Digital Commons Network^™

A Study Into The Feasibility Of Using Natural Language Processing And Machine Learning For The Identification Of Alcohol Misuse In Trauma Patients, Andrew Phillips

Master's Theses

Alcohol misuse is a leading cause of premature death in the United States, with nearly a third of trauma patients found to have elevated blood alcohol levels upon admission. However, timely intervention has been shown to reduce this. It is thus important to be able to quickly screen patients to identify alcohol misuse. Many medical centers use standardized questionnaires to identify alcohol misuse, but since these instruments are not usually a part of routine care, there are many cases where it is not done.

In this study, large quantities of notes were processed with natural language processing and machine learning …

Toddler Activity Recognition Using Machine Learning, Pinky Sindhu

Master's Theses

Pinky Sindhu

Loyola University Chicago

TODDLER ACTIVITY RECOGNITION USING MACHINE LEARNING

Toddlers behave differently than adults, to say the least. It is valuable to accurately measure the specific types of physical activity (PA) in toddlers; such information can be analyzed to predict future health prospects in relation to conditions like obesity.

We attached ActiGraph accelerometers to the wrist and waist of toddlers and recorded PAs. Toddlers were videotaped, and their movements were annotated as 20 specific activities. These activities were classified into 3 summary activity intensities including sedentary, light intensity PA (LPA), and moderate to vigorous intensity PA (MVPA).

Automated …

Mechanistic Investigations Of The Iron(Iii)-Catalyzed Carbonyl-Olefin Metathesis Reaction, Susan Phan

Master's Theses

Iron(III)-catalyzed carbonyl-olefin ring-closing metathesis represents a new approach toward the assembly of molecules traditionally generated by olefinˆ’olefin metathesis or olefination. Herein, we report detailed synthetic, spectroscopic, kinetic, and computational studies to determine the mechanistic features imparted by iron(III), substrate, and temperature to the catalytic cycle. These data are consistent with an iron(III)-mediated asynchronous, concerted [2+2]-cycloaddition to form an intermediate oxetane as the turnover-limiting step. Fragmentation of the oxetane via Lewis acid-activation results in the formation of five- and six-membered unsaturated carbocycles.

Culturally Relevant Choral Music Pedagogy And Student Feedback, Theoni Richardson

Master's Theses

The purpose of this teacher action research study was to assess choral education pedagogy through the perspective of high school choir students. The research question asked: How can I utilize student interpretation and critique in order to empirically self-reflect on my choral teaching practice and its cultural relevance? Interpretation and critique are defined as student opportunities to give feedback, both positive and negative, in the form of qualitative oral discussion and quantitative, linear ranking. While research has shown that culturally relevant pedagogy allows for more student engagement and success, I hypothesized that this study would show that students who perceive …

Lenstra-Hurwitz Cliques In Real Quadratic Fields, Daniel S. Lopez

Master's Theses

Let $K$ be a number field and let $\OO_K$ denote its ring of integers. We can define a graph whose vertices are the elements of $\OO_K$ such that an edge exists between two algebraic integers if their difference is in the units $\OO_K^{\times}$. Lenstra showed that the existence of a sufficiently large clique (complete subgraph) will imply that the ring $\OO_K$ is Euclidean with respect to the field norm. A recent generalization of this work tells us that if we draw more edges in the graph, then a sufficiently large clique will imply the weaker (but still very interesting) conclusion …

Application Of Model Predictive Control In Modular Multilevel Converter For Mtpa Operation And Soc Balancing, Mohit Sharma

Master's Theses

In this thesis, a one-step horizon model predictive control strategy (MPC) is implemented in a multilevel modular converter (MMC) to control the speed of an electric vehicle (EV) motor. Maximum torque per ampere (MTPA) and field weakening (FW) control strategies are used to generate reference signals for maximum torque output. The proposed control scheme aims to track the reference signal by independently regulating voltages from the MMC modules. To achieve this, the switches of the MMCs are directly controlled, eliminating the need for a pulse width modulator. A one-step horizon implementation of MPC ensures the robustness of the control system …

The Design And Detailing Of Discontinuous Timberframe Lateral-Force-Resisting Systems, Rhett Kenneth Carlsen

Master's Theses

Discontinuous lateral-force-resisting systems (LFRS) are a type of LFRS in which the path of resistance does not continue directly to the foundation. Discontinuous systems are defined as either in-plane, where the LRFS shifts in the plane of resistance, or out-of-plane, where the shift is perpendicular to the plane of resistance. Discontinuous systems are especially prevalent in lightweight, woodframe structures. Design penalties exist for discontinuous systems, resulting in the specification of larger connections and structural elements. This research includes a review of past experiments to identify any discontinuous LFRS experiments that have been conducted. Through the identification of the existence and …

Ultrasonic Neuromodulation In Vitro At Single Neuron Resolution, Sheikh Ilham

Master's Theses

Ultrasound as a widely used imaging means for medical diagnosis has drawn growing interests as a potential noninvasive neuromodulation strategy. Focused pulsed ultrasound effectively modulates neural encoding and transmission functions especially in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) with unclear mechanism of action, which is further confounded by contradictory experimental outcomes. Lack of convincing experimental methods has hindered our mechanistic understanding of ultrasonic PNS neuromodulation. To address that, we developed a novel in vitro set up to achieve simultaneous single-unit recordings from individual mouse sciatic nerve axon and systematically studied the effect of focused pulsed ultrasound (FPUS) on action potential transmission …

Geophysical Characterization Of A Rare Earth Element Enriched Carbonatite Terrane At Mountain Pass, California Eastern Mojave Desert, Kevin Denton

Master's Theses

Mountain Pass, California, located in the eastern Mojave Desert, hosts one of the world's richest rare earth element (REE) deposits. The REE-rich rocks occur in a 2.5 km- wide, north-northwest trending zone of Mesoproterozoic (1.4–1.42 Ga) stocks and dikes, which intrude a larger Paleoproterozoic (1.7 Ga) schist-gneiss terrane that extends ~10 km southward from Clark Mountain to the Mescal Range. Several REE-enriched bodies make up the Mountain Pass intrusive suite including shonkinite, syenite, and granite comprising an ultrapotassic intrusive suite and the Sulphide Queen carbonatite body.

Two-dimensional modeling of gravity, magnetic, and electrical resistivity data reveals that the Mountain Pass …

A Full Factorial Analysis Of Polymerization Conditions Of Sodium Alginate Beads To Determine The Effect On Diffusivity And Concentration Limit Of Tryptophan And Glucose, Allison Schulkins

Master's Theses

The purpose of this work is to develop an experimental setup with associated mathematical analysis to analyze the changes in diffusivity through calcium alginate gel beads made under different polymerization conditions. The diffusivity of the solutes glucose and tryptophan was calculated by measuring the concentration change over time as solute diffused out of the alginate spheres and into the bulk. The alginate beads were generated using different polymerization conditions following a two-level, three-factor, full-factorial matrix with alginate concentration, cross-linker concentration, and cross-linking time as the factors. The diffusivities showed variations between different conditions, which were analyzed to determine the main …

Gendered Impacts Of Community-Based Conservation Initiatives In Kimana/Tikondo Group Ranch Outside Of Amboseli National Park, Megan Clemens

Master's Theses

Community-based conservation has become a common solution to addressing local communities needs and concerns when it comes to conservation initiatives associated with, or outside the boundaries of national parks. Community-based initiatives associated with Amboseli National Park in southern Kenya mark one of the first attempts to include local communities in conservation initiatives and management as well as establish systems of benefit sharing between conservation and local communities. However, a critique of community-based conservation initiatives points out they often assume community homogeneity. Assumption of community homogeneity leads to inequities in benefits sharing, exclusion of subgroups (women, ethnic minorities) or even exacerbate …

Higher Education As A Development Tool: An Impact Assessment In Dzaleka Malawi, Emily Golike

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of accredited online diploma programs within refugee camps. When individuals are confined to camps and unable to work and travel in search of economic opportunity, does completing an accredited diploma program improve their quality of life and contribute to their human capital? Can higher education in refugee camps produce sustainable social service projects that benefit residents? There is a demonstrated value in a liberal arts education, but which aspects of this learning schema are most beneficial in the refugee camp context have yet to be explored.

The study conducted in …

Migrant Ridesharing Drivers In San Francisco: A Case Of Blocked Mobility?, Shireen Tofig

Master's Theses

Migrants have long turned to self-employment in host country labor markets due to not only racial and ethnic prejudices, but also issues of local language proficiency and lack of recognition of the academic degree from the sending country. The taxi industry, one particular occupational niche dominated by migrants, has long been studied by scholars. However, the industry has evolved into a newer and understudied form of transportation: ridesharing. This study argues that in the case of the ridesharing industry, drivers did indeed turn to the occupation because of factors such as insufficient English language level and foreign academic degrees, but …

Planning Cities, Economically Or Communally: A Comparative Study Of Amsterdam And San Francisco, Raina Dawn Whittekiend

Master's Theses

Globalization has spun “community” off its axis. What once defined community is no longer the current state of the community. Increased economic transactions have led to the instability of communities that once depended on one another at the local level. These communities are now dependent on systems that do not know nor understand their actors. This lack of relationship between development and subject is witnessed and highly scrutinized in developing countries all over the world and has been intensely researched in academic literature. This thesis intends to better understand why in modernized global cities these same processes of development and …

Life Being An International Student In The United States: Acculturation, Culture Shock, And Identity Transformation, Lai Yan Vivyan Lam

Master's Theses

The population of international students at community colleges in the United States has increased significantly over the past decade. International students play a big role in building the cultural diversity on campus by bringing over different cultures and sharing their global perspective to the local community. However, they often face challenges adapting into American culture due to cultural differences in education system, language, lifestyle, etc. By looking into the acculturation process of international students to analyze the culture shock and cultural identity changes they experienced, this paper intends to seek ways to help this group of students to ease their …

Vibration Analysis Of A Wind Turbine Multi-Stage Planetary Gearbox Incorporating A Flexible Body Component, Tananant Boonya-Ananta

Master's Theses

The following thesis document researches into creating a model to represent the behavior of a wind turbine gearbox. This model is developed based on the overall parameters of a NORDEX N90 2.5MW wind turbine developed by a German company Nordex SE. This research focuses on the combination of a flexible body and a multibody dynamics analysis software. This is done through the usage of MSC ADAMS, a multibody dynamic analysis program, and MSC Patran/Nastran, a finite element analysis software, and its associated solver. The model is created to show the vibration patterns of a healthy gearbox with rigid bodies, with …

Computer-Aided Diagnoses (Cad) System: An Artificial Neural Network Approach To Mri Analysis And Diagnosis Of Alzheimer's Disease (Ad), Berizohar Padilla Cerezo

Master's Theses

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic and progressive, irreversible syndrome that deteriorates the cognitive functions. Official death certificates of 2013 reported 84,767 deaths from Alzheimer’s disease, making it the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. The rate of AD is estimated to double by 2050. The neurodegeneration of AD occurs decades before symptoms of dementia are evident. Therefore, having an efficient methodology for the early and proper diagnosis can lead to more effective treatments.

Neuroimaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can detect changes in the brain of living subjects. Moreover, medical imaging techniques are the …

Whitespace Exploration, Jason Lloyd Daniel

Master's Theses

As engineering systems grow in complexity so too must the design tools that we use evolve and allow for decision makers to efficiently ask questions of their model and obtain meaningful answers. The process of whitespace exploration has recently been developed to aid in engineering design and provide insight into a design space where traditional design exploration methods may fail. In an effort to further the research and development of whitespace exploration algorithms, a software package called Thalia has been created to allow for automated data collection and experimentation with the whitespace exploration methodology.

In this work, whitespace exploration is …

Let's Dance! Designing And Assessing Dance-Integrated Lessons In The Fifth Grade Language Arts Class, Emily Lorraine Hoch

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to design movement and dance-integrated lessons that would complement a poetry unit in a fifth grade language arts class at a public charter school. This quantitative and qualitative study sought to discover how the use of creative movement and dance could improve students’ ability to communicate through writing, and revise their work, as well as assess how this approach to teaching would effect their ability to think critically. These integrated lessons aligned with Colorado State Core Standards and 21st Century skills, as dance integration promotes the use of creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration …

Dance For Special Needs Students: Building Confidence And Motor Skills, Jennifer Monique Dabalsa

Master's Theses

Participating in a dance class is influential in the development of young people’s creative, imaginative, individual, and communicative skills. The use of dance within a classroom increases physical fitness, enriches motor skills, coordination, and enhances social skills. Dance also increases muscular endurance, builds balance, as well as encourages teamwork and group skills. Most, if not all individuals crave to be socially accepted on some level. Many individuals with special needs are limited in verbal communication, or they are completely non-verbal. Connecting to individuals with these types of limitations proves to be challenging in comparison with a typical abled bodied individual. …

Thermal-Fluid Dynamic Model Of Luge Steels, Brandon Stell

Master's Theses

Luge is an Olympic sport in which athletes ride feet-first on sleds down an ice-covered track. Competitors spring from the starting position and accelerate their sled by paddling with spiked gloves against the ice surface. Once the Luger leaves the starting section, their downhill motion is solely propelled by the effects of gravity. Athletes compete, one after the other, for the fastest time. Runs can differ by as little as a thousandth of a second, meaning that every minor sled adjustment, change of line choice, and shift of body position is critical. In the past, the sport of Luge has …

Creation, Negotiation, Equality: Empowering Young Women Through Dance Improvisation, Marlene Catherine Strang

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore whether a dance improvisation curriculum could help young women strengthen their negotiating skills. Research identifies skills such as confidence, problem solving, creativity, listening, and collaboration as necessary to successful negotiation. This project examined whether students could learn these critical negotiation skills through dance improvisation. More broadly, it assessed the benefits of a dance improvisation practice and how those benefits can apply to everyday life outside of the dance classroom. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to analyze data in this study. The following instrumentation resulted in data that were analyzed qualitatively: …

Combined Effects Of Dissolved Oxygen And Temperature On Aerobic Respiration And Respiratory Recovery Responses Of The Spioniform Polychaete, Streblospio Gynobranchiata, In Relation To Body Size, Alyssa Bennett

Master's Theses

Elevated surface temperatures exacerbate the threat of hypoxia within coastal ecosystems. These two primary stressors likely interact as they elicit opposing physiological responses from marine organisms. Metabolic depression is typically associated with hypoxia, while metabolic rates increase with temperature. Moreover, physiological effects of combined stressors may not be additive. In light of increasing pressures from hypoxia, elevated ocean temperatures, and other stressors within coastal regions, studies need to examine effects of multiple stressors on physiology of coastal organisms.

Mass-specific aerobic respiration (V_O2) was characterized as a proxy for metabolic cost of Streblospio gynobranchiata, at combined levels of …

Effects Of Temperature On Growth And Molting In Blue Crabs (Callinectes Sapidus) And Lesser Blue Crabs (Callinectes Similis), Abigail Ann Kuhn

Master's Theses

Temperature can exert impacts on many processes in ectotherms. With global temperatures rising due to climate change, many ectothermic species may exhibit changes in growth rates and size at maturity, and these changes can have population-level effects. Predicting responses of species to climate change will require not only knowledge of thermal tolerance limits, but also effects of temperature change on growth rates and other life history parameters. For arthropods that exhibit discontinuous growth (i.e., molting), this includes both intermolt period and growth per molt. Previous laboratory and field experiments suggest that temperature affects both intermolt period (IMP) and growth per …

The Utility Of Foraminifera In Documenting Sediment Provenance For Overwash Deposits: A Case Study Using Sediments Deposited By Tropical Cyclone Pam In Vanuatu, Thomas Kosciuch

Master's Theses

Tropical cyclone inundation is a major threat to the highly exposed islands of the South Pacific. This vulnerability was highlighted in March 2015 when Tropical Cyclone (TC) Pam made landfall on Vanuatu as a Category 5 storm, impacting coastlines with storm surges that produced high water marks up to 7 m above MSL and deposited sediments up to 400 m inland. We examined the foraminiferal assemblages contained within TC Pam sediments at two locations in Vanuatu: a mixed-carbonate embayment (Manuro), and a volcaniclastic beach (Port Resolution Bay; PRB). At Manuro, the TC Pam sediments were up to 10 cm thick …

Reassessment Of The Red Drum Stock In Mississippi Coastal Waters: The Role Of Ages 3-5 Year-Class Fish, Emily Satterfield

Master's Theses

Red Drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, are highly sought after by sport fishermen in Mississippi coastal waters. In 2016, Mississippi anglers made over 180,000 fishing trips targeting Red Drum, making it the second most targeted marine species. The current Fishery Management Plan of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, prohibits harvest of Red Drum in federal waters. Monitoring of the stock in Mississippi state waters occurs at sites that are almost exclusively estuarine, using gear types selective for juvenile fish. Additional samples come from the for-hire-industry that typically targets larger Red Drum. This project’s goal was to target age three …

The Impact Of Fe-Ti Oxide Concentration On The Structural Ridgity Of The Lower Oceanic Crust, Atlantis Bank, Southwest Indian Ridge, Daniel Winkler

Master's Theses

Fe-Ti oxides are important components of oceanic core complexes (OCC) formed at slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges since Fe-Ti oxides are more susceptible to crystal-plastic deformation than silicate minerals. This study investigated the predicted relationship between the presence and concentration of Fe-Ti oxides and the presence and intensity of crystal-plastic deformation in gabbroic samples from Atlantis Bank, Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR). Atlantis Bank is an oceanic core complex that formed through the exhumation of lower oceanic crust along a detachment fault. OCCs form along slow-spreading ridges and are characterized by the complex interactions between magmatism and lithospheric extension, thus making these complexes …

Development Of An Improved Synthesis Of S-D-Ribosyl-L-Homocysteine (Srh) And Progress Toward Srh Analogs Modified At The C3 Position, Emily Rouse

Master's Theses

Quorum sensing is a system that facilitates bacteria turning on and off gene expression depending on population density. System 2 quorum sensing is utilized by both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria, and the quorum sensing molecule used in this system is AI-2. AI-2 is biosynthesized by the enzyme LuxS from the precursor SRH. This thesis describes an improved synthesis of SRH through the exploration of different protecting group strategies. The knowledge gained from the improved synthesis of SRH is then applied toward the synthesis of SRH analogues with increased steric bulk installed through use of a stereoselective anti-Mannich reaction. …

Alternative Mission Concepts For The Exploration Of Outer Planets Using Small Satellite Swarms, Andrew Gene Blocher

Master's Theses

Interplanetary space exploration has thus far consisted of single, expensive spacecraft missions. Mission costs are particularly high on missions to the outer planets and while invaluable, finite budgets limit our ability to perform extensive and frequent investigations of the planets. Planetary systems such as Jupiter and Saturn provide extremely complex exploration environments with numerous targets of interest. Exploring these targets in addition to the main planet requires multiple fly-bys and long mission timelines. In LEO, CubeSats have changed the exploration paradigm, offering a fast and low cost alternative to traditional space vehicles. This new mission development philosophy has the potential …

Automatic Music Transcription With Convolutional Neural Networks Using Intuitive Filter Shapes, Jonathan Sleep

Master's Theses

This thesis explores the challenge of automatic music transcription with a combination of digital signal processing and machine learning methods. Automatic music transcription is important for musicians who can't do it themselves or find it tedious. We start with an existing model, designed by Sigtia, Benetos and Dixon, and develop it in a number of original ways. We find that by using convolutional neural networks with filter shapes more tailored for spectrogram data, we see better and faster transcription results when evaluating the new model on a dataset of classical piano music. We also find that employing better practices shows …