Digital Commons Network^™

Better-Than-Chance Prediction Of Cooperative Behaviour From First And Second Impressions, Eric Schniter, Timothy W. Shields

ESI Working Papers

Could cooperation among strangers be facilitated by adaptations that use sparse information to accurately predict cooperative behaviour? We hypothesize that predictions are influenced by beliefs, descriptions, appearance, and behavioural history available for first and second impressions. We also hypothesize that predictions improve when more information is available. We conducted a two-part study. First, we recorded thin-slice videos of university students just before their choices in a repeated Prisoner’s Dilemma with matched partners. Second, a worldwide sample of raters evaluated each player using either videos, photos, only gender labels, or neither images nor labels. Raters guessed players’ first-round Prisoner’s Dilemma choices …

The Implications Of New York’S Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act For Transgender Housing In Prisons, Rebecca Barrett

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Through The Disciplinary Looking Glass: Examining The Impact Of The Adultification Of Black Adolescent Girls Through The Perspectives Of New York State School Administrators, Caron F. Cox

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the perceptions of school administrators regarding the impact adultification bias toward Black adolescent girls has on their overrepresentation in disciplinary data. Data were analyzed through 10 semi-structured interviews of principals and assistant principals. Social reproduction theory, intersectional theory, and Black feminist thought framed this study’s findings, which suggest that Black adolescent girls experience adultification bias regularly, contributing to their negative schooling experiences. These adverse experiences are often the result of a subjective interpretation of district policies through a biased lens.

The findings suggest that building leaders are often willing to facilitate …

Non-Negative Matrix Factorization In The Identification Of Co-Mutations, Michael Robert Kolar

Theses and Dissertations

One of the difficulties of genetic research is the asymmetrical relationship between data collection techniques and data analysis techniques. The goal of this research was to test a novel application of non-negative matrix factorization, which would allow researchers to more easily identify co-mutations. Those co-mutations then can then be further verified by frequency analysis. This pruning process allows researchers to identify more fruitful research opportunities, saving time, energy, and funding. Past research has utilized non-negative matrix factorization to extract factors which meaningfully express underlying data features. This study extends the depth of non-negative matrix factorization knowledge in various ways. First, …

Thematic Consistency Between Criminal History And Crime Scene Behaviors: Comparing Sexual Homicide Offenders With And Without Criminal Histories Of Sexual Offenses, Shannon E. Ettinger

Student Theses

Offender profiling research suggests that offenders may display behavioral consistency, meaning they may behave in some consistent manner between their crime scene actions and other aspects of their lives. Through behavioral themes, researchers can identify consistency in groups of individual behaviors that are thematically similar. Previous literature successfully applied the Expressive/Instrumental themes to homicide crime scene behaviors and criminal history. The current study aims to apply the Expressive/Instrumental thematic approach to analyzing the relationship between sexual homicide offender’s criminal history and their crime scene behaviors. The present study focuses on the distinction between sexual homicide offenders with a history of …

Prevalence Of Non-Self Dna On Three Different Sebaceous Skin Locations, Jan Kirstine Zamora

Student Theses

This project serves to provide additional information on the prevalence of non-self DNA on the exposed skin locations specifically the inner upper arm, the nape area of the neck and the neck area just below the ear, where current literature is lacking. Skin tape lifts from these locations were collected from 15 male participants and 13 female participants once a week over a period of three weeks. Only single source profiles were obtained from six volunteers. Eight volunteers had only one mixture DNA profile in nine samples, while mixture DNA profiles for at least two collection occasions were observed in …

Perception Of Police And The Mediation Of Memory Distortion Via Trauma: Body Worn Camera Footage Of An Emotional Police-Citizen Encounter, Arlyn Abreu

Student Theses

This present study calls to question the objectivity of police body-worn camera (BWC) footage. Proponents assume that BWCs will be a panacea in a climate of heightened tensions between officers and communities. In spite of this, our findings challenge the rhetoric, and the purpose BWC is intended to serve. We explored its implications on memory distortion by posing two questions (a) can people come to remember BWC footage as more traumatic than they initially experienced (b) to what degree can external information and internal influences impact peoples' judgment about a traumatic event. We addressed both questions in this two-part study, …

Landscape Genomics Of The Tussock Cottongrass (Eriophorum Vaginatum) And The Dwarf Birch (Betula Nana) In North Central Alaska, Elizabeth Stunz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Global climate change has resulted in geographic range shifts of flora and fauna at a global scale. Extreme environments, like the Arctic, are seeing some of the most pronounced changes. This region covers 14% of the Earthâ??s land area, and while many arctic species are widespread, understanding ecotypic variation at the genomic level will be important for elucidating how range shifts will affect ecological processes. Increase in shrub cover is a major effect of ongoing climate change in arctic tundra ecosystems. The relative increases in abundance and cover of shrub species such as birch, willow, and alder (Betula, Salix, and …

Rethinking Committee Work In The Research Enterprise: The Case Of Regenerative Gatekeeping, Jonathan C. Lewis, Aixa Alemán-Díaz, Mona Behl, Sarah Kolesar, Lisa White, Brandon Jones, Corey Garza, Sharon Cooper

Marine Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Committees touch nearly every facet in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics research enterprise. However, the role of gatekeeping through committee work has received little attention in Earth and space sciences. We propose a novel concept called, “regenerative gatekeeping” to challenge institutional inertia, cultivate belonging, accessibility, justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion in committee work. Three examples, a hiring committee process, a seminar series innovation, and an awards committee, highlight the need to self-assess policies and practices, ask critical questions and engage in generative conflict. Rethinking committee work can activate distributed mechanisms needed to promote change.

Parents’ Awareness In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia Regarding Failure To Thrive: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study, Reem A. Alshammari, Osama S. Alnezari, Waleed A. Alhirabi, Salm J. Alaamer, Abdulmajeed S. Alsadun, Abdulmalik F. Alhmazani, Yousef F. Bakrshoom, Ali H. Alharbi

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To assess the level of parental Awareness about growth failure across all of Saudi Arabia and look into the potential influence of covariates (social and demographic) as determinants of the level of knowledge of parents, both mother and father, aged between 18 and 60, and on the national level. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving a survey of 4,404 parents, aged between 18 and 60 years, in all administrative regions within Saudi Arabia was undertaken From March 2022 to May 2022. Results: The majority of participants had average awareness of FTT, and differences in region, as well as in educational …

Community Improvement Projects For Marginalized Populations In Monterey County, Alizha Barrera

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

CHISPA is a non profit organization that is located downtown of Salinas, California within Monterey County. Their mission is to improve people’s lives and create healthy neighborhoods by developing, selling, owning and managing affordable homes for low income families and senior citizens. Within the senior citizen housing they have a program that is known as the lunch program that provides meals Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The main property that I focused on was Los Abuelitos Senior Housing. For my capstone project I came up with a questionnaire that helped me figure out what they eat, …

Educational Technology Workshops For The Seniors Adults, Maria Guadalupe Martinez Bribiesca

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The City of Watsonville Parks and Community Services works with various ages, from toddlers to seniors, depending on the program or organization. The main focus of this project was to work towards keeping seniors up to date with advanced technology. The problem was that many seniors don’t have the knowledge when it comes to using technology properly. The project's purpose was to educate as many senior citizens with basic computer skills. The workshop was offered both in Spanish and English once every month. The individual appointments are every week on Tuesdays. The project has exceeded expectations. The individual appointments get …

Empowering The Neurodiverse Community Through Sex Education, Talya Mainzer

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Without Walls (WOW) Program is a collaboration between Gateway Center of Monterey County and Pacific Grove Adult Education, serving neurodiverse adults between the ages of 18-55. Historically, people with disabilities have been excluded from comprehensive social-emotional and sexual health education which was reflected in the findings of a survey distributed to participants of the WOW program. Of the respondents, 71.4 percent reported never receiving sex education while 57.1 percent reported never receiving education regarding healthy relationships. This is problematic as people with disabilities are more likely to experience harm and are less likely to report it compared to their …

Addressing The Need, Laurel Fry

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Community Solutions is a nonprofit agency that provides comprehensive spectrum of prevention intervention treatment and residential services to the communities of Santa Clara and San Benito. They provide services and support to help children, families, and individuals overcome the challenges of mental health issues substance abuse, trauma, severe family dysfunction, sexual and domestic violence, and human trafficking. With the growing need of mental health services, new graduates are needing assistance in obtaining a career. This project is to create and present a training to help assist these new hires in obtaining a career. It is expected that those who attend …

Inspiring Students In Careers In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Math (Stem) Using Science Fairs, Sydney Ann Guire

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Science fairs have many benefits when it comes to students’ academic success. They are an opportunity for them to explore, experiment, and find their own interests. Science fairs help provide students with experiences and pursue future careers in STEM. Given the importance in STEM, not all school districts host science fairs for their students. The purpose of this capstone project is to examine the benefits of science fairs on students through the use of literature review, teacher and school administrator interviews, and student surveys. The findings indicate that science fairs inspire students to create a love for science and continue …

Balancing Stress, Education And Health As A College Student, Alexandra Cayot

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone paper touches base on stress relieving coping mechanisms for college students in order to help support college students in balancing their education, health and stress. This paper is based off of research and a workshop that I conducted at CSUMB.

Improving Kindness In A Preschool Classroom, Mayari Chavez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Improving Kindness within a preschool classroom.

Helping Immigrant Children Cope With Stress And Anxiety, Fatima Luna

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Besides physical health, mental health is a critical component of every person’s well-being starting from childhood. In the United States, stress and anxiety are one of the most common mental disorders in children. Occasionally, parents and the environment put much pressure on a child resulting in anxiety; at times, parents’ anxiety is projected onto their kids. Teaching children how to cope with daily stressors and anxiety is crucial to their development. This project focused on teaching Hispanic children about managing stress and anxiety through mindfulness. While also learning about how to seek help and express negative emotions. To help children …

Coping Strategies To Decrease Ptsd For Previously Incarcerated Veterans, Simone The

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focal topic of this capstone project is the emotional well-being and improvement of formerly incarcerated veterans who were transitioning out of the California prison system. The median age of formerly incarcerated age in Washington state in 2018 was 48.3 years old (Drapela, 2018). A focus on emotional well-being for this demographic is needed due to the individuals being at a higher risk of suicide, homelessness, and mental illness (Spence, Crawford, & LePage, 2020). Previously incarcerated veterans often face mental illness from experiences of high stress and traumatic situations within prison, the military, and events from their childhood. To attempt …

Conscious Discipline For Parents Of Preschool Aged Children, Claire Seabock

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project focuses on the benefits of conscious discipline for both the parent and the child. Conscious parenting is a type of parenting style that asks the parent to consciously look into the way they interact and respond to their child’s behavior. The relationship between the parent and child from two to five years old sets the foundation for a secure attachment between a parent and child during the middle childhood, teenage and early adulthood years. Conscious parenting is a parenting style that helps the parent understand the needs of their children to better help them regulate their emotions. …

Investigating The Role Of Palmitoyl Acyltransferase 14 In Preventing Early Death In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Robert Elliott

Master's Theses and Capstones

Palmitoylation is a reversible post-translational modification that affects the location, activity, and stability of proteins. Arabidopsis thaliana contains 23 genes for palmitoyl acyltransferases (PATs), the enzymes that catalyze palmitoylation. Loss of PAT14 activity results in early senescence and diminished plant size when plants are grown on standard peat/perlite mixtures in pots and watered with a commercial fertilizer, but this phenotype is not observed when plants grown on agar plates containing a different nutrient solution. Here we show that neither the peat/perlite growth medium nor the commensal microbes present in the growth are the causative agents for phenotype development. However, the …

Development Of A Continuous-Tension-Compression Machine For Testing Thin Sheet Metal, Jacqueline Mcnally

Master's Theses and Capstones

This thesis details the design and manufacturing of a custom testing machine for thin sheet metal undergoing continuous tension-compression (CTC) loading. The CTC machine concept is based on using a set of intermeshing dies to continuously support the thin sheet specimen against buckling during the test. The upper set of dies are held in place by a pneumatic actuator of 25 kN capacity. The dies can move freely relative to one another, so that both tension and compression can be performed in the same setup. A hydraulic actuator of 50 kN capacity displaces one side of the intermeshed dies. The …

Limitations-Owning And Interpersonal Dimension Of Intellectual Humility, Jason Baehr

Philosophy Faculty Works

According to one prominent account of intellectual humility, it consists primarily of a disposition to “own” one’s intellectual limitations. This account has been criticized for neglecting the interpersonal dimensions of intellectual humility. We expect intellectually humble persons to be respectful and generous with their interlocutors and to avoid being haughty or domineering. I defend the limitations-owning account against this objection. I do so in two ways: first, by arguing that some of the interpersonal qualities associated with intellectual humility are qualities expressive of virtues other than intellectual humility; and second, by arguing that, when properly described, the kind of limitations-owning …

The Cowl - V. 87 N. 8 - December 1, 2022

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 87 No. 8 - December 1, 2022. 16 pages.

Exploring The Attitudes And Perceptions Of Educators Regarding Disabled Students In The Inclusive Classroom, Christopher Closson

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This mixed methods study was designed to investigate teachers’ perceptions and attitudes regarding students with disabilities in the inclusive classroom. According to Hogan, Lohmann, and Champion (2013), inclusive classrooms are now the norm in many K-12 schools across the United States, which has made the job of general education teachers all the more difficult. This study examined educator attitudes and perceptions in three northeast Tennessee school districts, regarding disabled students in the inclusive classroom. Teachers with a clear understanding of their perspectives toward inclusion are better able to establish classrooms with full inclusion and provide students with disabilities an education …

Addressing The Challenges Facing Deep Learning Based Specific Emitter Identification Via Preamble Based Waveforms, Joshua Tyler

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to conduct in-depth experiments that analyze the effects on Deep Learning (DL) based Specific Emitter Identification (SEI) and address three issues facing the field. SEI is targeted as a physical-layer security measure that can identify radios within an Internet of Things (IoT) deployment without the need of digital credentials. In the current space, DL SEI is still in its infancy, and has not had the incubation time for a tailor-suited approach to solve issues facing SEI. This thesis introduces methods of improving DL SEI using transforms to allow the networks to learn features that …

Application Of Machine Learning And Deep Learning Approaches For Traffic Operation And Safety Assessment At Signalized Intersections, Jewel Rana Palit

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The exponential traffic growth hasn't been well-handled by traditional control systems. Adaptive controls are necessary at signalized intersections since they foresee traffic demand based on AI approaches and make decisions ahead of time. These approaches also boost traffic safety by predicting near-crash events leveraging cutting-edge datasets like LiDAR. This thesis addresses such applications of machine learning and deep learning approaches using emerging traffic datasets. A novel deep learning model, MGCNN is suggested for short-term turning volume prediction using GRIDSMART data from the MLK corridor in Chattanooga, Tennessee. During assessments for 1-to-5-minute future prediction, MGCNN surpasses contemporary models with 0.9 MSE. …

Metabolic Changes Associated With Gestational Diabetes And Weight Loss, Marykate Smith

Master's Theses

Introduction: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is diabetes diagnosed for the first time during pregnancy and negatively affects the mother and her child. Research suggests a multidisciplinary lifestyle intervention may aid in the reduction of GDM and its complications. Further, the use of metabolomics is needed to understand the alterations that happen prior to GDM diagnosis to reduce its recurrence.

Objective: Metabolomics analysis was conducted at baseline and 16-weeks post-intervention for women enrolled in a pre-pregnancy lifestyle intervention study to observe metabolic changes associated with GDM occurrence and weight loss.

Methodology: Sixteen samples from the parent Gestational Diabetes Prevention trial were …

Dynamic Soil Properties In The Lower Rio Grande Valley: Understanding Responses Of Infiltration Rate, Bulk Density, Aggregate Stability To Different Tillage Practices, Temiloluwa Faith Awotoye

Theses and Dissertations

Dynamic Soil Properties (DSPs) are soil properties that change in response to both natural and human-caused interruptions and pressures such as agro-based and wildland management. These soil properties can transform for months or even years in response to the farm use and management procedures. This research project investigates the relationship between different dynamic soil physical properties and tillage practices in the Texas Hidalgo sandy clay loam benchmark soil series. Data analyses was done to compare the effect of tillage to these soil physical properties and build a discussion about relationships between on-farm practices to other aspects of farm viability. We …

Dynamic Soil Properties In The Lower Rio Grande Valley: Carbon And Nitrogen Responses To Different Tillage Practices, Luzyannet Ballesteros Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

There has been increased attention in utilizing agriculture for carbon sequestration. Soil carbon and nitrogen are two dynamic soil properties (DSPs) that are indicators of soil health and function and have overlapping cycles. These soil properties change frequently as a result of environmental conditions and agricultural management practices. This study focuses on the impact of tillage practices in unirrigated agricultural fields in Hidalgo and Willacy counties located in South Texas on Hidalgo Sandy Clay Loam; With a particular focus on Soil Total Carbon (TC), Soil Inorganic Carbon (SIC), Permanganate Oxidizable Carbon (POXC), Carbon and Nitrogen ratio (C:N), Soil Organic Matter …