Digital Commons Network^™

Eugenics In Education Policy And The Impact On African American Students, Ruth Jones

Master's Theses

Eugenics was defined as a science which used selective breeding as a mechanism to increase desirable traits in a population while restricting and eliminating undesirable traits. Eugenicists fell out of favor in the United States after the fall of Nazi Germany. Yet, eugenic ideas continued to prevail as they heavily influenced medical, social, and academic systems in the U.S. The country’s education system still carries the legacy of eugenicists who helped to build it. The purpose of this qualitative study is to identify eugenic ideas in federal, district and local school policy and determine their connection to the very local …

Combating White Resistance: What We Can Learn About White Educators Who Lean Into Anti-Racist Training, Erin Parr

Master's Theses

This work attempts to understand and describe why some white teachers lean into anti-racist training and racial literacy development when many resist it. A qualitative case study with three white female educators explores what initially drew the participants into racial literacy work, how they have transformed their professional values and educational practices because of such work, and what aspects of the work they found to be most valuable in meaningfully engaging them. It describes the ways in which they embraced critical anti-racist work, specifically in regards to education and teaching practices. The findings may be valuable for future teacher educators …

Breaking The Chains: Reversing The School-To-Prison Pipeline Through The Academic Experiences Of Formerly Incarcerated Black Males, Folasade Ogunbanwo

Master's Theses

This case study explores the academic experiences of formerly incarcerated Black males. The goal of the case study is to inform policymakers and critical race scholars who take interest in the prison-to-school pipeline and ultimately dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline. The historical impact of slavery has manifested into this vicious pipeline and the overrepresentation of Black males in the prison industrial complex. This case study is to demonstrate how the net is casted on those affected by the incarceration system and that break the cycle for themselves by pursuing an education to create an upward academic trajectory.

Indigenization Of Genocide Healing: A Grounded Action Of Culturally And Contextually Relevant Educational And Psychosocial Strategies To Reduce Impacts Of Societal Toxic Stress In Rwanda Post-Genocide, Jean Pierre Ndagijimana

Master's Theses

Sixty percent of the current Rwandan population were born after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi and those born since or who were young at the time of the genocide have remained among those affected most. Although Western trauma theorists and interventionists have played the role of experts in the genocide healing, the exclusion of the indigenous population’s experiences, knowledge, and wisdom has limited them from meeting local needs. The post-genocide situation raises various issues, genocide ideology, and increasing family homicides; however, locals do not want to seek counseling services, or run the risk of being labeled as mentally ill. …

Bridging The Gender Gap: Women In Stem Management, Kathryn Skeeters

Master's Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to study the current effects of training and accommodations on women in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math fields. Currently, there is a lack of women at the senior levels in the STEM field. This study evaluates the current literature as well as the personal experiences of 14 subjects. This information was collected through interviews. No personal data besides gender and age is communicated in the paper, with company names and signifiers removed. With the information gleaned from this research, the study evaluates the current programs and assesses a path forward. The assumption from …

Multiple Contacts Of Drug Contaminated Fingermarks And Their Analysis With Raman Microspectroscopy, Victoria Deprimo

Master's Theses

This thesis research aimed to determine if substrate, enhancement technique, and multiple contacts affect the detection and identification of drugs in fingermarks using Raman Spectroscopy. It has the potential to be of great importance in forensic science as fingermarks are one of the most important traces left behind at crime scenes and illicit drugs are a significant criminal justice problem. Thus, being able to associate illicit drugs with a specific fingermark has great potential for forensic science, as it can put the drugs in the hands of a specific individual.

The ridges of fingerprints trap trace amounts of material that …

Bilinguals’ Double Phonemic Boundary: Not One Of Normal Nature, Gianna Duncan

Master's Theses

The present investigation reports the conditions that propel bilinguals’ double phonemic boundary, a phenomenon where bilinguals’ perception of speech sounds is affected by the linguistic context in which they are immersed, and theories that support bilinguals’ phonetic category structures while taking into consideration different auditory biases that could influence the double phonemic boundary such as contrast-effects, range-effects, and resource allocation. Thirty-three right-handed participants performed a Go/No-Go-Task. The sample consisted of 16 English monolinguals and 17 Spanish-English bilinguals. Participants were instructed to press a response button, using the right or left hand, when detecting 3 target sounds embedded in 6 background …

The Effectiveness Of Medication Assisted Treatment (Mat) Programs In Correctional Facilities: A Review Of The Evidence And Recommendations, Woodlyn Joachim

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Characterizing Groundwater Quality And Bacterial Community Composition In Chloride Impacted Drinking Water Wells In Sherman, Ct., Ryan Ordung

Master's Theses

The following chapters of this thesis are written with regards to the hydrogeologic investigations of the anthropogenically impacted fractured bedrock aquifer located in Sherman Connecticut. Several domestic and public water supply wells in the town center have consistently exhibited concentrations of chloride and sodium above state and federal drinking water standards over at least a four-year period. Using multiple methodologies and analysis to characterize subsurface conditions and flow pathways provides a greater understanding of the controls on water quality in the town center. Through the analysis of geochemical trends, spatial distribution of well locations and construction along with geologic context, …

Reachability Analysis Of Power Electronic Converters, Heqiang Wang

Master's Theses

This work presents a reachability analysis approach for dual active bridge (DAB) converters in the presence of heterogeneous uncertainties induced by manufacturing tolerance, temperature, humidity, etc. Reachability analysis can overapproximate the set of all possible reachable states from the set of initial states and parameter values based on the reachability algorithm. The novelty of this work includes: 1) it gives a comprehensive introduction of how to build a hybrid automata model for a DAB converter, and use the hybrid automata model for the purpose of reachability analysis through SpaceEx; 2) it develops the procedures of building the SpaceEx model for …

Design Optimization Of A Small Scale Hydropower Harvesting Device, Rishav Aryal

Master's Theses

This study presents a semi-analytical model that facilitates the optimum design of small-scale hydropower systems, so that maximum possible energy can be harvested under such settings. The model comprises a rotating cylinder attached to a piston producing reciprocating motion when placed in moving water. Taking this model as base, the semi-analytical model employs Genetic Algorithm based optimization and develops optimal dimensions for the system, with the objective to minimize the time period while at the same time maximizing stroke of the piston. The model is tested first with single-parameter optimization and then with multi-objective optimization. As many energy harvesting approaches …

Hbn-Acrylate Composite Printing: Stereolithography And Uv-Assisted Direct Write, Zachary Bauman

Master's Theses

3D printing is an additive manufacturing technique capable of creating highly customizable and uniquely-shaped structures that are difficult or completely impossible to produce using conventional methods, such as injection molding. Stereolithography and UV-assisted direct write printing are two 3D printing processes, each of which can create complex geometries through photopolymerization. As the 3D printing market is transitioning from prototyping to industrial-use parts, there is a growing demand for improved resins and filled composites to satisfy the needs of various, specific industrial applications. The introduction of hexagonal boron nitride in different composites has been shown to enhance several properties over a …

The Context Of Disorder: How The Physical Environment Affects Judgments Of Police-Citizen Interactions, Cassidy Burt

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Challenging Experiences Of The Graduate Mathematics Teaching Assistant, Zoe Cramer

Master's Theses

This study investigates the challenges that beginning graduate mathematics teaching assistants (MTAs) face and suggests possible solutions to aid in their transition to teaching. Interviews and surveys were conducted with both beginning and experienced MTAs to better understand their experiences.

Overactive Bladder: Shortcomings Of Current Diagnostic And Treatment Approaches And A New Etiological Paradigm, Nina L. Franzen

Master's Theses

Aims: To examine the effectiveness of the current diagnostic and treatment approach of overactive bladder (OAB) and the relative impact of cognition on what is currently a bladder-centric condition. Methods: A review of the literature on OAB from the population to organ/brain level was conducted. The impact of age-induced bladder dysfunction via cognitive changes to sensory integration and attention control are discussed. Results: OAB uses bladder-centric terminology to represent a collection of symptoms with inconsistent and often unknown pathology. Proposed etiologies and therapeutic models for overactive bladder focus on the bladder organ, but evidence suggests that age-related degradation to inhibitory …

Human Dimensions Of Roadside Vegetation Management Across The Connecticut Landscape, Daniel Connor Hale

Master's Theses

Context For the roadside forest, utility vegetation management is a driver of landscape change that involves tradeoffs between reliable electric power and preservation of trees. Little is known about public perceptions of vegetation management in the landscape context.

Objectives Our objective was to evaluate landscape characteristics and social factors associated with resident attitudes toward roadside utility vegetation management across Connecticut.

Methods We used a mail survey to collect social science data from residents in two study areas in Connecticut. We measured landscape characteristics associated with tree cover and development density at multiple scales around each respondent household. Random forest predictive …

Food Liking In Chronic Smokers: Associations With Sweet E-Juice And Adiposity And Short-Term Changes Across An E-Cigarette Intervention, Brittany Larsen

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Community Living In Context: Rural, Suburban, And Urban Differences Among Older Money Follows The Person Participants, Kaleigh Ligus

Master's Theses

Older adults (65+) are a growing and significant population in the United States. Due to medical conditions and other social factors, some older adults may move to institutional settings to receive care. The Money Follows the Person (MFP) Rebalancing Demonstration is a federal initiative that offers Medicaid recipients the opportunity to live independently in the community by facilitating transitions from institutional settings. A secondary data analysis was performed using longitudinal data from a Quality of Life (QoL) survey conducted with 1,577 older adults in Connecticut (CT). The purpose of these analyses was to explore potential differences among rural, suburban and …

The Effect Of Guilt Free Claims On Restrained And Non-Restrained Eaters' Purchase Intention, Perception Of Product Healthfulness, And Amount Willing To Pay For A Novel Product, Alexis Ludwig

Master's Theses

Products with health-related claims that are perceived to be tasty are more likely to be purchase by consumers than products without a claim. Restrained eaters rely more on external cues such as food packaging rather than internal cues such as hunger signals in a way to control their caloric intake.^1,2 Restrained eaters may be more susceptible to marketing and food claims compared to non-restrained eaters. We propose a guilt free message will affect perception of healthfulness. We also propose a guilt free message and eating restraint will affect purchasing decisions. Lastly, perception of healthfulness and valuing nutritious products mediates …

The Temperature-Dependent Mechanics Of Human Articular Cartilage Under Large-Strain Shear, Lauren Marshall

Master's Theses

Articular cartilage is a soft tissue that facilitates joint movement and protects bone contact surfaces. Human articular cartilage sees a range of temperatures in vivodepending on external thermal conditions. Researchers recently demonstrated that cartilage dissipates energy during physiological loading to elevate the temperature to enhance cell viability. Despite these important insights, researchers often consider the knee isothermal, thus the large deformation mechanical response under transient thermal conditions remains largely unknown. We aimed to quantify the mechanical responses at 24°C, 40°C, 70°C, and 24°C repeated, and apply our data to determine whether the mechanical responses of cartilage vary within the …

Exploring Uncertainty In Real-Time Hybrid Substructuring, Connor H. Ligeikis

Master's Theses

Real-time hybrid substructuring (RTHS) is a cyber-physical vibration testing method that partitions a structural system into numerical and physical substructures. RTHS incorporates sensing, actuation, and computing technologies to couple these substructures in real time. RTHS can be used to realistically examine the performance of structural systems with rate-dependent structural components that may be difficult to accurately model. However, uncertainty can be found in many aspects of RTHS testing including noise in sensor measurements, actuator performance and tracking, non-linearities in the physical test specimen, and numerical modeling assumptions. In the numerical substructure, uncertainty in material properties, stiffness, damping, or geometry may …

Perceived Chewing Ability In Adults With Or Without Dentures, Mara Cuberos Guevara

Master's Theses

Background: Masticatory impairment impacts both oral health as well as general health. Self-perceived chewing ability can be a tool to assess denture satisfaction, food choices and quality of life. Objective: To describe the perceived chewing ability with or without use of dentures in adults of different ages and implications in food choices. Methods: Administration of a 20- question survey to adult patients at the Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residency clinic at the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine. Results: Chewing ability and food choices were significantly impacted by denture status (p = 0.015). Denture status …

Reconstructing Miocene Paleogeography Of The Middlegate And Eastgate Basins, Nv Through Geologic Mapping And Sedimentary Provenance Analysis, Isabelle Bristol

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Performance Comparison Of Alternative Representations Of Traffic Volume In Safety Performance Functions For Rural Road Intersections, Unica Khadka

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

“Stop! In The Name Of Civility”: Testing The Effectiveness Of An Intervention To Reduce Workplace Incivility, Corey Grantham

Master's Theses

Workplace incivility is a common problem within organizations. Recent data estimates that 96% of the total workforce population in the United States has experienced incivility at one time or another. Individual targets of incivility face detrimental effects to their psychological and professional well-being. Workplace incivility also leads to poor outcomes for workgroups and for organizations as a whole. Results are mixed for the use of formal training programs to curb incivility in organizations. A workshop designed to train employees on behaving in a civil manner in the workplace, as well as how to respond to workplace incivility, was implemented across …

Using Google Translate To Prepare Discharge Instructions: Spanish-Speaking Patients With Limited English Proficiency In The Emergency Department, Alexis Cordone

Master's Theses

The purpose of this project is to evaluate whether Google Translate can be used to accurately translate discharge instructions from English to Spanish, and whether native speakers prefer translations provided by a certified interpreter or Google Translate upon leaving the Emergency Department. In order to study this question, 211 patient charts with discharge instructions in English were translated by a certified human interpreter and by Google Translate; then, those translations were analyzed by two independent reviewers who counted the number of errors in each translation. The human translations contained substantially less errors than those provided by Google Translate, and the …

Risk Factors For Attrition From A Pediatric Weight Management Program, Richika Makol

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Who Receives Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder?, Daniel Madden

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

La Marquise De Merteuil : Le Corps, Le Voile, L'Écriture, Clara Matet

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Malaria Related Issues In Western Uganda During A 9-Year Period Of Implementing Prevention Strategies, Natalie Moore

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.