Digital Commons Network^™

Dna Methylation Methods For Donor Age Prediction Using Touch Dna, Emily Neverett

Master's Theses

The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimated over 30 million individuals fall victim to human trafficking each year, of which, 50% are children below the age of 16. In 2012, the ILO reported there to be 168 million child laborers worldwide, with many trafficked into hazardous conditions to manufacture consumer products that are sold in developed countries. This is a modern form of slavery with poor working conditions, no access to education, and low wages. The hidden nature of this crime, however, makes it extremely difficult to identify and locate victims of forced child labor, and thus making it challenging to …

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 …

Effects Of Exercise Training On The Blood Lactate Response To Acute Exercise In Cancer Survivors, Arjun Ramani

Master's Theses

Otto Warburg, a German physiologist, deduced that cancer cells exhibit a remarkably different metabolic profile in comparison to normal healthy cells characterized by increased rates of glycolysis and lactate fermentation, even in the presence of adequate oxygen content. Through the respective gain of function/loss of function of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, three major genes emerge as hallmarks of carcinogenic metabolic reconfiguration; HIF-1a, c-Myc oncogenes, and p53 tumor-suppressor genes. A result of their respective gain/loss of function are the upregulation of several glycolytic proteins and subsequent high rates of glucose influx into the tumor microenvironment, as well as lactate production, …

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 …

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 …

A Framework To Analyze Energy Efficiency Of Multi-Band Spectrum Sensing Algorithms, Jay Bhadresh Patel

Master's Theses

Cognitive radio (CR) is a device which can detect wireless communication channels that are not in use and adapt its parameters intelligently. Networks with CRs use the available frequency bands much more efficiently and hence have higher data rates compare to traditional radios. Spectrum sensing is the class of techniques used by CRs to understand its wireless environment. Recent research on evaluating multi-band spectrum sensing algorithms is limited to only algorithm complexity and optimization; therefore, the primary goal of the study is to devise a novel framework that analyzes a multi-band spectrum sensing algorithm in terms of energy consumption and …

The Relationship Between Remote Work And Job Satisfaction: The Mediating Roles Of Perceived Autonomy, Work-Family Conflict, And Telecommuting Intensity, Marie Antoinette Schall

Master's Theses

The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between remote work and job satisfaction levels of employees in the workplace. Additionally, the variables perceived autonomy, work-family conflict, and telecommuting intensity were investigated as mediators. A total of 185 employees participated in the study, which utilized an online survey. Results showed that remote work had a positive relationship with job satisfaction. Perceived autonomy, work-family conflict, and telecommuting intensity each mediated the relationship between remote work and job satisfaction. An inverted u-shaped curvilinear relationship between the extent of working remotely (telecommuting intensity) and job satisfaction was not found and …

Exploring The Gamification Paradox: Why Does Improved Engagement Not Lead To Improved Performance?, Katarzyna Maria Sliwinska

Master's Theses

Gamification is the application of game elements to non-game environments (Deterding, 2012), and is often used to engage people and make their experiences more enjoyable in areas ranging from fitness and education to psychological research. Previous studies have shown that adding gamification to new environments can result in increased motivation (Hamari, Koivisto, & Sarsa, 2014). However, increased motivation from gamification does not seem to increase performance in terms of accuracy or response times (Hawkins et al., 2013). This research study examined this “gamification paradox” by testing the performance of 87 participants on a visual search task both with and without …

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 …

Magnesium-Rich Phyllosilicates In Creeping Faults: A Study Of The Maacama Fault Zone, Mendocino County, California, Brittany M. Martin

Master's Theses

The Maacama Fault Zone in Mendocino County, California consists of multiple fault gouges with varying mineralogy, making this an ideal location to study the potential relationship between the magnesium phyllosilicate content of a fault gouge and fault creep. This study uses the presence of magnesium-rich phyllosilicates to test the hypothesis that faults to the northeast of Little Lake Valley in Mendocino County are accommodating strain on the Maacama Fault Zone through creep. Analytical work expands the work of Schroeder (2010) to more completely address the relationship between fault creep and mineralogy by sampling three fault gouges in the Maacama Fault …

Deformation, Sandstone Detrital Zircon Ages, And Provenance In And Near The Eocene Leavenworth Fault Zone, Washington, Francesca Isabella Senes

Master's Theses

The North Cascades is an excellent area to study basins and strike-slip faults that formed during regional transtension. This structural, petrographic, and U-Pb geochronological study focuses on the Eocene Leavenworth fault (LVF), which separates Eocene non-marine clastic rocks of the Chumstick Formation and older Swauk Formation. The LVF has been interpreted as a dextral strike-slip fault active during Chumstick deposition and as a reverse fault. Poles to beds (n=207) in the Swauk Formation trend WNW, oblique to the ~320˚-striking LVF, and commonly dip SSW, defining a girdle and a fold axis plunging 4˚ toward 297˚. Beds (n=50) in the Chumstick …

Detection Of Larval Aggregations Using A Drone Mounted Thermal Imaging Camera, Megan Descalzi

Master's Theses

When a body’s temperature reaches ambient temperature after death, remote detection of the body can become difficult. At this point, useful search tactics include the use of cadaver dogs, search parties and aerial imaging devices, all of which can be costly and time-consuming for every day law enforcement use. This study investigated the potential of a novel search technique in which a small, unmanned aerial system (drone) mounted with a forward-looking infrared radar (FLIR) was utilized to detect decomposing animal carcasses via the heat generated by associated Diptera larval aggregations. Hot water baths were utilized as analogs for larval aggregations …

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 …

Macrobenthos Responses To Dam Removal And Habitat Restoration In The West River, Connecticut, Robert W. Sheridan

Master's Theses

Dam removal is being increasingly used nationwide to restore impaired rivers and streams. While dam removals are becoming more prevalent, little is known about whether these efforts create conditions for the enhancement and or establishment of desired biota.

Ongoing monitoring of these projects is an important step in the restoration process to ensure project goals are being met and the restoration has been successful.

This thesis focuses on the Pond Lily Dam removal and restoration which took place in October 2015 along the West River in New Haven Connecticut that removed an aging mill dam with the objective of restoring …

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 …

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. …

Effects Of Bio-Composites In Corrugated Sandwich Panels Under Edgewise Compression Loading, Jalen Christopher Mano

Master's Theses

Present day composite sandwich panels provide incredible strength. Their largest problem, however, is early bonding failure between the core and the skin. This is due to the low bonding surface area of present cores like honeycomb. Corrugated structures could provide a remedy for this with their much larger bonding surface area. Corrugated structures have extreme mechanical properties deeming them particularly useful in aerospace and automotive applications. However, previous research has shown that the stiffness of carbon fiber causes debonding and drastic failure when used as both a core and a skin. Bio-composites have properties that could strengthen the corrugated sandwich …

Tropicalization Of Canonical Curves, Adhitya Saran Mohan

Master's Theses

A fundamental result in the classification of nonsingular projective curves is the canonical embedding. Our goal is to investigate how this canonical embedding interacts with the process of tropicalization. We first give an overview of classical algebraic geometry, beginning with affine varieties. We highlight several important tools used for the construction of maps from algebraic varieties to projective space, namely divisors and differentials, extracting the main properties necessary for the canonical embedding. For illustration, we explicitly describe the image of a certain genus six curve under the canonical embedding. We then transition to tropical geometry, with a brief overview of …

Comparison Of Lqr And Lqr-Mrac For Linear Tractor-Trailer Model, Kevin Richard Gasik

Master's Theses

The United States trucking industry is immense. Employing over three million drivers and traveling to every city in the country. Semi-Trucks travel millions of miles each week and encompass roads that civilians travel on. These vehicles should be safe and allow efficient travel for all. Autonomous vehicles have been discussed in controls for many decades. Now fleets of autonomous vehicles are beginning their integration into society. The ability to create an autonomous system requires domain and system specific knowledge. Approaches to implement a fully autonomous vehicle have been developed using different techniques in control systems such as Kalman Filters, Neural …

The Life History Of The Southern Lanternshark, Etmopterus Granulosus, From The Southwestern Indian Ocean, Melissa Nehmens

Master's Theses

The Southern Lanternshark, Etmopterus granulosus, is a deep-sea shark that associates with seamounts and ridges between 220-1500 m throughout the southern oceans. Though not a targeted species, it is frequently incidentally caught in several fisheries, and comprises the highest amount of bycatch by number in the Orange Roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus) fishery in the Southwestern Indian Ocean. Despite how frequently this species is encountered, surprisingly little is known about it beyond basic biology. The lack of life history information is partially attributed to the difficulty in obtaining samples and is compounded by a lack of methods to appropriately assess traditional life …

The Effect Of Porosity On Mechanical Properties Of Fused Deposition Manufactured Polymers And Composites, Eric Heartly Anderson

Master's Theses

Additive manufacturing has seen sustained growth in both consumer and industrial areas. fused deposition manufacturing (FDM), a specific additive manufacturing technology, has seen increased sales in consumer markets. In order to maintain growth, FDM will be increasingly used for load-bearing applications. However, the mechanical reliability of FDM polymers and composites is not well understood. This can be dangerous to property and safety. Presented in this paper are more than 16 distinct populations comprised of at least 23 unique tensile tests, a total of 506 tensile tests. Weibull statistics were used to quantify variance in physical properties of FDMed materials. It …

The Effect Of Precipitation On Copy Number Of Nitrogenase Gene Nifh In Soil Bacteria In The Mojave Desert, Christy Armstrong

Master's Theses

Animals, plants, and microbes all rely on nitrogen to be readily available to build amino acids. The earth’s atmosphere is made of 78% nitrogen gas, but this molecule has a strong triple bond that prevents many species from utilizing it directly. Nitrogen fixation must occur in order for individuals to incorporate this nitrogen into their genome. The Mojave Desert is the most arid region in North America, averaging 3.5 inches of rain annually at its lowest elevation. Despite the extreme arid conditions, many species are supported in the region, all of which must rely on some form of nitrogen. This …

Leadership Style As A Moderator Of The Relationships Between Role Stressors And Organizational Commitment, Tanya Chellani

Master's Theses

The purpose of the present study was to examine the moderating effect of leadership style on the relationships between role stressors and organizational commitment. The study hypothesized that negative relationships between role conflict and role ambiguity and both affective and normative commitment would be weaker for employees who perceived their supervisors as relationship-oriented rather than task-oriented. Furthermore, the study explored the direct relationship between role stressors and continuance commitment, along with the moderating effect of leadership style on this relationship. Responses to an online survey from 126 employees were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression. Results showed that leadership style did …

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 …