Digital Commons Network^™

A Study Of Non-Computing Majors' Growth Mindset, Self-Efficacy And Perceived Cs Relevance In Cs1, Jae Hyuk Yoo

Master's Theses

As the demand for programming skills in today’s job market is rapidly increasing for disciplines outside of computing, CS courses have experienced spikes in enrollment for non-majors. Students in disciplines including art, design and biological sciences are now often required to take introductory CS courses. Previous research has shown the role of growth mindset, self-efficacy and relevance in student success within CS but such metrics are largely unknown for non-majors. In this thesis, we surveyed non-majors in CS1 at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo during the early and late weeks of the quarter to gain insights on their growth mindset, …

Subnational Map Of Poverty Generated From Remote-Sensing Data In Africa: Using Machine Learning Models And Advanced Regression Methods For Poverty Estimation, Lionel N. Hanke

Master's Theses

According to the 2020 poverty estimates from the World Bank, it is estimated that 9.1% - 9.4% of the global population lived on less than $1.90 per day. It is estimated that the Covid-19 pandemic further aggravated the issue by pushing more than 1% of the global population below the international poverty line of $1.90 per day (WorldBank, 2020). To provide help and formulate effective measures, poverty needs to be located as exact as possible. For this purpose, it was investigated whether regression methods with aggregated remote-sensing data could be used to estimate poverty in Africa. Therefore, five distinct regression …

Short-Term Wind Speed Time Series Forecasting Using Artificial Neural Networks, Daniel Rezaee Garacani

Master's Theses

Renewable energies such as wind power have become integral parts of modern power networks. Short-term wind speed prediction is crucial for smart grids, as it can help balance the demand and supply, as well as set the energy price in the market.

In this thesis, we simulate and compare various neural network models for short-term wind speed prediction, including multi-layer feedforward neural networks, convolutional neural networks, long-short term memory networks, and hybrid models such as CNN- LSTM and ConvLSTM. Computer simulation results show that all artificial neural networks are able to provide satisfactory prediction. Among them, the multi-layer feedforward neural …

Examination Of Methylation Status And Occupancy Of Dna Methylation Modifying Proteins On Regulatory Regions Of The Dax-1 Gene, Caroline P. Riedstra

Master's Theses

Epigenetic modifications influence gene expression and thereby play a pivotal role in development and disease. Misregulation and mutations in the DAX-1 gene, or Dosage-Sensitive Sex Reversal, Adrenal Hypoplasia Congenita, Critical Region on the X chromosome, gene 1, have been implicated in Adrenal Hypoplasia Congenita (AHC) and Dosage Sensitive Sex Reversal (DSS). The orphan nuclear hormone receptor DAX-1 is expressed predominantly in tissues such as the testes, ovaries, breast, adrenal cortex, and lung. Critically, DAX-1 may serve as an indicator of aberrant growth in these tissues. Here we hypothesize that DAX-1 is epigenetically regulated, specifically in cancer cells, thereby reducing its …

Analysis Into Artificial Intelligence And Its Developing Dynamic And Relationship In Agricultural Supply Chains, Samantha Jane Ault

Master's Theses

The thesis explores artificial intelligence (AI) in agricultural (Ag) supply chains (SCs) and presents a new typology to understand artificial intelligence-based solutions in agricultural SCs. The thesis was performed utilizing a research-based review to investigate the current uses of artificial intelligence-based solutions in agricultural SCs. The AI-based solutions were found in case studies that reviewed AI operations in different areas internationally.

The typology was formed on the foundation of two dynamics, the location of AI applications in Ag SCs and the driving values to integrate the AI applications. In order to develop the typology, the AI applications were studied in …

Depressive Symptoms And Marijuana Outcomes In College Students: The Mediating Role Of Protective Behavioral Strategies For Marijuana, Nicholas Militello

Master's Theses

The present study evaluated the sequentially mediating role of protective behavioral strategies for marijuana (PBSM) and marijuana use frequency on the relationships depressive symptoms had with hazardous marijuana use and marijuana-related negative consequences in college students Participants were 338 (50.3% male) undergraduate college students age 18 to 25 (M = 22.10; SD = 1.97) who reported marijuana use in the past 30 days. Participants reported their gender and completed measures of depressive symptoms, PBSM use, marijuana use frequency, marijuana-related negative consequences, and hazardous marijuana use through an online survey from a 2018 project. Depressive symptoms were positively associated with …

“My Bruises Are Inward:” A Study Of Mental Trauma In The American Civil War, Cody Turnbaugh

Master's Theses

War is traumatic. Since the American Psychiatric Association first recognized post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 1980, living veterans of combat have been diagnosed at an alarmingly high rate. However, mental trauma related diagnoses have existed for centuries, including several that were identified around the time of the American Civil War. This thesis argues that Civil War soldiers experienced mental trauma related to their military service. It does so through three lenses. Focused on the mental trauma among Northern veterans, this study investigates in particular the relationship between mental trauma and socioeconomic status. It analyzes the experiences of both white and …

Women As Party Leaders: Are The Barriers Partisan?, Amanda B. Yates

Master's Theses

Even though women make up roughly 51% of the population of the United States, they are underrepresented in all branches of American government. Although there has been recent literature on women in politics and women and parties, very little has been done on women in party leadership. Research suggests that there are fewer women in elected office because of a lack of supply, or qualified and willing women, or a lack of demand, an electorate willing to vote for a woman. This study seeks to understand the levels of participation of women as party delegates in state party conventions and …

The Affect Of Globalization On Terrorism, Philip R. Passante

Master's Theses

This thesis proposal will dive into the concept of terrorism and how it is an act of force and has proven to be detrimental to the modern world. In addition, this thesis will analyze the concept of terrorism as well as the rationale behind it. It is important to understand and study this as terrorism is a complex entity made up of different themes. The concentration of this thesis will highlight how globalization has affected the phenomena of terrorism in the past, present, and ultimately the future. Globalization and terrorism have a relationship that many scholars and researchers have noticed. …

Effect Of Borrelia Burgdorferi On The Amyloid-Beta And Phospho-Tau Markers And Oxidative Stress Response Of Neuroblastoma Cells, Dina Elzohiry

Master's Theses

In Alzheimer's disease (AD), the neurons are injured and mostly subjected to death throughout the brain, interconnections between neural networks may detach, and several regions of the brain begin to shrink in size. Amyloid-Beta (Aβ) and phospho-tau (p-Tau) are considered as main hallmarks of AD. Lyme-causing bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi can invade central nervous system resulting in neurological disorders. To evaluate how B. burgdorferi bacteria can contribute to the development and/or progress of AD, protein expression of Amyloid-Beta aggregates and p-Tau protein tangles were assessed before and after infection with B. burgdorferi in BE2C and Kelly neuroblastoma cell lines. To assess …

The Relationship Between Vitamin D Intake, Sun Exposure, Handgrip Strength And Hg Alc Levels In College-Age Adults, Janelle Melancon

Master's Theses

Vitamin D is known for its importance to bone health and calcium metabolism and plays a role in insulin resistance. Recent research has recognized its role in insulin secretion, inflammatory response, and adipose tissue changes as possible reasons for its association with insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease. The CDC (2019) reported that 20% of adolescents are now living with prediabetes. Most individuals with prediabetes progress to type 2 diabetes within ten years. Because many studies have focused on adults of all ages, it is important to research young adults. This study aimed to determine prevention efforts; therefore, the younger adult …

The Role Of Notch1 And Notch3 In Adult Stem Cell Osteogenic Differentiation, John Bradley Cart

Master's Theses

Human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) have significant therapeutic potential due to their ability to self-renew, differentiate down multiple lineages, and modulate the immune system. In addition to these many benefits, hASCs boast a minimally invasive harvesting procedure, making them a readily available cell source for stem cell research and tissue regeneration (Ock, et al. 2016) (Abdi, et al. 2008). Despite their broad use, very little is known about the mechanisms that control cell fate.


One way to enhance our mechanistic understanding of differentiation is through the systematic examination of the signaling pathways. The Notch signaling pathway is a highly conserved, …

Exosense: A Novel Technology For Selective Purification Of Cd63+ Exosomes From Neural Cells, Kristen Hope Hutson Truelove

Master's Theses

Exosomes are extracellular, cell signaling microvesicles that contain unique genomic and proteomic signatures reflective of the host cell’s pathophysiological conditions. In recent years, the study of exosomes has increased tremendously because many have been recognized as molecular biomarkers with the potential to advance methods of disease diagnostics and therapeutics as well as contribute to physiological analyses of multiple organism types. With the promising potential that exosomes offer to the field of molecular biology, it is vital to establish an efficient and consistently reliable mechanism of exosome isolation from biological samples. Many isolation techniques currently available typically yield exosome samples with …

Paradoxes Of The Heart And Mind: Three Case Studies In White Identity, Southern Reality, And The Silenced Memories Of Mississippi Confederate Dissent, 1860-1979, Billy Loper

Master's Theses

This thesis is meant to advance scholars understanding of the processes by which various groups silenced the memory of Civil War white dissent in Mississippi. It analyzes three case studies: F. A. P. Barnard’s 1860 trial for abolitionism, the transformation of community memory which surrounded Newt Knight in the early twentieth century, and Mississippi’s interaction with the Civil War through popular culture. These examples will reveal the cultural and discursive systems that have existed in the state for more than a century. This work argues that Mississippians silenced the memory of racial dissent throughout the state’s history because it conflicted …

Mining Bitcoin To Avoid Sanctions, Tyler C. Lubin

Master's Theses

Though the world’s first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, was introduced over a decade ago, it was not until recently that it became a mainstream subject. While cryptocurrencies offer many advantages, a potential downside for governments, is that no central bank controls the monetary policy and new coins can be mined by anyone anywhere in the world. Governments have always been deeply involved with how a their countries’ currency is ran and the policies they create are meant to keep a currencies’ value stable and make sure other factors like inflation is under control. Even though as of 2021, there were well over …

An Assessment Of On-Campus Food Pantry Management And Nutrition Environment At Louisiana Colleges And Universities, Courtney Hammons

Master's Theses

The use of the Nutrition Environment Food Pantry Assessment Tool (NEFPAT) along with an examination of food pantry management systems will fill a needed gap in the understanding of the effectiveness of college on-campus food pantries. This descriptive, exploratory research study is designed to assess 4-year and 2-year higher education food pantries in the state of Louisiana. Specifically, food pantry management, nutrition education provided, and available food items will be assessed using the validated Nutrition Environment Food Pantry Assessment Tool (NEFPAT). This study assessed: (1) the characteristics of the food pantry management system, including the presence of nutrition professionals; (2) …

Predict Trend Of Unemployment Rate By Observing The Nasdaq Composite Index Using Hidden Markov Model, Li Liu

Master's Theses

In this paper, we present how to use Hidden Markov Models (HMM) to predict the change in Unemployment Rate. By observing the NASDAQ price difference, we will predict the Unemployment Rate will rise or fall in the next month using the Hidden Markov Model. We will use the NASDAQ price and the unemployment rate from 2016 to 2020 monthly data for this paper. When we check the relation between the NASDAQ price and the unemployment rate, we find out that whenever the NASDAQ price goes up, the unemployment rate will drop for a time. So we are interested in how …

Exploring The Influence Of Diurnal Forcing On Tidal Inlet Exchange And The Impact On The Movement Of Oxygen Depleted Waters In The Mississippi Sound And Bight Region, Courtney Bouchard

Master's Theses

A small yet notable hypoxic event manifests east of the Birdfoot Delta in the Mississippi Sound and Bight (MSAB). The shallow shelf environment of the MSAB is affected by a host of complex physical interactions and separating the influences of each process is difficult to accomplish with in-situ data alone. A physical model using high-resolution atmospheric forcing has been developed which provides insights into the physical interactions in this coastal marine system heavily influenced by freshwater plumes and diurnal wind forcing. Twin experiments using a high temporal (hourly) and spatial (0.01 deg) resolution meteorological analysis product, along with a temporally …

The Shortcomings Of Maize: Using Tipu To Assess Maize Consumption And Its Impact On Stature And Limb Proportions Among The Maya, Peter Mercier

Master's Theses

A reliance on maize among the ancient and modern Maya has been reasoned to cause short statures and short legs compared to overall height. The goal of this study was to test this proposition using a sample of contact period Maya from the site of Tipu in western Belize. Long bone length data from 100 individuals were compared to that from two other prehistoric maize agriculturalist societies: the Schild site in Illinois and Pecos Pueblo in New Mexico.

Four hypotheses were tested: 1) Tipu would be the shortest, 2) Tipu would have the shortest femora relative to tibiae, 3) Tipu …

The Effects Of Parent-Implemented Demanded Eye Contact As A Component Of Eid On Child Compliance, Halley Claire Blanchard

Master's Theses

Effective instruction delivery (EID) is an eight-step strategy that has been shown to be effective at increasing child compliance across classroom and clinical settings (Everett et al., 2005; Ford, 1998; Mandal et al., 2000; Scoggins, 2005). Component analyses investigating the relative importance of eye contact components of EID have obtained mixed results in clinical settings (Everett et al., 2005; Faciane, 2001; Faciane, 2004). Additionally, applied studies evaluating the effectiveness and treatment integrity of interventions delivered through telehealth have been largely behavior-analytic in nature (Lee et al., 2015; Seuss et al., 2013; Stich & Samaha, 2015; Wainer & Ingersoll, 2014). The …

Analyzing The Consistency Of Scoring Porotic Hyperostosis From 3d Scans, Carson Rouse

Master's Theses

The use of 3D scans is becoming more and more common in the field of bioarchaeology. They alleviate the need to travel, allow for larger sample sizes, and can help preserve bones with pathologies on them which make them more fragile. Though there are major benefits with using 3D scanning of human remains, there is a lack of studies which examine whether or not traditional pathology scoring methods can be used to consistently gather the same data from these 3D scans. This project examines how consistently six researchers of varying experience levels scored porotic hyperostosis from 25 3D scans on …

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons And The Microbiomes Of Two Benthic Species, Samantha Ells

Master's Theses

The presence of oil has been shown to affect the microbiomes of the water column, sediments, and organisms, both by altering the diversity and the composition of those microbial communities. If the microbiome is altered it may no longer provide benefits to its host organism, impacting its ability to survive. Thus, it is important to understand the effects of large-scale contamination events including the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This study set out to examine the effects of oil exposure on the microbiome of two benthic species, southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) and eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) to further understand the effects …

Haunted And Hunted: The Gothic And The Ghostly In The Light And Asylum, Adam Dunnells

Master's Theses

Young adult Gothic horror fiction acts as a coming-of-age story wherein the protagonists must confront the metaphorical and literal ghosts while simultaneously attempting to establish a sense of identity. Applying Gothic theory and ghost theory to the ghostly stories in young adult Gothic horror demonstrates how certain young adult Gothic stories represent the struggle of adolescents as they mature into adulthood and search for their identities. I use Madeline Roux’s Asylum (2013) and D.J. MacHale’s The Light (2010) as case studies to analyze how ghostly antagonists directly oppose adolescent protagonists on their coming-of-age journeys. Analyzing these young adult Gothic horror …

On A Stochastic Model Of Epidemics, Rachel Prather

Master's Theses

This thesis examines a stochastic model of epidemics initially proposed and studied by Norman T.J. Bailey [1]. We discuss some issues with Bailey's stochastic model and argue that it may not be a viable theoretical platform for a more general epidemic model. A possible alternative approach to the solution of Bailey's stochastic model and stochastic modeling is proposed as well. Regrettably, any further study on those proposals will have to be discussed elsewhere due to a time constraint.

Contextualizing A Crisis: Examining Michigan State University Press Releases And The Larry Nassar Scandal, Courtney Robinson

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to conduct a contextual analysis of press releases published by Michigan State University following a 2016 scandal that accused long-term physician Larry Nassar of sexually abusing more than 250 young women and girls under the guise of medical care. Specifically, the researcher was concerned with the image repair strategies employed by Michigan State as it attempted to respond to accusations that university personnel were aware of Nassar’s actions and had failed to act. The institution found itself responding to a series of distinct, yet related, crises, which were documented in a series of press …

Population Parameter Estimation And Stable Isotope Analysis Of Gulf Sturgeon (Acipenser Oxyrinchus Desotoi) In The Pascagoula River, Alfonso Cohuo

Master's Theses

Gulf Sturgeon (GS), Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi, are a threatened, anadromous fish species in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Their range is from the Pearl River, LA, in the west to the Suwannee River, FL, in the east with a longitudinal divide at Mobile Bay, AL, creating a western population unit (WPU) and an eastern population unit (EPU). Sturgeon belonging to the WPU exhibit lower abundances, higher mortality rates, and are overall less studied than their EPU counterparts. Notable data gaps for the WPU includes the absence of recent population parameter estimations and confirmed feeding habitat. My thesis aims to …

Assessing The Rates Of Post-Depositional Change Within 2004 Indian Ocean Sediments: Implications For Long-Term Records Of Paleotsunamis, Lillian Pearson

Master's Theses

Foraminifera are commonly used to examine patterns of tsunami inundation occurring over centennial to millennial timescales, but the impacts of post-depositional change on geologic reconstructions are unknown. In Sumatra, the taphonomic character (i.e., test surface condition) of a foraminifer can deteriorate over time, rendering them unidentifiable, and even dissolve them entirely. Here I investigate the rates of post-depositional change of foraminiferal assemblages found within the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami (IOT) deposit over a 15-year time interval in Aceh, Indonesia in a vegetated open coastal plain (Site 1: Pulot) and an unvegetated protected coastal cave (Site 2). I identified two zones …

Spatial And Seasonal Patterns Of Above- And Belowground Vegetation Biomass And Potential Drivers In The Pascagoula River Delta, Ms, Evan Grimes

Master's Theses

Coastal wetlands provide a valuable wealth of services to the greater coastal ecosystem and human communities. However, threats such as sea level rise and conservation projects, such as freshwater diversions, have the potential to alter coastal wetlands in different ways. In this thesis, I describe the effects of inundation and nitrogen on vegetation productivity using a field-sampling approach and an in situ controlled mesocosm experiment, called a marsh organ. The West Channel of the Pascagoula River contained significantly higher belowground biomass than the East Channel, which is more anthropogenically modified. Vertical distribution of belowground biomass did not strongly vary between …

Matching Equation: Teacher Rates Of Praise And Reprimands, Meleah Ackley

Master's Theses

Previous matching equation literature has demonstrated variability in student behaviors matching onto available reinforcement rates. While some studies have found that student on-task behaviors matched contingent teacher attention around half the observations (Martens et al., 1990), other studies have found that first grade students’ on-task behavior matched contingent teacher attention more than half of observations (Shriver & Kramer, 1997). However, no studies in the current literature have used teacher behaviors as the primary dependent variables (i.e., B1 and B2 in the matching equation). The current study sought to extend the Generalized Matching Equation (GME) further into the classroom, given the …

Comparison Of Supported Liquid Extraction And Solid Phase Extraction Of Methamphetamine From Urine And Method Validation By Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Taylor Hood

Master's Theses

Applications of SLE (supported liquid extraction) is a relatively new extraction technique that is not widely used in forensic toxicology. SLE is also easier and less time consuming than traditional LLE (liquid-liquid extraction) and SPE (Solid phase extraction). This work will compare the extraction efficiencies between SLE and SPE for methamphetamine from urine with detection and quantitation using GC-MS (gas chromatography- mass spectrometry). The SLE cartridges provide better analyte recoveries, eliminate emulsion formation, and allow for shorter processing time than other extraction techniques. The SPE cartridges used have a mixed-mode non-polar/strong cation exchange retention mechanism to extract basic analytes like …