Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Reintroducing Hemp (Rongony) In The Material Palette Of Madagascar: A Study On The Potential Of Hemp Clay Components And Its Impact On Social And Ecological Communities., Henintsoa Thierry Andrianambinina

Masters Theses

When mentioning the word hemp, especially in the local language of Madagascar, the literal translation does not set it apart from marijuana, as they are both called “rongony” - creating the stigma around hemp as the negative stereotype of marijuana. However, the material has been used by the ancestors of Madagascar, as well as across cultures, in its fibrous form to produce fabrication like textile goods and packaging. During colonization, the prohibition of hemp intensified, and since then, any activity related to either of these plants is prohibited and will end in severe punitive measures. This thesis explores the strengths …

Beyond The Lines, Miranda-Max De Beer

Masters Theses

Long-held frameworks and philosophies developed over human history have rarely accounted for dynamic flux or shifts between parallel states of being; they’ve ignored the glaring consequences humanity’s brief occupation of the Geologic Timeline will have on the planet. These beliefs have enabled societies to operate through life as if there was no tomorrow, (ab)using the Earth without considering those who eventually reap what’s sown. Beyond the Lines identifies manifestations of the mindset that restricts how we understand living systems and the world around us as so much of what exists in tandem with contemporary society does not adhere to the …

Public-Ish, Aliah Werth

Masters Theses

Climate change affects public space, and architecture must establish tenets that prioritize pedestrians in this difficult era. Greywater re-use can be a mechanism for creating shade, and in turn, public space.

As heat waves grow more intense, the vast swaths of asphalt that connect commercial zones pose greater risks to public health and to urban vitality. This thesis records the typical material, spatial, and lived conditions of strip malls in urban heat islands, and demands more from infrastructure in public-ish space.

Heat violence weaves through Los Angeles’ built form. Parking space minimums, required setbacks, and height restrictions pull buildings away …

Wast3d Potential, Andrew Larsen

Masters Theses

Waste is obsolete. Standard building industry practices are harmful to the environment. Non-traditional construction methods were examined as alternatives. Circular design logic was the guiding principle in material choice. Additive manufacturing is a proven modern method for building construction. Research on 3D printing case studies revealed that recycled plastic is a proven material and readily available. Removing plastic waste from the environment and sequestering it in architectural components gives the material a new purpose. The component of focus was a building block for a wall assembly. Inspiration was taken from the hexagonal Basalt rock formations found near volcanic fault lines. …

The Santa Clara, 2023-06-02, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

Shared Fantasy: Role-Playing Games As Social Worlds By Gary Alan Fine (2002) [Reseña], Cristo Leon

Journal of Roleplaying Studies and STEAM

This classic study still provides one of the most acute descriptions available of an often misunderstood subculture: that of fantasy role playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. Gary Alan Fine immerses himself in several different gaming systems, offering insightful details on the nature of the games and the patterns of interaction among players—as well as their reasons for playing.

Este estudio clásico todavía proporciona una de las descripciones más agudas disponibles de una subcultura a menudo incomprendida: la de los juegos de rol de fantasía como Dungeons & Dragons. Gary Alan Fine se sumerge en varios sistemas de juego diferentes …

Editorial - Un Paso A La Vez, Mauricio Rangel Jiménez

Journal of Roleplaying Studies and STEAM

Editorial - Un paso a la vez

Journal Of Roleplaying Studies And Steam (Jrpssteam) Vol. 2 [2023], Issue 1., Cristo Leon, Felipe Ignacio García-Soriano, Francisca Faret Moreno, Daniel S. González Cohens, Daniel Serrano Robles, Daniel Romero Benguigui, Ruben Darío Hernández Mendo

Journal of Roleplaying Studies and STEAM

Journal of Roleplaying Studies and STEAM (JRPSSTEAM) Vol. 2 [2023], Issue 1.

Upep Policy Brief #1: Utahns Support State Spending For Outdoor Recreation, Casey Trout

Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP)

Utah is known as an outdoor recreation destination, with stunning landscapes ranging from high alpine mountains to red-rock deserts. In recent years, Utah’s Legislature has shown a commitment to investing in outdoor recreation. In 2017, the Legislature approved a 0.32% statewide lodging tax to fund Utah’s Outdoor Recreation Grant Program¹ and in 2022 approved a diversion of 1% of all sales taxes in the state to go to funding outdoor recreation infrastructure projects².

2023 Utah People & Environment Poll Descriptive Report, Jessica Schad, Sadie Braddock, Cole Lancaster

Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP)

From March to May 2023, faculty and graduate students at Utah State University (USU) in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHaSS) and in the department of Environment and Society started the Utah People and Environment Poll, or UPEP, to survey adult Utah residents about their perceptions on environmental issues of importance to the state.

A Review Of Theropithecus Oswaldi With The Proposal Of A New Subspecies, Dagmawit Abebe Getahun, Eric Delson, Chalachew Mesfin Seyoum

Publications and Research

Theropithecus oswaldi darti, as currently understood, is the oldest Theropithecus taxon in the fossil record and the earliest subspecies in the Theropithecus oswaldi lineage. Theropithecus oswaldi darti is typified at the site of Makapansgat in South Africa, and a similar form (T. o. cf. darti) is usually recognized at Hadar, Dikika, some Middle Awash localities, and Woranso-Mille in Ethiopia. This taxon is also tentatively believed to occur in Kenya at Kanam and Koobi Fora and in Member C of the Shungura Formation in Ethiopia. While there is a general consensus that the East African ‘darti’ specimens are …

Exploiting Association Rules Mining To Inform The Use Of Non-Manual Features In Sign Language Processing, Robert G. Smith

Other Resources

In recent years, the use of virtual assistants and voice user interfaces has become a latent part of modern living. Unseen to the user are the various artificial intelligence and natural language processing technologies, the vast datasets, and the linguistic insights that underpin such tools. The technologies supporting them have chiefly targeted widely used spoken languages, leaving sign language users at a disadvantage. One important reason why sign languages are unsupported by such tools is a requirement of the underpinning technologies for a comprehensive description of the language. Sign language processing technologies endeavour to bridge this technology inequality.

Recent approaches …

The Sociolinguistics Of Code-Switching In Hong Kong’S Digital Landscape: A Mixed-Methods Exploration Of Cantonese-English Alternation Patterns On Whatsapp, Wilkinson Daniel Wong Gonzales, Yuen Man Tsang

Journal of English and Applied Linguistics

This paper examines the prevalence of Cantonese-English code mixing in Hong Kong through an under-researched digital medium. Prior research on this code-alternation practice has often been limited to exploring either the social or linguistic constraints of code-switching in spoken or written communication. Our study takes a holistic approach to analyzing code-switching in a hybrid medium that exhibits features of both spoken and written discourse. We specifically analyze the code-switching patterns of 24 undergraduates from a Hong Kong university on WhatsApp and examine how both social and linguistic factors potentially constrain these patterns. Utilizing a self-compiled sociolinguistic corpus as well as …

Patient Engagement In A Multimodal Digital Phenotyping Study Of Opioid Use Disorder, Cynthia I. Campbell, Ching-Hua Chen, Sara R. Adams, Asma Asyyed, Ninad R. Athale, Monique B. Does, Saeed Hassanpour, Emily Hichborn, Melanie Jackson-Morris, Nicholas C. Jacobson, Heather K. Jones, David Kotz, Chantal A. Lambert-Harris, Zhiguo Li, Bethany Mcleman, Varun Mishra, Catherine Stanger, Geetha Subramaniam, Weiyi Wu, Christopher Zegers, Lisa A. Marsch

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Multiple digital data sources can capture moment-to-moment information to advance a robust understanding of opioid use disorder (OUD) behavior, ultimately creating a digital phenotype for each patient. This information can lead to individualized interventions to improve treatment for OUD.

Objective: The aim is to examine patient engagement with multiple digital phenotyping methods among patients receiving buprenorphine medication for OUD.

Methods: The study enrolled 65 patients receiving buprenorphine for OUD between June 2020 and January 2021 from 4 addiction medicine programs in an integrated health care delivery system in Northern California. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA), sensor data, and social media …

The Role Of The Armed Forces Of The Philippines (Afp) In Disaster Response And Adaptation Strategies To Climatic Disasters In Manila, Edmundo Nicolas Jr.

Geography Masters Research Papers

This study described the roles of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) in Metro Manila and how climate-induced hazards impact the role of the military. It used a qualitative approach, which involved semi- structured interviews among AFP officers and barangay leaders with expertise and experience in DRRM and an analysis of selected policy documents and military doctrine. These methods revealed that: (1) the military acts as a political first-aid, since they are the first responders – thus, the face of the local government – in climactic disasters during peacetime; (2) the military is …

Statistical And Biological Analyses Of Acoustic Signals In Estrildid Finches, Moises Rivera

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Acoustic communication is a process that involves auditory perception and signal processing. Discrimination and recognition further require cognitive processes and supporting mechanisms in order to successfully identify and appropriately respond to signal senders. Although acoustic communication is common across birds, classical research has largely disregarded the perceptual abilities of perinatal altricial taxa. Chapter 1 reviews the literature of perinatal acoustic stimulation in birds, highlighting the disproportionate focus on precocial birds (e.g., chickens, ducks, quails). The long-held belief that altricial birds were incapable of acoustic perception in ovo was only recently overturned, as researchers began to find behavioral and physiological evidence …

Evaluating Neural Networks As Cognitive Models For Learning Quasi-Regularities In Language, Xiaomeng Ma

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Many aspects of language can be categorized as quasi-regular: the relationship between the inputs and outputs is systematic but allows many exceptions. Common domains that contain quasi-regularity include morphological inflection and grapheme-phoneme mapping. How humans process quasi-regularity has been debated for decades. This thesis implemented modern neural network models, transformer models, on two tasks: English past tense inflection and Chinese character naming, to investigate how transformer models perform quasi-regularity tasks. This thesis focuses on investigating to what extent the models' performances can represent human behavior. The results show that the transformers' performance is very similar to human behavior in many …

Indigenous Water Justice: Theory, Gaps, And Opportunities For Application, Ruby Howard

University Honors Theses

Indigenous people are particularly at risk of water scarcity in the U.S. and abroad, and face high rates of nonexistent or failing water infrastructure, water pollution, pipeline proposals that threaten water resources, and water-related climate change impacts. They also are often unequipped, politically and economically, to react and adapt to these impacts, resulting in devastating health impacts. Due to this widespread insecurity, many scholars are calling for the application of a theory and set of principles known as water justice. However, Indigenous people have pointed out that water justice literature does not focus enough on Indigenous issues, often neglecting the …

Inferring Personalized Treatment Effect Of Antihypertensives On Alzheimer's Disease Using Deep Learning, Pulakesh Upadhyaya, Yaobin Ling, Luyao Chen, Yejin Kim, Xiaoqian Jiang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, especially among the elderly. Recent studies have shown how hypertension is related to cognitive decline in elderly patients, which in turn leads to increased mortality as well as morbidity. There have been various studies that have looked at the effect of antihypertensive drugs in reducing cognitive decline, and their results have proved inconclusive. However, most of these studies assume the treatment effect is similar for all patients, thus considering only the average treatment effects of antihypertensive drugs. In this paper, we assume that the effect …

Predicting The Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementia In Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment Using A Semi-Competing Risk Approach, Zhaoyi Chen, Yuchen Yang, Dazheng Zhang, Jingchuan Guo, Yi Guo, Xia Hu, Yong Chen, Jiang Bian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD-related dementias (AD/ADRD) are a group of progressive neurodegenerative diseases. The progression of AD can be conceptualized as a continuum in which patients progress from normal cognition to preclinical AD (i.e., no symptoms but biological changes in the brain) to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD (i.e., mild symptoms but not interfere with daily activities), followed by increasing severity of dementia due to AD. Early detection and prediction models for the transition of MCI to AD/ADRD are needed, and efforts have been made to build predictions of MCI conversion to AD/ADRD. However, most existing studies …

Identification Of Different Hair Dyes In Dyed Hair Using Attenuated Total Reflectance (Atr Ft-Ir), Surface Enhancing Raman Spectroscopy (Sers) Techniques, Nicholas Lovera

Student Theses

This investigation compares the ability of Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transfer Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR FT-IR) and Surface Enhance Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) to identify and differentiate different hair dye brands on dyed hair samples. Hair is a common type of trace evidence found at crime scenes and can provide numerous information through forensic hair analysis. Cosmetic hair treatment such as dying the hair different colors has grown and became popular, thus it can be a very common type of trace evidence. This study can provide a forensic scientist an additional method for analyzing dyed hair samples. The goal was to compare …

Utilizing Mixed Graphical Network Models To Explore Parent Psychological Symptoms And Their Centrality To Parent Mental Health In Households With High Child Screen Usage, Piper F. Stacey, Nicholas C. Jacobson, Damien Lekkas

Computer Science Senior Theses

Especially among adolescents, screens are being used more than ever. In conjunction with this trend, mental illness is increasingly prevalent among both adults and children, and parental psychological problems are shown to be associated with children's TV watching, video watching, and gaming (Pulkki-Råback et al., 2022). This study aims to approach parent mental illness symptom by symptom to explore which specific symptoms are most central to parent psychological problems in households where children show high screen time behaviors. We draw from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD Study®), a nationwide sample of 11,875 children aged 10-13 collected by …

Weird Winter Weather In The Anthropocene: How Volatile Temperatures Shape Violent Crime, Christopher Thomas, Kevin T. Wolff

Publications and Research

Purpose: Current evidence suggests volatile temperatures are becoming more common because of climate change and can be expected to become even more frequent in the future. By focusing on recent temperature variability, we attempt to estimate one important dimension of the impact of climate change on violent crime. We also explore whether sudden upward temperature anomalies have stronger positive impacts on violent crime in the coldest months of the year, as routine activities are likely to change more drastically during this period.

Methods: This study explores the association between sudden temperature anomalies (both upward and downward) and the daily incidence …

Identifying And Sharing Per-And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Hot-Spot Areas And Exposures In Drinking Water, Sweta Ojha, P. Travis Thompson, Christian D. Powell, Hunter N. B. Moseley, Kelly G. Pennell

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water is widely recognized as a public health concern. Decision-makers who are responsible for managing PFAS drinking water risks lack the tools to acquire the information they need. In response to this need, we provide a detailed description of a Kentucky dataset that allows decision-makers to visualize potential hot-spot areas and evaluate drinking water systems that may be susceptible to PFAS contamination. The dataset includes information extracted from publicly available sources to create five different maps in ArcGIS Online and highlights potential sources of PFAS contamination in the environment in relation …

Lessons Learned From The Hospital To Home Community Care Program In Singapore And The Supporting Ai Multiple Readmissions Prediction Model, John Abisheganaden, Kheng Hock Lee, Lian Leng Low, Eugene Shum, Han Leong Goh, Christine Gia Lee Ang, Adny An Ta Wee, Steven M. Miller

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In a prior practice and policy article published in Healthcare Science, we introduced the deployed application of an artificial intelligence (AI) model to predict longer-term inpatient readmissions to guide community care interventions for patients with complex conditions in the context of Singapore's Hospital to Home (H2H) program that has been operating since 2017. In this follow on practice and policy article, we further elaborate on Singapore's H2H program and care model, and its supporting AI model for multiple readmission prediction, in the following ways: (1) by providing updates on the AI and supporting information systems, (2) by reporting on customer …

Tracing The Twenty-Year Evolution Of Developing Ai For Eye Screening In Singapore: A Master Chronology Of Sidrp, Selena+ And Eyris, Steven M. Miller

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This working paper is entirely comprised of a timeline table that begins in 2002 and runs through mid-2023. Across these two decades, this timeline traces the evolutionary development of the following:

• The early Singapore R&D efforts to apply software-based image analysis algorithms and methods to analyse eye retina images for diabetic retinopathy and other eye diseases. This was based on a collaboration between the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) and its parent organization, the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC), with faculty from the School of Computing at National University of Singapore.
• The establishment and operation of the Singapore Integrated Diabetic …

Digital Economy, Institutional Quality And Economic Growth In Selected Countries, Olabode P. Olofin Mr.

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This study examines the role of digital economy and institutional quality on economic growth of Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria. The study adopts the feasible generalized least square method with annual panel data from 1985 to 2017. Results show that digital economy, human capital and knowledge worker, and democratic accountability promote economic growth, while corruption, socioeconomic conditions, and bureaucratic quality retard economic growth. Furthermore, interaction of digital economy with corruption promotes growth. However, the interaction of digital economy with institutional quality retards economic growth, which could be due to the deteriorating institutional quality and low level of economic digitalization in …

Food Price And Inflation Adjustments In Nigeria: Evidence From Threshold Cointegration, Usman A. Bello, Aliyu R. Sanusi

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This paper investigates two stages of transmission through which inflation stabilization policy affects headline inflation by estimating a threshold cointegration model. The paper finds that asymmetric monetary shocks passing-through food prices exerts inflationary pressure on consumer prices, and is characterized by deep asymmetric movement, large degree of stickiness in adjusting downward, while exhibiting upward momentum in correcting food price fall. In addition, asymmetries were found in consumer price adjustment as food price shock transmits substantial inflationary pressure to consumer prices, while disinflationary effect originating from a fall in food price is inconsequential. The coefficients of adjustment were found to be …

Dynamic Effect Of Exchange Rate Gap Shocks On Stock Market Deepening: Evidence From Nigeria, Kareem Abidemi Arikewuyo

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

The study examines the exchange rate gap shock–stock market deepening nexus in Nigeria using the structural VAR-X (SVAR-X) technique for the period 1986Q1 to 2018Q4. Findings reveal that exchange rate gap shock has a negative but statistically not significant effect on stock market deepening in Nigeria. It was also found that exchange rate passed–through interest rate from second to thirteen quarter, and further through financial openness whose effect, like exchange rate gap, was negative. This implies that exchange rate gap is significantly and negatively related to interest rate and financial openness in Nigeria. It is therefore recommended that the monetary …

Modelling The Impact Of Government Expenditure On Economic Growth In Nigeria: The Moderating Effects Of Oil And Non-Oil Revenue, Victor U. Ijirshar, Gaius M. Asombo, Florence D. Bundepuun, Ashifa Tersugh, Ayila Ngutsav

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This study examines the relationship between government expenditure and economic growth and assesses the moderating effects of oil revenue and non-oil revenue in Nigeria from 1981 to 2021. The study uncovered short-term asymmetry in the government expenditure-economic growth nexus while the long-term relationship was symmetric. The study found that government expenditure is a significant determinant of economic growth in Nigeria and that oil and non-oil revenue influences the nexus between government expenditure and economic growth in Nigeria positively. The study recommends efficient management of oil revenue, directing investments during high revenue periods and ensuring fiscal sustainability. Government should also establish …