Digital Commons Network^™

Validation Of Shoulder Strain Index, Fabiha Islam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) of shoulder are one of the most frequent and major causes of morbidity and pain among full-time workers in the USA. In 2018, shoulder disorders were the most severe type of MSDs in terms of lost workdays. Recent epidemiological studies have identified several biomechanical, organizational, and psychological factors that increase the risk of shoulder MSDs. Though multiple biomechanical studies have evaluated physical causal factors of shoulder MSDs with a goal of risk mitigation, literature lacks a standardized risk assessment tool. The main objective of this study was to validate a previously developed shoulder strain index. The strain …

Identical Twins As A Facial Similarity Benchmark For Human Facial Recognition, John Andrew Mccauley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The problem of distinguishing identical twins and non-twin look-alikes in automated facial recognition (FR) applications has become increasingly important with the widespread adoption of facial biometrics. Due to the high facial similarity of both identical twins and look-alikes, these face pairs represent the hardest cases presented to facial recognition tools. This work presents an application of one of the largest twin datasets compiled to date to address two FR challenges: 1) determining a baseline measure of facial similarity between identical twins and 2) applying this similarity measure to determine the impact of doppelgangers, or look-alikes, on FR performance for large …

Identification Of Moving Bottlenecks In Production Systems, Funmilayo Mofoluwasola Adeyinka

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Manufacturing sector have been plagued by bottlenecks from time immemorial, leading to loss of productivity and profitability, various research effort has been expended towards identifying and mitigating the effects of bottlenecks on production lines. However, traditional approaches often fail in identifying moving bottlenecks. The current data boom and giant strides made in the machine learning field proffers an alternative means of using the large volume of data generated by machines in identifying bottlenecks. In this study, a hierarchical agglomerative clustering algorithm is used in identifying potential groups of bottlenecks within a serial production line.

A serial production line with five …

Single And Differential Morph Attack Detection, Baaria Chaudhary

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Face recognition systems operate on the assumption that a person's face serves as the unique link to their identity. In this thesis, we explore the problem of morph attacks, which have become a viable threat to face verification scenarios precisely because of their inherent ability to break this unique link. A morph attack occurs when two people who share similar facial features morph their faces together such that the resulting face image is recognized as either of two contributing individuals. Morphs inherit enough visual features from both individuals that both humans and automatic algorithms confuse them. The contributions of this …

Assessing Synthetic Aperture Radar (Sar)-Derived Temporal Patterns And Digital Terrain Data For Palustrine Wetland Mapping, Jaimee L. Pyron

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Palustrine wetland systems are important ecosystems and provide numerous ecosystems services to support society. Unfortunately, they remain under constant threat of devastation due to land use practices and global climate change, which underscores the need to identify, map, and monitor these landscape features. This study explores harmonic coefficients and seasonal median values derived from Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data, as well as digital elevation model (DEM)-derived terrain variables, to predict palustrine wetland locations in the Vermont counties of Bennington, Chittenden, and Essex. Support vector machine (SVM) and random forest (RF) machine learning models were used with various combinations of …

Francis Poulenc: The Compositional Influences Of Les Six And Sergei Prokofiev On The Poulenc Oboe Sonata (1962), Evan Klein

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research document contextualizes the compositional influences found within Francis Poulenc’s oboe sonata. In his lifetime, Poulenc was an extremely well-connected individual, often dedicating his works to his close friends and patrons. The Sonata for Oboe and Piano, in particular, is one of these compositions dedicated to his friend and famous composer Sergei Prokofiev. Written in 1962 toward the end of Poulenc’s life, he glanced back to the start of the twentieth century for inspiration and source material. The oboe sonata is then a collage of sorts—it takes on the shared contextual principles of Les Six in which he was …

Hands And Health: Quantifying Occupational Exposures And Implications Of Disability, Sueann R. Woods

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction: Hand grip strength (HGS) has been negatively correlated with both biologic, cognitive, and mental health markers. Aim one investigated how occupational metabolic equivalents (OMETs), impacted HGS. Aim two investigated lost time from work and the association with HGS. Finally, aim three investigated the health outcomes of workers’ compensation claimants who have lost time from work, following diagnosis of CTS.

Results:HGS was positively associated with OMET (rs = 0.078, p = 0.009). Linear regression model demonstrated a statistically significant association between HGS and OMETs, F(1, 31) = 9.735, p = .001. Aim two found that all occupation groups had …

Polarized Policymaking: The Effect Of Ideological Division On Legislative Outcomes In The United States Congress, Aaron Tyler Mentzer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation examines the effect of political polarization on legislative productivity and policymaking in the United States Congress. As the ideological distance between Republicans and Democrats increases, both parties face pressure to obstruct the legislative process in order to defeat their opponent’s policy proposals. This leads to legislative gridlock and alters the means by which Congress can perform its legislative duties. This theory is not a new one, but this dissertation expands on existing literature in several ways. In Chapter 2 I ask: does polarization limit the types of policy that Congress is able to pass, and is Congress restricted …

Psychometric Evaluation Of Genetic Literacy Instruments In A National Sample, Jamey T. Brumbaugh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The concept of genetic literacy continues to grow in clinical and social significance. Whether transforming current healthcare practices or raising questions about genetically-modified foods, genetic information and technologies are primed to further influence people’s lives. There is a growing need to understand how genetic literacy is currently assessed in order to inform and improve future test development. This study aimed to investigate the assessment of genetic literacy by psychometrically examining three contemporary genetic literacy instruments (i.e., Genetic Knowledge Survey, International Genetic Literacy and Attitudes Survey (iGLAS-GK), and University of North Carolina Genomic Knowledge Scale (UNC-GKS). Psychometric properties, including internal consistency …

Modified Firearm Discharge Residue Analysis Utilizing Advanced Analytical Techniques, Complexing Agents, And Quantum Chemical Calculations, William J. Feeney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The use of gunshot residue (GSR) or firearm discharge residue (FDR) evidence faces some challenges because of instrumental and analytical limitations and the difficulties in evaluating and communicating evidentiary value. For instance, the categorization of GSR based only on elemental analysis of single, spherical particles is becoming insufficient because newer ammunition formulations produce residues with varying particle morphology and composition. Also, one common criticism about GSR practitioners is that their reports focus on the presence or absence of GSR in an item without providing an assessment of the weight of the evidence. Such reports leave the end-used with unanswered questions, …

Effects Of Biofertilizer On Soil Nutrient Cycling And The Productivity Of Bioproduct Crops In Marginal Soils, Kieran B. Liseski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Recently there has been increased interest in the use of marginal lands in order to grow bioproduct crops. Utilizing marginal lands to grow bioproduct crops such as Miscanthus x giganteus and Panicum virgatum could not only improve soil quality and minimize negative environmental impacts on the surrounding ecosystems but could also offer economic benefits to growers in rural areas. Because marginal soils tend to reduce crop yields compared to prime farmlands even when growing bioproduct crops, which tend to be more robust than traditional food crops, augmenting the soil with biofertilizers (i.e., the direct addition of viable microbial cells) could …

Optimization Of Operating Conditions And Design Parameters On Coal Ultra-Fine Grinding Through Kinetic Stirred Mill Tests And Numerical Modeling, Francisco Patino

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study investigated the ultra-fine coal grinding performance of four low- to moderate-cost grinding media: ceramic balls, granular sand, alumina beads, and silica beads. The kinetic grinding tests were conducted using a stirred mill, while different operating conditions, including the media size, solids concentration, and the addition of viscosity modifiers, were examined. Characterization studies in terms of particle size, shape, and surface morphology were further performed to support the experimental findings. Moreover, using population balance modeling, grinding simulation was performed in Matlab to forecast the particle size distribution based on the specific energy input and experimental size-related data. The results …

Examining Relationships Among Person Factors, Psychosocial Factors, And Coping Patterns In People Living With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus In North Central Appalachia, Melissa A. Mccoy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Diabetes is a complex, debilitating illness that imposes disease burden on the individual and society. T2DM is more prevalent in the Appalachian region than in any other Region of the United States. If diabetes is poorly controlled, patients are at risk for negative health outcomes. A gap exists in the literature related to understanding of the relationships among person factors, psychosocial factors, and coping patterns. Another gap in the literature is sex differences among these variables.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examining relationships among person factors, psychosocial factors, and coping patterns in people living with T2DM …

Current Trends In The Management Of Endodontic Emergencies, Asmi Shah

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction: The management of endodontic emergencies has changed over the last few decades and varies from practice to practice. This is due to the development of new materials, new irrigation techniques, and new evidence-based research which supports clinical success. An updated questionnaire is necessary to further advance the clinical knowledge in endodontic emergencies based on current practices. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to determine the difference practice modalities between members who are board certified, who are not board certified, and endodontic graduate residents.

Materials and Methods: In 2021, every member of the American Association of Endodontics …

More Than One Story: A Bioecological Model Of Elementary Educators’ Perceptions And Representations Of Diversity, Angela Curfman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Classroom teachers have long employed children’s literature in the classroom. Exposure to children’s literature offers a plethora of gains and benefits. Through the usage of children’s literature, critical thinking skills are fostered and factual information is obtained (Hancock, 2000). Varied cultures, linguistic backgrounds, families with diverse socio-economical, and academic backgrounds constitute our public school classrooms. Children’s literature provides readers an opportunity for self-affirmation; therefore, they often seek a mirror in books, (Bishop, 1990). The thoughtful selection of children’s literature in the classroom is essential. Through the lens of Bishop’s (1993) metaphorical notion of books as mirrors, windows, and sliding glass …

Using Distributed Ledger Technologies In Vanets To Achieve Trusted Intelligent Transportation Systems, Fares Nabil Elamine

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With the recent advancements in the networking realm of computers as well as achieving real-time communication between devices over the Internet, IoT (Internet of Things) devices have been on the rise; collecting, sharing, and exchanging data with other connected devices or databases online, enabling all sorts of communications and operations without the need for human intervention, oversight, or control. This has caused more computer-based systems to get integrated into the physical world, inching us closer towards developing smart cities.

The automotive industry, alongside other software developers and technology companies have been at the forefront of this advancement towards achieving smart …

Insect Community Associated With Black Cherry (Prunus Serotina) In The Allegheny National Forest, Craig James Larcenaire

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) is valuable species managed for its economic and ecologic benefits. This species grows best in the environment of the Allegheny Plateau region in northwestern Pennsylvania. Land managers on the Allegheny National Forest (ANF) have been managing black cherry for a variety of goals and purposes. Over the last few decades, the land managers have noticed a decline in the natural regeneration of black cherry in the forest. Because the black cherry flowers are self-incompatible and require animal pollinators to transfer the pollen from one tree to another one hypothesis for this decline could be …

Three Essays On Energy And Agricultural Price Analysis, Sara Farhangdoost

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation consists of three essays on energy and agricultural commodity price analysis: 1) Natural Gas Price Forecasting in a Changing World; 2) The Effect of EIA Storage Announcement on Natural Gas Returns: A Comprehensive Analysis; and 3) Forecasting the U.S. Season-Average Farm Price of Corn: Derivation of an Alternative Futures based Forecasting Model.

The first essay evaluates the performances of various individual and composite forecasting models when predicting natural gas prices in the United States. The empirical results show that forecast generated by the Energy Information Administration Short-Term Energy Outlook provides a more accurate price prediction at longer forecasting …

A Survey Of Musical Expectations In The Marine Forces Reserve Band Stationed In New Orleans, Louisiana, Brandon Paul Carbonari

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research document examines the musical expectations of United States Marines serving in the Marine Forces Reserve Band from 2017 to 2021. Chapter One of this study provides a detailed foundation of the musical and non-musical responsibilities of a United States Marine musician. Training regime, rehearsal schedule, and logistical area responsibilities will be described to help convey the full scope of duty. The source material for Chapter One includes dissertations, journal articles, published books, online sources, and interviews. Chapter Two provides results of a survey that was conducted with members of the band. The questions were designed to record the …

Judicial Independence In Pakistan: A Case Study Of Lawyers’ Movement, 2007-2009, Shabbir Ahmad Khan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study focuses on a social movement, the Lawyers’ Moment 2007-2009 of Pakistan, a transitioning democracy, which brought vast changes in its judicial system, especially in terms of its judicial independence. There are three main research questions in this study: 1) the status of judicial independence before the Lawyers’ Movement; 2) was judicial independence a major goal in the Lawyers’ Movement? and 3) did the Lawyers’ Movement alter the status of judicial independence? The research methodology used to explore the answers to these questions also has three main sources: 1) the literature which explains some areas of scholarship in social …

Geology Oriented Loading Approach For Underground Coal Mines, Deniz Tuncay

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Mining-induced stresses in underground coal mines play a significant role in pillar and support design, hence in the safety of mining operations. Adequate design of pillars and roof control plans rely on the accurate assessment of the mining-induced loads, as well as the load-bearing capacities of the supports. In pillar design tools frequently used by the underground coal mining industry and Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), overburden loading is estimated by geometric concepts such as the tributary area and the abutment angle method. These methods do not explicitly consider important mechanical responses such as specific overall ground behavior. The …

Modeling, Optimization And Uncertainty Quantification Of Solids-Based Co2 Capture Technologies, Anca Ostace

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Solids-based carbon dioxide (CO₂)adsorption, where CO₂ is adsorbed under high pressure/low temperature and desorbed at low pressure/high temperature, is a low energy consumption capture technology with high carbon uptake efficiency. Chemical looping combustion (CLC), where a solid oxygen carrier (OC) transports oxygen between two high-temperature reactors – a fuel and an air reactor –, is a low energy penalty, fuel-flexible technology with inherent CO₂ capture for power/heat and syngas production.

In this work, state-of-the-art equation-oriented (EO) mathematical models of a fixed-bed (FxB) contactor for CO₂ adsorption and moving-bed (MB) reactors for gas-, and solid-fueled CLC …

Nondestructive Condition Assessment Of Civil Infrastructure Using Ultrasonic Technique, Tyler Keith Ashbrook

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Civil Infrastructure controls the way people live by providing safe passage and shelter across the entire globe. Since safety leads the concern in infrastructure, it is essential to ensure that these structures have been adequately tested and analyzed periodically. Testing these structures can be extremely expensive when parts are required to be removed to capture the flaw, which is why nondestructive testing (NDT) continues to grow in demand since it can evaluate the structural component in-situ without causing any damage. Ultrasonic testing (UT) helps to adequately sustain and advance the safety in existing and future infrastructure across the globe. Continual …

Modeling Gas Migration During A Gas Kick, Ali Zankawi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Gas kick is an undesirable problem in the oil and gas industry, which can potentially interfere with the production process and damage drilling equipment. The primary intent of this study is to highlight gas migration and its effect on gas kick mitigation approaches that would benefit the petroleum industry. The integrated analysis provides valuable insight regarding parameters promoting efficient drilling and production processes, Minimizing the risk of gas kicks. This study aimed to investigate the impact of critical parameters on gas migration during the gas kick in both water- and oil-based mud and promote the understanding of the dynamics of …

Microwave-Assisted Natural Gas Conversion To Value-Added Chemicals, Xinwei Bai

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Stranded gas is a raw gas mixture of volatile hydrocarbons where the main composition is methane. The producers flare the stranded gas at the site because the cost of collecting and transporting the gas is higher than the value of the gas itself. To reduce the waste of this natural resource, it is worthwhile to utilize the on-site stranded natural gas as feedstock to produce value-added chemicals without emitting greenhouse gas. Direct natural gas conversion process is more desirable because of lower capital investment. Methane and ethane, the two major components of natural gas, are very stable molecules that usually …

Improving Broiler Performance And Digestibility Through Feed Enzymes And Production Rate Aids Utilized In Pelleting., Kristina Marie Bowen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Enzymes are commonly added to poultry diets to improve performance parameters that may in turn decrease costs to the producer. Pellet mill production rate aids are also utilized to reduce feed manufacture costs and may have additional benefits when fed to poultry that are associated with the increase in production rate. Past research has shown that Azomite (AZM) can increase pellet mill production rate in diets that include inorganic phosphate sources (IPS) of dicalcium phosphate (DCP) or tricalcium phosphate (TCP). In the first experiment the authors hypothesized that if production rate were held constant then pellet mill energy consumption would …

Planetary Rover Inertial Navigation Applications: Pseudo Measurements And Wheel Terrain Interactions, Cagri Kilic

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Accurate localization is a critical component of any robotic system. During planetary missions, these systems are often limited by energy sources and slow spacecraft computers. Using proprioceptive localization (e.g., using an inertial measurement unit and wheel encoders) without external aiding is insufficient for accurate localization. This is mainly due to the integrated and unbounded errors of the inertial navigation solutions and the drifted position information from wheel encoders caused by wheel slippage. For this reason, planetary rovers often utilize exteroceptive (e.g., vision-based) sensors. On the one hand, localization with proprioceptive sensors is straightforward, computationally efficient, and continuous. On the other …

Analysis Of Millimeter-Wave Networks: Blockage, Antenna Directivity, Macrodiversity, And Interference, Enass Hriba

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Due to its potential to support high data rates at low latency with reasonable interference isolation because of signal blockage at these frequencies, millimeter-wave (mmWave) communications has emerged as a promising solution for next-generation wireless networks. MmWave systems are characterized by the use of highly directional antennas and susceptibility to signal blockage by buildings and other obstructions, which significantly alter the propagation environment. The received power of each transmission depends on the direction the corresponding antennas point and whether the signal’s path is line-of-sight (LOS), non-LOS (i.e., partially blocked), or completely blocked. A key challenge in modeling blocking in mmWave …

Identification And Classification Of Radio Pulsar Signals Using Machine Learning, Di Pang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Automated single-pulse search approaches are necessary as ever-increasing amount of observed data makes the manual inspection impractical. Detecting radio pulsars using single-pulse searches, however, is a challenging problem for machine learning because pul- sar signals often vary significantly in brightness, width, and shape and are only detected in a small fraction of observed data.

The research work presented in this dissertation is focused on development of ma- chine learning algorithms and approaches for single-pulse searches in the time domain. Specifically, (1) We developed a two-stage single-pulse search approach, named Single- Pulse Event Group IDentification (SPEGID), which automatically identifies and clas- …

"Constructing Countervailing Power: Law And Organizing In An Era Of Political Inequality", Kate Andrias, Benjamin I. Sachs

Articles

This Article proposes an innovative approach to remedying the crisis of political inequality: using law to facilitate organizing by the poor and working class, not only as workers, but also as tenants, debtors, welfare beneficiaries, and others. The piece draws on the social-movements literature, and the successes and failures of labor law, to show how law can supplement the deficient regimes of campaign finance and lobbying reform and enable lower-income groups to build organizations capable of countervailing the political power of the wealthy. As such, the Article offers a new direction forward for the public-law literature on political power and …