Master of Arts, University of Toledo, 2019, Psychology - Experimental

There are two binaural cues for localizing sound in the horizontal plane: the difference in the time of arrival of a sound at the two ears (binaural time-difference cue) and the difference in the intensity of a sound at the two ears (binaural intensity-difference cue). When localizing pure tones, the binaural time-difference cue is often referred to as a binaural phase-difference cue, with the sound reaching the two ears expressed as a phase difference (i.e., the difference in the phase of a sine wave at the two ears). Previous studies concerning the neural basis of sound localization have shown that damage to auditory cortex in carnivores and primates abolishes their ability to perceive the location of a sound in space (e.g., Neff, Fisher, Diamond & Yela, 1956; Heffner, 2004), whereas damage to auditory cortex in laboratory rats has little effect on their ability to localize sound (Kavanagh & Kelly, 1986). One possible explanation for this species difference is that rodents, in general, do not use auditory cortex for sound localization. Another is that auditory cortex is necessary for sound localization in animals that use the binaural time-difference cue, such as carnivores and primates, but not in animals that do not use that cue, such as rats (Wesolek, Koay, Heffner & Heffner, 2010). The goal of this study was to determine which of these two explanations is correct by identifying a rodent that used the binaural time-difference cue so that future studies might determine whether damage to auditory cortex affected its ability to localize sound. Thus, this study was to investigate whether hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) use the binaural time-difference cue by determining their ability to localize low-frequency tones presented from loudspeakers located 30° to the left and right of their midline (60° total separation)—a task that requires the ability to use the binaural time-difference cue. If they could, then they could be studied to determine if the sound-localizati (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts, Miami University, 2023, Economics

Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of child marriage in the world today, despite laws and policies targeted at reducing these rates. The region also commonly participates in the traditional practice of bride price payments, a monetary or in kind transfer of gifts from the groom's family to the wife's family around the timing of marriage. Bride price practices incentivize families to make economic decisions about their daughter's marriage and affect the equilibrium of the marriage market. In this paper, I consider how an agricultural commodity price shock affects the probability of child marriage in East Africa using a differences-in-differences-style methodology. I find that a 1 percent increase in the global coffee price increases the rate of child marriage by .66 percentage points for girls in coffee regions compared to non-coffee regions. Mechanisms, including labor allocation within a household and the opportunity cost of paying a bride price during an income shock, are discussed in tandem with the results.

Doctor of Business Administration, Cleveland State University, 2021, Monte Ahuja College of Business

In this dissertation, I examine the long-run effect of the 2003 mandated change in board composition on firm performance and CEO compensation. In the first essay, I examine the impact of changes in firm performance to shed light on the debate between agency and insider-knowledge theorists. Agency theorists argue that installing an independent board would increase monitoring of management, thereby enhancing firm performance. In contrast, the insider-knowledge hypothesis suggests that an independent board lacks valuable insider information for effective advisory functions and, hence, is detrimental to firm performance. In the second essay, I investigate the effect of the mandate on CEO compensation to shed light on the debate between two agency viewpoints: the managerial power view and the complementarity view. The former suggests that total CEO compensation will decrease to better align CEOs' interests with those of shareholders. The latter argues that total CEO compensation will increase following the mandate to compensate executives for bearing firm-specific risks inherent in performance-based incentive packages. Using a difference-in-difference approach, I find a positive relationship between board independence and firm performance in the first essay, consistent with agency theory. I also find a positive relationship between board independence and CEO compensation in the second essay, along with an increase in pay-for-performance sensitivity, consistent with the complementarity view.

Master of Arts, Miami University, 2020, Economics

Airbnb is a two-sided platform that connects individuals seeking short-term lodging to property owners renting out their homes. For many property owners, it is possible that revenues from a short-term rental listing will surpass those of a long-term lease agreement. Therefore, it is likely that property owners are incentivized to evict their long-term tenants to list their properties on Airbnb. In Cincinnati, OH, the city council voted in April 2019 to enact a short-term rental policy to combat this potential issue among others. We leverage the policy intervention and study the effects of the Airbnb market on evictions in Cincinnati utilizing both Regression Discontinuity in Time and Difference-in-Difference specifications. We found that the policy led to a subsequent decrease in the total number of listings, multi-listers, and the percent of entire-unit listings. If property owners are evicting their long-term tenants to list their properties on Airbnb on a grand scale, one would expect that this dip in Airbnb activity after April 2019 would lead to fewer evictions. However, we found no significant variation in evictions during this time period. Therefore, there is little evidence of a significant relationship between Airbnb usage and evictions in Cincinnati, OH based on the data we have at this time.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2017, Geodetic Science and Surveying

As the largest low-lying river delta in the world, located at the confluence of the mighty Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna rivers, and as one of the most densely populated countries with more than 163 million people, Bangladesh already faces tremendous vulnerability. Accelerated sea-level rise, along with tectonic, sediment load and groundwater extraction induced land uplift/subsidence, have exacerbated Bangladesh's coastal vulnerability. Climate change has further intensified these risks with increasing temperatures, greater rainfall volatility, and increased incidence of intensified cyclones and cyclone-induced storm surges, in addition to its seasonal transboundary monsoonal flooding, tides, large seasonal river discharges along with the associated sediment transport causing load/compaction of the coastal regions. As a result, Bangladesh coastal region has become the most dynamic region with the highest erosion and accretion rate in the world. For decades, the shape of the shoreline has changed greatly affecting millions of people living in the region. Our objective is to quantify the long-term or multi-decadal, seasonal shoreline changes for coastal Bangladesh to assess the impacts of the complex geophysical and climatic processes. In this study, the shoreline from 1970's to the year 2017 are extracted from a four-decade time-series of Landsat imagery. An automated shoreline extraction method based on Google Earth Engine (GEE) Application Programming Interface (API) is developed and applied to quantify Bangladesh coastal shoreline changes. This method involves Normalized Difference Water Index/Modified Normalized Water Index (NDWI/MNDWI) and the Otsu Threshold Method to enhance the accuracy of the digital imagery processing. The extracted Landsat imagery shorelines in three example regions are validated by comparing with independent DigitalGlobe and with CNES/Airbus higher resolution imagery at several m using Google Earth (GE). We concluded that the extracted Land (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2016, Geography

Honduras has some of the worst health outcomes for women and children in the Americas. Despite major improvements over the past 25 years, the country still lags behind neighboring countries and regional averages. To address this disparity, Honduras is slowly rolling out national health system decentralization by delegating decision-making authority to the municipal level in select municipalities throughout the country. It is theorized that local ownership over the health system will improve healthcare access by customizing the health system to better meet the needs of each community. The selective rollout of decentralization in Honduras provides a natural experiment to evaluate the impact on healthcare access. Pre-and post-intervention secondary health survey data and primary semi-structured interview data were used to conduct a mixed methods analysis. Difference-in-differences analyses show improvement in healthcare access over time for women and children, but limited improvement attributable to the effect of decentralization. However, qualitative analyses point toward improvement in healthcare access under decentralization. The diverging results may be due to external factors, and/or a national-level prioritization of the health of women and children regardless of decentralization status.

Master of Arts, Miami University, 2014, Economics

Widespread obesity continues to have increasingly detrimental effects, starting as early as childhood. One solution to preventing obese children from becoming obese adults and thereby lessening many health, social, financial, and professional consequences is to impose stipulations on school nutrition and physical education (P.E.). Using a difference-in-difference approach, I examine the effects that various state laws on vending machines, competitive foods, and physical activity have on a child's physique. I find that laws on a la carte snacks and entrees, vending machine snacks, and advertising of foods within schools are correlated with lower Body Mass Index (BMI), yet no evidence supports the effectiveness of other laws such as those mandating the frequency of P.E. or the licensure requirements of food service staff.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1968, Graduate School

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1940, Graduate School

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1951, Graduate School

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Mathematics/Mathematical Statistics

Interface problems frequently appear in numerous physical, biological, and scientific contexts. These problems usually involve differential equations where the input data have discontinuities at one or more interface positions within the solution domain. In this thesis, a numerical method for solving one-dimensional elliptic and parabolic problems with linear and non-linear interface jump conditions at a single interface position is presented. To effectively solve these interface problems, we integrate jump conditions into the numerical method, ensuring that these conditions are met at the interface position. Our approach combines finite difference schemes with a technique termed the $a$-method, specifically devised to address the complexities associated with non-linear interface jump conditions. The convergence behavior of these methods in numerically solving elliptic and parabolic problems with linear interface jump conditions is also examined. Through our numerical examples, we demonstrate that our proposed method achieves an approximate first-order convergence. This occurs because the non-interface grid points exhibit second-order accuracy, while the interface points achieve only first-order accuracy, thereby lowering the overall convergence order to first order when evaluated using the maximum norm criterion.

Master of Arts in English, Cleveland State University, 2023, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Topdog/Underdog by Suzan Lori Parks and Is God Is by Aleshea Harris are the two outstanding works in contemporary American theater examined in this thesis. Through their plays, Parks and Harris examine topics of trauma, identity, and mental health challenges in contemporary society. They explore the psychological and emotional effects on their characters, drawing on trauma theory and feminist theory. A critical examination of the central characters in both plays – Lincoln and Booth in Topdog/Underdog and Anaia and Racine in Is God Is examines the traumatic experiences that shape their lives. This study explains the profound influence of societal forces on their identities and actions by exploring how these characters grapple with their pasts using the trauma theory lens. The Oedipal complex emerges, highlighting sibling rivalries, power struggles and legacy issues. Women's representation and agency within male dominated worlds are explored from a feminist perspective in this dissertation.

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2023, Animal Sciences

In lactating dairy cow rations, corn dried distillers' grains with solubles (DDGS), an ethanol byproduct, may economically substitute the most used protein source, soybean meal (SBM), because of a lower price and high crude protein content. Unfortunately, it is not recommended to feed DDGS at high inclusions (≥ 20 % DM basis) due to the negative production responses that have been observed. The high polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and S contents present in DDGS are potentially dietary factors associated with the negative production responses, as both can disrupt the rumen when in excess. The high PUFA content has been a known dietary factor associated with negative production; however, it was previously discovered that it may not be the sole factor and the high S content might be another factor. Additionally, when DDGS are added to a diet, dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD; Na + K – Cl – S) is reduced due to high S content in DDGS. It has been known that a diet with low DCAD can decrease feed intake, fiber digestibility, and milk production in lactating dairy cows. We hypothesized that, along with the high PUFA content, high S content in DDGS will be another dietary factor for the negative production responses. Increasing DCAD in a high DDGS diet, may alleviate this negative effect. This experiment was designed in a randomized complete block design to investigate the effects of feeding a high DDGS diet on lactation performance and blood acid-base status in lactating dairy cows and to determine if manipulating DCAD can improve performance. For 5 weeks, 60 mid-lactation Holstein cows were fed one of the following diets: a diet containing SBM and supplemental fat (CON), CON replacing mainly SBM, soyhulls, and supplemental fat with DG at 30% dietary DM (DG), CON with additional dietary S (SBM+S), CON with corn oil replacing supplemental fat (SBM+CO), and DG with increased DCAD with sodium bicarbonate and potassium carbonate (DG+DCAD). The DG treatment indicated (open full item for complete abstract)

Bachelor of Science of Communication Studies (BSC), Ohio University, 2023, Communication Studies

U.S. K-12 Catholic schools are ideologically and demographically homogenous environments that exist to evangelize their students and perpetuate Catholic doctrine. Due to homogeneity and homophobic doctrine, minoritized students (i.e., LGBTQ+, BIPOC, low-income) in U.S. K-12 Catholic schools undergo adverse experiences as a result of their schools' (a) invalidation and policing of identities, (b) lack of representation, and (c) inability to understand and value difference. This senior thesis uses (a) Vatican document analysis and (b) thirty interviews with former Catholic school community members (i.e., former students who were minoritized, the parents/legal guardians of this population, and former teachers) to demonstrate how U.S. K-12 Catholic schools perpetuate doctrinal thinking at the expense of their minoritized students. I identify how U.S. Catholic schools suppress difference among those in their school community, manage the identities of their minoritized students, and hinder teachers' ability to communicate with minoritized students. Moreover, I argue the incommensurability of critical pedagogy with Catholic doctrine.

Bachelor of Science (BS), Ohio University, 2023, Economics

Many policymakers support universal healthcare to improve the health of the population. Some economists, however, are concerned that universal healthcare policy may negatively impact the general health of the population due to ex-ante moral hazard whereby a higher level of risk is incurred by the insured. In this paper, I analyze ex-ante moral hazard using the Medicaid expansion with the risky behavior of driving under the influence (DUI) on accidents involving drinking, accidents involving drugs, accidents in which the driver is not wearing a seatbelt, and DUI arrests by state. Unique to this study, I compile the data on risky driving behavior from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Then, I use a difference-in-differences model to identify the effect of the Medicaid expansion on the number of DUI arrests at the state level. I find that there is a no effect at the state level of the Medicaid expansion on passenger vehicle accidents involving drinking, drug impairments, driver not wearing a seatbelt, or DUI arrests. Therefore, I fail to provide evidence of ex-ante moral hazard in this context. This means there is no evidence that any of the mentioned risky driving behaviors increase at the state level as a result of expanding Medicaid.

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2023, Electrical Engineering

This work describes a fully analog ECG motion artifacts (MAs) and baseline wander elimination circuit that can be incorporated in the analog sensor frontend. In the proposed method, the R-peaks, as useful components of ECG signals, are detected by a high pass filter (HPF) and excluded from the moving average input. By linearly interpolating the down-sampled moving average output, the baseline wander can be effectively detected. The final output is generated by subtracting the extracted baseline wander from the corrupted ECG waveforms. Owing to various types of switch capacitor integrated circuits including the Biquad filter, integrator and double sampling sample and hold (S/H) circuits for realizing DC offset and abrupt changes removal, HPF and moving average, linear interpolation and delay chain circuits, this method can be implemented fully on-chip. Therefore, the power consumption and chip area are drastically reduced compared to existing schemes, thus, can be suitable for using in long-term ECG monitoring devices. The proposed algorithm is implemented on the single chip (utilizing 0.18-μm CMOS technology with 1.8-V power supply) and verified by on-body testing over 24 subjects within the age group of 10 to 55 for different types of motion artifacts due to various activities including walking, texting, sleeping, and intentionally touching the skin electrodes. The measurement results show signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement of almost 16-dB and on average 10% improvement in delta percentage root-mean-square difference (ΔPRD), where the power consumption of the chip is only 6.6-μW with core area of 0.85×2.16 mm2.

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 2023, Applied Statistics (ASOR)

Using panel data analysis, the study examines the impact of risk management factors on carbon emissions. This method allows us to analyze data from multiple sources over time, providing a comprehensive picture of the relationship between risk management and carbon emissions. The panel data analysis would involve analyzing the relationship between the risk management factors and carbon emissions over time while controlling for other factors such as industry and financial performance that may influence emissions levels. This type of analysis can help identify which risk management practices are most effective at reducing carbon emissions and can inform policy decisions aimed at mitigating climate change. The data collected covers a period of three years and includes various variables such as those related to firm governance and risk management in carbon emissions, total revenue, Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), net income, and CO2 emission. Additionally, the study considers the number of employees as a measure of the firm's size. The results of the study reveal that there is a negative correlation between carbon footprint and risk management factors, which implies that as risk management factors increase, carbon emissions decrease. This finding suggests that implementing effective risk management strategies can lead to significant reductions in carbon emissions. The study provides valuable insights for policymakers and businesses in addressing the challenge of reducing carbon emissions while also ensuring financial stability. The findings can also help firms make informed decisions about investments in sustainable technologies and practices to reduce their carbon footprint. Various models have been implemented to extract the results, including fixed effects, random effects, first differences, and between estimators.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, Electrical and Computer Engineering

High-energy physics (HEP) experiments such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) facilitate unveiling the mysteries inside the atom's nucleus and lead to a better understanding of the universe. They also enrich the capabilities of humanity by extending the limits of existing technologies and encourage the need for new technologies. An accurate measurement of the amplitude and time of arrival of high-energy particles or ionizing radiation is a recurrent requirement in HEP experiments and other applications such as the positron emission tomography (PET), Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), and X-ray imaging. Recent technology advancement requires improved amplitude and timing measurement precision. This research investigates the fundamental measurement limitations, targeting a complete system design, prototype fabrication, and experimental measurements. Furthermore, the fabricated electronics along with the radiation sensor is being integrated in one module to be used by the European organization for nuclear research (CERN) in the next LHC run. The system consists of a radiation hardened frontend readout integrated circuit (ROIC) and a backend scalable analog to digital converter (ADC). The ROIC contains a low noise preamplifier with second stage differential variable gain amplifier, followed by a Constant Fraction Discriminator (CFD). The CFD is used to provide a timing edge, while eliminating the influence of signal intensity on the measured timing (time walk). A new design methodology for the CFD is proposed to improve both time walk and jitter performance, incorporating an all-pass filter delay line to reduce the extra jitter, typically added by the CFD, and an optimum slew rate comparator to eliminate the time walk. The ROIC is designed in 65 nm CMOS technology. Three design, fabrication, and measurement iterations were completed to improve system reliability and to qualify the ROIC for deployment at CERN. A record low time walk of ±6 ps across a 30 dB signal d (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2022, Art History (Fine Arts)

This dissertation is a post-structuralist philosophical analysis of the aesthetic experience of New Media Art. The work of New Media Art is configured by the participants' free and autonomous actions, which foster a childlike sense of wonder and allow fun with a responsive environment. Considering these characteristics, this dissertation looks at a mode of play which has a structural affinity with the artwork, affirming chance and becoming from an ontological perspective. This ontological play explains the relation of the being of the artwork to the interaction of heterogenous elements—human participants, a technical system, surroundings, a particular time and space, and a unique atmosphere. The relationship between human being and non-human being is immanently and expressively woven into New Media Art. In this context, this dissertation illuminates the participant's experience through a theory of sensation. Since each participant's body movements in an interaction with the heterogeneous elements are unique and expressive, they become materials for a work of art. In particular, the body movements present “becoming something else” when the body is placed in an intensive state and expresses sensations. This aesthetic experience of “becoming something else” deals with the genesis of sensation and locates a work of art in a being of the sensible. Consequently, the artwork no longer deals with the interpretation of signification but rather with the experimentation of forces in terms of producing new sensations. Regarding the experience of “becoming something else” as the outcome of the ontological play, this dissertation understands the aesthetics of New Media Art as a theory of the sensible. To develop these arguments, Gilles Deleuze's differential ontology and his theory of sensation are applied as a theoretical methodology.

MPH, University of Cincinnati, 2022, Medicine: Biostatistics

Background: DNA methylation age can be used to determine an individual's biological age. Theoretically, for healthy subjects, the biological age and chronological age move in tandem. Environmental exposures can accelerate biological age. Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the effect of exposure to Elemental Carbon Attributable to Traffic (ECAT) on DNA methylation age in the Cincinnati Childhood Allergy and Air Pollution Study (CCAAPS) cohort. Materials and Methods: The data has been obtained from the CCAAPS cohort. The data comprises 136 children, who were followed from birth to 12 years of age. Methylation data has been obtained from blood samples at 12 years of age. ECAT was assessed longitudinal starting at birth using a Land Use Regression (LUR) model. Linear regression, logistic regression prediction, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Pearson's correlation test, Wilcoxon test have been used to analyze the data. Results: The results of the gender interaction models indicate that biological age is significantly higher than the chronological age for females than for males for ECAT exposures at birth, 12 years, and the average of these consistently. Conclusion: Females are aging biologically significantly faster when exposed to ECAT.