Digital Commons Network^™

Crafting Autonomy: A Reevaluation Of The Pedestal In The Sculpture Of Arlene Shechet, Nicole Cherubini, And Francesca Dimattio, Sara Morris Morris

Master's Theses

New York-based contemporary artists Arlene Shechet, Nicole Cherubini, and Francesca DiMattio have each developed a sculptural style that integrates the pedestal within their sculptures. Primarily made from clay, unconventional craft materials, and commonplace objects, these sculptures formally and conceptually blur the lines between craft and fine art, décor and sculpture, as well as private and institutional space. With a renewed interest in craft and feminism, these artists test the material hierarchies that have historically determined the categorization of art inside institutional spaces. This study investigates how these sculptures gain autonomy when exhibited inside museums in light of contemporary theories on …

Simulation Of Laser Induced Thermal Damage In Nd:Yvo4 Crystals., Richie Nagi

Master's Theses

Neodymium-doped yttrium orthovanadate (Nd:YVO4) is a commonly used gain medium in Diode Pumped Solid State (DPSS) lasers, but high heat loading of Nd:YVO4 at high pump powers (> 5 W) leads to thermal distortions and crystal fracture, which limits the utility of Nd:YVO4 for high power applications. In this thesis, a Nd:YVO4 crystal suffered thermal damage during experiments for investigating the optical gain characteristics of the crystal. This thesis examines the thermal damage mechanisms in detail. Principally, laser induced melting, as well as laser induced thermal stress fracture were studied, all in the absence of stimulated emission in the crystal. …

A 3d Framework For Characterizing Microstructure Evolution Of Li-Ion Batteries, Jeffrey David Gelb

Master's Theses

Lithium-ion batteries are commonly found in many modern consumer devices, ranging from portable computers and mobile phones to hybrid- and fully-electric vehicles. While improving efficiencies and increasing reliabilities are of critical importance for increasing market adoption of the technology, research on these topics is, to date, largely restricted to empirical observations and computational simulations. In the present study, it is proposed to use the modern technique of X-ray microscopy to characterize a sample of commercial 18650 cylindrical Li-ion batteries in both their pristine and aged states. By coupling this approach with 3D and 4D data analysis techniques, the present study …

Simulated Annealing-Based Optimal Proportional-Integral-Derivative (Pid) Controller Design: A Case Study On Nonlinear Quadcopter Dynamics, Kristofer Kevin Nemirsky

Master's Theses

In this thesis, the history and evolution of rotor aircraft with simulated annealing-based PID application were reviewed and quadcopter dynamics are presented. The dynamics of a quadcopter were then modeled, analyzed, and linearized. A cascaded loop architecture with PID controllers was used to stabilize the plant dynamics, which was improved upon through the application of simulated annealing (SA). A Simulink model was developed to test the controllers and verify the functionality of the proposed control system design. In addition, the data that the Simulink model provided were compared with flight data to present the validity of derived dynamics as a …

A Parallel Processing And Diversified-Hidden-Gene-Based Genetic Algorithm Framework For Fuel-Optimal Trajectory Design For Interplanetary Spacecraft Missions, Dhathri Harsha Somavarapu

Master's Theses

This thesis proposes a new parallel computing genetic algorithm framework for designing fuel-optimal trajectories for interplanetary spacecraft missions. The framework can capture the deep search space of the problem with the use of a fixed chromosome structure and hidden-genes concept, can explore the diverse set of candidate solutions with the use of the adaptive and twin-space crowding techniques and, can execute on any high-performance computing (HPC) platform with the adoption of the portable message passing interface (MPI) standard. The algorithm is implemented in C++ with the use of the MPICH implementation of the MPI standard. The algorithm uses a patched-conic …

Using Recycled Water For Potable Reuse In Santa Clara County, Ca: High School Students' Knowledge And Acceptance, Nicholas Ronald Ajluni

Master's Theses

The drought-prone State of California has an ever increasing demand for water. Potable reuse provides a viable alternative water supply, but public attitudes, knowledge, and acceptance have limited implementation. This study investigated the knowledge and acceptance that high school students have towards potable reuse. Previous research has identified four critical factors that influence acceptance of potable reuse: 1) knowledge of the wastewater treatment process, 2) knowledge of local water supplies, 3) trust in local water resource managers, and 4) belief in the need for a new water supply. This study uses both quantitative and qualitative methods through a Likert-style survey …

Nocturnal Drying In Elevated Coastal Terrain Of Central California: A Fire Weather Perspective, Richard Bagley

Master's Theses

The second largest fire shelter deployment in U. S. history occurred during the Devil Fire in a remote and rugged region of the San Francisco Bay Area when relative humidity values abruptly dropped in the middle of the night, causing rapid fire growth. Nocturnal drying in the higher elevations along California’s central coast is a unique phenomenon that poses a great risk to firefighters. Single digit relative humidity with dew points below -25°C is not uncommon during summer nights in this region. In order to provide the firefighting community with knowledge of these hazardous conditions, an event criterion was established …

A Method For Detection Of Local Dimension In Point Cloud Data, Catherine Boersma

Master's Theses

We have invented a method that uses the mathematical idea of local homology to calculate the local dimension (one-dimensional, two-dimensional, mixed dimension of varying types) of an underlying object in two-dimensional space from a point cloud approximation.

Motivated by the need to find an efficient method for computing local homology, we define a new mathematical object -- the Local Complex, and some variations of this idea -- that we show to be exactly related to the Vietoris-Rips complex under some settings. This concept captures the essence of the local homology of point cloud data at any scale. We provide a …

Comparative Study Of Broadband Photometry Relations For Ultra-Diffuse And Normal Galaxies In The Coma Cluster, Maria Babakhanyan Stone

Master's Theses

Ultra-diffuse galaxies are a novel type of galaxies discovered first in the Coma cluster. These objects are characterized simultaneously by large sizes and by very low counts of constituent stars. Conflicting theories have been proposed to explain how these large diffuse galaxies could have survived in the harsh environment of clusters. To date, thousands of these new galaxies have been identified in cluster environments. However, further studies are required to understand their relationship to the known giant and dwarf classes of galaxies. The purpose of this study is to compare the trends of inner and outer populations of normal members …

Mobile Doppler Lidar Observations Of The Convective Boundary Layer Over California, Christopher Paul Camacho

Master's Theses

A series of transects using a truck-mounted Doppler LiDAR were conducted to obtain mobile vertical profiles of the backscatter intensity and radial velocity across California. Using the backscatter and velocity profiles, several techniques were used to estimate the depth of the convective boundary layer (CBL). The CBL was estimated from the backscatter profiles using three analyses: (1) the Haar wavelet covariance, (2) the variance, (3) the gradient. These analyses were compared to vertical velocity variance, which uses a specified threshold (0.15 m2 s-2) to determine CBL height. The accuracy of the backscatter analyses was heavily dependent on strong aerosol loading …

A Complete Study Of N,N’ Bis(1 Phenylpropyl) 2,6 Pyridinedicarboxamide, Victoria Y. Chang

Master's Theses

Biological systems are often chiral or involve chiral compounds, e.g. L amino acids, the neurotransmitter L epinephrine. In some cases, two enantiomers of a chiral drug will have different activities, and in extreme cases, one form is therapeutic while the other form is toxic. Therefore, the development of reliable molecular probes for biological applications and chiral sensing is an important area of study. The unique spectroscopic and coordination properties of some lanthanide ions (Ln3+) and their complexes make them suitable for use as molecular probes. Chiral ligand systems have been developed that can coordinate with lanthanide ions to form complexes …

Taxonomic Revision Of The Short Nose Chimaeras (Genus Hydrolagus) From The Southern African Region, Kristin Walovich

Master's Theses

Short-nose chimaeras are an enigmatic and understudied group of deep-sea Chondrichthyan fishes. To resolve decades of confusion and misidentification in the southern African region, morphometric and genetic data were utilized to resolve taxonomic confusion for the genus Hydrolagus. Nearly 100 chimaeroid specimens were examined from numerous national and international museum ichthyology collections. A series of 96 measurements per specimen were recorded and analyzed with multivariate statistics to determine differences among species. Tissue was collected from various southern African species for analysis of the mitochondrial gene NADH2. The resulting genetic information was compared to morphologically similar species and those within the …

The Perception Of Trust Between Athletic Trainers And Musical Performing Artists, Jenna Lea Chinburg

Master's Theses

Trust is a crucial element for a successful patient-clinician relationship. Athletic

trainers may care for musical performing artists who demonstrate unique needs compared

to traditional patients. In order to provide the best care, athletic trainers must establish a

basis of patient-centered care and build solid professional relationships with performers.

By improving overall patient-clinician relationship factors with respect to this population,

trust may be implemented and sustained. The purpose of the study was to determine

factors that established or diminished trust between drum corps members and their

athletic trainers. The study included 12 semi-structured interviews in which Drum Corps

International (DCI) …

Automated Classification To Improve The Efficiency Of Weeding Library Collections, Kiri Lou Wagstaff

Master's Theses

Studies have shown that library weeding (the selective removal of unused, worn, outdated, or irrelevant items) benefits patrons and increases circulation rates. However, the time required to review the collection and make weeding decisions presents a formidable obstacle. In this study, we empirically evaluated methods for automatically classifying weeding candidates. A data set containing 80,346 items from a large-scale academic library weeding project by Wesleyan University from 2011 to 2014 was used to train six machine learning classifiers to predict “Keep” or “Weed” for each candidate. We found statistically significant agreement (p = 0.001) between classifier predictions and librarian judgments …

A Qualitative Analysis Of A Team's Experience Of Coping With Bereavement After The Death Of A Head Coach, Matthew Paul Gonzalez

Master's Theses

The consequences of coping with death as an athlete have been documented in the literature by a variety of studies. However, these studies have remained largely focused on coping with the death of a teammate. This study examined the inter- and intrapersonal impact of experiencing the death of a head coach. Experiencing the death of a head coach during the season may have profound and varied psychosocial consequences for all members of a team. A collegiate team was identified as having experienced the death of its head coach during his tenure and from that team five participants (four players and …

Illegal Dumping As An Indicator For Community Social Disorganization And Crime, Amory Anne Brandt

Master's Theses

Illegal dumping of household waste in and around city streets results in many negative health, economic, and environmental effects. This goal of this study was to understand the systemic causes of illegal dumping within San José, California. Illegal dump sites were identified, quantified, characterized, and mapped within urban census block groups at a range of median family income levels. Results showed that commonly dumped debris types were furniture, and garbage. The most illegal dumping occurred within census block groups with low median family incomes, high percentages of non-English speaking individuals, and high percentages of renters. Factors such as social disorganization, …

Knight's Tours And Zeta Functions, Alfred James Brown

Master's Theses

Given an m × n chessboard, we get an associated graph by letting each square represent a vertex and by joining two vertices if there is a valid move by a knight between the corresponding squares. A knight’s tour is a sequence of moves in which the knight lands on every square exactly once, i.e., a Hamiltonian path on the associated graph. Knight’s tours have an interesting history. One interesting mistake regarding Knight’s Tours was made by the famous mathematician Euler. His mistake led to the further study of knight’s tours on 3 × n chessboards. We will explore and …

An Analysis Of The Attitudes Of Undergraduate Theology Majors Towards Members Of The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Community, Jephet Williams

Master's Theses

Problem and Purpose

Research has identified students’ attitudes towards the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community as being determined partly by the students’ understanding of gender identity, and partly by a further mixture of variables that include religiosity, gender, and ethnicity. Most of this previous research has been undertaken in either secular or non-Adventist settings. This present study examines attitudes of undergraduate theology majors at two Adventist universities in North America and the Caribbean.

Method

A Likert Scale was constructed consisting of eight questions geared to elicit attitudes across a number of areas. Sixty-three students completed the questionnaire. Participating students …

Review Of Punishment In Popular Culture By Charles Ogletree Jr. & Austin Sarat, Eds., Jessica Silbey

Faculty Scholarship

The editors of Punishment in Popular Culture remind us that "through practices of punishment ... cultural boundaries are drawn, that solidarity is created through acts of marking difference between self and other, that these processes proceed through disidentification as much as imagined connection." (p. 2) This is no doubt true about the organization, justification and reception of various forms of punishment in society. It is no less true about the creation and cultivation of popular cultural forms of entertainment such as television and film. To be sure, punishment acts directly on bodies. And cultural forms-visual or texual stories about punishment …

Review Of What's Wrong With Copying? By Abraham Drassinower, Jessica Silbey

Faculty Scholarship

There are several radical aspects of Abraham Drassinower’s book WHAT’S WRONG WITH COPYING? One is that he shoves to the side the question of copyright incentives and the economic theory of intellectual property law, both long-standing starting points for copyright theory and doctrine. Drassinower makes no intellectual apologies for this sidelining and justifies it by the second radical aspect of his book: he claims to be exploring copyright law on its own terms, not on terms from outside copyright (economics or behavioral incentives) but from internal to copyright law as written and developed since the Statute of Anne.1 This he …

Review Of Bind Us Apart: How Enlightened Americans Invented Racial Segregation By Nicholas Guyatt, Robert L. Tsai

Faculty Scholarship

Legal historian Nicholas Guyatt argues in "Bind Us Apart: How Enlightened Americans Invented Racial Segregation" (Basic 2016), that racial segregation was created not by enemies of equality but rather by friends of equality in order to establish practical limits on their disruptive ideas. Drawing on rich sources, he says liberals pursued separationist policies not only to manage the social experience of slaves and former slaves, but also native peoples. Here I make the following points: (1) Guyatt doesn't distinguish between temporary, strategic resort to segregation from deeper philosophical commitments to segregation; (2) juxtaposing the plight of African slaves in America …

Fidelity To Our Imperfect Constitution: A Response To Five Views, James E. Fleming

Faculty Scholarship

In my recent book, Fidelity to Our Imperfect Constitution, I put forward a sustained critique of originalism in all its forms and defend what Ronald Dworkin called a "moral reading" of the U. S. Constitution and what Sotirios A. Barber and I have called a "philosophic approach" to constitutional interpretation. In this essay for the UNAM symposium on the book, I reply to five thoughtful commentaries. First, as against Barber's commentary, I justify responding to the "persistent resurgence of originalism" and attempting to "save the new originalists from themselves" by showing the extent to which many of them acknowledge …

Incentives, Lies, And Disclosure, Christopher Robertson, D. Alex Winkelman

Faculty Scholarship

Prosecutors can force witnesses to testify and use perjury prosecutions to hold them to the provable truth. More controversially, prosecutors also offer witnesses inducements for favorable testimony, including leniency, immunity, and even cash. This ubiquitous behavior would be illegal as witness bribery, except for a longstanding tradition of sovereigns using this power, which legal doctrine now reflects. A causal analysis shows that even if prosecutors use this power only in good faith, these inducements undermine the epistemic value of witness testimony.

Due process requires, and legal doctrine assumes, that when such inducements are disclosed to the jury, they will discount …

Time Is Money: An Empirical Assessment Of Non-Economic Damages Arguments, John Campbell, Bernard Chao, Christopher Robertson

Faculty Scholarship

Non-economic damages (pain and suffering) are the most significant and variable components of liability. Our survey of 51 U.S. jurisdictions shows wide heterogeneity in whether attorneys may quantify damages as time-units of suffering (“per diem”) or demand a specific amount (“lump sum”). Either sort of large number could exploit an irrational anchoring effect.

We performed a realistic online, video-based experiment with 732 human subjects. We replicate prior work showing that large lump sum demands drive larger jury verdicts, but surprisingly find no effect of similarly-sized per diem anchors. We do find per diem effects on binary liability outcomes, and thus …

Income Taxation And Asset Valuation (Ii) The Value Of Preferential Taxation, Theodore S. Sims

Faculty Scholarship

The predecessor to this Article explored the properties of an income tax that uses economic depreciation in measuring capital income. This Article investigates some fundamental properties of an income tax that does not. The predecessor illuminated the equivalence between economic depreciation and accrual taxation, and highlighted the insight, due to Paul Samuelson, that either produces asset values that are independent of their holders' marginal rates, even in a system with graduated rates (and even if those rates vary over time). The current Article explores in qualitative terms the value of "preferential" departures from valuation-neutral taxation.

The Future Of Law As A Profession, Nancy J. Moore

Faculty Scholarship

For far too many years, lawyers and commentators have debated whether law is a profession or merely a business. The so-called business-profession dichotomy is somewhat of a misnomer. For many, maybe most lawyers, law is clearly a business in the sense that these lawyers seek to maximize their individual wealth as much (or as little) as other business persons. More importantly perhaps, lawyers in private practice widely acknowledge that adopting improved business practices is critical to providing competent legal services. The question remains however, whether, unlike some other commercial occupations, law is also a profession and if so, what is …

Agency Imprimatur & Health Reform Preemption, Elizabeth Mccuskey

Faculty Scholarship

At this moment, there exists nearly unanimous agreement that the American health care system requires reform, but also vehement disagreements over what form regulation should take and who should be in charge of regulating—state or federal authorities. Preemption doctrine typically referees disputes between federal and state regulatory efforts, but it also exacerbates them. There exists nearly as unanimous opinion that preemption doctrine in health law is a mess. This Article identifies an inventive structure that may help defuse some preemption problems in health reform.

The Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) individual and employer mandates, health insurance exchanges, and insurance coverage standards …

Amicus Curaie, Submitted Susan Akram, Susan M. Akram

Faculty Scholarship

Summary of Argument

Palestinian refugees fall under a legal regime that is distinct from all other refugees in the world. As such, they are covered by a series of special provisions that apply only to them and no other refugees. Their special status resulted from the decisions of the drafters of key international treaties to exclude Palestinian refugees from the mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the 1954 Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons, and to conditionally exclude them from the benefits of the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees.

Three main reasons …

Recognizing Women's Rights At Work: Health And Women Workers In Global Supply Chains, Erika R. George, Candace D. Gibson, Rebecca Sewall, David Wofford

Faculty Scholarship

The Guiding Principles mandate that businesses respect the human fights enshrined in the International Bill of Human Rights and in the International Labour Organization (ILO)'s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Due diligence processes and risk impact assessments are the main recommended means for ensuring compliance with companies' commitments to respect international human fights. Because OSH as a conceptual framework and regulatory order is not sufficient to identify the risk of health fights violations to women workers, we argue companies should not anchor their due diligence and risk assessment in OSH conventions and settle for a check-the-box solution …

Imagining Equity And Inclusion: South Africa's International Economic Politics And Reflections On The Writings Of Justice Dikgang Moseneke, Erika George

Faculty Scholarship

In honour of Justice Dikgang Moseneke, this essay takes up his invitation to imagine an ethos consistent with South African Constitutionalism, one which could promote economic justice. This essay explores how the tools of international economic law as utilised by South Africa could serve as a means of transformation to advance the end of a more inclusive economic globalisation. South Africa's trade policies and participation in international business and human rights policy initiatives are offered as illustrations of a shift towards asserting interests aligned with the country's constitutional economic justice commitments. First, emphasising Justice Moseneke's writings outside of his rulings …