Digital Commons Network^™

Organic Gunshot Residue : Detection, Identification, And Characterization For Forensic Purposes, Shelby R. Khandasammy

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The major focus of this thesis was to explore methods for the detection, identification, and characterization of organic gunshot residues (OGSRs) for forensic purposes using various spectroscopic techniques. There are four major projects detailed in this thesis. The first project details the development of a novel-two step method for the detection and identification of organic gunshot residues using fluorescence spectroscopy for detection and Raman spectroscopy as a confirmatory step. The second chapter builds upon the study conducted in the first chapter by applying the novel-two step method covered in the first chapter to OGSRs directly fired into cloth substrates. This …

Soil From Footwear Is A Newly Rediscovered Type Of Forensic Evidence Due To The Application Of Modern Analytical Techniques : A Review, Rhilynn Haley Ogilvie

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Traces of soil discovered on a footwear were historically among the first types of evidence used by crime scene investigators. This type of evidence has been rediscovered recently due to the application of powerful analytical techniques providing quantitative characteristics of the soil (bio)chemical composition. Advanced statistical analysis of the quantitative data further improves the probative value of the soil evidence. The article overview main aspects of the emerging techniques for the forensic soil analysis and the factors that challenge data interpretation including mixing, contamination, and composition complexity. Overcoming these issues is crucial for utilizing soil analysis for forensic purposes.

Domain Aware Deep Learning For Wireless Physical Layer, Shuvam Chakraborty

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Wireless receiver design for OFDM systems is well investigated with classical signal processing tools, which lack the capacity to extract intrinsic channel effects in received signal and lead to high decoding error in receiver. Current deep learning techniques have shown improvement in such cases. But these models are mostly being developed as black box without any anchor to the theory of wireless signal propagation, which leads to surface level information gain and lacks generalizability. We propose deep learning models where the hyperparameters and learning objectives are derived from domain knowledge of wireless signal propagation. These models not only increase the …

Addressing Human Error Through Effective Cyber Policy Design, Katherine Amoresano

Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity

Human error is a significant contributing factor to the rise in Cybersecurity attacks regardless of increased technical control implemented to safeguard Information systems. Adversaries can circumvent technical safeguards due to human errors which result from inadequate enforceable policies and training on Cybersecurity for the everyday user. Several studies and articles show that the majority of successful attacks are human enabled, proving the need for human-centric cybersecurity research and practices. This exploratory work reviews the human aspect of Cybersecurity by investigating the cybersecurity policies at SUNY Albany and other SUNY institutions. We used a survey of students and faculty members at …

Analyzing Academic Self-Regulation Improvement Via Proccoli Task And Time Management Application, Le Jie Bennett

Computer Science

In the academic context, success is dependent on the individual’s ability to keep track of what needs to be done in a timely manner. But, for most students, procrastination often stands in their way. The time management application, Proccoli, is a tool that the Sahebi/Feyzi lab has developed to study individual and group procrastination behavior and help improve students’ ability to track and manage their tasks and time. Drawing foundations from Human Computer Interaction literature, the application provided features and functionalities to help promote selfregulatory behaviors such as self-observation, self-judgement, and self-reflection. An evaluation survey was sent to previous Proccoli …

Metabolic Alterations And Cardiovascular Risk After Hepatitis C Cure In Subjects With Or At Risk For Hiv, Christophe Maxime Fokoua Dongmo

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection engenders substantial metabolic changes. These changes are altered when the virus is cleared after successful treatment. We measured these metabolic alterations that occur after HCV cure; further, we assessed whether these alterations differed in subgroups defined by patients’ characteristics.

Turning Density Functional Theory Calculations Into Molecular Mechanics Simulations : Establishing The Fluctuating Density Model For Rna Nucleobases, Christopher A. Myers

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Molecular mechanics (MD) simulations and density functional theory (DFT) have been the backbone of computational chemistry for decades. Due to its accuracy and computational feasibility, DFT has become the go-to method for theoretically predicting interaction energies, polarizability, and other electronic properties of small molecules at the quantum mechanical level. Although less fundamental than DFT, molecular mechanics (MM) algorithms have been just as influential in the fields of biology and chemistry, owing their success to the ability to compute measurable, macroscopic quantities for systems with tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of atoms at a time. Nevertheless, MD simulations would …

Probabilistic Forecasting Of Winter Mixed Precipitation Types In New York State Utilizing A Random Forest, Brian Chandler Filipiak

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Operational forecasters face a plethora of challenges when making a forecast; they must consider multiple data sources ranging from radar and satellites to surface and upper air observations, to numerical weather prediction output. Forecasts must be done in a limited window of time, which adds an additional layer of difficulty to the task. These challenges are exacerbated by winter mixed precipitation events where slight differences in thermodynamic profiles or changes in terrain create different precipitation types across small areas. In addition to being difficult to forecast, mixed precipitation events can have large-scale impacts on our society.

Impact Of Eocene-Oligocene Antarctic Glaciation On The Paleoceanography Of The Weddell Sea, Victoria Hojnacki, Allison Lepp, Josie Horowitz Castaldo, Abbey States, Xiaona Li, Sandra Passchier

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The Eocene-Oligocene Transition (EOT) at ∼34 Ma marked a climatic shift from greenhouse to icehouse conditions, toward long-lasting lower global temperatures and a continental ice sheet in the Antarctic. We report on sedimentological and inorganic geochemical results across the EOT at Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 696 in the Weddell Sea, within the Antarctic limb of the Atlantic circulation. The geochemical composition of detrital, authigenic and biogenic marine sediment components, and sortable silt proxies demonstrate the impact of ice growth on high latitude water masses. Sortable silt grain size and Zr/Rb ratios attest to a period of vigorous circulation at …

Digital Currencies: Emerging Trends, Challenges And The Future Of The Monetary System, Ngozi E. Egbuna

Economic and Financial Review

This paper discusses the nature and types, trends, prospects and benefits, challenges and demerits of digital currencies, as well as, the link between digital currencies and the monetary system.

Obstacles To Proving 24-Hour Lighting Is Cruel And Unusual Under Eighth Amendment Jurisprudence, Lauren Jaech

Washington Law Review

Twenty-four-hour lighting causes sleep deprivation, depression, and other serious disorders for incarcerated individuals, yet courts often do not consider it to be cruel and unusual. To decide if prison conditions violate the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment, courts follow a two-part inquiry that requires examining the intent of prison officials (known as the subjective prong) as well as the degree of seriousness of the alleged cruel or unusual condition (the objective prong). Incarcerated individuals often file complaints challenging 24-hour lighting conditions. Whether they succeed on these claims may depend on the circuit in which they reside. Judges …

Oral And Written Corrective Feedback In Dual Language Immersion Portuguese Classes, Janaina Quadros

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This portfolio results from the classes, readings, writings, class observations, and reflections during my time in the MSLT program. It comprises three major components: teaching philosophy, reflections through class observations, and a reflection paper on corrective feedback. Besides that, the reader will find some background about the author’s educational and professional journey and intentions for the future.

The reflection paper focuses on oral and written corrective feedback in second language classes. It is the result of reviews of pertinent literature and the author’s experience as a Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Portuguese teacher. It gives an overview of the importance of …

Childhood And Adolescent Obesity: Related Comorbidities And Interventions, Jasmine Wong

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background

The prevalence of childhood and adolescent obesity in the United States has steadily risen over the years and has become a public health concern. Obesity is defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex. Obese children and adolescents are at risk for poor health and poor quality of life. Furthermore, there are numerous comorbidities associated with childhood and adolescent obesity. While some of the associated diseases are acute, others can become chronic and result in lifelong conditions.

Objective

The purpose of the present thesis is to explore …

Impact Of Intergenerational Trauma Among Immigrant And Refugee Families: Effects On The Mental Health And Acquisition Of Care, Loralee Chea

Nursing | Senior Theses

Intergenerational trauma is described as a discrete form of trauma that occurs when traumatic effects are passed across generations without the descendants of trauma survivors having exposure to the original event (Isobel et al., 2021). It is a silent suffering experienced among immigrant families from all across the world who have survived war, genocide, displacements, loss, and other psychological trauma. An exploration of literature has also shown that the healthcare crisis from this form of trauma can be identified and intervened with preventative or treatment measures in clinical practice. The purpose of this research paper is to explore the mental …

Our Early Years Of Life's Effects On Our Future Health And Well-Being, Claudia Gagliano

Nursing | Senior Theses

Many poor health outcomes later into adulthood have been triggered by adverse life events that have occurred during childhood. Most of the general population has experienced some sort of adverse childhood event that has negatively impacted their future health. Adverse childhood events include any traumatic event that has occurred during childhood including maltreatment (sexual abuse, mental abuse, and physical abuse), neglect, parental loss, and peer victimization.

Raising awareness regarding the opportunities to intervene in a child’s life as a means to prevent behavioral, psychological, and substance abuse disorders before they would typically manifest on their own is the ultimate goal. …

Conducting A Needs Assessment To Inform The Development Of A Burnout Mitigation Program For Critical Care Nurses, Leighann Marie Brock

Doctoral Scholarly Projects & Capstones

Burnout among nurses is at monumental levels, contributing to high levels of job dissatisfaction and turnover. Some interventions existed in the literature to support burnout reduction programming among nurses; however, the literature failed to identify effective burnout reduction interventions based upon the specific needs of critical care nurses who face unique stressors related to high patient acuity and other environmental considerations. This project aimed to explore critical care nurses' needs and strategies designed to mitigate burnout in the clinical setting. Outcomes from this assessment would inform future interventions for the early identification and prevention of burnout among critical care nurses. …

Complex Adaptive Systems Leadership In A Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, And Ambiguous (Vuca) Environment: A Case Study Of A First-Year Female Superintendent Of Color, Karika Ann Parker

Dissertations

Superintendents in the K-12 education system in the United States are called upon to ameliorate problems and issues derived from many internal and external forces since its inception. Current literature reveals that, superintendents face complex challenges to improve district level educational outcomes for students within environments that are more volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) and do require a shift from dominant traditional (hierarchal and control) leadership approaches. The aim of this qualitative case study of interviews is to represent the single voice of a first-year female superintendent of color’s (Asian, Indian descent) perspective, perceptions, thoughts, and experiences. The interviews …

Designing A Virtual Driving Tour Using Mapping Programs: A Case Study Of West Virginia’S Northern Panhandle, Abigail Ayers

Historic Preservation Final Projects

No abstract provided.

¿Aviso O Alerta? Developing Effective, Inclusive, And Consistent Watch And Warning Translations For U.S. Spanish Speakers, Joseph E. Trujillo-Falcón, América R. Gaviria Pabón, Joseph T. Ripberger, Abby Bitterman, Jonathan B. Thornton, Mackenzie J. Krocak, Sean R. Ernst, Estilita Cassiani Obeso, John Lipski

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration: Technical Reports and Related Materials

Spanish-speaking populations in the United States are more vulnerable in disaster contexts due to inequities, such as language barriers, that prevent them from receiving life-saving information. For the past couple of decades, governmental organizations have addressed these issues by translating weather watches, warnings, and advisories into Spanish. Previous studies suggest that these Spanish translations do not communicate the same level of urgency as their English counterparts. To identify whether these translated products result in inequities between English and Spanish speaker reception and comprehension of forecast information, we asked a representative sample of U.S. English (n = 1,550) and Spanish (n …

Constitutional Memories, Jack M. Balkin

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

Many arguments in constitutional law invoke collective memory. Collective memory is what a group—for example, a religion, a profession, a people, or a nation—remembers and forgets about its past. This combination of remembering and forgetting helps constitute the group’s identity and structures its values and its commitments. Precisely because memory is selective, it may or may not correspond to the best account of historical facts.

The use of collective memory in constitutional argument is constitutional memory. It shapes people’s views about what the law means and why people have authority. Lawyers and judges continually invoke and construct memory; judicial decisions …

Judges And Mass Incarceration, Carissa Byrne Hessick

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

It seems to have fallen out of fashion to talk about judges as a source of criminal justice reform. Instead, the academic literature now focuses on the role that prosecutors and legislatures have played in mass incarceration. But judges have also played an important role in the phenomenon that has come to be known as mass incarceration. Perhaps more importantly, there are things that judges could do to help reverse that trend.

Judges will sometimes say our system is too harsh. But, in the same breath they tell us the decision to create such a system and the decision to …

Debiasing Criminal Justice, Sandra Guerra Thompson, Nicole Bremner Cásarez

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

The killing of George Floyd by police officers in Minnesota inspired a summer of protests in 2020, followed by a call for racial reckoning and a professed commitment to reform criminal justice. Many have condemned the “systemic racism” reflected in countless demographic measures. From killings of unarmed men by the police at the front end of the criminal justice system to incarceration rates at the back end, the statistics show stark disparities along racial lines. These disparities are held up as evidence of racial bias in the system.

Statements about racial bias may be intended as an indictment of a …

A New Takings Clause? The Implications Of Cedar Point Nursery V. Hassid For Property Rights And Moratoria, Benjamin Alexander Mogren

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

In part, the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution holds that “no person . . . shall [have their] private property . . . taken for public use, without just compensation.” In Cedar Point Nursery v. Hassid, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that “a California regulation that permits union organizers to enter the property of agricultural business to talk with employees about supporting a union is unconstitutional.” The purpose of this Note is to discuss what Cedar Point Nursery means generally for the future of Takings Clause analysis and will argue that Cedar Point Nursery should be seen as a …

The Trump Clemencies: Celebrities, Chaos, And Lost Opportunity, Mark Osler

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

The presidency of Donald Trump may have produced the most chaotic use of the constitutional pardon power in American history. Trump granted clemency to war criminals, to close friends, to celebrities, and to the friends of celebrities, with much of it coming in a mad rush at the end of his single term. Buried beneath this rolling disaster was a brief moment of hope and a lost opportunity: the chance for a restructure of the clemency process in the fall of 2018, enabled by a rare alignment of factors, including Trump’s alienation from the Department of Justice. This Article will …

Automated Government For Vulnerable Citizens: Intermediating Rights, Sofia Ranchordás, Luisa Scarcella

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

Filing tax returns or applying for unemployment benefits are some of the most common government transactions. Yet interacting with tax and social security authorities is for many a source of government anxiety. Bureaucracy, regulatory delays, and the complexity of the administrative legal system have been regarded for decades as the key reasons for this problem. Digital government promised a solution in the shape of simplified forms, electronic filing, and better communication with citizens. In the United States, privately developed software systems such as TurboTax and MiDAS emerged as intermediaries between citizens and digital government, selling convenience and efficiency. These systems …

Understanding The Molecular Mechanism Of Ilv1 Stress Sensitivity In Yeast By Examination Of Differential Patterns Of Gene Expression Between Wild-Type And Ilv1 Knockout Strains Of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Emily Schuster

Honors Theses

As arguably the most widely used industrial eukaryote, Saccharomyces cerevisiae has become one of the many model organisms used to study molecular genetics. A recent unpublished study at the University of Tennessee - Chattanooga showed that yeast cells that had the ILV1 gene knocked out had reduced survivability under stress conditions. This study then focused on the role of ILV1 in the stress response of cells by measuring the expression levels of 11 candidate genes that are all involved in some critical pathway in the yeast to see how gene expression was influenced as a result of the loss of …

Examining The Intersections Of Art And Science Through Photomicrography, Lauren Marie Solomon

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the ways in which photomicrography is interdisciplinary, requiring the fields of both art and science. Three types of microscopy were used in this project, brightfield, epifluorescence, and confocality. The overall thesis is both, a body of artistic work and a narrative of my endeavor to understand the science and process behind photomicroscopy.

Building Structures From Mycelium, Noah M. Brown

Physics

The purpose of this project was to develop a method for creating bricks from mycelium and agricultural waste. The bulk of the research happened in two parts, the first part being a period in which different substrates, strains, and methods were used build the bricks. This research took place in San Luis Obispo and was aided by a group of students in PSC392 under Dr. Pete Schwartz in early 2022. After developing a method for constructing these bricks, the research was moved to St. Thomas, Jamaica, in collaboration with an ecovillage called The Source Farm from July to September. The …

Voices That Matter: Boston Area Residents Of Color Discuss Climate Change, Lorena M. Estrada-Martínez, Paul Watanabe, Katsyris Rivera-Kientz

Sustainable Solutions Lab

This report presents findings from a qualitative study conducted by the Sustainable Solutions Lab at the University of Massachusetts Boston, centering on the climate change perspectives of 70 residents of color from the Greater Boston area. Through focus group discussions with Asian American, Black, Latino/a, and Native American participants, the study examines three core areas: the health impacts of climate change, levels of community preparedness, and individual and governmental responses. The findings reveal a shared concern over climate-related health vulnerabilities, structural barriers to climate preparedness, and a general mistrust of governmental leadership stemming from historical and ongoing racial inequities. Participants …

Technology-Enhanced In Vivo Exposures In Prolonged Exposure For Ptsd: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial, Tanya C Saraiya, Amber M Jarnecke, Alex O Rothbaum, Bethany Wangelin, Lisa M Mcteague, Ron Acierno, Delisa G Brown, Emily Bristol, Hayley Feigl, Mclain Reese, Adam R Cobb, Bill Harley, Robert J Adams, Sudie E Back

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In vivo exposures (IVEs) are a key component of exposure-based treatments, during which patients approach fear-provoking, yet safe, situations in "real life." This pilot study assessed the use of a wearable technology (Bio Ware) during IVEs to enhance Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy for PTSD. Bio Ware provides a clinician dashboard with real-time physiological and subjective data for clinicians to use for virtually guided IVEs. Participants (N = 40) were randomized to a Guided group that received standard PE and virtual, clinician-guided IVEs with the Bio Ware device, or a Non-Guided group that received standard PE and used the Bio Ware …