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A Comparison Of The Acsm And Ymca Submaximal Cycle Ergometer Testing Protocols Within A College-Aged Population, Lauren Hampton

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

The ACSM and YMCA cycle ergometer tests are two similar and common protocols for VO2max estimation that require submaximal effort. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in VO2max estimation between the ACSM and YMCA tests. Eleven healthy adults (63.6% female, 21.1 ± 1.3 years) volunteered to complete both submaximal tests. Both tests were performed in a randomized order three to ten days apart. During testing, heart rate and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) were assessed and VO2max was estimated. Between the ACSM and YMCA protocols, there were no significant differences in the highest heart rate achieved (138.4 …

An Analysis Of The Key Components Of War In Baseball, Natalie Kerr

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

This study explores the creation of Offensive Wins Above Replacements (oWAR) models within the realm of Major League Baseball (MLB) based on individual player statistics for teams who participated in the 2022 postseason. The main objective was to construct a more refined oWAR model through the examination of the already existing oWAR model and its variables. The exploration was aimed at finding the impact that different variables relating to player performance have on the current oWAR and potentially reducing the number of variables used for the model. Through the use of statistical analysis techniques, such as regression analysis, it was …

Visualization Fair Division – Using Visualization To Find Solutions To The Fair Division Problem, Jackson Wise

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

This thesis builds upon previous work done on the topic of fair division to attempt to answer the question as to whether computers can be used to determine a fair division of assets among players. The experiment I will be conducting will dive into how fairness can be achieved through visualization technology. There will also be a literature review portion of this thesis that will delve into topics such as different fair division algorithms and the criteria of fairness they use, the application of those algorithms in real life situations, and the computation constraints that come with fair division algorithms. …

A Body Disinterred: Academic Grave Robbing And Its Consequences, Jordan Ottaviano

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

This thesis examines the local case of Ella Jamerson, a victim of grave robbing for the purposes of anatomization, in order to display the paradigm shift in documentation which this incident brought to its community. Anatomization is the dissection of individuals in order to gain knowledge concerning the structures and functions of the human body. This practice, though responsible for advancements within the study of human medicine, maintains a heavy stigma of discomposure due to previously unethical methods through which bodies have historically been procured for dissection. The act of resurrection, or graverobbing for medical education was utilized to provide …

Investigation Of The Oral And Gut Microbiomes Of Llamas: 16s Microbiome Testing And Characterization Of An Isolated Microbe, Elizabeth Wenger

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

The oral microbiome informs us about the living conditions of the animal. Understanding the oral microbiome allows handlers to understand the health implications to better protect themselves and care for the animals. Current literature on the oral microbiome in ruminants and alpacas is scant and does not represent llamas. In theory, the oral microbiome of a llama should be similar because they are often housed and cared for in a very similar manner. The gut and oral microbiome in humans have proven to have an overlap in bacterial communities. In theory, this is also true in animals that chew cud …

The Effect Of State Gambling Laws And State Voting Tendencies, Steve Ulrichs

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

This study will be looking into how both state gambling laws and state voting tendencies affect the arrest rates of different races. The races are split into four groups, adult white, adult black, adult indian, and adult asian. The first variable is state gambling laws. All 50 states and Washington D.C. are split into one of three tiers based on how strict their legislature is as it pertains to gambling in that state. Those tiers will then be analyzed against the four groups of races to see if different levels of gambling laws have more of an impact on the …

Objectivity And Its Effects In Sports Broadcasting, Andrew Watson

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Sports broadcasting has become one of the most criticized genres of broadcast television in recent years with the introduction of streaming services such as ESPN+. A main complaint of sports broadcasting from the audience is bias used in an incorrect manner. However, it is important to understand that objectivity and bias both have their advantages in gaining and maintaining viewership on different levels of broadcasts. Although the teams and networks control the product that is on the field, the real leverage in the industry lies with the consumer. This means that the quality of broadcast has become one of the …

Aerodynamic And Chemical Comparisons Of The Most Recent World Cup Soccer Balls, Lauren Thomas

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

One goal of this research was to compare the aerodynamics of the 2023 Women’s World Cup ball, the Oceaunz, to the ball used in the 2022 Men’s World Cup, the Al Rihla, using drag coefficients obtained from wind-tunnel data and vertical trajectories of the balls. The two balls have the same panel and seam design, but they possess different surface coloring. Chemical analysis using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy suggests that both balls were designed with water soluble inks, which are environmentally preferable over inks made from oil-based solvents. Analysis of the drag coefficients determined from the wind-tunnel data indicate that …

The Sustainability Of Housing Security In Lynchburg, Virginia, Kelsey Spickler

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

To understand the current challenges of housing security, both nationally and locally, it is imperative to recognize what has been done by human services professionals and community organizations in the past.

Relationship Between Outdoor Recreation Activity And Physical And Mental Health, Ian Prinzbach

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Mental and physical health are important aspects of our lives, and maintenance of them is crucial to sustain or improve one’s quantity and quality of life. Research shows that Americans suffer greatly from physical and mental health related complications. Mental illness and chronic disease runs rampant in our society, and this is an issue that needs immediate attention. The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in outdoor activities affected physical and mental health. Based on existing research, it was hypothesized that the frequency of outdoor activity participation would have a positive correlation with more favorable physical and …

Society Says They Can’T: Vocal Independence In Students Matriculating From Primary To Secondary School, Victoria Rogers

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

There is a continual decline in the number of students who choose to continue on with vocal music following their time in Elementary School (Ruth & Müllensiefen, 2021). This paper explores the connection of the Social Learning Theory to this phenomenon and seeks to provide options for lessons teachers can incorporate into their classroom to combat these losses. A detailed search of the peer-reviewed literature resulted in several sources which discuss the importance of strengthening self-efficacy of the student and the factors which can lower it. As shown through the research, there is a strong correlation between factors which exist …

Militarizing Containment:, Laura Porto

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Bioinformatic Analysis Of Hypothetical Genes In Lactococcus Lactis Ssp. Il1403:, Jennifer Tangires

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

The human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) contains various microbial organisms involved in many processes of physiological homeostasis. Among these resident microbes are lactic acid bacteria (LAB). These bacteria, almost all of which belong to the order Lactobacillales, are able to produce lactic acid and play an important role in food preservation because they produce bacteriocins. Bacteriocins are antimicrobial proteins that are used to fight off related bacteria in their environment that are competing for the same resources. This study focuses on exploring a specific LAB strain, Lactococcus lactis ssp. IL1403 where 21.9% of its predicted genes have not yet been assigned …

Fluorescence-Based Techniques For The Identification Of Small Biomolecules, Charnette Frederic

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Understanding fluorescence-based methods for detecting small biomolecules is a crucial area of focus in research investigations. Our studies focused on the challenge in two parts: Non-intrinsic fluorescence and intrinsic fluorescence. For studies on Non-intrinsic fluorescence, Rifampicin (Rif), an antibiotic harnessed for treating diverse bacterial infections, including tuberculosis (TB), serves as a focal point. Leveraging the Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) process, aptamers emerged from the nonspecific 40-mer Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) library to interact with its target, Rif. During each SELEX cycle, the recovered nucleotides underwent amplification via Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) until the most selective aptamers were …

Mrs. Lisa Machelle Wilkerson Smith

African American Funeral Programs

No abstract provided.

What The Stork Brought: Endogenous Fertility Preferences, Lucas Fortier Borden

Master's Theses

Where most existing literature on fertility preferences has described how fertility preferences shape outcomes, this paper provides insight into how the sex of a recent birth affects a mother’s fertility preferences. Utilizing data from the Demographic Health Survey from 1985-2020 in 81 countries containing 309,238 mothers who gave birth in the past 12 months and who have equal to or fewer than three children, I employ OLS with two-way fixed effects as my primary specification, examining the effects of the plausibly exogenous sex of a recent birth on sibship sex composition preferences. Results show that a recent daughter birth increases …

Exploring The Learning Outcome Of A Financial Literacy Game, Stanley Yip

Master's Theses

The financial literacy game was part of a financial literacy intervention that was conducted in Karnataka, India. Rural women participated in playing the game for four weeks. Using a fixed effects model at the subject level, the game was measured by three outcomes. These outcomes consist of the rate of type one errors, type two errors and the rate of going bankrupt that could occur for players when playing the financial literacy game. With type one errors, we find that adding one more unit on the return on investment (roi) would lead to about a 1.59 percent decrease in type …

“Bad Hombres”: Trump Era Politics And Media In Shaping The Perceptions Of The Mexican Diaspora In The United States, Angelica Soria

Master's Theses

My research delves into the anti-Mexican immigrant rhetoric spread throughout the United States under Donald Trump’s presidency by himself, mainstream media news outlet Fox News, and the U.S. government. Furthermore, examining the social identity of ethnic Mexicans in the United States in response to and as a consequence of the negative rhetoric. This thesis analyzes discourse including the harmful rhetoric and its impact on policy formulation, public perception, and the lived experiences of Mexican immigrants and ethnic Mexican communities. By looking at existing discourse, this research provides a critical discourse analysis of political speeches, media coverage, and ethnic Mexican testimonios. …

Impacting Queer Trans-Migrations In Mexico: A Case Study Of Civil Society Organization Casa Frida Refugio Lgbt+, Leticia Morales

Master's Theses

Mexico has historically been known as an emigration or transit country. In this context, civil society organizations have played pivotal roles in addressing the voids in support for migrants. Among these organizations, Casa Frida Refugio LGBT stands out as a significant service provider, specifically for LGBT+ migrants. This study engages in a qualitative case study analysis of the organization Casa Frida, drawing from interviews conducted with nine LGBTQ+ migrants and refugees, personal observations, and Casa Frida’s website and social media accounts. The research seeks to answer two central questions: Firstly, what role does an LGBT+ specific service provider like Casa …

Can Aspiration And Financial Literacy Interventions Relieve Internal Constraints? Evidence From Uganda And India, Veronika Divis

Master's Theses

Can aspiration and financial literacy interventions relieve internal constraints? We address this question through a novel experiment in Uganda and India, using 617 participants in 89 already existing borrowing groups of microfinance institutions. We carry out aspiration and financial literacy treatments as well as a combined treatment group which received both treatments to measure effects on aspirations, hope, agency, and pathway indices. Results show that receiving the aspirations treatment led to 0.34, 0.42, 0.18, and 0.40 standard deviation increases in aspirations, agency, pathways, and aspirational hope, respectively. The game and combined treatment groups also showed positive effects but lacked statistical …

Lgbtqia+ Immigrant Healing: Ulysses Syndrome & Community-Based Organizing, Tay Villaseñor-Ingersoll

Master's Theses

The aim of this study is to validate that LGBTQIA+ migrants experience the Ulysses Syndrome, also referred to as the Immigrant Syndrome of Chronic and Multiple Stress, which was developed in 2002 by Psychiatrist and Professor of the University of Barcelona, Dr. Joseba Achotegui. This is an impermanent and complex grieving process which exposes one to symptoms such as depression, anxiety and dissociative somatic symptoms which result from extreme levels of stress from the processes of modern migration. This syndrome manifests as a natural reaction to intense migratory pressures for those who are otherwise healthy.

Furthermore, this project highlights how …

Impact Of Temperature On Children’S Nutrition: A Comparative Study Of Three Ecological Regions Of Nepal, Prakriti Shakya

Master's Theses

Nutrition obtained during the growth period of childhood significantly influences long-term well-being and overall productivity, ultimately contributing to the economy of a society. However, weather shocks can wreak havoc by damaging crops, changing yields of important crops and disrupting market access, which directly impacts the food intake of both adults and children. When these adverse events occur during childhood, short term and long term inadequacy in nutrition as well as disease incidence can cause malnutrition leading to stunted growth and cognitive impairment that may persist into adulthood, affecting the labor market and increasing health expenditure. To address this issue, we …

Assesing Electronic Waste Management Strategies In Ghana, Valere Daphne Ossie

Master's Theses

In an era of rapid technological innovation, managing electronic waste (E-waste) is an increasing challenge globally. African countries are increasingly becoming the key destination of electronic waste due to two primaries factors which are the emergence of unregulated private markets from international and domestic recycling loopholes and stricter regulations on E-waste import and recycling methods in Asian countries like China and India. This study focuses on the complexities surrounding electronic waste (E-waste) in Ghana and provides management recommendations to mitigate the environmental health consequences. Using a qualitative method and peer-reviewed journals, this study investigates the current state of E-waste management …

Evaluating Climate Migration Through Discourse Analysis Of International Policy Framework And “El Progreso” Community Blog, Olusola Akanni

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Environmental changes are driven by global warming, such as rising temperatures, melting ice, and increased natural disasters which directly affect the living conditions of huma thereby driving migration. This study highlights the inadequacies of current migration management policies as the United States is seeing a significant influx of migrants from Central America. The focus of this discourse analysis is on the role of inadequate policies and the failure of international efforts like the Paris Climate Agreement in addressing the issue of climate-induced migration effectively. Despite the goals set by such international agreements to mitigate the effects of climate change …

Human Trafficking: Foreign National Adolescent Survivors In The United States, A Call To Expand Otip Eligibility Letters, Ailleene L. Maldonado

Master's Theses

The Office of Trafficking in Persons grants child eligibility letters to foreign national minors who have been confirmed victims of trafficking. These OTIP Eligibility Letters provide recipients with public benefits to the same extent as a refugee but do not grant protection from removal or pathways towards legal permanent residence. Additionally, many OTIP recipients have unaccompanied minor status in the United States. In order to capture the experience of OTIP recipients, this research explores existing literature on trafficking trauma and migration stressors/ trauma. Additionally, this research identifies international and national legal frameworks to define trafficking and acknowledge the responsibility that …

Heat And Social Behavior: The Effect Of Personal And Social Well-Being, Antonia Michele Sottile

Master's Theses

High temperatures have the capacity to cause catastrophic changes in social and economic systems, but does heat impact our social behavior, and is this potential effect moderated by a person's social and personal well-being? In this paper, I utilize data from a 5 country laboratory experiment and run a fixed effect regression model to understand the role of these metrics in determining behavioral outcomes. The results suggest that heat alone has no impact on egalitarianism, generosity, or selfishness, but that it does have a small negative impact on spite. Stress was also found to have a negative impact on spite, …

Dose Higher Socioeconomic Status Associate With Better Mental Health Outcomes Among Primary Caregivers In Rural China?, Wenwen Zhang

Master's Theses

This study explores the intricate relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and the mental health outcomes of primary caregivers in rural China, focusing on the Early Childhood Development (ECD) context in Ya'an. Anchored in a major intervention project launched in 2023, the study critically examines the hypothesis that higher socioeconomic status correlates with lower levels of negative emotions among caregivers.

Utilizing cross-sectional data, the research investigates how educational attainment and household income influence caregivers' mental health, measured through the DASS-21 score in three dimensions: stress, anxiety, and depression. The findings reveal that higher household income and educational levels are significantly associated …

Conflict Related Sexual Violence In Ethiopia: An Applied Approach To Prevention, Liya Yared

Master's Theses

The Ethiopia-Tigray civil war is one of the deadliest conflicts in recent world history and quickly drew international attention for the mass reports of sexual violence, war crimes, and ethnic cleansing by federal militants. Mass rapes and sexual violence were used along ethnic lines to devastate and displace communities in Ethiopia. Despite the signing of the peace agreement in November 2022 to cease hostilities, the sexual violence has not come to an end. The violence has consequently spread to the Afar, Amhara, and Oromia regions, neighboring Tigray. The sexual violence in Ethiopia was core to the armed conflict. Nonetheless, the …

Preventing Conflict-Related Sexual Violence In Ethiopia: An Applied Approach Towards Prevention, Leah Yared

Master's Theses

The Ethiopia-Tigray civil war is one of the deadliest conflicts in recent world history and quickly drew international attention for the mass reports of sexual violence, war crimes, and ethnic cleansing by federal militants. Mass rapes and sexual violence were used along ethnic lines to devastate and displace communities in Ethiopia. Despite the signing of the peace agreement in November 2022 to cease hostilities, the sexual violence has not come to an end. The violence has consequently spread to the Afar, Amhara, and Oromia regions, neighboring Tigray. The sexual violence in Ethiopia was core to the armed conflict. Nonetheless, the …

Does Endogamous Marriage Impact Women's Fertility Gaps In India?, Natalya Francis Schafer

Master's Theses

This study aimed to measure the possible impact endogamous (within-family) marriage practices could have on women's fertility gaps in India. Fertility gap in this study is defined as the difference between the ideal number of children a woman desires and the total number of children born to a woman at time of interview. In many developing countries ,such as India, it is common for women to be overachieving their fertility - having more children than desired. Data from the CIA.gov (2024) shows total fertility rates to be highest in developing areas across Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and India. The …