Digital Commons Network^™

Human Trafficking And Machine Learning: A Data Pipeline From Law Agencies To Research Groups, Nathaniel Hites

Computer Science and Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery that, while highly illegal, is more dangerous with the advancements of modern technology (such as the Internet), which allows such a practice to spread more easily and quickly all over the world. While the number of victims of human trafficking is large (according to non-profit organization Safe House, there are estimated to be about 20.5 million human trafficking victims, worldwide (“Human Trafficking Statistics & Facts.” Safe Horizon)- co-erced or manipulated by traffickers into either forced labor, or sexual exploitation and encounters), the number of heard cases is proportionally low- several thousand successful …

Illumicore: Efficient Resource Allocation To Minimize Network Communication Latency, Leo Popokh

Computer Science and Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Connectivity is the essential feature in the modern world and is considered a utility — always on and available everywhere. 5G is the fifth generation of wireless technology that facilitates this connectivity with ultra-low network communication latency. 5G will have a massive impact on how we live, learn, work and play.

Virtual Network Functions (VNF), Network Service and Slice (NS) Management and Orchestration (MANO) are the paramount goals for telecommunication operators to rapidly introduce new 5G features like Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Massive Machine Type Communications (MMTC), and Ultra-Reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC). Network Function Virtualization (NFV) is the …

Paving The Way To Understanding Female-Headed Households: Variation In Household Composition Across 103 Low-And Middle-Income Countries, Ghada E. Saad, Hala Ghattas Ph.D., Andrea Wendt, Franciele Hellwig, Jocelyn Dejong, Ties Boerma, Cesar Victora, Aluisio J.D. Barros

Faculty Publications

Background

Female-headed households (FHHs) are regarded as disadvantaged. There are multiple social trajectories that can lead to women heading households. It is important to distinguish between these trajectories, as well as societal norms and contextual factors, to understand how and when are FHHs represented as a dimension of gender inequity. Our analysis defines and describes a typology of 16 FHH types (FHH16) based on demographic characteristics.

Methods

This cross-sectional study used national Demographic Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) in 103 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to identify a typology of FHHs based on the family composition …

Exploring Moral Permissibility Of Nurse Participation In Limited Resuscitation, Felicia Stokes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation offers a novel approach to support nurses when they face conflict between clinicians and families or alternate decision-makers over potentially inappropriate end-of-life goals of care. This dissertation will provide a normative analysis of the moral permissibility of limited resuscitation, with arguments supported by analyses of families’ and nurses’ perspectives and actions in the EoL decision-making process. Limited resuscitation is a cardiopulmonary resuscitation effort where full pharmacologic and mechanical intervention is not used, or the length of the resuscitative effort is shortened. It is typically associated with deception because it is performed without the knowledge of patients and families. …

Long-Term Health Outcomes For Adult Women Who Experienced Sexual Assault, Jodie Flynn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to understand the impact of sexual assault pre- and post-sexual assault on health, health care experience, and health-related quality of life in adult women. Research identifying quality of life as a health outcome post-sexual assault is limited. No long-term studies to evaluate differences in health-related quality of life pre-and post-sexual assault have been conducted. In addition, only a few studies have investigated mental health changes over time. An exploration into self-perceived general health pre-and post-sexual assault and overall current quality of life needs to be conducted to determine improvements in health care services for …

Cultural Beliefs About Healthy And Unhealthy Weight In Children 2 To 11 Years Of Age Among Parents Of Mexican Heritage, Nathalie Confiac

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Despite multisectoral preventive interventions, the obesity prevalence among children of Mexican heritage remains the highest of all ethnic groups in the US. Methodology: Guided by Leininger’s Culture Care Diversity and Universality Theory, this study explored the culture care beliefs and practices of Mexican heritage parents about healthy and unhealthy weight in children 2-11 years of age using the ethnonursing research method. Eight key and 17 general informants were interviewed, and the four phases of ethnonursing data analysis guided analysis. Results: Twenty-six categories were identified which led to seven culture care patterns revealing four themes. Informants shared the …

Evaluation And Application Of Crispr-Cas12a-Based Systems For Amphibian Detection From Dietary And Environmental Dna, Macie Chess

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current methods for monitoring biodiversity are hindered by detection efficiencies or rely on expensive laboratory equipment. The goal of this study was to evaluate the application of a CRISPR-Cas12a-based system for the species-specific detection of amphibians from dietary and environmental DNA samples. A Cas-12a-based platform was designed and analyzed for the fluorescent detection of three salamander species; Desmognathus fuscus, D. ochropheaus, and Erycia bislineata. This system was applied to the identification of salamander DNA extracted from the fecal sacs of nestling Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia monticola), amplified with PCR primers targeting the CYT B mtDNA gene, and compared to DNA metabarcoding. …

A Program Evaluation Of Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of Technology Integration At The K-6 Level In The Seneca Valley School District And The Impact Of Covid-19, Bria Koch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Education and learning were upended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately 1.6 billion learners in more than 190 countries were impacted by the pandemic with 90 percent of countries adopting digital or remote learning policies (United States Department of Education, 2021). This program evaluation of teachers’ and administrators’ perspectives examined how well technology integration was taking place in K-6 grade classrooms in the Seneca Valley School District. Due to the interruption of traditional learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was an opportune time to examine both teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions about the district’s level of success at …

Hidden Amongst People: Experiences Fo Black White Biracial Individuals With Microaggressions, Horizontal Hostilities, And Identity Denial In Educational Settings, Deborah Luckett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative dissertation explores the dissonance between critical race theory and culturally relevant pedagogical practices in the context of non-binary identity formation and identity denial for Black White Biracial (BWBR) individuals. This positioned subject study examines stories of five adult female members of this population. Utilizing Bell’s Storytelling for Social Justice Model (2020) the study reveals the stock, concealed, resistance and, emerging/transforming stories of participants as they recall experiences with monoracially instigated microaggressions and horizontal hostilities. The model provides analytic themes to examine the dissonance. The following questions will be explored:

Primary Question: What socio/cultural interactions influence BWBR racial identity …

Analysis Of Water Quality And Fish Communities Of Crooked Creek, Tributary To The Allegheny River In Southwestern Pennsylvania, Katherine Stupar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Crooked Creek is a tributary of the Allegheny River with a drainage area of 292 square miles. It has been historically affected by mine drainage pollution. Extensive cleanup and monitoring efforts by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have taken place over the last four decades. Unconventional oil extraction, or fracking, presents an emerging threat to the water quality of this stream and the health of its fish communities. Here we perform an analysis of the Crooked Creek watershed utilizing backpack electrofishing, eDNA metabarcoding, and various methods of water quality analysis. Seven sites on …

Investigating Student Self-Beliefs And Learning Metrics In Online Courseware: A Quantitative Inquiry, Rachel Van Campenhout

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Online courseware is an emerging educational technology that has the potential to reach students at scale. Designed with cognitive and learning science principles, courseware utilizes effective methods to maximize learning outcomes for students. Mindset (implicit theories of ability) and self-efficacy are two widely researched self-belief topics which have been shown to influence student learning outcomes and self-concepts. These self-belief theories are not specific to a domain and therefore could be measured and analyzed in relation to student learning metrics from any subject. The purpose of this nonexperimental correlational research study is to investigate the relationships between student self-beliefs and key …

Perceived Levels Of Teaching Self-Efficacy Among Advanced Ces Doctoral Students Engaging In External Pedagogical Experiences, Erika Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study examined factors of internal preparation practices (i.e., coursework in college teaching, fieldwork in college teaching, and frequency of supervision) and external pedagogical experiences (i.e., holding a bachelor’s or master’s degree in teaching and adjunct faculty experiences in higher education) and their potential effects on teaching self-efficacy among counselor education and supervision doctoral students. This study identified both significant and non-significant relationships between the stated variables. Contrary to previous research (Suddeath et al., 2020), internal preparation practices did not significantly predict scores of teaching self-efficacy among this population. However, the findings suggest that participants holding a bachelor’s or …

Genetic Origins Of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (Pcos): An Analysis Of The Genetic Correlation Between Pcos And Insulin Receptor Mutations, Lauren Henry

Undergraduate Theses

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) remains an extremely common, yet understudied syndrome experienced by 6-12% of females of reproductive age. Not only does it cause painful side effects manifesting both physically and mentally, but it also poses a threat to the fertility of those affected. For this reason, a more in-depth analysis to better understand how to detect this condition early and prevent fertility complications later is certainly warranted. PCOS is suspected to be primarily genetic due to correlations among immediate female family members. Based on previous research, a good starting point for analysis is the INSR gene. Various mutations within …

From Patrons To Landlords: The Transformation Of Class Relations In Zanzibar Through Wakf Reform, Isabel Spafford

Honors Theses

This study examines the role of wakf reforms in reshaping class relationships in Zanzibar during the British protectorate. Prior to the establishment of the British protectorate in Zanzibar, wakf dedications maintained patron-client relationships between the landowning class and poor clients that were established during the time of slavery but continued after abolition. I argue that wakf dedications were essential to continuing these relationships, and therefore British wakf reforms were necessary to achieve British colonial goals of dissolving patron-client relationships and establishing a capitalist system based on wage labor and ground rent. I analyze the relationship of the British colonial class, …

Promoting Women Police Officers: Does Exam Format Matter?, Jessica Huff, Natalie Todak

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Despite decades of calls to diversify policing, women continue to be underrepresented in the field, and this problem compounds when looking up the ranks. One explanation is that police organizations are “gendered” in that their structures, processes, and cultures support men’s career advancement over women’s. To investigate this possibility, we analyzed survey results from 685 women police officers to examine whether career advancement is influenced by the composition of an agency’s promotional process. Most agencies used a combination of testing components, with written exams being the most common, but also a heavy reliance on interviews, assessment centers, and career portfolios. …

177th Commencement Mass Program, University Of Notre Dame

Commencement Programs

Vigil Mass for the Fifth Sunday of Easter

Presiding Celebrant and Homilist: Reverend John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., President of the University

Trophic Ecology Of Sailfish Larvae In The Gulf Of Mexico: An Analysis Of Diet, Prey Availability, Prey Quality, And Influences On Larval Growth, April Hugi

Master's Theses

The Gulf of Mexico is an important early life habitat for billfishes, whose larvae experience high growth rates despite having highly specialized diets, limited foraging abilities, and oligotrophic offshore habitats. Variability in the recent growth of sailfish larvae was compared to environmental, spatial, diet, prey availability, and fatty acid metrics using data collected from near-surface waters in the northern Gulf of Mexico (2017 - 2019). Larvae exhibited a highly selective feeding strategy in early development and expanded their feeding niche to include larger prey items (calanoid copepods, larval fish) once they reached flexion. Sailfish larvae showed significant positive selection for …

Enhanced Design For Testability Circuitry For Test, Hui Jiang

Electrical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

More stringent defect detection requirements have led to the creation of new fault models, such as the cell-aware fault model, that attempts to model defects that might be missed by traditional test sets. Unfortunately, the resulting test sets can be long, and thus we have previously explored a DFT-based (Design for Testability-based) approach to reduce test time by harnessing scan shift cycles for cell-aware defect detection. This approach uses a MISR (Multiple Input Signature Register) structure to capture data on the functional inputs to selected scan flip-flops during the shifting procedure. The final signature in the MISR can then be …

Closed-Loop Brain-Computer Interfaces For Memory Restoration Using Deep Brain Stimulation, David Xiaoliang Wang

Electrical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

The past two decades have witnessed the rapid growth of therapeutic brain-computer interfaces (BCI) targeting a diversity of brain dysfunctions. Among many neurosurgical procedures, deep brain stimulation (DBS) with neuromodulation technique has emerged as a fruitful treatment for neurodegenerative disorders such as epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, post-traumatic amnesia, and Alzheimer's disease, as well as neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia. In parallel to the open-loop neuromodulation strategies for neuromotor disorders, recent investigations have demonstrated the superior performance of closed-loop neuromodulation systems for memory-relevant disorders due to the more sophisticated underlying brain circuitry during cognitive processes. Our efforts are …

For Everything There Is A Season, Eric F. Spina

President's Blog: From the Heart

"Welcome home, Class of 2020. Welcome home! I've been waiting to say those joyful words for two years. It's especially meaningful to me because you are my very first class," University of Dayton President Eric F. Spina told hundreds of graduates who returned to campus for an in-person celebration.

Influence Of Altitude And Scan Angle On Uas-Lidar Ground Height Measurement Accuracy In Juncus Roemerianus Scheele (Black Needle Rush)-Dominated Marshes, Michael Amelunke

Master's Theses

Coastal marshes are influenced by complex interactions among environmental and human factors. Marsh plant communities exist across subtle elevation gradients which are highly influenced by the local tidal regime. To better understand these dynamic conditions, improved methodologies for acquiring accurate elevation values are a necessity in marsh research and management. However, overestimation of marsh elevation values obtained from remote sensing is common due to vegetation characteristics. The goal of this study was to address this problem by determining the optimum altitude and scan angle for Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) collection using an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) within Juncus roemerianus …

Courtyard To Be Named For Burns Family, Tina H. Hahn

University of Mississippi News

Major support provided to School of Accountancy's new home

Soil Mapping By Farmers In A Thai-Lao Village In Northeast Thailand: A Test Of An Ethnopedological Research Method, Sujitra Yodda, Suwit Laohasiriwong, Terry Rambo

Forest and Society

Having farmers draw soil maps of their communities has been frequently advocated as a faster, cheaper alternative to scientific soil surveying in developing countries. However, research on the extent to which farmers share common mental soil maps and the extent to which these match scientific maps is lacking. In this study, 11 Thai-Lao farmers were individually asked to draw maps showing the location of different types of soil in their village, and two groups of four farmers each were assembled to draw soil maps collectively. The maps were very different from each other and the extent to which they matched …

Scholarly Interest In Forest Fires In Indonesia: A Bibliographical Review, Eka Wulandari, Djati Mardiatno, Dewi Haryani Susilastuti, Ahmad Maryudi

Forest and Society

Forest fires in Indonesia have attracted much attention among researchers over the past few decades. This paper aims to systematically map the existing corpus of scientific knowledge on forest fires in Indonesia. The systematic maps visualize which areas of significant activity and indicate specific interests and motives. The systematic analysis is also helpful in improving the understanding of current issues, problems, and challenges. From the scientific database of Scopus, we found 209 peer-reviewed journal articles directly related to forest fires in Indonesia published between 1989 and 2021 (July). In general, the number of publications rose after major fire events, notably …

The Production Of Safety School Space From Climate Disasters In Doi Mae Salong Forest, Upland Northern Thailand, Maya Dania, Wanwalee Inpin, Reni Juwitasari, Yuki Miyake, Yukiko Takeuchi, Takayoshi Maki

Forest and Society

This research is conducted in Santikhiri, a hilltop village on the highest peak in the Doi Mae Salong forest, where climate change increases the intensity and frequency of natural disasters that immensely affect the local children in the mountainous area in Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand. There is only one secondary-level school in this forest landscape educating around 900 schoolchildren from various minority hill-tribe ethnic groups. This paper examines everyday life experiences recentering the village school's role as the producer of safe space for the forest children from climate disasters. School safety is a global framework for recognizing the importance …

Management, Exploitation And Contract Labor Of The Pine Merkusi Forest In Tanah Gayo During The Dutch Colonial Period, Sufandi Iswanto, Nurasiah Nurasiah, Teuku Kusnafizal, Muhammad Haikal, Zulfan Zulfan, Abdul Azis, Ramazan Ramazan

Forest and Society

This article examined the history of the merkus pine forest in the Dutch colonial era in Tanah Gayo, Aceh Province, Indonesia. The researcher focused on finding facts about (1) forest management and exploitation; and (2) the life of the contract labor. In this study, we employed the historical method using primary sources, which consisted of documents or archives, reports, pictures, and records of the Dutch people’s journey to Tanah Gayo. In addition, the secondary sources were books, newspapers, thesis, and relevant articles. The author found three very basic problems. First, before the arrival of the Dutch colonials, most of the …

Impacts Of Payment For Forest Ecosystem Services On Local Livelihoods In A Luoi District, Thua Thien Hue Province, Viet Nam, Pham Thu Thuy, Phuoc Duong, Le Thi Thanh Thuy

Forest and Society

This paper analyses the impacts of the national Payment for Forest Environmental Services (PFES) policy in A Luoi district, Thua Thien Hue province, Viet Nam. There are mixed impacts of PFES in A Luoi district. While some surveyed households have experienced increases in income since PFES, for many other incomes have fallen. Our findings show PFES impacts on local communities and individuals are limited because most forest areas are managed by state agencies, leaving only 17.9% of PFES payments being channeled to these groups, while the rest goes to state government agencies and commune people’s committees. This disparity in PFES …

The Agricultural Expansion In Conservation Areas: The Case Of Gunung Halimun Salak National Park, West Java, Sulastri Sardjo, Arya Hadi Dharmawan, Dudung Darusman, Ekawati Wahyuni

Forest and Society

The Indonesian government has expanded the Gunung Halimun Salak National Park (GHSNP) to reduce the impact of global climate change and conserve ecosystem biodiversity. This policy has been resisted by local communities who need access to GHNSP area to support their livelihoods. Qualitative and quantitative approaches have been applied in this study to explain the occurrence of agricultural expansion and its impact on the household economy in the GHSNP area. This study is supported by an analysis of secondary data regarding land cover changes in the GHSNP corridor area. This study found that farmers have been able to take reflexive …

Poured From The Sky: The Story Of Traditional Ecological Knowledge In Cérékang Forest Conservation, Andi Muhammad Akhmar, Fathu Rahman, Supratman Supratman, Husain Hasyim, M. Nawir

Forest and Society

The Cérékang people are often used as an example of how Indigenous Peoples successfully carry out traditional conservation of customary forests. This article aims to investigate the conditions that sustain the forest conservation in Cérékang by using Berkes’s (2008) concept of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and Houde’s (2007) six dimensions of TEK as the framework. Data collections were obtained through literature review, direct observation, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions with key informants. The results of the study are as follows: First, the mythical construction around the area of forest is connected to their cosmology and stories of origin associated …

Global Biodiversity-Related Conventions On Facilitating Biodiversity Conservation In Vietnam, Do Quang Tung, Felipe Bravo, Rosario Sierra-De-Grado, Hoang Van Sam

Forest and Society

Global biodiversity-related conventions have positively influenced nature conservation in Vietnam. Adherence to international policies and strategies is one of the critical motivations for reducing biodiversity loss. As highlighted in Aichi Target 11, protected areas are central for this effort and Vietnam is not an exception. In this study we reflect on and suggest how this Target can be most effectively pursued in Vietnam. Of which, besides remaining the status of special-use forests, uplifting protection forests, especially focusing on forest areas which are in rich biodiversity condition, to special-use forests category should be a priority.