An Agent-Centered Approach To Covid-19 Vaccinations, Nila Venkat

CMC Senior Theses

The rise of COVID-19 has dramatically affected the global economy, healthcare systems, and individuals’ daily lives. One of the most controversial attempts to ameliorate the effects of the virus in the United States has been the distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations. In this thesis, I propose a novel agent-centered approach to motivating COVID-19 vaccinations. I begin by exploring the origins and evolution of the virus, along with the growing demographic of “vaccine-hesitant” Americans, to contextualize the debate surrounding vaccinations. I then propose two potential action-based response strategies for vaccine motivation: a vaccine mandate and nudges. Concerning a mandate response strategy, I …

Altruism In The Good Life: An Archetype Of Virtuous Friendship, Elliott Thornburg

CMC Senior Theses

What does it mean to live a good life shared with others? The question fundamentally motivates my inquiry into the ancient ethical theories of Aristotle and the early Stoics. Aristotle’s account of eudaimonia presented in Nicomachean Ethics is selected over the early Stoics for the conception of human nature integral to it honors the importance of partiality in human development and flourishing. The altruism central to an Aristotelian’s perfect friendships by way of goodwill is defended to demonstrate virtuous people have genuine altruistic concern for the sake of their friends as explained by self-referential altruism. Finally, an archetype of kinds …

The Identity Of Properties: How Qualia Solve The Regress Problem In Dispositional Monism, Emma Kresch

CMC Senior Theses

This paper argues for the existence of certain instances of categorical properties in non-physical qualia. There are two types of properties: dispositional properties and categorical properties. Dispositional properties are such that they derive their identity from their relationships to other dispositional properties. Conversely, categorical properties have an identity that exists outside of their relationship to other properties and do not depend on the existence of other properties to derive their identity. The dispositional monist theory claims that all properties are dispositional. In this paper, I present the dispositional monist theory by explaining an account given by Alexander Bird in his …

Partisan Gerrymandering And The Right To Privacy, Ana Deckey

CMC Senior Theses

This paper argues that partisan gerrymanderers violate citizens’ right to privacy by using data containing sensitive information on citizens without a compelling state interest. It first details how partisan gerrymandering claims have been argued in Court in the past. Next, it discusses theories of the right to privacy, mainly exploring the tensions between James Madison’s writings on privacy and Warren and Brandeis’ famed The Right to Privacy. Then, I present originalist arguments for upholding the original meaning and principles of the right to privacy and the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments before walking through case law related to privacy and …

How Environmentalism, Nationalism, And Civil Rights Shape Corporate Social Responsibility In The Apparel Industry, Chloe Gubbay

CMC Senior Theses

Now more than ever, fashion has become a way of expressing political identity. The changing moral convictions of corporate leaders and the preferences of their consumers have led to the rise of three popular models of corporate social responsibility: Sustainability, American-Made, and Diversity and Inclusion. This thesis will first describe the history of these three models, and then it will report how fashion businesses have adopted each of the models today. It will further explore the extent to which some models are blended⁠—and why some blends are more popular than others. While some models go together because of our politics, …

The Wrongness Of Belief: An Analysis Of Rima Basu’S Work On Doxastic Wronging, Sophie Gitlin

CMC Senior Theses

It is undisputed that our actions have the power to wrong others; every decision we make that turns into action can directly or indirectly affect people. This sentiment is less obvious and less accepted when it comes to beliefs. This thesis explores doxastic wronging, or the idea that we can wrong others based on what we believe about them. Through several case studies, I attempt to modify Rima Basu’s criteria of what constitutes a doxastic wrong and develop a modified interpretation of the view that says in order to wrong others by belief the agent must (1) be a participating …

A Hot Conflict Growing Ever Hotter: How Climate Change Provokes Instances Of Violence In South Sudan, Madison Menard

CMC Senior Theses

In South Sudan, people are not engaging in violent altercations because of climate change. People are not deciding to kill other people because the average temperature of the world has risen 1 degree celsius, or harming their neighbor because of irregular rain patterns. Alas the link from climate change to violence is not as direct as that. Rather, climate change has played a non-direct role in the South Sudanese conflict. Within the political marketplace it has subtly altered conditions which later spark or intensify outbreaks of violence. Climate change in this sense should be viewed as a stressor of sorts …

Reconciling Agricultural Production And Property Rights With The Use Of Dicamba Herbicides, Terence J. Centner

Lewis & Clark Law Review

The production of food and fiber by our nation’s farmers is often dependent on using herbicides to control weed growth that can reduce crop yields. After several decades of herbicide usage, some weed species developed resistance to glyphosate and were decreasing yields. Seed and pesticide manufacturers responded to weed resistance by developing genetically engineered soybean and cotton seeds and specially formulated over-the-top (OTT) dicamba products. Commencing in 2017, OTT dicamba products were used to successfully kill glyphosate-resistant weeds. However, dicamba is a volatile herbicide, and applications of the new OTT products were accompanied by spray drift and volatilization that injured …

The Effect Of Clonidine On Hyperbaric Bupivacaine And Opioid In Cesarean Section Women Under Spinal Anesthesia, Novisi Abba

Nurse Anesthesia MSNA Student Capstones

Pain is undoubtedly one of the most undesirable outcomes associated with cesarean section in parturients. The most effective post-cesarean section pain relief option should prioritize maternal, fetal, and neonatal safety, with minimal to no medication transfer to the fetus and neonate. In obstetric anesthesia, neuraxial approaches, with the inclusion of adjuncts like clonidine for pain management may provide some additional benefits. Consequently, obstetric anesthesia practitioners have increasingly used intrathecal clonidine to alleviate post-cesarean section pain. This manuscript examines whether intrathecal clonidine, when combined with hyperbaric bupivacaine and/or opioids (fentanyl and/or preservative-free morphine), has a sustained analgesic effect in parturients following …

Avatar Identification Methods In Skyrim And Dragon Age: Origins, Andrew Futcher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Video games as a medium have always focused on having their players interact with their game worlds and narratives regardless of genre. However, a repeatedly debated concept is whether players are able to feel a sense of identification with their avatars. The majority of this debate revolves around studying works with a multiplayer focus, such as MMOs, where players can interact with one another. This paper seeks to explore if players can identify with their avatar in single-player role-playing games (RPG), as this genre focuses on the player's direct influence on the narrative through various mechanics that allow the player …

¿Dónde Están? Latin American Representation In Theatre For Young Audiences, Ximena Gonzalez Toledo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

¿Dónde están los Latinos? As a Latina theatre practitioner born and raised in Venezuela now studying Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) in the United States, I perceive a generalization and oversimplification of Latin American culture or culturally specific pieces across available TYA dramatic literature and other forms of children's entertainment, with Mexican culture as a monolith for all Hispanics and Latin Americans. My thesis asks: What tropes exist within the representation of Latin American cultures? What might those tropes offer about authentic representation, and opportunities for broadened representation, within the field of TYA? My research pulls from two formative experiences …

Integration Of Video Game Play And Storytelling In Theme Park Environmental Design, Alexandria Marcello

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis presents a visual design exploration of video game storytelling in physical themed environments, specifically, theme parks. The theme park industry has only recently begun to tap into the video game market, with seasonal attractions and events in parks, and the first fully video game dedicated land, Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan. As theme park companies further seek out the most popular and profitable video game Intellectual Properties (IP), it will be imperative to create the most authentic video game experiences possible. The guest experience will hinge upon the successful adaptation of gameplay; creating the story around …

Castle Of Unknowing: An Immersive Virtual Reality Experience, Damian Thorn-Hauswirth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Castle of Unknowing is a rendered virtual reality (VR) experience presented as visual poem. As VR is a nascent technology, content is still limited, and methods of storytelling are not yet formalized. My film seeks to expand the breadth of what types of narratives are being told with this medium. The project is an immersive, experiential narrative imbued with symbolism. The viewer moves through a fixed sequence as they are taken on a journey which mixes elements of sci-fi, fairy tale, and surrealism. It utilizes compelling visuals and sound instead of traditional narrative to evoke an emotional response within the …

Functional Trade-Offs Between Terrestrial And Aquatic Locomotion In The Amphibious Fish Kryptolebias Marmoratus, Erik Axlid

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The mangrove rivulus (Kryptolebias marmoratus) is a phenotypically plastic teleost fish that can spend considerable time on land and traverse the terrestrial realm through a ballistic behavior termed the tail-flip jump. The tail-flip jump is a transitional stage between fully aquatic and terrestrial lifestyles. Therefore, understanding this behavior can provide insight into how organisms adapt to new environments over evolutionary time. Taxa that are successful tail-flip jumpers have a deep caudal peduncle and uniform body shape. Studies of K. marmoratus show that terrestrial acclimation and exercise improves tail-flip jumping performance due to muscle remodeling, but the implications of these muscular …

Pre-Exposure Of Escherichia Coli And Staphylococcus Aureus To Sub-Bactericidal Concentrations Of Benzalkonium Chloride And Its Effect On Low-Level Antimicrobial Resistance, Logan Fette

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Antimicrobial resistance that develops in bacteria is a highly studied aspect of microbiology due to the concerns that it poses for public health. Antibiotics remain our primary care option when dealing with bacterial infections. The concept of tolerance of bacteria to disinfectants is similar and it also poses a significant health risk. Since use of disinfectants for sanitation is a primary manner in which we are able to prevent potential infections from occurring in the first place, it can be a helpful means to preventing development of antimicrobial resistance. However, what has not been explored to the same extent is …

Development Of Genetic Manipulation Techniques For The Fish Pathogen Flavobacterium Psychrophilum, Seada Sloboda

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Flavobacterium psychrophilum is a known fish pathogen, causing bacterial cold-water disease (BCWD) and rainbow trout fry syndrome (RTFS), predominantly in salmonids. The disease causes tissue damage and tail rot in young and adult fish. The issue is prevalent in fisheries in the Pacific Northwest and the treatments often entail the use of antibiotics. Genetic manipulations in F. psychrophilum are scarce, due to most of the strains’ ability to destroy foreign DNA via restriction enzymes. The virulence mechanisms of F. psychrophilum are not well understood. Lack of genetic manipulation tools in F. psychrophilum has also hampered the development of live attenuated …

Environmental Effects On Biomass Allocation And Small Plot Evaluations Of Aquatic Pesticides For Control Of Nitellopsis Obtusa (Starry Stonewort) Collected From Lake Koronis In Stearns County, Minnesota, Patrick J. Carver

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Phenology is the study of critical life stages in plants in relation to shifts in environmental factors during seasonal changes. Starry stonewort is a green macro alga in the family Characeae native to Eurasia. Much of the Midwestern United States has been invaded by this species. Starry stonewort has been seen to have late season growth patterns in its invaded range. This study found that this growth pattern was dependent upon water temperature and light transmittance both of which affect biomass production and senescence. It was hypothesized that peak biomass would occur in the late summer (August), however we observed …

Understanding The Unstably Housed: Assessing The Systemic Gaps Of Young Adults Who Are “Doubling Up” In Washington State, Chelsea Perry

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Theses

Youth and young adults exiting the juvenile justice system are at risk for entering a new system- the homeless system. This current research aims to understand the conditions that youth enter the homeless system. Current research and homeless reports from point in time (PIT) counts and other databases do not measure specific circumstances of housing instability such as couch surfing or “doubling up” with friends and close relatives versus couch surfing with strangers, and whether there are potentially criminogenic transactions or conditions that juveniles must adhere to in order to sustain this temporary housing. Methods include two areas of analysis. …

Patient Transitions Between Acute And Post-Acute Care Organizations: Can Nursing Communication Prevent Patient Readmission?, Penny Gilbert

DNP Projects

Preventing Patient Readmission

Background and Review of Literature: Communication is the foundation of patient safety. As patients move from the acute to post-acute care setting, risk for insufficient communication rises. Research demonstrates a vast array of communication hand-off tools currently exist for and between different care arenas. No one tool has been standardized for patients transitioning from acute to post-acute care settings. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) and The Joint Commission (TJC) have published multiple documents discussing communication plagues within health care resulting in readmission.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is multifaceted: 1) identifying current nursing communication practices between …

An Ecological Study Of Glyphosate Use And Non-Hodgkin’S Lymphoma, Dexter Corlett, Steven R. Browning

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Glyphosate is currently the most widely used herbicide in the world. Initially thought to be non-carcinogenic in humans, in 2015 glyphosate was classified as a “probable carcinogen” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer due to several small epidemiological studies indicating a link between the pesticide and hematologic cancers, especially non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). The current work is an ecological study using counties in Kentucky, Arkansas, and Iowa to compare glyphosate usage to NHL incidence using a multivariate Poisson regression. We found no significant correlation between glyphosate use and NHL incidence, though caution should be taken to draw significance from …

Changing Selection And Epistasis On Drivers Over Tumorigenesis In Primary And Metastatic Prostate Cancer, Alexander Yang

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Background: Many attempts have been made to characterize and describe the driver genes and mutations responsible for prostate cancer tumorigenesis. We have quantified the cancer effect size—a direct measurement of the survival advantage a mutation confers—for 2699 primary and metastatic prostate tumor samples. Our measure of cancer effect treats tumorigenesis as an evolutionary process, subject to positive and negative selective pressures. We have applied this metric in a stage-specific manner to elucidate which mutations are selected for as prostate cancer develops.Methods: We analyzed 2699 prostate cancer tumor exomes, genomes, and panel sequences (1648 primary tumors and 1051 metastatic samples). The …

Presurgical Tear Characteristics And Estimated Shear Modulus As Predictors Of Repair Integrity And Shoulder Function One Year After Rotator Cuff Repair, Matthew C. Ruder, Rebekah L. Lawrence, Steven B. Soliman, Michael J. Bey

Orthopedics Articles

Background: Rotator cuff repair provides pain relief for many patients; however, retears are relatively common and affect approximately 20%-70% of patients after repair. Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers the ability to assess tissue characteristics such as tear size, retraction, and fatty infiltration, it provides little insight into the quality of the musculotendinous tissues the surgeon will encounter during surgery. However, shear wave elastography (SWE) could provide an indirect assessment of quality (ie, stiffness) by measuring the speed of shear waves propagating through tissue. The objective of this study was to determine the extent to which estimated shear modulus predicts …

Feeding Different Iodine Sources To Dairy Cows: Effects On Colostrum Production And Growth And Health Of Their Calves, Kayla Renee Johnston

Master's Theses and Capstones

Limited research exists on supplementing seaweeds to prepartum cows and its effects on colostrum production and development of their calves in-utero and after birth. The high iodine (I) concentration of seaweeds is concerning, and previous research have shown that excess I supplementation to ewes inhibits immunoglobulin G (IgG) absorption in their lambs. The objectives of this study were: (1) evaluate the effects of incremental amounts of Ascophyllum nodosum (ASCO) meal supplementation (0, 57, and 113 g/d) to prepartum cows on colostrum production and subsequent growth, health, and blood concentrations of glucose, β-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA), and thyroid hormones (TH) of their …

Supplementing Sodium Butyrate To Limit-Fed Heifers: Effects On Growth, Health, And Nutrient Digestibility & Effect Of Sodium Butyrate On Viability Of Eimeria Bovis Sporozoites And Ldh Release From Mdbk Cells In The Presence Of Sporozoites, Katrina Klobucher

Master's Theses and Capstones

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of sodium butyrate (SB) supplementation in heifer diets. The objectives of experiment 1 was to evaluate the growth, apparent total tract digestibility, and coccidia levels of post-weaned limit-fed heifers supplemented with SB. A 12 week randomized complete block experiment was conducted using 24 Holstein heifers. Treatments were 100g soybean meal (control; CON) and 0.75 g of SB/kg of body weight + 100g soybean meal (SB). Diets were formulated to contain 16.4 % crude protein (CP), 2.27 Mcal/kg metabolizable energy (ME), and fed at a rate of 2.15% of body weight on a …

Assessing Beef Producer's Interest In Cooperative Business Models To Address Processing Capacity Constraints In New Hampshire, Maine, And Vermont, Elaina Enzien

Master's Theses and Capstones

New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont are well-positioned to grow their capacity for local beef production, however significant barriers to accessing processing services exist. The challenges of processing capacity are complex, and the COVID-19 pandemic further compounded those challenges. Cooperative business models, such as cooperative processing and marketing, have been used to address the issues producers face with processing capacity. This study aimed to determine if beef producers in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont would be willing to participate in cooperative business models, whether interest in cooperative models varies by different types of beef producers, and what attributes would these business …

Enhanced Late Miocene Organic Carbon Preservation And Sulfur Sequestration Beneath The Oxygen Deficient Zone In The Eastern Arabian Sea, Sophie Lee Alpert

Master's Theses and Capstones

The ocean represents the largest sulfur pool on Earth, with 1.3 x 109 Tg of sulfur present in seawater. Marine sediment sulfur sequestration is the primary sink for seawater sulfate, responsible for the burial and storage of 100 Tg of sulfur per year. The sequestration of sulfur in marine sediments is largely driven by the formation of iron monosulfides, metastable iron sulfide minerals, and pyrite, however the different paths driving the degree of pyritization within marine sediments require different environmental conditions and carbon sources. In this thesis research, the possible diagenetic pathways resulting in sulfur sequestration are investigated in a …

The Biochemistry Of Ursolic Acid: A Potential Therapeutic For Neuro-Inflammation, Emma Jane Arsenault

Master's Theses and Capstones

Ursolic acid (UA) is a naturally occurring triterpenoid found in a variety of plants and berries. This molecule has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties with the potential to treat a wide variety of conditions, including neuro-inflammatory disorders. However, the exact mechanism of action for UA is unknown. In this thesis, the fundamental biochemistry of UA was investigated by studying two potential targets: lipid rafts and protein phosphatases. Lipid rafts are an important platform for a wide variety of signal transduction pathways and are a docking point for the assembly of the pro-inflammatory NADPH oxidase 2. The impact of UA on …

Investigation Of Multiple Cyanotoxins In Toxic Lake Aerosols, Hailey Carter

Master's Theses and Capstones

Aerosols from freshwater lakes with toxigenic cyanobacteria pose a potentially serious threat to humans and wildlife. The most studied route of exposure to cyanotoxins is direct consumption (i.e., drinking contaminated water or eating contaminated food). However, a less studied but a potentially important route of exposure is inhalation of aerosolized cyanotoxins. Three toxins, produced by cyanobacteria, examined in this study were hepatoxicmicrocystins (MC),and the neurotoxins?-Methylamino-?-alanine (BMAA), and anatoxin-a (ATX). Using a compact lake aerosol monitor(CLAM), this study measured levels of aerosolized cyanotoxins(MC, BMAA, and ATX) at two shallow and inter-connected lakes, Walkers Pond and Lower Mill Pond (Brewster, MA, USA),biweekly …

Elucidating The Role Of Gli3 In Inflammatory Pain, Laura Grace Trachtenberg

Master's Theses and Capstones

The glioma-oncogenic proteins, or GLI proteins play a vital role in the body during development and in diseases. However, not much is known about GLI protein’s additional roles in the body, specifically GLI3. Through previous works in the Elsawa laboratory findings showed a novel role of GLI3 impacting the inflammatory response. Inflammation has potential to affect many pathways in the body including nociception and nociceptive pain. Therefore, the goal of this study was to elucidate the role of GLI3 in inflammatory pain. C57BL/6J adult mice were tested to observe putative knockout of GLI3 (cre-induced mice) in comparison to mice with …

Feeding Biology Of The Aeolid Nudibranch Flabellina Verrucosa, Rebecca Ann Romano

Master's Theses and Capstones

The aeolid nudibranch Flabellina verrucosa is a generalist predator found in the Gulf of Maine. There have been many field and lab observations documenting its association with a number of hydroids, ascidians, and schyphomedusans, but little else is known about their prey preferences or feeding biology. This study investigated the prey preferences of F. verrucosa as well as the potential for ingestive conditioning in this species. Histology of the digestive system of F. verrucosa was also examined and described. Results of both short and long-term preference trials indicated that Flabellina verrucosa has a preference for Ectopleura larynx but this preference …