Digital Commons Network^™

Timing Of Metamorphism, Deformation, And Anatexis Of Big Thompson And Poudre Canyon Migmatites, Colorado, Northern Front Range, Matt Ettsen

Master's Theses

The high grade pelitic rocks of the Big Thompson and Poudre Canyons of Colorado’s northern Front Range experienced a complex metamorphic and deformation history. The metapelites consist of knotted biotite gneiss, quartzofeldspathic gneiss, and quartzites that are thought to represent turbidity current deposits in either a fore-arc or back-arc basin as recently as ~1755 Ma. The rocks were significantly deformed and metamorphosed during the Yavapai Orogeny (~1.71-1.68 Ga) and intruded by Paleoproterozoic granitoids of the Routt Plutonic Suite. They were then later intruded by 1.4 Ga granites of the Berthoud Suite. The Big Thompson Canyon preserves a set of index …

Using Portable X-Ray Fluorescence To Predict Physical And Chemical Properties Of California Soils, Micaela D. Frye

Master's Theses

Soil characterization provides the basic information necessary for understanding the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils. Knowledge about soils can in turn be used to inform management practices, optimize agricultural operations, and ensure the continuation of ecosystem services provided by soils. However, current analytical standards for identifying each distinct property are costly and time-consuming. The optimization of laboratory grade technology for wide scale use is demonstrated by advances in a proximal soil sensing technique known as portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (pXRF). pXRF analyzers use high energy Xrays that interact with a sample to cause characteristic reflorescence that can be …

Validation In Vietnam: Motivations And Experiences Of Vietnam Veterans Who Returned To Vietnam As Tourists, Brian Washam Ii

Master's Theses

The current historiography on the memory of the Vietnam War has primarily looked at how the collective memory of the war has been constructed through various factors. Scholars such as Jerry Lembcke, Patrick Hagopian, and Marita Sturken tend to examine monuments, film, and oral histories to establish a basis for how the memory of the Vietnam War was constructed and how these legacies from the war shaped the U.S. as a society going forward. Recently, scholars have begun looking more at the return trips of veterans to Vietnam as a source for understanding how veterans remembered their service.

By engaging …

Infidelity And The Bioecological Protective Factors For Mental Health: A Longitudinal Investigation, Lindy Williams

Master's Theses

Infidelity is an important topic of research due to the profound effects on the individual experiencing the trauma. Through the lens of bioecological systems and betrayal trauma, the impact of infidelity on mental health is examined in relation to the most proximal systems to an individual which include personality traits such as agreeableness and neuroticism as well as support from friends, family, and community. This research explores the hypotheses that more support leads to more positive mental health outcomes after the experience of infidelity and the possibility that support from friends, family, and community may buffer specific personality traits and …

Digital Pastoral, Rebecca Holifield

Master's Theses

Digital Pastoral is a collection of original poems and a creative nonfiction essay, accompanied by a critical introduction.

Examining Introductory Computer Science Student Cognition When Testing Software Under Different Test Adequacy Criteria, Austin Shin

Master's Theses

The ability to test software is invaluable in all areas of computer science, but it is often neglected in computer science curricula. Test adequacy criteria (TAC), tools that measure the effectiveness of a test suite, have been used as aids to improve software testing teaching practices, but little is known about how students respond to them. Studies have examined the cognitive processes of students programming and professional developers writing tests, but none have investigated how student testers test with TAC. If we are to improve how they are used in the classroom, we must start by understanding the different ways …

The Kid - Original Score, Daniel Wakefield

Master's Theses

The Kid – Original Score is a new musical underscore composed for the Charlie Chaplin silent film The Kid, released in 1921. This new musical score is composed for a twenty-five- piece orchestra, consisting of woodwinds, brass, percussion, piano, and strings. The music begins during the opening credits with the titular card “The Kid” and extends twenty-three seconds beyond the final on-screen card “The End,” for a total of fifty-two minutes and forty-eight seconds of underscore. The music is composed in an orchestral style that recalls stylistic elements of the film scores of the early 20th century, while also incorporating …

Topo-Climatic Effects Of Fuel Loading In Ponderosa Pine (Pinus Ponderosa) Forests Of The Colorado Rocky Mountains, Justin Yow

Master's Theses

A key restoration focus is the mitigation and prevention of intense wildfires. This is done using a regularly prescribed fire regime and forest thinning practices to reduce surface fuel loads. Prediction of fuel loads at the forest floor is pivotal when assessing the hazard level a forest fire may present. Scientists already have much data correlating fuel characteristics to fire effects and behavior. However, links between montane climate variability and relative effects on fuel load characteristics have not been extensively explored in the Front Range and southwestern Colorado. This study system was uniquely located along a North-South monsoonal gradient and …

The Role Of Speech-Language Pathologists In Trauma-Informed Practices: Feelings, Attitudes, And Reported Behaviors Of Colorado School Speech-Language Pathologists, Kallie Haritopoulos

Master's Theses

Research indicates that a majority of children in the United States will be exposed to at least one traumatic event before they turn 18, and some children experience multiple forms. Trauma can cause various adverse effects in physical, cognitive, linguistic, behavioral, social, and emotional functioning, which can affect educational performance and success. Despite the increased chance that children who have experience trauma will receive speech and language services, research surrounding trauma-informed practices predominantly focus on the role of general education teachers and mental health professionals. This qualitative study aimed to understand the feelings, attitudes, and reported behaviors of five Colorado …

Understanding Species Boundaries Between Penstemon Acaulis And Penstemon Yampaensis: Implications For Conservation And Management, Juliet Simpson

Master's Theses

Effective conservation management relies upon accurate taxonomic information and an understanding of the genetic health and population structure for each species. Penstemon acaulis and P. yampaensis are endemic species to Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, and have been considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). There is little biological data published about either and there remains taxonomic uncertainty surrounding the two. Phylogenetic analyses showed P. acaulis and P. yampaensis to be distinct, monophyletic lineages and morphological data further supported taxonomic recognition of both species, however these results did not support the previous species boundaries. Eastern populations of P. acaulis …

Deep Learning For Detecting Trees In The Urban Environment From Lidar, Julian R. Rice

Master's Theses

Cataloguing and classifying trees in the urban environment is a crucial step in urban and environmental planning. However, manual collection and maintenance of this data is expensive and time-consuming. Algorithmic approaches that rely on remote sensing data have been developed for tree detection in forests, though they generally struggle in the more varied urban environment. This work proposes a novel method for the detection of trees in the urban environment that applies deep learning to remote sensing data. Specifically, we train a PointNet-based neural network to predict tree locations directly from LIDAR data augmented with multi-spectral imaging. We compare this …

Fabrication Of Lab-Scale Polymeric And Silicon Dioxide Nanoparticle-Enabled Thin Film Composite Reverse Osmosis Membranes For Potable Reuse Applications, Timothy J. Dinh

Master's Theses

Reverse osmosis (RO) is widely used for water reclamation and is one of the most feasible technologies for addressing water scarcity around the world. RO membrane fabrication procedures are continually being optimized and modified to enhance the treatment performance and efficacy of the RO process. A review of the existing literature published on membrane fabrication revealed that a detailed and reproducible methodology consistent among prior studies was not available. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to utilize techniques from prior research to develop a reliable lab-scale membrane fabrication process for studying the potable reuse applications of TFC RO …

Strawberry Disease Management Improvement For Macrophomina Root Rot And Botrytis Fruit Rot, Yu-Chen Wang

Master's Theses

Strawberry production in California is limited by plant diseases such as Macrophomina root rot (caused by Macrophomina phaseolina) and Botrytis fruit rot (BFR) (caused by Botrytis cinerea). Current disease management strategies are compromised due to fumigant regulations or ineffective disease management practices. This thesis investigated methods to potentially improve the management of these two diseases.

Host plant resistance evaluations for Macrophomina root rot were conducted for the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 growing seasons. Fifty-one strawberry genotypes were screened in two field experiments where plants were inoculated artificially with Macrophomina phaseolina in both seasons. A wide range of plant resistance …

Reinforcement Actor-Critic Learning As A Rehearsal In Microrts, Shiron Manandhar

Master's Theses

Real-time strategy (RTS) games have provided a fertile ground for AI research with notable recent successes based on deep reinforcement learning (RL). However, RL remains a data-hungry approach featuring a high sample complexity. In this thesis, we focus on a sample complexity reduction technique called reinforcement learning as a rehearsal (RLaR), and on the RTS game of MicroRTS to formulate and evaluate it. RLaR has been formulated in the context of action-value function based RL before. Here we formulate it for a different RL framework, called actor-critic RL. We show that on the one hand the actor-critic framework allows RLaR …

Population Genetics Of Cownose Rays, Rhinoptera Spp. In The Western Atlantic, Helen Weber

Master's Theses

Using molecular tools (e.g., the NADH subunit II mitochondrial gene), this study was the first to document the Brazilian cownose ray, Rhinoptera brasiliensis, within the northwestern Atlantic (NWA), and was the first study to examine population structure in R. brasiliensis within the NWA or northern Gulf of Mexico (GMX), revealing novel insights into the population biology of the animal and extending its range by nearly 1,500 km. This study also examined the sympatrically occurring American cownose ray, R. bonasus, and found population structure between the NWA and the GMX and the NWA and the southwestern Atlantic (SWA). High …

Relationship Among Department Satisfaction, Training, And Police Behavior, Matthew Garvin

Master's Theses

The call for police reform has been sparked by incidents involving the shooting and killing of individuals by the police. Public and political scrutiny of police behavior and procedures has created a social identity of “Us Versus Them” mentality among police officers. Proactive policing strategies have diminished in response to the heightened scrutiny of police procedures and behavior, in turn, initiating a reduction in police protection and an increase in crime. While research has identified the importance of police presence, the literature does not yet answer questions regarding factors which influence police proactivity. To address the gap in understanding, this …

Evolving Deforestation Narratives In Practice: A Study Of The Un-Redd+ Readiness Programme In Nigeria, Stuart Clive Blackwell

Master's Theses

The UN-REDD+ Readiness Programme was conducted between 2009 and 2015. The REDD+ Programme in Nigeria began once the readiness program was completed. This study conducts a document analysis of the program utilizing a political ecology lens to determine the extent to which the program adheres to or strays away from critical narratives surrounding both drivers of deforestation and inclusion and autonomy of federal, state, and local communities. By examining the entirety of the available documentation of the REDD+ Readiness program in Nigeria using a political ecological lens, this study demonstrates both an evolution of the program itself, and an evolution …

Changes In The Morphology Of Widgeon Grass (Ruppia Maritima) With The Onset Of Reproduction And Impacts On Fish Assemblages At The Chandeleur Islands, La, Matthew Byrnes

Master's Theses

Seagrasses are important submerged coastal habitats that support nearshore communities. Ruppia maritima (widgeon grass) is a widespread species whose leaves branch extensively when reproductive. The goal of this study was to understand use of reproductive and non-reproductive R. maritima by fishes, recognizing the morphological change undergone by the plant when flowering. During the peak reproductive season in August and September 2021, R. maritima meadows at the Chandeleur Islands, LA were sampled to describe the spatial distribution and morphology of reproductive plants and investigate habitat use by fish assemblages. We assessed spatial trends in R. maritima presence and occurrence of reproduction …

Pressure Disturbance Upstream Of The Boundary Layer Data System, Michelle S. Leclere

Master's Theses

The primary objective for this work was to evaluate the reliability of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools in the prediction of upstream surface pressure disturbance and pressure drag of various instrument excrescence shapes for a small aircraft flight test device called the Boundary Layer Data System (BLDS). Insights on pressure disturbance will serve as a guide for the placement of BLDS probes/sensors, and pressure drag can be used to ensure sufficient adhesive is used to install BLDS instrumentation. The Mach number for all CFD cases was 0.12 and the Reynolds number based on excrescence height varied from 4 x 10 …

Tropical Cyclone Storm Surge Detection In Slash Pine Radial Growth Along The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Coastline, Alyssa C. Crowell

Master's Theses

My thesis examines the ecological impact of tropical cyclone (TCs) storm surge on coastal slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. elliottii Engelm) communities along the Gulf of Mexico in the southern United States (U.S.). Previous research has shown slash pine radial growth trends can be examined to identify long and short-term growth changes associated with TC passage, providing insight into overall stand health and resiliency through time. However, this previous research encompasses just one site in Mississippi. My thesis expands the spatial footprint of TC-surge impact on slash pine radial growth with the addition of three new sites.

I examined …

The Impact Of Environmental Variability On Perceptions Of Parental Ability From Bodily Cues, Kaitlyn Boykin

Master's Theses

This study aimed to extend work considering how bodily cues appear diagnostic of parental ability. I examined body adiposity and sexually dimorphic features for women (i.e., breast size) and men (i.e., muscularity). I further considered how salience of resource scarcity might heighten perceptions of a potential mate as an effective parent when possessing features that connote underlying resource availability (e.g., body fat). Participants were primed with resource scarcity or a control condition before assessing parental affordances of female and male targets. Targets were orthogonally manipulated to possess high and low levels of adiposity. Female targets were manipulated for breast size …

"Conserving" The Middle Ground: Tennessee's Unionist Press In The Secession Crisis, 1860-1861, Michael Singleton

Master's Theses

This thesis advances scholars’ understanding of how newspaper editors framed and presented news during the secession crisis of 1860-1861. Methodologically, it draws on the publications of seven Unionist editors from Tennessee who initially resisted secession but later pursued different courses during the Civil War. Through this period, editors balanced their roles as journalists and political actors working to advance an ideological cause. Guided by existing practices and their unique journalistic styles, these editors presented a near unified message—influenced by Whig political culture—that framed their response to outside events. This unanimity fractured in 1861 as local pressures, business interests, and personal …

Sedimentary Characteristics And Associated Carbon And Nutrients Of Overbank Sediments Deposited During The 2018, 2019, And 2020 Floods In Embanked Floodplains Along The Lower Mississippi River Near Natchez, Mississippi, Rachel Kelk

Master's Theses

The Lower Mississippi River (LMR) experienced major floods in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Sediment deposition in the embanked floodplains during floods represent important storage and sequestration opportunities for carbon and nutrients from ~40% of the continental USA. This research aims to compare depositional thicknesses, organic matter (OM), carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) concentrations, and grain sizes in floodplain sediments deposited by the combined 2018-19 floods to the 2020 flood along the LMR near Natchez, Mississippi. Greater depositional thicknesses in 2018-19 are best explained by their combined flood durations; the 2019 flood was the longest in recorded history. Slightly higher …

Disturbance Ecology Of The Sonadora River Rock Pool Insect Assemblage At Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico, Patrick Gilkey

Master's Theses

Freshwater rock pools can serve as habitat for aquatic insects. Flash-flooding can have profound effects on insect communities in streams and rivers, but these effects have not been studied on freshwater rock pools. The goal of this thesis was to describe ecological patterns of the Sonadora River rock pool insect community at the Luquillo Experiment Forrest, Puerto Rico, specifically in response to intense flash-flooding, and then perform experiments to elucidate possible processes to explain those patterns. The rock pools contained primarily three taxa of Dipteran (true-fly) larvae, in order of decreasing abundance, 1) a newly discovered species of ceratopogonid (biting …

Emplacement Of The Dadeville Complex Of The Southernmost Inner Piedmont Within The 7.5 Min. Cusseta Quadrangle, Chambers County, Alabama: Channel Flow, Klippe Kinematics, Or Orogen Parallel Translation, Timothy Black

Master's Theses

The Appalachian Mountains have a complex geologic history spanning three orogenic periods, the Taconic, the Acadian/Neoacadian, and Alleghanian orogenies. The Inner Piedmont of the Appalachian Mountains within Alabama contains two distinct lithologic complexes, the Dadeville Complex, and the Opelika Complex separated by the Stonewall Line. These complexes were formed during an arc-back arc fringing system during the Taconic orogeny and emplaced and recorded peak metamorphism during the Acadian orogeny.

The Dadeville Complex is an allochthonous arc terrain built on extended Laurentian crust. The mode of transportation and accretion after formation is not well understood, which has implications for the role …

Psychosocial Maturity And Alcohol Outcomes: The Mediating Role Of Alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies, Skyler Hoover

Master's Theses

The present study evaluated the mediating role of alcohol protective behavioral strategies on the relationship between temperance, responsibility, perspective (i.e., the facets of psychosocial maturity) and alcohol use outcomes. Potential invariant paths among graduate and undergraduate students were also explored. All participants were undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Southern Mississippi aged 18 to 25. Participants reported demographic information and completed measures of temperance, responsibility, perspective, alcohol use, and alcohol consequences. Results indicated the full mediation model showed poor fit the data; greater temperance predicted greater alcohol protective behavioral strategy use, greater responsibility and perspective predicted less alcohol …

Evaluating The Effects Of Mindfulness Practice On Attentional Control And Episodic Memory, Jacob M. M. Namias

Master's Theses

Mindfulness refers to a mental state of being that involves nonjudgmental acceptance of current cognitions and emotions with awareness of the present moment. Researchers and clinicians have shown the efficacy of mindfulness as a treatment for psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression and have found reductions in reported stress. Building on clinical benefits, mindfulness practice may also facilitate attentional processes as practitioners are required to inhibit distracting thoughts and re-direct their focus to the present moment. My thesis examined the relationship between mindfulness practice and attentional control and potential spillovers to episodic memory. Experiment 1 gauged the relationship between …

Efficacy Of Chemical And Biological Stump Treatments For The Control Of Heterobasidion Occidentale Infection Of California Abies Concolor, Adrian Luis Poloni

Master's Theses

We conducted an experimental evaluation of treatments to limit Heterobasidion occidentale infection of white fir (Abies concolor) stumps and wounds in California mixed conifer forests. We tested the efficacy of urea, borate, and a mixture of two locally collected Phlebiopsis gigantea strains in preventing pathogen colonization of fir stumps and separately, urea and borate as infection controls on experimental stem wounds. These were paired with a laboratory test on ~100 g wood blocks with and without a one-week delay between inoculation and treatment. Urea, borates, and Phlebiopsis treatments all significantly reduced the stump surface area that was colonized …

Comparing Learned Representations Between Unpruned And Pruned Deep Convolutional Neural Networks, Parker Mitchell

Master's Theses

While deep neural networks have shown impressive performance in computer vision tasks, natural language processing, and other domains, the sizes and inference times of these models can often prevent them from being used on resource-constrained systems. Furthermore, as these networks grow larger in size and complexity, it can become even harder to understand the learned representations of the input data that these networks form through training. These issues of growing network size, increasing complexity and runtime, and ambiguity in the understanding of internal representations serve as guiding points for this work.

In this thesis, we create a neural network that …

Spacecraft Trajectory Optimization Suite: Fly-Bys With Impulsive Thrust Engines (Stops-Flite), Aaron H. Li

Master's Theses

Spacecraft trajectory optimization is a near-infinite problem space with a wide variety of models and optimizers. As trajectory complexity increases, so too must the capabilities of modern optimizers. Common objective cost functions for these optimizers include the propellant utilized by the spacecraft and the time the spacecraft spends in flight. One effective method of minimizing these costs is the utilization of one or multiple gravity assists. Due to the phenomenon known as the Oberth effect, fuel burned at a high velocity results in a larger change in orbital energy than fuel burned at a low velocity. Since a spacecraft is …