Digital Commons Network^™

Big Cells, Big Impact: Unravelling Seasonal Patterns Of Net Primary Production In Narragansett Bay, Dominique Jae Lockwood

Open Access Master's Theses

Net primary production is a measurement of available energy, or the amount of biomass that phytoplankton produce during photosynthesis that fuels marine food webs and drives carbon cycling. Despite its ecological importance, net primary production is relatively understudied in comparison to chlorophyll-a, which is often used as a proxy for biomass rather than productivity. In this study, we measured size-fractionated net primary production and chlorophyll-a concentrations in Narragansett Bay over a 14-month period from January 2022 to February 2023. Weekly surface water samples were collected and filtered to distinguish between small (> 10 μm) and large ( …

The Impact Of Urbanization On Water Scarcity And Waterborne Diseases In Eastern Africa: A Case Study Of Nairobi, Lucy N. Kamau

Open Access Master's Theses

Urbanization in Eastern African cities has rapidly accelerated, placing immense strain on existing water infrastructure and sanitation systems. In Nairobi, this has resulted in spatial disparities in access to clean water and heightened vulnerability to waterborne disease risks. The study aimed to (1) assess the impact of urbanization on water scarcity and waterborne diseases in Nairobi using geospatial analysis and remote sensing (2) quantify urbanization trends 1999–2024 (3) identify spatio-temporal water scarcity hotspots for the years 2019 and 2024 (4) model waterborne disease risk maps for 2019 and 2024 (5) Overlay disease risk map with hospitals. To quantify urbanization for …

My Grandpa: How One Man Changed Our Life, Jada Shavers

Scripps Senior Theses

My thesis uses argumentation, personal essay, letters, and writing about feelings to recount stories of three generations of women (my grandmother, my mom, and myself) to ultimately explore the controversies of sexual violence. To establish this point, I use a combination of writing techniques to challenge the typical framework of a memoir and destabilize a linear retelling of events. I also complicate the narrative to allow the reader to question their own understanding of sexual violence; ultimately defining sexual violence as a loss of autonomy, a feeling that extends far beyond any single or recurring event, and something that never …

Globalization In Fashion: Organizational Strategies For Cultural Adaptation While Maintaining Core Identity, Karina Klein

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis examines how fashion brands can effectively maintain their brand identity while expanding into international markets with diverse cultural landscapes. Addressing the fundamental tension between standardization and localization in global fashion marketing, this research investigates when brands should maintain consistent approaches versus adapting to local cultural contexts. Through a comprehensive literature review of global branding theory, historical patterns of fashion globalization, and cultural dimensions affecting fashion consumption, the study establishes foundational principles for strategic international expansion. The research presents Burberry's successful entry into the Chinese market as a case study, analyzing how the luxury brand effectively balanced standardization of …

Through Their Eyes: Investigating The Broad Autism Phenotype In Parents An Exploration In Eye Tracking During A Phonemic Restoration Paradigm In Conjunction With Social Communication Measures, Elena Esposito

Open Access Master's Theses

The Broad Autism Phenotype (BAP) refers to traits that resemble those seen in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The BAP traits are more common in first-degree relatives of individuals with ASD which suggests a potential genetic contribution to the disorder. Understanding how these traits manifest in communication remains limited. Previous research has shown differences in eye gaze patterns between children with ASD and neurotypical children. This study explored whether similar patterns exist in parents of children with autism (pASD) during a phonemic restoration task. The Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-2) and Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ) were also used in this study …

A Methodological Study: Using Eye Tracking & Comprehension Questions With L1 And L2 Spanish Readers, Julia Cerveira-Bianchi

Open Access Master's Theses

Eye tracking with a violation paradigm is an online, real-time measure, used within the field of second language acquisition to measure implicit or automatic knowledge (Godfroid, 2019). Native speakers (L1) demonstrate implicit knowledge, and second language learners (L2) exhibit various levels of developing implicit knowledge, which serves as a measure of proficiency. In a violation paradigm, L1 and L2 speakers read grammatical and ungrammatical stimuli. The eye-tracking data provides insight into participants’ sensitivity to grammatical violations. Previous studies have included comprehension questions, an offline measure, to ensure that participants read for meaning. However, eye tracking has rarely been applied to …

Risk Factors For Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Statistical And Machine Learning Perspective, Supti Biswas

Open Access Master's Theses

his study explores factors associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through analysis of a rich dataset comprising maternal and child characteristics. The data were carefully cleaned and preprocessed to address missing values and ensure analytical consistency. Statistical analyses and advanced visualization techniques were used to uncover patterns linking ASD status with variables such as maternal age, prenatal smoking, and education level. To further assess predictive capacity and feature importance, multiple supervised machine learning algorithms - logistic regression, decision trees, random forests, and support vector machines (SVM) - were applied. ASD appears to be influenced by a complex interplay of demographic …

Minimalistic Communication-Based Swarm Slam, Felix B. Koch

Open Access Master's Theses

This study presents and validates Range of Communication Swarm SLAM(RCS-SLAM), a novel SLAM approach designed for multi-robot systems using minimal hardware. Unlike traditional methods that rely on range or bearing measurements, RCS-SLAM only uses the identifiers of nearby robots within communication range. In the front-end, each robot constructs an individual pose graph based on its own odometry, while recording communication events with neighboring robots. The key novelty lies in the use of one-hop communication, where robots not only detect nearby peers but also relay received identifiers, effectively acting as transmitters themselves. This mechanism extends the communication graph and enables the …

Toward Precise Long-Range Underwater Acoustic Geo-Positioning: Utilizing Vehicle Data And Deepening The Gnss Analogy Through Uncertainty Modeling, Isaac B. Salazar

Open Access Master's Theses

Electromagnetic signals, such as those used by Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), attenuate dramatically underwater, but acoustic signals can travel hundreds of kilometers, and can be used for positioning in much the same way. Concepts from GNSS can be applied to the subsurface context, as at a basic level, the principles of geo-positioning are identical. Key challenges in translating satellite positioning models to the underwater acoustic domain include differences in signal type as well as instrumentation and propagation environment. Acoustic signals travel at much slower speeds and are subject to significant environmental variability due to complex ocean dynamics. Here, the …

Semi-Empirical Prediction Of Wave Runup During Nor’Easters In New England, Pranav Sai

Open Access Master's Theses

Wave runup amplifies the impact of storm events on coastal beaches, accelerating erosion and threatening infrastructure. Accurate quantification of extreme runup during storms is critical for improving coastal hazard predictions and informing resilience strategies. Field measurements of wave and water levels enable empirically derived formulas to calculate runup, parameterizing setup, incident swash, and infragravity swash separately. This study predicts extreme runup across Napatree Point, a sandy barrier at Rhode Island’s westernmost point, known for its dissipative beach morphology and exposure to intense storm activity. Using the ADCIRC+SWAN hydrodynamic and wave models, mean sea level and surface wave parameters were simulated …

Design And Evaluation Of A Compiler Architecture For First-Class Pattern Matching, Timothy Colaneri

Open Access Master's Theses

This thesis presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of a compiler for Asteroid, a multi-paradigm programming language that introduces first-class pattern matching as a core feature. Unlike conventional pattern matching systems - typically restricted to syntactic constructs like match or case expressions - Asteroid elevates patterns to first-class entities, enabling them to be assigned to variables, passed as arguments, returned from functions, and composed dynamically.

To support this novel abstraction, the compiler is structured as a two-phase system: a Python-based frontend for parsing and syntax analysis, and a Rust-based backend that compiles the language into executable code via a custom …

Exploring Area And Performance Benefits Of Programmable Logic Integrated Cpu Core, Jonathan Pollard

Open Access Master's Theses

This work proposes replacing fully static ASIC functional units with programmable functional units that leverage tightly integrated programmable logic within CPU cores. The programmable units can be configured to match the execution behavior of a specific workload while still allowing the CPU to remain general-purpose across all workloads. This approach reduces the total area required for functional units without sacrificing performance. We evaluate two configurations: an Ideal implementation, where programmable and ASIC functional units have equal area, and an Area-Larger implementation, where programmable units occupy twice the area of their ASIC counterparts. To establish feasibility, we first conduct binary instrumentation …

Optimal Subspace Estimation For Linear Nested Arrays: Applications And Performance Metrics, Brendan Dunn

Open Access Master's Theses

OSE (Optimal Subspace Estimation) is an algorithm that obtains an estimated subspace from structured data observed in noise. While OSE is able to obtain an accurate subspace estimate with a small number of snapshots, it has not been demonstrated how this affects the performance of many applications that leverage OSE. One such application is beamforming; Using an OSE-based beamformer, this thesis will apply common performance metrics to measure how much of an advantage an accurate subspace estimate provides. This algorithm will be compared against other widely used beamformers such as MPDR and DMR to benchmark its efficacy. Mismatch is then …

Alterations Of Serotonin Receptor 7 Expression In The Spinal Cord In A Model Of Cerebral Palsy, Tracy Santos

Open Access Master's Theses

Cerebral palsy often results from perinatal hypoxia-ischemia and is characterized by motor and sensory dysfunction associated with altered serotonergic signaling in the spinal cord. The 5-HT₇ receptor, a G-protein-coupled receptor implicated in both motor control and nociceptive modulation, may thus play a critical role in these post-injury changes. However, the regional and developmental patterns of expression of 5-HT₇ following HI injury are not well understood.

In this study, we investigated the expression of spinal 5-HTR₇ in a neonatal rabbit model of HI injury at P1, P5, and P8 using Western blot analyses normalized to total protein. Tissue was …

Experimental Validation Of Model Predictive Control For Roll Attenuation Of Scale Model Barge In Beam Sea Conditions, Callum Robbins

Open Access Master's Theses

Floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) are the next great frontier in the offshore energy world. However, for these machines to be safe, effective, and reliable, they must be stable. In this thesis, an active control strategy is developed that uses future wave information and model predictive control to attenuate wave induced motions of a floating platform, such as a FOWT. The future wave information is provided by a wave reconstruction and prediction (WRP) algorithm which allows for wave events to be calculated faster than real-time. This wave information is provided to a nonlinear model predictive controller (NMPC) that uses a …

Total Governance, Sergio Alberto Gramitto Ricci, Daniel J.H. Greenwood

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

Everyone has values which conflict with the sheer maximization of profit. When those conflicts occur, virtually no one will consistently choose profit over conflicting values, especially when the potential profit is small or conflicts with other economic values, promoting the common good or preserving a functioning ecosphere. This Article explores a multi-stakeholder approach that will increase the quantum of humanity in the governance of American large public companies in the era of social media and online communication. We dub this crowd-based strategy of steering public corporations “total governance.” Total governance recognizes that individuals can engage with public corporations from multiple …

The Faster Horse Fallacy: How The Law Idealizes Technology, Youngsieg P. Kim

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

How does the legal profession understand new technology? Lawyers are involuntary experts in technology: we are not professionally trained in technology like engineers are but must know technology better than the typical citizen does, because the law must regulate how the typical citizen that is, society uses technology. The increasing complexity and variety of technologies that affect everyday life, such as artificial intelligence (AI), make our jobs as involuntary experts in technology all the more important. To prepare lawyers to regulate technology effectively, we must first examine how lawyers understand (or misunderstand) technology in the present. This Article examines a …

The Supreme Court’S Specious Code Of Conduct, James J. Sample

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

Congressionally imposed ethics enforcement would enhance the Supreme Court's exercise of constitutional powers by reducing the interference of improper personal motives during its factual and legal determinations. The Court has long recognized the self-evident truth that "no man can be a judge in his own case." The Framers recognized the limits inherent in human nature: humans are not angels. Accordingly, the Constitutional scheme of separated powers, as elucidated by Madison, "[does] not mean that these departments ought to have no partial agency in, or no control over, the acts of each other." Congress rightly has the constitutional means and motive …

Continuous Quality Improvement In Social Needs Screening: Evaluation Of An Intervention In Bariatric Specialty Care, Claire Chang, Samantha Cooley, Bradley Iott, Jordan Greene, Dilhara Muthukuda, Renuka Tipirneni

Student Publications

_{Introduction:}

With growing recognition of the influence that social risks, such as food insecurity and housing instability, have on individual and population health, social risk screening and social care interventions have proliferated across the health system. Social needs intervention research on screening and referral in specialty care is limited, despite evidence that social needs influence access to and outcomes of surgical and specialty care.

_Methods:

This study is a qualitative, formative evaluation of a quality improvement-oriented social needs screening and referral pilot program implemented in a bariatric surgery practice and aims to share lessons related to the structure and process …

Health Promotion, A Missing Piece In Medical Education: Descriptive Analysis Of Medical Programs In Colombia, Erwin Hernando Hernandez Rincon, Juan Gabriel García Manrique, Daniela Barros Toro, Juanita Henao Girard

Health Professions Education

Background: Health promotion is a critical tool in training future health professionals, particularly in countries like Colombia, where structural inequalities impact public health outcomes. However, the integration of health promotion strategies into medical education programs remains inconsistent and underexplored. Objective: To describe the status of incorporating health promotion and health education elements in the curricula of medical schools in Colombia. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study covered the 63 active medical schools registered in the National Higher Education Information System (SNIES for its acronym in Spanish) until December 2024. The information available on the websites of each faculty was …

Perceptions Of Dental Students On Denture Teeth Arrangement And Digital Support: An Exploratory Study, Bora Lee, Juyeon Hwang, Soo-Yoon Kim, Jong-Eun Kim, Eunbae B. Yang

Health Professions Education

Purpose: This study explored dental students’ perceptions of arranging denture teeth in complete denture cases, the impact of digital support on learning strategies, and differences in their experiences based on whether they had access to digital support.

Methods: In this qualitative case study, a total of 14 students were randomly assigned to either the digital or non-digital support group. The digital group performed digital teeth arrangements, followed by manual tooth arrangements, with access to a 3D viewer, 3D-printed model, and instructor feedback. The non-digital group received only instructor feedback. While the sample size was limited, it is consistent with the …

Leveraging Chatgpt For Current Nursing Education: A Scoping Review, Jung Eun Kim, Sun Ok Jung, Yanghee Pang

Health Professions Education

Objectives. This study aims to map the current state of ChatGPT usage in nursing education, including its strengths and weaknesses, and the anticipated future applications of ChatGPT in nursing education.

Background. ChatGPT (Generative Pretrained Transformer), one of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, uses machine learning techniques to automatically learn language patterns and generate contextual outputs as a conversational interface between users and the program. ChatGPT has substantial potential in nursing, and nursing educators are trying to integrate ChatGPT into nursing education. However, the practical feasibility and efficacy of ChatGPT in nursing education have not been fully examined, and the related …

Quasi-Experimental Study Examining Student Attitudes Toward Interprofessional Healthcare Teams And Experiences With Social Determinants Of Health Through A Virtual Poverty Simulation, Suzanne Greenwalt, Renee Brown, Lindsay Hahn, Missy Bryan, Tamara Lemmonds, David Phillippi

Health Professions Education

Purpose: Highly functioning interprofessional teams are essential for optimal patient care. Interprofessional teams consist of healthcare workers from various disciplines working together to meet the unique needs of each patient, family, and caregiver with the highest level of care possible. Healthcare programs must train students to work and communicate effectively within such teams. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of an interprofessional virtual poverty simulation on students’ attitudes toward interprofessional healthcare teams and experiences with social determinants of health.

Methods: Students from seven health professions participated in a virtual case event. Students worked in interprofessional teams …

Chatgpt Use In Active Learning Among Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study., Asma Bouriami, Kamal Takhdat, Sana Barkatou, Abdelmounaim Manoussi, Jaouad Chouikh, Samia Boussaa, Ahmed Rhassane El Adib

Health Professions Education

Purpose: Active pedagogy offers interesting potential for teaching and learning, especially when combined with artificial intelligence tools. The aim of this study is to investigate students' knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and experiences regarding the use of ChatGPT within active learning methodologies.

Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted using a questionnaire with 913 nursing students from four public higher nursing institutes.

Results: Overall, the majority of participants have a low to medium level of knowledge, even though 79.4% of them use ChatGPT. In fact, Participants use ChatGPT mainly for problem-based learning, and project-based learning. In addition, men students are 1.55 more …

Exploring The Relationship Between Liking Of Children And Communication Skills Among Nursing And Dental Students, Mihriban Gökcek Taraç, Nesrin Arslan

Health Professions Education

Purpose: Healthcare professionals who care for children and understand their physical, emotional, and social developmental differences can utilize effective communication strategies and provide the necessary love and attention. This approach benefits not only the clinical outcomes but also the overall development of the child. Our study aimed to evaluate the relationship between nursing and dentistry students' levels of liking children and their communication skills.

Methods: Data were collected using personal information form, the Barnett Child Liking Scale, and the Communication Skills Inventory. To determine the relationship between the scales, frequency, percentage, mean, t-test, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression …

The Power Of Emotional Design In Whiteboard Animation: Enhancing Student Cognition And Engagement, Nora El-Tantawy

Health Professions Education

Background: Whiteboard animation is growing as a teaching tool, particularly in the medical field, because of its potent capacity to engage students and make complex concepts simpler to comprehend. These animations use simple drawings to explain complex ideas in a clear, engaging way. They are unique not only because of their visual appeal but also because of the way they are designed to emotionally engage students. Emotional design includes designing learning experiences that motivate, engage, and interact with learners in addition to presenting information. Discussion: This review discusses the use of emotional design in whiteboard animation and its implications for …

Love Is Dead In The Restless West: Hippies, Manson, And California Culture, 1966-1970, Rebecca Allen

Scripps Senior Theses

Though an extreme aberration from most of the hippie counterculture of the 1960s, Charles Manson’s ultimately murderous cult arguably represents something particular about American culture in the late sixties, in which youthful hostility towards the status quo sometimes grew radical, and in the case of the Manson Family cult, extremely violent. By the mid-sixties, more and more young people began to feel alienated by a culture they felt no longer embodied their larger aspirations, and as a result, were drawn to the emerging counterculture that embraced alternative lifestyles that frequently clashed with the traditional sensibilities of their parents’ generation. After …

The Moral Justifications Of The Justice-Experienced: Recidivism In Dark Triadic Morally Disengaging Offenders, Lacy Parrett

Scripps Senior Theses

Little is known about the cognitions of those who commit violent crimes; even less is known about the justification process of those who reoffend after completing a prison sentence. The proposed study suggests analyzing the moral disengagement strategies and personality traits of incarcerated adults to identify recidivism risk factors. Current literature indicates that nonhomicide violent offenders’ use of moral disengagement cognitions that justify the violation of socially accepted morals will moderate the relationship between psychopathic, Machiavellian, and narcissistic personality traits and offenders’ risks of recidivating. Furthermore, it is anticipated that an interaction will exist between moral disengagement and this so-called …

Sense Of Belonging And Perceptions Of Learning In An Introductory College Course, Ellen Wang

Scripps Senior Theses

A sense of belonging (SB) – the feeling of deep connection with social groups, places, and experiences – has been described as a fundamental, pervasive need among humans (Allen et al., 2021; Baumeister & Leary, 1995). SB, and lack thereof, predicts myriad mental, physical, social, and economic outcomes. Belonging is a complex, multidimensional concept with a breadth of research across disciplines. It has been applied to school contexts in association with academic and psychosocial outcomes. The researcher partnered with an undergraduate course at The Claremont Colleges, and administered electronic surveys at two time points of the course. Students' sense of …

Garcia De Orta And The Colloquies: The Role Of Imperialism And Colonialism In Shaping Knowledge During The Scientific Revolution, Anabhra Singh

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis examines the role of Portuguese doctor Garcia de Orta (1501–1568) and his Colloquies on the Simples and Drugs of India within the broader framework of the Scientific Revolution, emphasizing the interplay of imperialism, colonialism, and transnational knowledge exchanges in shaping knowledge production. Traditional narratives of the Scientific Revolution often focus on European advancements in physics and astronomy. However, recent scholarship highlights the contributions of non-European knowledge systems and the significant role of empire and trade networks in advancing scientific inquiry. Although Orta’s findings were not novel, the novelty of his text lay in its seamless integration of European, …