, Kallan Kay Christensen

Master's Theses

The use of recorded lecture video is a common online practice, although the implementation of this pedagogy varies and may have differential impacts on learning depending on the extent to which it increases cognitive workload. This study compared two different online statistics lecture formats: interactive and non-interactive. The interactive lecture video stopped approximately every minute and the participant had to answer a question regarding the material before moving on to the next section of the video. The non-interactive lecture video was the exact same video edited to remove all interactive breaks in the video. Cognitive workload was measured using the …

Effects Of Substrate Warming On Sessile Marine Invertebrate Communities In Monterey Bay, California, Stephen Loiacono

Master's Theses

Increasing average global sea temperatures are one of the most direct and alarming consequences of climate change, yet it is still unclear how sessile marine communities will respond in the near- and long-term. In addition, it is unclear if warming ocean temperatures will facilitate marine invasions or primarily benefit native species. To simulate the effects of increasing ocean temperatures on sessile communities, heated settlement plates (n=7) were used in an in situ field experiment to investigate how an increase in substrate temperature (2.5°C above ambient) would affect recruitment and community development as compared to unheated control plates (n=9). Experimental treatments …

A Biomechanical Analysis Of Different Anterior Cruciate Ligament Surgical Techniques, Spencer T. Warshauer

Master's Theses

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are one the most prevalent activity-related injuries among young athletes in the United States. ACL surgeries are typically done using patellar tendon graft and hamstring tendon graft. The goal of the study was to compare the aforementioned ACL surgery techniques. In addition to this, a secondary goal was to provide physical therapists and patients with real-time feedback about the progress of the recovery over time when performing a common physical therapy exercise regimen. Each subject visited the lab six times for twelve weeks and was asked to perform chair squats, three sit-to-stand exercises, and walk …

Traditional Agricultural Practices And Sex Ratios At Birth In Modern Times, Patrick Krause

Master's Theses

This study examines the impact of cultural gender norms created by differences in traditional agricultural practices on observed sex ratios at birth over last four decades. Building on the plough hypothesis developed by Ester Boserup and the work of Alesina et al. (2013), this study provides a further empirical test of the legacy of the plough. I perform empirical analysis on micro level data from the Demographic and Health Survey in over 75 countries to develop a number of stylized facts on this relationship. Descendants of plough societies exhibit a more male skewed sex ratio at birth today. These descendants …

Testing Ostrom: An Analysis Of Water User Committees In Uganda, Emily Mcpartlon

Master's Theses

In 2009 Elinor Ostrom received the Nobel Prize for her analysis of economic governance of the commons. Specifically, by challenging the conventional wisdom at the time, demonstrating how communities can successfully manage the common resources without any regulation by central authorities or privatization. Ostrom proposed eight design principles that identify the underlying criterion of institutions that have successfully maintained CPRs over time. I examine whether Ostrom’s Eight Design Principles affect the long-run functionality of borehole wells in Uganda using quantitative methods. I find that the one of the principles, clearly defined boundaries, is significant in all four estimations, and remains …

Air Pollution, Temperature And Cognitive Performance In The Short Run: Evidence From Women’S Ability To Recall Dates, Ke Yang

Master's Theses

Abstract: Cognitive performance is important to productivity across many fields and potentially correlated to air pollution and extreme temperatures. We study the effects of daily ambient air pollution and monthly temperature on women’s ability of recalling dates across 42 developing countries from 1997 to 2009. We use an estimated natural air pollution data, and calculate the AQI to get an aggregate effect of air pollution. We find that one standard deviation increase in the AQI leads to a statistical decrease in women’s probability to recall dates such as birthdays, marriage date or children’s birthdays by 0.44 percentage point. Furthermore, there …

The Investment Casualties Of War: Global Impacts Of Armed Conflict On Foreign Direct Investment Inflows, Reinhard J. Cate Mr.

Master's Theses

Abstract: Involvement in the outbreak of an armed conflict can present a variety of potential risks to an involved nation’s economy. In this paper I examine if one one of those risks, specifically that a new war could scare away foreign investment actually occurs and whether the intensity of the conflict increases or lessens the potential impact. Using ordinary least squares on panel data from 1966 to 2015, I examine the short and long term impacts of armed conflict on global foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows using two measures of conflict intensity: Large conflicts or ‘wars’, with 1000 or more …

Dendrimer Modified Silica Nanoparticles As Fluorescent Chemosensors For The Detection Of Copper And Cyanide Ions, Alicia Luhrs

Master's Theses

A series of silica nanoparticle-based fluorescent chemosensors were synthesized for the sensitive and selective detection of Cu²⁺ ions in aqueous solution and subsequent CN^- ion detection. Silica nanoparticles (SNP) were modified with branching polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers, which function as selective turn-off Cu²⁺ ion chelators and platforms for the attachment of rhodamine isothiocyanate (RITC) or fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) fluorescent dyes. In the presence of Cu²⁺ ions, the emission of the fluorescent dye is quenched by Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and is dependent upon dendrimer generation, pH, fluorescent dye, and surface charge. The quenching effectiveness was analyzed …

The Effect Of Financial Sector Development On Fdi Led Growth In China, John Costigan

Master's Theses

Abstract: Over the past several decades developing countries have attracted and relied on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to supply their economies with the investment needed to maintain high economic growth and development. In their pursuit of FDI, many developing countries have passed policies and regulations aimed at attracting inward FDI. Because of the high growth rates and high returns on investment in many of these economies they have experience a large increase in FDI inflow over the past few decades. As these economies have grown and investment has increased, the financial services sector in the developing world has grown to …

Effect Of Non-Monetary Incentives On Women's Competitive Inclination: Experimental Evidence From Ancona, Italy, Kalkidan Shebi

Master's Theses

This study investigates how monetary incentives versus non-monetary incentives affect women’s decision to enter a competitive environment. This study was conducted in Ancona Italy, in a controlled laboratory experiment with a total of 60 participants; of which 29 were male and 31 were female. Participants were given mathematical addition problems to solve under alternative incentives. How they received these incentives differed based on their preference to enter or withdraw from the competition. The study also included components that assessed risk preferences and willingness to pay for the non-monetary incentive in the experiment. Results show no significant difference in performance scores …

The Roles Of The Phospholipid Pip2 In Regulating The Activities Of Kcnq Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels, Kevin M. Duignan

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Wh-Question Comprehension: A Grammatical Deficit In Children With Asd, Manya Jyotishi

Master's Theses

Wh-questions are problematic for children with ASD. Prior research has shown delays in comprehension of subject-wh and object-wh questions in children with ASD compared to TD peers. However, earlier comprehension studies may have been limited because their stimuli included unfamiliar verbs (e.g., hit, produced by a few children with ASD) and events featuring inanimate agents and patients (e.g., an apple and a flower). The current study addressed both of these issues by investigating whether familiar verbs and animate characters elicit robust comprehension of wh-questions with children with ASD. We also investigate whether early grammatical abilities predict later wh-question comprehension. One …

Effects Of Active And Observational Experience On Eeg Activity During Early Childhood, Lauren Bryant

Master's Theses

How we encode and understand others’ actions is a core problem in social learning. In recent decades, the human neural mirroring system (NMS) has been implicated as a potential neural mechanism of action understanding. To investigate the effects of experience on NMS activity, we manipulated 3– to 6-year-old children’s (N = 16) active and observational experience with two tools and then examined EEG mu (7-10 Hz) and central beta rhythm (17-21 Hz) desynchronization as measures of NMS activity during observation and execution of these actions. Children exhibited neural mirroring within both individualized and standard mu bands. Although mu and …

The Examination Of Medical Coverage, Emergency Policies And Procedures, And The Implementation Of Prevention Strategies Before And After Sudden Death In The Secondary School Setting, Joseph M. Olivadoti

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Phonetic Retuning In Accented Speech: Is There A Role Of Expectation?, Iliana Meza-Gonzalez

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Prediction Of Internal Body Temperature Using Machine Learning Models, Luke N. Belval

Master's Theses

Context: The only validated methods for assessment of deep body temperature during exercise in the heat are invasive or logistically difficult to implement. Non-invasive prediction of deep body temperature has the potential to provide critical information to individuals who exercise in environmental extremes. Objective: To examine the use of machine learning methods for the prediction of deep body temperature using non-invasive measures. Setting: Research laboratory. Participants: Twenty-five recreationally active participants (mean±SD; male, n=19; female, n=6, age, 24±4 y; height, 177±10 cm; body mass, 75.94±12.45 kg; body fat, 15.31±6.55%). Interventions: We pooled data from two studies wherein participants walked and ran …

In Vitro Characterization Of Msh2-Msh6 And Mlh1-Pms2 Interactions, Nilse Lene G. Dos Santos

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Modulating The Release Of Therapeutic Agents From Plga Coated Cancellous Allografts, Seth Malinowski

Master's Theses

Bone grafts are used in 2 million annual surgeries with that statistic expected to rise due to the increasing elderly population as well as sports related injuries. At a certain size bone fracture or defect, the body is unable to heal spontaneously, and a bone graft must be implanted into the defect site. Allografts are used as bone grafts due to their availability and elimination of donor site morbidity, however they show poor bioactivity and bone regeneration. This study utilizes a degradable poly(lactic-co-glycolide) (PLGA) polymer coating applied to cancellous allografts, loaded with a variety of therapeutic agents aimed to improve …

Behavioral Modeling Of Motor Drive Systems Efficiency, Artur Ulatowski

Master's Theses

While power losses and efficiency of single components of electric motor drive systems were researched extensively, the overall system efficiency has been rarely approached. The wide-spread applications of electric machines make them the largest electrical energy consumers, thus the efficiency of motor drive systems is of fundamental effect on global energy consumption. Analytical efficiency modeling of motor drive systems is a very difficult task due to complex interactions in a motor drive system (electrical, mechanical, magnetic, thermal, etc.). In this thesis, a novel method of applying black-box approaches for motor drive efficiency modeling is presented. The proposed methodology is flexible …

Increasing Sleep Duration In Collegiate Athletes: A Behavioral Intervention Involving Sleep Education, Self-Tracking, Goal Setting, And Self-Reinforcement, Leslie Greer

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a behavioral intervention on sleep duration in a group of Division I student athletes from a women's rowing team. This participant pool was specifically selected because they have early morning practice due to several scheduling constraints, which can make adequate sleep duration more difficult to obtain. Further, the participants in this pool were selected because they had the lowest previous nights sleep and perceived average sleep duration, and therefore in most need of this type of intervention. A multiple baseline design was used to determine if a functional relationship …

Exploring Maternal Emotion Masking As A Contribution To Kindergartener's Emotion Regulation, Erin Donohue

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Measuring And Modeling Oceanic Air-Sea Fluxes, Aaron M. Rosenberg

Master's Theses

There have been numerous studies evaluating model representation of the latent heat flux (LHF) over terrestrial surfaces due to LHF’s role in weather prediction, heat balance, and the hydrological cycle. However, LHF model representation over the ocean, where 86% of global evaporation occurs, has been largely untested due to the scarcity of in-situ measurements and difficulties associated with open ocean observations. This study evaluates the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) latent heat, sensible heat and momentum surface fluxes over the Sub-tropical North Atlantic Ocean from September 16 to October 30, 2012 under various surface layer and planetary boundary layer …

Mechanical Stimulation And Stiffness Characterization Device For Electrospun Cell Culture Scaffolds, Soliman A. Alhudaithy

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Applications Of Advanced Signal Processing Techniques In Pure And Applied Geophysics, Robert W. Mehl

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.