Digital Commons Network^™

On-Demand Label Production, Robert A. Zimmerman

Master's Theses

The production and approval process for the various labels used in clinical trials wastes significant time and resources through the need to outsource label production or rely on large reams of pre-cut label stock for each revision throughout the process. An in-house, on-demand label printing and cutting system is a potential remedy to this waste. Previous work by Cheadle et al. resulted in a functional electomechanical prototype of the label cutting aspect of this research, capable of rudimentary linear cuts. In this continued research, emphasis was placed on improved label cutting capabilities and creating PC control software for label design. …

Dynamic Shifting Of Virtual Network Topologies For Network Attack Prevention, Lenoy Avidan

Master's Theses

Computer networks were not designed with security in mind, making research into the subject of network security vital. Virtual Networks are similar to computer networks, except the components of a Virtual Network are in software rather than hardware. With the constant threat of attacks on networks, security is always a big concern, and Virtual Networks are no different. Virtual Networks have many potential attack vectors similar to physical networks, making research into Virtual Network security of great importance. Virtual Networks, since they are composed of virtualized network components, have the ability to dynamically change topologies. In this paper, we explore …

Mapping Sex Offenders And Treatment Centers In Relation To Social Disorganization, Amber Amin

Master's Theses

Research shows that the clustering of Registered Sex Offenders (RSOs) is connected to social disorganization. Residential patterns disrupt the reintegration of the RSO population. Utilizing data from Queens and the Bronx, NYC, this study examines RSO clustering in the two boroughs and explores the proximity of community resources to RSO addresses that may assist reintegration. Using data from the New York Megan’s Law and census data for Queens and Bronx Counties, maps were created to study the residential patterns of RSOs. The results show clustering of RSOs in areas with variables pertaining to high social disorganization and a lack of …

Benchmarking Oecd Countries’ Sustainable Development Performance: A Goal-Specific Pca Approach, Shyam Lamichhane

Master's Theses

In this thesis, the current status of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries’ sustainable development performance towards reaching the recently announced 2030 Agenda (17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)) was investigated. Over 90 social, economic and environmental sustainability indicators were considered for the performance assessment of OECD countries towards reaching the targeted SDGs. The current weighted averaging approach used in the recent SDG Index and Dashboards Report was used as the benchmark and its limitations were discussed. To overcome the limitations, a novel Goal Specific Principal Component Analysis (GS-PCA) approach was proposed to create composite sustainability index …

Determining The Interference Of Lactate And Lactate Dehydrogenase In An Ethanol Enzyme Assay, Julia Liebl

Master's Theses

Enzymatic ethanol assays are widely used to determine blood alcohol content for individuals admitted to a hospital. In some instances, this hospital data is later used as evidence in a court of law, most commonly in DUI cases. As the enzymatic assay targets, but does not exclusively measure ethanol, it is theoretically possible that interference could occur and produce a falsely elevated result, leading to wrongful convictions or other consequences. This project examined the potential of clinically relevant levels of one potential interferant, lactate and the hepatic enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) to cause significant and falsely elevated results. Threshold levels …

Addressing Barriers To Preventative Health Care For Transgender Populations: A Systems Approach To Improving Access To Gynecological Care, Meghan N. Flynn

Master's Theses

The current study addresses the lack of research exploring the individual and systemic barriers to accessing gynecological care for transgender populations. An integrated mixed-methods needs assessment was designed to explore the individual and systemic barriers to gynecological health care for transgender and gender diverse populations. Participants of the study included established community providers known to serve the transgender community through advocacy or research efforts, as well as clinical psychologists and medical professionals working in gynecological settings. The study includes a brief quantitative survey, which measured “Perceptions of Inclusivity Importance” among key stakeholders. Following the survey, participants were invited to engage …

The Impact Of Shod Versus Unshod Walking On Center Of Pressure Variability, Zachary Barrons

Master's Theses

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the influence of footwear on walking stability. Twenty healthy women walked at 1.3 m/s on an instrumented treadmill. One hundred steps (50-right, 50-left) were analyzed from two walking conditions (shod, unshod). The variability of the center of pressure (COP) for each step was calculated for quadrants of the contact period. Significant differences in variability were seen between shod and unshod conditions in all quadrants as well as differences between left and right feet in quadrants one and four. Restricted foot motion while shod may explain the differences seen in COP variability. …

Exploring Language Construction And The Meaning Of “Success” In Addiction Recovery Settings, Ashleigh Pulling

Master's Theses

The number of drug overdose deaths has spiked in recent years, currently at a rate where 142 Americans die from opioid overdose every day (Goodnough 2017). This public health crisis has been framed as an epidemic, and this collective understanding may shape the way individuals and communities experience this tragedy. Few studies, however, have examined how the term success is defined in addiction recovery settings. To investigate language regarding what successful addiction recovery means, this research examined framing strategies in two recovery models, cognitive behavior therapy and shamanic therapeutic mechanisms, and connected them to the practices being employed by practitioners …

Magnetic Minerals Of The Lower Poleslide Member Of The Brule Formation, Badlands National Park, Rebecca V. Kipf

Master's Theses

The White River Group in Badlands National Park is significant because it contains abundant mammal fossils. Many of these fossils are unique to the Great Plains and one of the major challenges has been to learn where these fossils fit in the geologic global time scale. Paleomagnetic studies have been instrumental in correlating and dating these faunas. The purpose of this study is to look at the specific magnetic mineralogy for a complete stratigraphic column of the lower Poleslide Member of the Brule Formation at Cedar Pass. This study attempts to determine what minerals provide the paleomagnetic remanence in these …

Exploring The Influence Of School-Based Sexuality Education Settings On Lgbtq+ Sexual Identity Development, Lauren Marie Guyer

Master's Theses

Previous research on sexual identity development demonstrates that there are five discernible, non-linear statuses in which individuals may pass through as they develop their sexual identity: compulsory heterosexuality, active exploration, diffusion, deepening and commitment, and synthesis (Dillon, Worthington, and Moradi 2011). Moreover, prior research on school-based sexuality education (SBSE) demonstrates that no matter its formal designation or political perspective, SBSE is exclusionary, inadequate, and habitually reproduces social inequalities (Bay-Cheng 2003; Elia and Eliason 2010b). SBSE programs within the United States are insufficient because they unvaryingly promote a heteronormative discourse and do not address the sexual health needs or experiences of …

A Topical And Narrative Analysis Of Napoleonic Era Battle Pieces, Robert J. Gassner

Master's Theses

The instrumental battle piece, as it was at the time of the Napoleonic Wars, was a genre largely reserved for amateur musicians. However, within these commercial compositions there was a distinct topical language. Analysis of multiple pieces that discuss the same battle, but come from composers of different nations reveals that composers of different nationalities often changed the narrative of the battle being portrayed in order to paint their country—or adopted country— in a better light. This can be seen in a comparison of compositions based on the battles of Trafalgar and Waterloo, by composers writing for English and Germanic …

Stephen Heller Composes Jean Paul: The Blumen-, Frucht-, Und Dornestücke, Op. 82, Nicholas R. Alexander

Master's Theses

Stephen Heller became a correspondent to the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik in 1836, marking the beginning of a long and close friendship with its editor, Robert Schumann. Among the affinities shared by the two musicians was a devotion to the novels of Jean Paul [Richter]. They considered the poetic and novelistic qualities that saturated their solo piano works to have been inspired by him, relating both their music and daily lives to his work. Heller published his Blumen-, Frucht-, und Dornenstücke, Op. 82 in 1853, naming his collection of character pieces after Jean Paul’s novel of the same title (though …

First Thirty Days Of Life: Examining Calf Behavioral Development In Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus Leucas) And Pacific White-Sided Dolphins (Lagenorhyncus Obliquidens) At One Zoological Facility, Kendal Smith

Master's Theses

Cetacean development is important for general comparative understanding and the implementation of informed husbandry policies. Due to the inaccessibility of many of these species in the wild, researchers can study managed care populations to better understand basic developmental patterns of cetaceans, as well as to improve husbandry policies for facility animals. However, no previous studies have attempted to observe the behavioral development of Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhyncus obliquidens). Eight beluga whale calves and four Pacific white-sided dolphin calves were observed for the first 30 days of life to determine the developmental trajectory of several typically monitored behaviors. The …

A Comparison Of Social Learning In Domestic Canines, Beatrice Chenkin

Master's Theses

Domestic canines (Canis familiaris) provide a unique insight into the processes by which species can grow to cooperate efficiently with humans. Few studies have compared whether their behavior is more affected by humans or other canines. This study uses a two-action feeder (an apparatus that can be opened in one of two ways) to look into the methods of social learning they use and compares how they learn from humans vs. other canines. Sixty-four dogs from the Humane Society of varying backgrounds, ages, sexes, and reproductive statuses were tested on their ability to open the two-action feeder and the amount …

Geographical Analysis Of Offender Vulnerability: Modeling Coastal Hazards And Social Disorganization In Southern Mississippi, Ashleigh Nicole Price

Master's Theses

Hazards research continually examines how specific groups are affected by damaging events and how their unique sociodemographic characteristics contribute to variations in resilience and recovery. Studies have shown that underprivileged communities suffer more adversely and take longer to recover from hazard events. Probationers and parolees are uniquely disadvantaged regarding demographics and economic opportunity, both of which contribute to increased vulnerability and reduced resilience. Numerous legal restrictions and widespread discrimination towards former criminals means offenders are often relegated to underserved, criminogenic neighborhoods. Given such severe social and financial limitations, offenders have little capacity to prepare for or recover from disasters.

The …

Maize And Bone: An Evaluation And Expansion Of A Proposed Model For The Differential Diagnosis Of Pellagra In Human Remains, Myra G. Miller

Master's Theses

This study attempts to test and expand a previous study to establish a differential diagnosis of pellagra in human remains (Paine & Brenton, 2006a). Seven individuals with documented pellagra and nine individuals randomly selected for comparison from the Hamann-Todd Osteological Collection were evaluated for caries, alveolar bone loss, periostitis, osteoporosis, cribra orbitalia, and porotic hyperostosis. Results indicate that the pellagra sample had lower rates of caries and alveolar bone loss, and higher rates of periostitis of the tibia and fibula in relation to the comparison sample. No osteoporosis, cribra orbitalia, or porotic hyperostosis was found in the pellagra sample. No …

Soldaten Des Westens: An Analysis Of The Wartime Experiences Of Three German-American Regiments From The St. Louis-Bellville Region, John Sarvela

Master's Theses

During the Civil War, Germans from the Greater St. Louis region enthusiastically volunteered for service in the Union Army and filled the companies of three regiments examined here: the 30^th and 43^rd Illinois and 12^th Missouri Volunteer Infantry Regiments. This thesis argues that German-American soldiers serving in these regiments joined the army to save the Union and end slavery. Once mustered into service, they experienced less nativism within the Union Army of the Tennessee than Germans in the Union Army of the Potomac. In contrast to the predominantly German 43^rd Illinois and 12^th Missouri, the …

Zika Message Analysis, Alexandria Phipps

Master's Theses

The following study employs the Extended Parallel Processing Model and Theory of Planned Behavior to understand how to create health messages with the greatest influence on individuals’ behavioral intent to adopt mosquito-borne virus protection behaviors. The study employs a 2 (susceptibility) x 2 (self-efficacy) factorial design, evenly distributing the participants between four messages (N=186). Although the selfefficacy manipulation was ultimately unsuccessful, the findings highlighted the significance of perceived susceptibility on one’s intent to adopt protective behaviors. The results exemplify the importance of the theoretical critical point of the EPPM, where danger control shifts to fear control, and the importance of …

Exploring The Moderating Effects Of Aggression On The Relationship Between Negative Urgency And Suicidal Desire, Rachel L. Martin

Master's Theses

Suicide is a health concern with 44,965 deaths in 2016. Typical assessment of risk factors relies on self-report, which can be susceptible to underreporting. As such, non-face valid measures and innovative assessment approaches such as implicit association tests may help identify risk factors by eliminating conscious underreporting. The Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicidal Behavior is an empirically supported theory hypothesizing why individuals die by suicide. The theory comprises three elements: thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and capability for suicide. Thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness have been found to be non-face valid measures and less susceptible to conscious underreporting. Objective measures, such as …

Hope For Struggling School Districts, Mary D. Travis

Master's Theses

Education improves the opportunities and life-chance outcomes of our children, and is a key factory in both economic and community development. Although high school graduation rates have shown improvement nationwide in recent years, public education is suffering from increasing inequality between different school districts and within the same school districts. Such inequalities widen academic outcome gaps and can result in entire school districts being branded as academic failures. However, there is also encouraging evidence of struggling schools and school districts moving toward improvement. Innovative leaders who are committed to inclusive and rigorous academics, shared leadership, and an in-depth understanding of …

Predicting College Students' Career Interests To Be A Police Investigator Rather Than A Patrol Officer, Alyssa Viator

Master's Theses

In the field of criminal justice, much research has been dedicated to investigating policing in the 21^stcentury. However, there is a lack of research regarding predictions of career preference among college students, more specifically, millennials. This study was designed to fill that gap in the literature by examining interests in police patrol careers. The methodology involved included multiple regression as a way to potentially predict career preference for a police investigator rather than a patrol officer. The results provided promising results for the overall understanding of career preference for millennials. This study also provided crucial discussions for policy …

The Fighting Blue Ridgers: Combined Arms Capabilities Of The Us Army's 80th Infantry Division In World War Ii, 1944-1945, Brannon Price

Master's Theses

This study of the Second World War examines the tactics employed by the 80th Infantry Division of the United States Army in the European Theater of Operations in 1944 and 1945. Early historiography portrays American units as brave but less sophisticated than their German adversaries. However, recent scholarship praises American combat capabilities. Drawing largely upon official Army records and firsthand accounts from American soldiers, this thesis argues that the 80th Infantry Division developed into a highly effective fighting force in the European Theater when it properly employed the concept of combined arms (the coordination of infantry, artillery, and armor) on …

A Spatial Optimization Model For Resource Allocation For Wildfire Suppression And Resident Evacuation, Siqiong Zhou

Master's Theses

Wildland-urban interface wildfires have been a significant threat in many countries. This thesis presents an integer two-stage stochastic goal programming model for comprehensive, efficient response to wildfire including firefighting resource allocation and resident evacuation. In contrast to other natural disasters, the progression of wildfires depends on not only the probabilistic fire spread scenarios but also decisions made during firefighting. The proposed model optimizes the resource preparations before the fire starts and resource allocation decisions during the fire event. This model takes into account different wildfire spread scenarios and their impact on high-risk areas. The two objectives considered are minimizing the …

Pedagogies Of Play: An Ethnographic Analysis Of Activity-Based Learning In Two Elementary Classrooms, Chelsea Lynn Halliwell

Master's Theses

In this document I discuss the relationship between education standards for curriculum and structured play in the elementary classroom. I discuss the various forms of teacher-initiated structured play, and student-initiated informal play and resistance strategies - through participant observation, digital analysis, spatial analysis, semi-structured ethnographic interviews, and unstructured conversations - to understand the full range of learning strategies in elementary classroom settings. I analyze how these strategies relate to curricular standards, or how they might deviate from or transform those standards, which are partially shaped by federal and state education policy. I also outline and develop two hypotheses in an …

Ballet De La Nuit: Staging The Absolute Monarchy Of Louis Xiv, Sarah Curtis Lysgaard

Master's Theses

This thesis researches the ballet de cour spectacles of the seventeenth century French court, with a careful examination of the political and social importance of such spectacles in anticipation of reconstructing Louis XIV’s Ballet de la Nuit (Ballet of the Night), originally performed February 23, 1653 at the Louvre’s Salle de Petit Bourbon. This ballet de cour was a visual spectacle that combined music, dance, poetry, and allegory with elaborate staging and costumes. Such spectacles were first produced in France during the sixteenth century and involved the royal court not only as spectators but also as performers. The Ballet de …

Green Stormwater Infrastructure Assessments In Santa Clara County, Ca: An In-Situ Analysis Of Select Bioretention Projects, Laura Bates

Master's Theses

Stormwater runoff, defined as rainwater that flows over impervious surfaces, is both an under-harnessed groundwater resource and the leading contributor to water body impairments due to the number of pollutants it can transport. One widely successful strategy to capture and treat stormwater runoff is to implement Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI): engineered green spaces to enhance the overall environmental quality of an urban landscape. GSI projects, particularly bioretention systems, capture and treat stormwater runoff through infiltration and plant absorption before it reaches receiving bodies of water. In order to operate efficiently, GSI systems require specific maintenance procedures. The purpose of this …

Avocado Root Rot: Steep, Rocky Terrain And Biodiversity Help Protect Small Farmers In Post-Conflict Colombia, Morgan Frankel

Master's Theses

In recent years, small avocado producers in coastal Colombia returned to their farms after decades of war to discover they must battle the pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi devastating their trees. While this disease is well-described in the U.S., Australia, and Europe, no previous research has examined environmental correlates of P. cinnamomi in avocado in the diverse tropical agroecosystem of the Colombian Montes de Maria. I used agroecosystem inventory, in-field diagnostics, and disease observations to describe avocado agroecosystem diversity and identify relationships among P. cinnamomi presence, root rot disease, slope, pH, soil compaction, elevation, and distance to the household in remote smallholder …

The Silicon Valley Approach To Poverty: Humanitarian Designers At Work In Financial Inclusion, Jeffrey Stephen Greger

Master's Theses

This thesis explores the application of ethnographic research and commercially-derived design approaches in support of financial inclusion, a global movement to bring affordable financial services to low-income and rural communities that have traditionally lacked access to these services. I collaborated with and interviewed designers and anthropologists working on financial inclusion projects that range from small, grassroots efforts to create payday loan alternatives in Silicon Valley and London, to more formal international development projects funded by large corporations and philanthropic organizations. Participants in this study shared a strong belief: ethnographic perspectives and design practices that incorporate marginalized voices into the decision-making …

Photovoltaic Waste Management And Implementing Extended Producer Responsibility In The Solar Industry In California, Lee-Tan Lu

Master's Theses

Electronic waste issues impact humans and the environment, primarily because most industrial designs have not considered the impact of products when they reach their end-of-life (EOL) stage. This study focuses on photovoltaic (PV) modules that are widely installed in California residential properties. While PV modules do not generate waste while operating, they will become waste at the end of their expected lifespan of 25 to 40 years. Thus, it is important to identify PV waste management strategies before the materials in the modules become a discard problem. In California, despite hazardous materials that are used in the production of PV …

Creating A Cultural Context For Dong And Miao Folk Music Using An Orff-Inspired Methodology, Ke Guo

Master's Theses

As children grow up surrounded by various ethnicities, races, and religious beliefs, we teach them music and dance to cultivate respect and empathy for the diverse people in our multicultural society. On the other side of the globe, China is also a multi-ethnic country and is home to 56 ethnic minority groups that speak multiple different languages. “Chinese music” is thus a collective term for the many disparate styles and genres of music in the country, which is especially rich in the varieties of folk music heard and played. Although Chinese folk music frequently appears in music textbooks in elementary …