Digital Commons Network^™

A Feminist Epistemological Framework: Preventing Knowledge Distortions In Scientific Inquiry, Karina Bucciarelli

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis explores how scientific knowledge claims can become distorted due to socially constructed conceptions of gender. Further, it delves into the key components of an epistemological framework that will minimize these distortions.

To set up the analysis, I first explore how ‘traditional’ scientific explanations of human fertilization map stereotypes of the passive female and the active male onto the scientific participation of the egg and the sperm in human reproduction, thus rendering this knowledge claim problematic. We then turn to arguments presented by prominent feminist epistemologists. I argue that in order to produce knowledge claims free of distortions due …

Written In Bone: Damage Patterns In Agonopsis Vulsa Armor, Morgan Stewart

Scripps Senior Theses

Naturally occurring armor has evolved in many different classes of organisms, often in response to predation, although other factors may play a part. In this study, the scales of the benthic armored fish Agonopsis vulsa were examined for damage patterns in order to illuminate the life history and environmental interactions of the fish. Scales from the fish were systematically destroyed in the lab, and observations made from the damaged scales were used to create a categorical damage rating, which was applied to 34 specimens ranging in trunk length from 2.3 cm to 14.2 cm. The specimens were rendered as three-dimensional …

Deep Learning Of Human Apparent Age For The Detection Of Sexually Exploitative Imagery Of Children, Jared Rondeau

Open Access Master's Theses

Over the last decade, advancements in deep learning and computer vision have led to a tremendous growth in performance at the tasks of automated human age estimation and nudity detection. Modern machine learning models can predict whether or not an image contains nudity or the presence of a minor with startling accuracy. When used in conjunction, these technological advancements can be used to identify new instances of child pornography without ever coming into contact with the illicit material during model training.

In this thesis, a label distribution learning framework for modeling human apparent age is proposed. Instead of directly modeling …

Platform For Hadal Autonomy And General Experimentation (Phage), Lillian Muir

Open Access Master's Theses

Due to the harsh environment and inaccessibility of the deep-sea, most oceanographic equipment is rated to sample above the hadal region (6000 meters and below). A few deep-sea landers and piloted vehicles have ventured into deep ocean trenches to sample at the ocean floor, but the hadal water column remains under-sampled. A full ocean depth profile and hadal samples can provide information on ocean circulation, deep-water mixing, trench overturning rates, and the ocean environment.

The Platform for Hadal Autonomy and General Experimentation (PHAGE) is a full ocean depth profiler rated to 11 km. Designed around a 24 bottle CTD rosette, …

Assessing The Feasibility Of Intergrating An Inertial Navigation System And Dvl Into An A-Sized Auv, Anthony Scudere

Open Access Master's Theses

This work accesses the feasibility of integrating an inertial navigation system (INS) and Doppler Velocity Logger (DVL) into an A-size AUV that is 4.875” in diameter. The mechanical integration solution developed during this effort focused on developing a low size, weight, power, and cost (i.e. low SWaP-C) navigation module for the Bluefin SandShark. Unlike other approaches currently pursuing this same navigation problem, including those attempting novel acoustic based tracking or novel hydrodynamic model based navigation, this effort, instead, integrated a novel navigational software system developed by Charles River Analytics, called CAMINO, into the available internal volume of an A-size …

A Pilot Qualitative Evaluation: Youth Perception On Plastic Straws Before And After Education Intervention, Elizabeth Smith

Open Access Master's Theses

The objective of this work was to conduct a qualitative pilot study investigating the change in youth perceptions of single-use plastic straws before and after an educational intervention. To achieve this goal six female students, ranging from 12 to 14 years old, were interviewed on their knowledge about single-use plastic straws, their frequency of use, and their general understanding of current environmental issues. They were then shown two educational videos pertaining to the history of single-use plastic straws and their current usage status. After one week students were interviewed again and asked questions to reflect on the information shown to …

Damn Spot: Navigating Emotional Trauma In The Body, Emma M. Elliott

Scripps Senior Theses

I researched the history of emotional trauma and its portrayal in modern media and Shakespearean plays and created a film based on my personal experience with the topic. This film utilizes Shakespearean song and monologue from Hamlet and Macbeth to narrate the inner journey of a girl working through emotional trauma. We follow her as she feels the impact of her trauma in her body and as she tries to hide it from her friends and maintain a normal facade. This film does contain a fictionalized portrayal of an anxiety attack, so viewer discretion is advised. This project does not …

New Technology, Old Ways? The Gender Price Discount In Online Contemporary Art Auctions, Madeleine Peterson

Scripps Senior Theses

There is evidence there is a global gender price gap in traditional global art auctions. Taking into account recent technological advances in the secondary art market, this study examines if there is a gender gap for the sale prices of female artists’ work in the contemporary, online art auction market. The analysis uses a unique data set of art works sold in Christie’s Online-Only Auctions for the year of 2018. We regress measures of price on gender and controls for various characteristics of the art work and artist. We find that while there is discount in prices of 17% for …

Doggone Smart: A Canine-Assisted Reading Program And The Effect On Self-Efficacy And Standardized Test Scores, Valerie Daifotis

Scripps Senior Theses

The use of dogs in a reading program is not a new concept. However, this study addresses the gap in the literature by exploring the connection between reading to dogs, reading self-efficacy, and reading standardized test scores. Using an experimental control group design, this study will look at below-average readers in the fifth grade with half randomly assigned to read once a week to a certified therapy dog and volunteer and the other half randomly assigned to read to just an adult volunteer with no dog. This study will use a reading self-efficacy questionnaire (Carroll & Fox, 2017) and the …

Shizen Nōhō: Restoring The Relationship Between Food, Nature, And People In Japan, Katharine Graham

Scripps Senior Theses

In Japan’s postwar era, agriculture has become highly industrialized, involving heavy machinery, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides, all in the name of “progress.” Through employing such practices, humans have attempted to improve upon nature’s way of doing things, and in turn have degraded the soil’s fertility, natural ecosystems, and human health. In response to this, Shizen Nōhō has emerged in Japan as an alternative way of cultivating food. Shizen Nōhō practitioners challenge the notion that we need chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and machinery to farm successfully. Rather, they advocate for a way of growing food that functions seamlessly with natural ecosystems. This …

Evidence-Based Probiotic Intervention For Behavioral And Social Deficits In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Allisen To

Scripps Senior Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) refers to a heterogeneous neurological condition characterized by repetitive and restrictive behaviors and social communication deficits. ASD diagnoses are at a record high, at approximately 1 in 59 children according to the US Center for Disease Control. Currently, there are no available interventions that effectively treat the core symptoms of ASD. All pharmaceutical options address comorbid side effects of ASD but not core deficits and are particularly associated with negative side effects. Additionally, there are economic and geographic barriers that can prevent families of individuals with ASD from seeking or receiving effective interventions. Many of the …

Cooperative Success Under Shared Cognitive States And Valuations, Shannon Marie Klotz

Scripps Senior Theses

A mental model of the another person’s state of mind including their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, otherwise known as Theory of Mind (ToM), can be created to better predict their behavior and optimize our own decisions. These representations can be explicitly modeled during both the development and presence of stable cooperation via communication outcomes, allowing us to understand the sophistication or depth of mental coordination, involved in an individual’s social perception and reasoning. Almost all current scientific studies of ToM take a spectatorial approach, relying on observation followed by evaluation (e.g., the Sally-Anne Task). However given evidence that social cognition …

Taking Stock Of The Benefit Corporation, Ronald J. Colombo

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

Almost a decade ago, the “benefit corporation” made its first appearance on American soil. Its supporters proclaimed that this would usher in a new era of corporate social responsibility. Its detractors complained, among other things, that the Benefit Corporation would facilitate managerial abuses that corporate law had worked so hard to curb. After nearly ten years of experience with the benefit corporation, who was the more accurate prognosticator? Moreover, has the benefit corporation given rise to developments, whether beneficial or negative, that were not expected or foreseen?

This article traces the history of the benefit corporation, with a focus on …

Tinder Lies, Irina D. Manta

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

The rise of Internet dating—in recent years especially through the use of mobile-based apps such as Tinder or Bumble—forces us to reexamine an old problem in the law: how to handle sexual fraud. Many people with romantic aspirations today meet individuals with whom they do not share friends or acquaintances, which allows predators to spin tales as to their true identities and engage in sexual relations through the use of deceit on a greater scale than was previously practicable. Indeed, according to some studies, about eighty percent of individuals lie on at least some part of their online dating profiles, …

A Pluralistic Approach To Mediation Ethics: Delivering On Mediation's Different Promises, Robert A. Baruch Bush

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

The article explores a pluralistic approach to mediator ethics by examining a hypothetical case involving a classic dilemma confronted by practicing facilitative and transformative mediators. In the case, a divorced couple fight over full custody of their 11-year-old daughter. Also cited are the dilemma confronting the mediator as s/he is against the agreement reached by the couple, the nature of ethical dilemma, as well as the mediation codes and models.

The Need For Peer Mentoring Programs Linked To The Legal Writing Class: An Analysis And Proposed Model, Amy R. Stein

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Giving The Treaty A Purpose: Comparing The Durability Of Treaties And Executive Agreements, Julian Nyarko

Ira M. Millstein Center for Global Markets and Corporate Ownership

Scholars have argued that Senate-approved treaties are becoming increasingly irrelevant in the United States, because their role can be fulfilled by their close but less politically costly cousin, the congressional-executive agreement. This study demonstrates that treaties are more durable than congressional-executive agreements, supporting the view that there are qualitative differences between the two instruments. Abandoning the treaty may therefore lead to unintended consequences by decreasing the tools that the executive has available to design optimal agreements.

The Limits Of Smart Contracts, Jens Frankenreiter

Ira M. Millstein Center for Global Markets and Corporate Ownership

This essay investigates the potential of smart contracts to replace the legal system as an infrastructure for transactions. It argues that (contract) law remains relevant for most transactions even if they are entirely structured by way of smart contract. The reason for this is that the power of smart contracts to create and enforce obligations against attempts by the legal system to thwart their execution is limited. These limitations are most relevant for obligations to perform certain actions outside the blockchain, but also apply to other obligations contingent on facts outside the records stored on the blockchain.

Age Grading An. Gambiae And An. Arabiensis Using Near Infrared Spectra And Artificial Neural Networks, Masabho Peter Milali, Maggy T. Sikulu-Lord, Samson S. Kiware, Floyd E. Dowell, George F. Corliss, Richard J. Povinelli

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is currently complementing techniques to age-grade mosquitoes. NIRS classifies lab-reared and semi-field raised mosquitoes into < or ≥ 7 days old with an average accuracy of 80%, achieved by training a regression model using partial least squares (PLS) and interpreted as a binary classifier.

Methods and findings

We explore whether using an artificial neural network (ANN) analysis instead of PLS regression improves the current accuracy of NIRS models for age-grading malaria transmitting mosquitoes. We also explore if directly training a binary classifier instead of training a regression model and interpreting it as a binary classifier improves the accuracy. A total of 786 and 870 NIR spectra collected from laboratory reared An. gambiae and An. arabiensis, respectively, were used and pre-processed according …

Attitudes Toward Using And Teaching Confidence Intervals: A Latent Profile Analysis On Elementary Statistics Instructors, Hyung Won Kim, Woo Jin Kim, Aaron T. Wilson, Ho Kyoung Ko

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

The use of confidence intervals (CIs) for making a statistical inference is gaining popularity in research communities. To evaluate college statistics instructors’ readiness to teach CIs, this study explores their attitudes toward teaching CIs in elementary statistics courses, and toward using CIs in inferential statistics. Data were collected with a survey that classifies instructors’ attitudes on the basis of three previously established pedagogical components: affective, cognitive, and behavioral. Based on the survey responses from 270 participants, we created three profiles (subgroups) via latent profile analysis, and identified each profile’s pattern of attitudes toward CIs and common characteristics of the instructors …

Functionalism And The Infield Fly Rule, Mark A. Graber

FIU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Training Peer Tutors: An Evaluation Of Best Practices In Speaking Centers, Rachel Sieczkowski

Open Access Master's Theses

As an article published in the 2015 issue of the Communication Center Journal points out, "it would be useful to assess the different ways in which those [NACC Tutor Training Certification] guidelines might be implemented, and what variables should be considered in different contexts" (Turner, p. 5). The same article asks the question "how can we determine and improve the effectiveness of our training of tutors" (Turner, p.5). While not required, the National Association of Communication Centers (NACC) has a process in place to certify tutor training programs, but the application form is unclear in its definitions. This study aims …

The Influence Of Plastic Bag Bans On Pro-Environmental Behaviors In Rhode Island Coastal Communities, Eva Touhey

Open Access Master's Theses

One of the greatest threats to the natural environment is marine debris pollution. Single-use plastics, one of many contributors to marine debris, are causing the greatest harm, affecting the well-being of humans and animals. In an effort to mitigate plastic pollution, environmental policies are implemented to reduce the availability of single-use plastic products to the consumer. This research looks explicitly at single-use plastic bag policies to see if implemented plastic bag bans promote pro-environmental behaviors and broader support for plastic bag policies. This study sampled two communities in Rhode Island, one with a single-use plastic bag ban, Middletown, and one …

Transformational Leadership Theory And The Characteristics Of Holistic Coaching In Sports, Evan Flanagan

Open Access Master's Theses

For this study I developed two hypotheses. The first is that the four characteristics of Transformational Leadership Theory represent a guideline for holistic coaching in sports because as of now, there is only a definition of holistic coaching, not a set of characteristics. These characteristics of Transformational Leadership Theory are Individualized Consideration, Intellectual Stimulation, Inspirational Motivation, and Idealized Influence. The second hypothesis, that Transformational Leadership would relate more to holistic coaching than Transactional Leadership. In order to do this, I surveyed 25 athletes from various athletic teams at the University of Rhode Island. I also interviewed five coaches of various …

Coastal Zone Access And The Pell Elementary School Sail Newport Program: Experiential Education Outcomes In Newport, Rhode Island, Leah Feldman

Open Access Master's Theses

Newport, Rhode Island is a diverse community. Although there is a population of very wealthy households in Newport, roughly 11% of the population lives below the poverty line. Newport is one of the more demographically diverse communities in Rhode Island, with 49.7% of its populous identifying as white, 27.1% identifying as black, and 18.2% identifying as Hispanic. The state of Rhode Island consists of 81% white, 6.5% African American and 5.8% other races and ethnicities. In this thesis I discuss the effects of a place-based experiential environmental education program, the Pell Elementary School Sail Newport Program, on this diverse demographic …

Plastic Perceptions: Surveying Public Opinion Of Plastic Pollution In Rhode Island, Sabrina Pereira

Open Access Master's Theses

This research surveyed 200 coastal and noncoastal Rhode Island residents to determine their perceptions of marine plastic debris and their support for plastic and paper bag legislation. The results suggest that one’s residency, or geographic distance from the coast, has no bearing on plastic and paper bag policy support and that most participants, 77%, classify plastic pollution as a serious threat to various types of wildlife, the marine environment, human health, and Rhode Island’s economy. The data also seems to suggest support for a statewide plastic bag ban and a statewide fee of 10 cents on paper bags as a …

The Role Of Ethnic/Racial Classroom Dynamics In The Learning Environment And Mathematics Achievement, Christina Stephens

Open Access Master's Theses

In the U.S., ethnic and racial disparities in education persist throughout K-12 education. Empirical research has linked classroom ethnic/racial structures and achievement, and the learning environment and achievement. However, few studies have considered the complex manner in which ethnicity/race may interact with the learning environment and its relation to student success across diverse groups. The current study investigated the role that ethnic/racial congruence between the student, teacher, and classroom could have on the learning environment and mathematics achievement. A multilevel regression approach examined if these factors predicted academic achievement. Secondary data were from The National Center for Teacher Effectiveness, collected …

Ugv Direction Control By Human Arm Gesture Recognition Via Deterministic Learning, Xiaotian Chen

Open Access Master's Theses

With the recent development of machine learning and neural networks, different applications have been developed to improve the intelligence of unmanned robotic systems. In this thesis, we present a novel method for controlling an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) by using a new machine learning technique, called deterministic learning [1], to learn and recognize four specifically designed body language, which represent four corresponding moving directions (i.e., left, right, up, and down) of the controlled UGV. The Microsoft Kinect sensor is employed to collect the human body skeleton data, including (x, y, z) coordinates of the human arm …

Effects Of Incorporating Inertial Measurements On The Localization Accuracy Of The Seaglider Auv, Wendy Snyder

Open Access Master's Theses

The Kongsberg Seaglider M1 is a commercially available autonomous under- water vehicle (AUV) primarily used as a platform for oceanographic measurements of salinity, temperature, and oxygen. The Seaglider currently uses two different dead-reckoned solutions, the glide slope model (GSM) and the hydrodynamic model (HDM), to provide a localization solution for each dive. While the accuracy of these solutions was not previously known explicitly, for the purposes of oceanographic profiling they were generally deemed sufficient. As the platform matures, there has been a growing interest in expanding its application and measurement capabilities. With some of the desired new applications, such as …

Polyethylene Passive Sampler Method Development For Fluorotelomer Alcohols And Other Neutral Perfluorinated Alkyl Substances, Erik R. Dixon-Anderson

Open Access Master's Theses

Fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) and other poly- and per-fluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) are common and ubiquitous by-products of various industrial telomerization processes. This class of volatile and semi-volatile compounds has been shown to degrade into a wide variety of perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), persistent organic pollutants. Recent atmospheric studies have shown fluorotelomer alcohols and their degradation products present in high concentrations spreading out from point sources in North America, Europe, and Asia. This study developed a method for measuring fluorotelomer alcohols through the use of polyethylene (PE) passive samplers coupled to their analysis …