Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing Convolutional Neural Network Animal Classification Models For Practical Applications In Wildlife Conservation, Julia Larson

Master's Theses

Convolution neural network models (CNNs) can successfully identify animal species in camera-trap images in simplified testing environments. CNN performance in more complex, realistic environments is understudied. Here the Wellington Camera Traps dataset was used to simulate a wildlife conservation project to detect invasive species at low population levels using camera-trap images and CNN models. Ten CNNs were developed and analyzed with seven testing datasets, simulating 13 possible project scenarios. Model performance was measured using standard computer science metrics, top-1, and top-5 accuracy, and two novel performance metrics developed for this research to directly reflect wildlife conservation goals, false alarm rate, …

Observational Analysis And Modeling Of The "B" Regional Dust Storm On Mars, Courtney Marylou Batterson

Master's Theses

The annually-recurring, regional B storm on Mars occurs at the highest southernlatitudes in years lacking a global dust storm (GDS), and produces warm temperatures (> 200 K) at 50 Pa over the south pole. Observations of the B storm are limited due to the lack of in-situ data in the polar regions of Mars, and reproducing polar phenomena using traditional latitude-longitude grid models is difficult because of the increasingly small grid spacing at the poles. The development of the new NASA Ames Mars Global Climate Model (MGCM), which has a finite-volume dynamical core, a uniform cubed-sphere grid, and several of …

Misogynoir: Undergraduate Experiences By Black Women, Briettny Curtner

Master's Theses

The Black female voice whispers within literature because of the limited focus on their lived experiences, specifically of undergraduate Black women. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate how Black women in pursuit of a baccalaureate degree navigate racism and sexism. Additionally, this study explored participant resonance with the characteristics and perceived conflicts of the Strong Black Women (SBW) schema. Six Black women from a comprehensive public university in the West participated in a qualitative interview and member checking. The following are emergent themes found as a result of this study: oppositional framing, navigation of intergroup comparisons, inferiority …

Towards Standardizing System Design And Automating Deployment, Prerana Shekhar

Master's Theses

System design is the foundation for software systems. A well-engineered andwell-thought-out system design leads to the development of a software system that is scalable, reliable, extendable, and secure. It is important to be able to create a good system design. However, current ways of creating system design are inadequate. Software engineers resort to using tools like Microsoft Word, Lucidchart, Draw io, and so on to create system designs. These tools provide a basic drawing interface without the support for a standard set of system design components. There is a lack of common language for creating system designs. With the current …

The Language Of The Creative Person: Validating The Use Of Linguistic Analysis To Assess Creativity, Sana Tariq Ahmed

Master's Theses

Creativity is most commonly assessed through methods such as questionnaires and specific tasks, the validity of which can be weakened by scorer or experimenter error, subjective and response biases, and self-knowledge constraints. Linguistic analysis provides researchers with an automatic, objective method of assessing creativity, free from human error and bias. This study used 419 creativity text samples from a wide range of creative individuals (Big-C, Pro-C, and Small-c) to investigate whether linguistic analysis can, in fact, distinguish between creativity levels and creativity domains using creativity dictionaries and personality dimension language patterns in the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) text …

Differences In Brand-Logo Size Preferences Between Racial/Ethnic Groups, Elliot David Ansari

Master's Theses

The current study compared and explained differences in consumption behaviors among people of different racial/ethnic groups: White, Black, Hispanic, and Southeast Asian. Specifically, we analyzed racial/ethnic group preferences for brand-logo sizes on visually conspicuous products (t-shirts and hats). The fear of being negatively evaluated as a minority group member was examined to see if it predicted unique conspicuous consumption patterns across individual consumer groups. This research extended prior consumer tendency literature by trying to demonstrate a link between race/ethnicity and conspicuous consumption through the fear of being negatively evaluated because of one’s racial/ethnic background. A final sample of 222 participants …

Geographic And Ontogenetic Variation In The Trophic Ecology Of Lingcod (Ophiodon Elongatus) Along The U.S. West Coast, Bonnie Brown

Master's Theses

Dietary studies of fishes provide an understanding of predator-prey interactions and may be used to inform resource managers about food web dynamics. Along the West Coast of North America, Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) are top marine predators in rocky-reef habitats and support an economically important fishery. In this study, gut content and stable isotope analyses were used to evaluate differences in the diets of Lingcod collected in U.S. waters from Alaska to Southern California during 2016 and 2017. Overall, Lingcod consumed a wide variety of prey and exhibited both generalist and opportunist feeding strategies. Significant variability in Lingcod diets was driven …

Wicked Problems: Understanding How Cities And Counties In California Are Tackling Climate Change And Homelessness, Guadalupe Michelle Franco

Master's Theses

California continues to endure the detrimental effects of climate change, such as poor air quality, flooding, and heatwaves. Concurrently, the state has seen an increase in the number of unhoused communities due to various ramifications such as rapid urbanization, failed political leadership, and restricted housing policies. While unhoused communities fight to access basic services, they must also now adapt to the looming impacts of climate change. Unhoused populations are especially vulnerable to climate change as they have limited access to shelter, spend the majority of their time outdoors, and lack the economic ability to adapt. While cities and counties are …

Lived Experiences Of College Football Fans In The Southeast United States: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Rosemarie Rachel Pacitto

Master's Theses

While a number of sport-related studies have explored sport fandom and its effects quantitatively, there is a lack of research that exists surrounding the lived experiences of fans, and thus any potential health-related benefits derived through fandom. The present study qualitatively explored the lived experiences of college football fans in the Southeast United States with aims to identify any potential health related benefits derived through fandom experiences. Eight participants were interviewed utilizing semi-structured interviews. Interviews were analyzed via interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results are discussed within the context of positive psychology and identity theory and suggest that participants experienced phycological and …

Physics-Based Modeling Of Phase-Change Memory Devices And Materials, Johan Saltin

Master's Theses

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a key enabler in many applications but requires fast and energy-efficient computation. IBM is exploring an “Analog AI" acceleration approach using phase change memories (PCM). As such, there is a need to accurately model the physics inside each PCM cell, including the interplay between thermal and electrical dynamics, and the impact of PCM polycrystal grains and grain boundaries in materials such as Ge2Sb2Te5. The thesis uses an existing thermo electrodynamic Technology Computer-Aided Design (TCAD), which was created at IBM, to simulate the intermediate resistance states critical to the “Analog AI" application. The thesis discusses the …

Academic Advising As A Tool To Analyze The Experiences Of Students Of Color At A Diverse University, Julia Light

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to analyze the experiences that undergraduate students of color had at a diverse, private university in Northern California. This study used a qualitative methodology of phenomenological research to learn of the experiences of undergraduate Students of Color. Three participants were interviewed and asked about the resources they relied upon throughout their undergraduate experience and in the academic advising system on this campus as it related to their academic success. Critical Race Theory was used as a lens to frame the results and the findings showed the effects that family and class background had on …

Testing The Climatic Variability Hypothesis With Coastal And Inland Populations Of Mimulus Guttatus And Implications For These Populations Under Climate Change, Alec Chiono

Master's Theses

How climate shapes the niche of a species is a core interest in evolution and ecology. Research on the evolution of climatic niches can inform us on the historical relationship between organisms and their climate, and, in an era of great environmental change, what that relationship may look like in the future. In this study, I tested an essential idea in the history of climate niche research, the Climatic Variability Hypothesis, by comparing the thermal niche breadth of coastal and inland populations of Mimulus guttatus. Using thermal performance results from this experiment, I also forecasted how the suitability of …

The Colonial Marginalization Of Filipino And Filipino American Soldiers In The Us Army During World War Ii, Corey Joseph Tinay

Master's Theses

This thesis analyzes the structural paradigms in place within American society as multifaceted tools of colonialism and how they impacted the experiences of minority and colonized soldiers in the United States Army during the Second World War. The history is analyzed through the postcolonial lens, observing factors in place such as; denial of place in history, identity, and recognition of service. The research questions that this thesis addresses are as follows: What are the colonial implications in the experience of Filipino and Filipino American soldiers experience during the Second World War? Are colonial soldiers treated as more expendable than white …

The Right To Education At The Gates Of The University: The Role Of The University Of San Francisco In The Transformation Of Bay Area Schools, Maximilian Cordeiro

Master's Theses

The right to education, understood from a lens of transformational human rights, is not being fulfilled for youth of color in the Bay Area, particularly in historically Black neighborhoods like the Western Addition and Hunters Point, where high school and college graduation rates are significantly lower for Black and Latino students than for their white counterparts. The systemic barriers to educational attainment for people of color are rooted in legacy of Jim Crow-era segregationist policies, but they only exist today because they have been preserved in contemporary “race-neutral” policies and practices. This ongoing racial inequality in education has incurred a …

Identifying Factors For Voluntary Return Migration: A Case Study Of Uzbek American Returnees, Khojiakbar Gayratbekov

Master's Theses

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, many Uzbek immigrants found their ways to the United States. Given the unique historic context to their cultural and national identity, Uzbeks experience distinctive integration and adaptation process when they arrive in the United States. Despite political instability and a weak economy in Uzbekistan, data from the United States Department of Homeland Security reveal that many Uzbek immigrants are leaving the U.S. for their home country. Thus, this study investigates factors for return migration among Uzbek immigrants for the period of 2010 to 2020. This study utilizes a mixture of qualitative and quantitative …

Using Language Ideology, Social Positioning And Performativity To Assess Second Language Learning And Identity Transformation: A Qualitative Case Study Of Three Chinese Queer Immigrants In The U.S., Yih Ren

Master's Theses

This thesis aims to explore the directionality of the relationships between cultural identity, sexuality, ideology, and English learning. My study included three participants, and each represents a specific acculturating and immigrant group in the U.S., namely, international students, permanent residents (green card holders), and naturalized citizens. Language ideology and social positioning theory are employed to examine English hegemony and internalized oppression. I argue that English hegemony is ideological and reinforces further discrimination and social hierarchy; further, performativity provides a new cannon to view language production and acquisition as it shifts the emphasis from the technical processes of language acquisition to …

The Role Of Med31 And Med12 In Directing Adipogenesis Of Human Adult-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Joseph Straub

Master's Theses

Selective gene expression is crucial in maintaining the self-renewing and multipotent properties of stem cells. Mediator is a large, evolutionarily conserved, multisubunit protein complex that modulates gene expression by relaying signals from cell type-specific transcription factors to RNA polymerase II. In humans, this complex consists of 30 subunits arranged in four modules: head, middle, tail, and kinase. In our introduction, we show the state of the field of Mediator study with a focus on the critical kinase module. In the following chapters, we used siRNA knockdowns to investigate the roles of the highly-conserved core subunit MED31 and the kinase module …

Multi-Scale Computational Modeling Of Metal/Ceramic Interfaces, Abu Shama Mohammad Miraz

Master's Theses

Multi-scale atomistic calculations were carried out to understand the interfacial features that dictate the mechanical integrity of the metal/ceramic nanolaminates. As such, first principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to understand the electronic and atomistic factors governing adhesion and resistance to shear for simple metal/ceramic interfaces, whereas molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to observe the impact of interfacial structures, such as misfit dislocation network geometries and orientation relationships, on interfacial mechanical properties.

For the DFT investigation, we choose metals with different crystal structures, namely - Cu (fcc), Cr (bcc) and Ti (hcp) along with a variety of …

Valorization Of Secondary Agriculture Residues, Narendra Kumar

Master's Theses

Secondary agriculture residues have the potential to be major contributors as resources for energy and sustainably sourced materials production. Separating secondary agricultural residues, which have already been transported to processing centers, into individual biomass components could convert these wastes into bioproducts. Many types of pretreatments to achieve this separation involve chemicals that are hazardous for the environment. Several deep eutectic solvents (DES) that are biocompatible have been investigated for their ability to deconstruct rice hulls and sugarcane bagasse. Mass yield, enzymatic hydrolysis of the pretreated biomass, fiber analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy have confirmed that the DES formic acid:choline …

Glial Endothelial Brain Cell Co-Cultures For Testing Signaling Response And Delivery Of Novel Materials Across Blood Brain Barrier, Neela Prajapati

Master's Theses

The brain accounts for 20% of overall energy metabolism in the body though it just comprises 2% of the total body mass but has a limited capacity of storing energy unlike other critical organs in the body such as the heart and liver. This energy along with oxygen and nutrients is supplied by cerebral blood flow (CBF), any interruption of which can cease the brain function within seconds with a potential irreversible neuronal injury, within minutes. Vascular cells along with astrocytes and neurons are a part of a recently developed concept known as the Neurovascular Unit responsible for Neurovascular coupling …

How Are The Collaborative Efforts Of The Transition Plan Team Viewed By Its Members, Teresa Henderson

Master's Theses

The views of a transition/IEP team members of the collaborative efforts of each other have had little or limited viewing. Annually there are approximately six million special education students in the United States of America (Samuels, 2017). While in high school, these students and their transition/IEP team are tasked with preparing them for adult life (U.S. Department of Education [USDOE], 2018). The team’s collaborative efforts are a necessary component of ensuring the success of each student’s adult life (Michaels & Ferrara, 2005).

For students to find success after high school, all transition/IEP team members need to collaborate as best as …

Lateral Torsional Buckling Resistance Of Continuous Steel Stringers In Existing Bridges, Dinesha Malky Kuruppuarachchi Kuruppuarachchi Appuhamilage Don

Master's Theses

Some of the Louisiana’s bridges built in the 1950s and 1960s used two-girder or truss systems, in which floorbeams are carried by main members and the continuous (spliced) stringers are supported by the floorbeams. The main members are either two edge (fascia) girders or trusses. When the flexural capacity of continuous stringers is calculated, the moment gradient factor (Cb) is not accurately calculated considering the lateral torsional buckling (LTB) at the negative moment section. In particular, the bracing effect of the non-composite concrete deck is not accounted for, and as a result, the current practice has underestimated the LTB strength …

'Disembodied Bones': Recovering The Poetry And Prose Of Elinor Wylie 2021, Sarah R. Bullock

Master's Theses

Picking a book to read is like diving for a pearl, writes Elinor Wylie, a 20th Century American poet, novelist, essayist and prominent magazine literary editor. In her essay "The Pearl Diver", she writes that it is the diver that risks the unknown- unaided by diving equipment in the form of library indexes-who gains the greatest joy, Wylie states (Fugitive Prose, 869). Wylie explains:

I venture to perceive an analogy between the rebellious pearl diver and myself, in my slight experience with public libraries...how much more delightful, how much more stimulating, to abandon the paraphernalia of card indexes and mahogany …

No More Shade: Deforestation And Rural-Urban Migration In Nigeria, Kambre Sims

Master's Theses

Some of the most well-documented motivating factors of migration in Nigeria include education, employment opportunities, and cultural conflicts. However, as the deforestation crisis has not improved and Nigeria has maintained its spot as the country with the most deforestation on Earth, access to critical forest resources may be in danger. In light of this crisis, this paper attempts to determine if deforestation has become a new motivating factor for migration as those in rural communities seek other avenues of obtaining those vital resources. Subsequently, Nigeria is also experiencing a housing crisis within its rapidly growing urban centers; obtaining and keeping …

A Meta-Analysis Of Check-In/Check-Out: Effectiveness, Social Validity, And Design Standards, Caitlyn Weaver

Master's Theses

The present study serves to investigate the evidence-base for Check-in/Check-out (CICO), a widely used behavioral intervention. Fifty-two studies were included in the review and 44 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Standardized mean difference was used to calculate an omnibus effect for CICO, which showed that CICO significantly improves student outcomes. Effect sizes were large for several dependent variables, including academic engagement, reduction in problem behaviors, percentage of points on a daily behavior report card, and reduction in internalizing behaviors. No moderators significantly explained variability within these relationships. Social validity was assessed across CICO studies and was reported to be …

Structural Re-Orientation Of Magmatic Fabrics And Layering In The Lower Oceanic Crust: Hole Gt1, Wadi Tayin Massif, Samail Ophiolite, Justin Guillot

Master's Theses

This thesis aims to re-orient borehole images of layered gabbros sampled beneath Hole GT1 in the Wadi Tayin massif of the Oman ophiolite by the Oman Drilling Project to better constrain models of crustal accretion. The gabbro glacier model proposes that crystallized basalt flows down and away from the crystallization site to form the lower crust while the sheeted sill model proposes that basaltic melt crystallizes at multiple levels in the crust through sills. Hole GT1 provides an unprecedented 400 m, 100% recovery, look at the lower oceanic crust. Cores lose their geographic orientation when drilled, requiring use of the …

Women In The Outdoors: Navigating Fear And Creating Space For Spiritual Inspiration 2021, Morgan Costello

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between fear and spiritual inspiration for women in the outdoors. Specifically, this study looked at participants from SUNY Cortland’s Outdoor Education Practicum, a core course in the Recreation, Parks, and Leisure Studies Department that culminates with a two-week outdoor experience, with the goals of teaching outdoor skills and building community. This was a mixed-method study, with quantitative data collected according to pre(mid)post design and qualitative data coming from journal entries over a 5-day period. Testing was conducted using the Outdoor Situational Fear Inventory to measure fear, and the Nature Relatedness …

Developing An Adaptive Rock Climbing Curriculum For Suny Cortland Outdoor Pursuits 2021, Rebekah Mills

Master's Theses

SUNY Cortland Outdoor Pursuits opened in August of 2015 with the completion of the newly constructed Student Life Center. Outdoor Pursuits is a smaller department within the Recreational Sports Department. Outdoor Pursuits offers rock climbing services at its facility located in the Student Life Center. Currently, Outdoor Pursuits offers Bouldering and Top Roping services only when the Student Life Center is open, these hours are typically 3-10 pm. Monday-Friday and Saturday-Sunday 2-8 pm. These services are only provided to eligible SUNY Cortland faculty, staff, students, alumni, and other affiliated members. As the facility has grown in popularity during its operation, …

Notch And Mediator Work Together To Direct Hasc Self-Renewal, Jaylen Mumphrey

Master's Theses

Stem cells are unique in that they possess totipotent, pluripotent, or multipotent differentiation capabilities and can also self-renew. Stem cells are in either a state of selfrenewal or differentiation, but never both. If we are able to gain a full understanding of the underlying mechanisms that allow stem cells to remain self-renewing and multipotent, we will better be able to control the fate of cells, ultimately allowing stem cells to be used to their full capabilities in regenerative medicine. My research focuses on MED12 and its effects on Notch signaling. Here we describe the expression profile and activity of MED12, …

The Role Of Med12 In Adipogenesis Of Human Adipose Stem Cells, Onyekachi Chinelo Idigo

Master's Theses

The interest in adipogenesis stems from the high rate of obesity in the world and the motivation to better understand the process of cell fate in relation to human diseases. Mutations in MED12 lead to developmental disorders and certain malignancies. To date, specific roles of Mediator and MED12 in cell state regulation are unclear, nevertheless, they are critical for understanding stem cell regulation and enhancement of their clinical applications. This study investigates the role of MED12 in relation to the Mediator complex kinase domain to better understand transcriptional control of adipogenesis in hASCs. In this study, MED12 expression was diminished …