Digital Commons Network^™

Passive Positioning Using Linear Multilateration, Eric R. Widdison

Theses and Dissertations

Passive localization of aircraft in flight using signal time of arrival (TOA) poses some unique challenges. The sensors must be deployed in an approximately coplanar configuration, which produces significant vertical uncertainty in the estimated position. This dissertation examines the traditional algorithms used in passive localization. It presents general forms of linear TOA, time difference of arrival (TDOA), angle of arrival (AOA), and frequency difference of arrival (FDOA) equations from the literature and explains how to apply an intuitive geometric interpretation of these equations. It presents two novel algorithms for passive localization. One uses a one dimensional AOA (1AOA) to improve …

Heated Supersonic Jet Characteristics From Far-Field Acoustical Measurements, Matthew Austin Christian

Theses and Dissertations

In the field of supersonic jet noise, measurements of full-scale afterburning jet engines are infrequent and provide unique opportunities to better understand jet noise phenomena. This thesis represents a phenomenological jet noise analysis using far-field noise data collected from a T-7A-installed GE F404-103 turbofan engine. One issue with the far-field acoustic data from the T-7A was the effects of ground reflections present in the spectra generated from the measured waveforms. A previously developed ground reflection model was implemented into the data to account for this interference. This work represents the first time this model has been implemented in data collected …

Malicious Game Client Detection Using Feature Extraction And Machine Learning, Spencer J. Austad

Theses and Dissertations

Minecraft, the world's best-selling video game, boasts a vast and vibrant community of users who actively develop third-party software for the game. However, it has also garnered notoriety as one of the most malware-infested gaming environments. This poses a unique challenge because Minecraft software has many community-specific nuances that make traditional malware analysis less effective. These differences include unique file types, differing code formats, and lack of standardization in user-generated content analysis. This research looks at Minecraft clients in the two most common formats: Portable Executable and Java Archive file formats. Feature correlation matrices showed that malware features are too …

Mechanisms, Evolution, And Rapid Diagnosis Of Carbapenem Resistance, Taalin Shale Hoj

Theses and Dissertations

An estimated 70% of bacterial infections in the United States are resistant to first-line antibiotics. Of these, among the most difficult to treat are highly resistant to carbapenems, an antibiotic class used as a last resort. Septicemia, particularly when caused by a carbapenem-resistant organism, is among the most challenging clinical scenarios to treat, with an overall mortality rate of carbapenem-resistant septicemias 63.8%. Encouragingly, if effective antimicrobial treatment begins within 1-3 hours of septic shock onset, patient survival rates are around 80%. The first section of this work describes a real-time PCR-based assay that when coupled with existing bacteria-blood separation technology, …

Elucidating The Architecture Of The Tclijn Complex That Converts Cysteine To Thiazoles In The Biosynthesis Of Micrococcin, Diana G. Calvopina Chavez

Theses and Dissertations

Thiopeptides are a family of antimicrobial peptides that are characterized for having sulfur-containing heterocycles, and for being highly post-translationally modified. Numerous thiopeptides have been identified; almost all of which inhibit protein synthesis in gram-positive bacteria. These intrinsic antimicrobial properties make thiopeptides promising candidates for the development of new antibiotics. The antimicrobial peptide micrococcin is a thiopeptide that is synthesized by the ribosome and undergoes several post-translational modifications (PTMs). Micrococcin is formed from a precursor peptide, TclE. TclE comprises an N-terminal leader (35-AA) that is crucial for recognition of the PTM machinery, alongside a C-terminal core sequence (14-AA) that undergoes multiple …

Iprec And Isoblaze: Fuzzy Subcircuit Isomorphism For Ip Detection In Physical Netlists, Dallin Dahl, Corey Simpson, Keenan Faulkner, Brent Nelson, Jeffrey Goeders

Student Works

Netlist reverse engineering has many uses, from detecting hardware trojans to recovering missing design source files. However, the basic problem of finding IP in a netlist has not been widely discussed. The problem boils down to subgraph isomorphism on graphs constructed from netlists. We present two approaches to identifying IP in larger circuits. IPRec focuses on exploiting hierarchy in the IP design and is a rather conservative approach, while Isoblaze focuses on local properties and connectivity and is more liberal in matching.

Analysis Of Benefits Of Udot's Expanded Incident Management Team Program, Joel Clegg Hyer

Theses and Dissertations

In 2019, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) funded a research study evaluating the performance measures of UDOT's expanded Incident Management Team (IMT) program. The number of IMTs patrolling Utah roadways increased from 13 to 25 between 2018 and 2020. Crash data were collected from the Utah Highway Patrol's Computer Aided Dispatch database and from the UDOT TransSuite database to compare IMT performance measures between the two years and to evaluate the benefits of the expanded IMT program. However, these data were compromised due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study collected data for 2022 using the same …

Improving Behavior In Middle School Classes With Hispanic And English Language Learners: A Study Of Class‑Wide Function‑Related Intervention Teams, Emily J. Warburton, Paul Caldarella, Howard P. Wills, Rebecca Winters

Faculty Publications

English language learners (ELL) and Hispanic students are at an increased risk for academic difficulty. Effective classroom management strategies may help these students, but teachers often report lack of training in such strategies. Class-wide Function-related Intervention Teams in Middle School (CW-FIT MS) is a researchbased intervention that has helped teachers increase students’ on-task behavior using group contingencies, rewards, and praise. We investigated the efficacy of CW-FIT MS in classes with high proportions of Hispanic and ELL students using an ABAB single-subject withdrawal design with maintenance probes. One middle school English teacher and two of her classes (language arts and language …

Manipulating And Assaying Chromatin Architecture Around Enhancer Elements In Vivo, John Lawrence Carter

Theses and Dissertations

There are about 20,000 genes in the human genome. The lowly nematode worm, C. elegans, has about the same number of genes. How could two organisms that are so different arise from a similar number of genes? The answer is epigenetics, or the factors that help control when and where genes are expressed. There are many layers that comprise the epigenetic control of genes. One of which is the structure or architecture of chromatin. Chromatin is a complex of DNA and proteins. Histone proteins with DNA wrapped around them form the fundamental component of chromatin, the nucleosome. Chromatin exists in …

Monitoring Brain Region-Specific Control Of Protein Turnover And Concentration Using Proteomics, Rebecca Suzanne Burlett

Theses and Dissertations

Regulation of metabolism is vital to health and lies at the core of many different diseases. The breakdown of metabolisms' regulation within the brain can lead to neurological disease like Alzheimer's Disease (AD). AD is known to affect brain regions responsible for memory and memory processing like the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. The regulation of these regions' protein quality, synthesis, and degradation deviate from 'normal' or 'healthy' levels when AD is happening. It is known there is a breakdown of regulation in those regions; however, little is known about the specifics of regulation in healthy brains regions or how it …

Dispensing With Humans In Human-Computer Interaction Research, Courtni L. Byun

Theses and Dissertations

Machine Learning models have become more advanced than could have been supposed even a few years ago, often surpassing human performance on many tasks. Large language models (LLM) can produce text indistinguishable from human-produced text. This begs the question, how necessary are humans - even for tasks where humans appear indispensable? Qualitative Analysis (QA) is integral to human-computer interaction research, requiring both human-produced data and human analysis of that data to illuminate human opinions about and experiences with technology. We use GPT-3 and ChatGPT to replace human analysis and then to dispense with human-produced text altogether. We find GPT-3 is …

Inconsistent Correlation And Momenta: A New Approach To Portfolio Allocation, David Kercher

Theses and Dissertations

Correlated stocks should, in equilibrium, have correlated momenta, but in practice momenta do not always correlate. We use short-term inconsistencies between correlations and momenta to predict price corrections, produce more meaningful investment indicators, and improve upon accepted investing strategies. In particular, our approaches integrate inconsistencies within an entire security class rather than relying only on individual or pairwise security data. We use this theory to improve upon not only the standard momentum portfolio but also Pair Trading and Momentum Reversion methods. This results in three strategies for portfolio allocation that outperforms overlying indices and market benchmarks by 5%-10% in annual …

Facilitating Digitization & Reformatting Via Committee Work, Nicole Lewis, Abby Beazer

Faculty Publications

Facilitating digitization projects often involves many stakeholders, each with differing concerns and requirements. Brigham Young University’s Library manages these concerns and requirements via a Reformatting Committee and Policy. This presentation will contextualize this committee and policy and describe how the committee facilitates digitization work in the library.

Cell Of Origin Identification Using Methylation Signatures From Seminal Cell-Free Dna And Heterogenous Cellular Mixtures, Ryan Barney

Theses and Dissertations

Infertility is an issue for approximately 12% of couples attempting to have a child. Of this group, 50% of the cases are due to male factor infertility. There are many reasons for decreased fecundity in men, but there remains 10% to 15% of infertile men that are diagnosed with the most severe form of infertility, non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA). A diagnosis of NOA implies the lack of sperm cells in the ejaculate with no physiological reason. The current diagnostic test and treatment consist of microscopic examination of seminal fluid and a biopsy to extract any viable sperm from the testis. This …

Feasibility Of An Abstract Verb Naming Treatment For Aphasia, Dallin J. Bailey, Lisa Bunker, Julie L. Wambaugh

Faculty Publications

Purpose

Verb production impairments in aphasia have important implications for sentence production and communication in general. Verbs with low concreteness may be especially important for certain functional uses, and yet limited data regarding their response to treatment are available. This study was designed to examine a novel behavioral treatment approach to improve low concreteness verb naming in persons with aphasia.

Method

Three persons with nonfluent aphasia participated in a single-subject experimental design research study examining the feasibility of the novel treatment. The treatment was based on approaches that target the verb as the central node of meaning during sentence construction. …

Analog Artificial Neurons And Digital Amplifiers: Challenging The Roles Of Analog And Digital Circuit Architectures In Modern Cmos Processes, Taylor S. Barton

Theses and Dissertations

As complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technologies scale and field-effect transistor (FET) architectures change, the factors in deciding to utilize analog or digital transistor behaviors evolve. This thesis examines three case studies where traditionally analog or digital circuitry has dominated published works but I show that the opposite regime has significant benefits in scaled CMOS technologies. I present a highly digital operational amplifier (traditionally analog) and two artificial neurons (traditionally digital). In Chapters 2 and 3 I present a highly-digital five-stage zero-crossing-based amplifier which breaks the trade-off between slew rate and settling accuracy. I investigate the optimal charge pump design by …

Using Severity Weighted Risk Scores To Prioritize Safety Funding In Utah, Tomas Barriga Aristizabal

Theses and Dissertations

Budgets for transportation improvements are limited so it is important for governments to focus on improving locations most in need of safety funding. The objective of the Two-Output Model for Safety (TOMS) is to provide the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) a reliable method to prioritize safety improvements on state-owned roadways among the different regions. This research will improve the existing Crash Analysis Methodology for Segments (CAMS) and Intersection Safety Analysis Methodology (ISAM) being used to analyze crashes on Utah roadways. The scope of this project is improving on the existing CAMS and ISAM to work together within R, to …

Developing 3d Printed Integrated Microfluidic Devices For Microchip Electrophoresis Separation Of Preterm Birth Biomarkers, Joule E. Esene

Theses and Dissertations

Preterm birth is a global health challenge and the leading cause of neonatal mortality. Each year, about 15 million babies are born preterm globally. Traditional tools that have been exploited for the detection of preterm birth biomarkers are expensive, time consuming, or lack multiplexing capabilities. The work described in this dissertation highlights techniques developed to detect preterm birth biomarkers rapidly and accurately in the effort to mitigate preterm birth risk. In this dissertation, I first demonstrated the use of stereolithography digital light processing-based 3D printing and microfluidics for the development of microfluidic devices that had microvalves for fluid control. I …

A Definition Of Reliable Water Supply For Public Water Systems, Easton Hopkins

Theses and Dissertations

"Reliable water supply" does not have a universal definition in Utah, or the Western United States, where water resources are limited and such a definition would be especially useful. Utah's three water agencies and 500 public water systems have no consistent method to define, evaluate, and report it, potentially leading to an inability to meet regulatory water demands. We propose a unified definition of reliable water supply for Utah's public water suppliers that can also be used elsewhere. The qualitative definition we propose is necessary to precede quantitative evaluations, set policy, and provide consistency to water resources management in Utah. …

Nano Composite Piezo-Responsive Foam Enabled Pressure Mapping, Jake Duane Sundet

Theses and Dissertations

Pressure injuries cause pain both physically and financially. By creating a comfortable pressure mapping system, pressure injuries can more easily be prevented, and a large expenditure avoided. Nano composite piezo-responsive foam (NCPF) is an inexpensive foam that can be used to measure a static load while still providing a comfortable interface. As NCPF compresses, the impedance changes, correlating to a change in pressure. Optimizing electrode geometry is needed to take full advantage of the impedance change NCPF incurs upon deformation. To optimize electrode geometry, a design of experiment was performed which concluded that a one square inch area of interlaced …

A Novel Application Of Spinning Disk Technology To Collect Plasma From Whole Blood Prior To Quantifying Plasma Rna, Naomi Rapier-Sharman, Mae-Lynn L. Hutchinson, Carlos M. Moreno, Abraham Quaye, Brian D. Poole, K. Scott Weber, William G. Pitt, Brett E. Pickett

Faculty Publications

The spinning disk technology has previously been utilized to isolate bacterial components from blood in hours instead of days. We hypothesized that this platform could be applied as an alternative approach to isolating plasma RNA from a whole blood sample. We consequently tested the efficacy of the spinning disk technology to extract plasma from whole blood upstream of RNA isolation and analysis. To do so, we collected plasma using either the spinning disk or the typical two-spin centrifuge method. We found that the spinning disk method results in significantly more hemolysis during collection than the conventional two-spin centrifuge method. However, …

The Centennial Of The Treaty Of Lausanne: Turkey, Switzerland, The Great Powers And A Soviet Diplomat’S Assassination, Thomas Quinn Marabello

Swiss American Historical Society Review

The year 2023 marks the centennial of the Treaty of Lausanne. This treaty that many readers may not have heard of created the Republic of Turkey. More than that, it was a conference held in Switzerland where the Great Powers created new borders and made decisions about refugees, access to what are known as the “Turkish Straits” and led to British and French control of Palestine, Syria, and Iraq. The new mandate system showed that colonialism was still the mindset of most Europeans, along with a fear of Russia, which had become the Soviet Union. The conference and treaty that …

Full Issue

Swiss American Historical Society Review

No abstract provided.

The African Education Of Violaine Idelette Junod, Keith Snedegar

Swiss American Historical Society Review

May 11 of this year would have been the one-hundredth birthday of Violaine Idelette Junod, a remarkable if not well-known member of a celebrated Swiss missionary family. Born and raised in Africa, Violaine was nonetheless imbued with a thoroughly European worldview. To truly confront the realities of modern Africa, Junod would have to experience, through a long career as a social activist and educator, the harsh legacies of colonialism, poverty, and civil unrest across the continent of her birth. This she did with great tenacity and, finally, deep personal insight. The following is a sketch of an African education that …

A Swiss Calendar Maker In Colonial America: The Life And Work Of Johannes Tobler (1696-1765) Between Appenzell Ausserrhoden And South Carolina, David Aragai

Swiss American Historical Society Review

Johannes Tobler was a self-taught mathematician and astronomer. He published the first “Appenzeller Kalender” in 1721, an astronomical almanac in the style of the then popular genre. This almanac was the first periodical of Appenzell Ausserrhoden and is still issued today. After Tobler became a magistrate in the council of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, he found himself on the losing side of an internal conflict, called the Landhandel. As a result, he emigrated with his family and nearly two hundred citizens of Switzerland to South Carolina in 1736/37. After several years in which he built a new livelihood and became Justice of …

An Experimental Evaluation Of Culturally Enriching Field Trips, Heidi Holmes Erickson, Angela R. Watson, Jay P. Greene

ScholarsArchive Data

The data available here is the data used in the paper "An Experimental Evaluation of Culturally Enriching Field Trips". The files include a project and data overview, associated data sets, and the code for the analysis. All data files are compatible with Stata.

Data And Cad Models Of Cyclic Testing Of Membrane Hinges For Use In Origami-Inspired Design, Mitchel Skinner

ScholarsArchive Data

The following includes results and CAD models of cyclic testing of membrane hinges for use in origami-inspired design. The results include the number of cycles until both visual damage and complete failure occurred in 7 different membrane materials. The CAD models of the testing setup are also included.

The Chatgpt Artificial Intelligence Chatbot: How Well Does It Answer Accounting Assessment Questions?, David A. Wood, Ryan D. Sommerfeldt, Muskan P. Achhpilia, Mollie T. Adams, Sanaz Aghazadeh, William G. Heninger, Jeffrey Pickerd, Jon Kerr

Faculty Publications

ChatGPT, a language-learning model chatbot, has garnered considerable attention for its ability to respond to users’ questions. Using data from 14 countries and 186 institutions, we compare ChatGPT and student performance for 28,085 questions from accounting assessments and textbook test banks. As of January 2023, ChatGPT provides correct answers for 56.5 percent of questions and partially correct answers for an additional 9.4 percent of questions. When considering point values for questions, students significantly outperform ChatGPT with a 76.7 percent average on assessments compared to 47.5 percent for ChatGPT if no partial credit is awarded and 56.5 percent if partial credit …

Unique Collections And Digital Humanities Initiatives: From Concept To Creation–Exploration And Practice At The University Of Pittsburgh Library System, Edward Galloway, Haihui Zhang

Journal of East Asian Libraries

This report provides a overview of the Digital Humanity projects undertaken by the East Asian Library within the University of Pittsburgh Library System over the past decade. The review encompasses the genesis and original objectives behind initiating these projects, the challenges and difficulties encountered, the procedural aspects of implementation, and the insights gained.

Mrs. Anne Swann Goodrich And The Chinese Paper Gods Collection At Columbia University, Mingjie Li

Journal of East Asian Libraries

The Chinese Paper Gods Collection at Columbia University, New York, was donated by Mrs. Anne Swann Goodrich and is currently unstudied by the academic community. This article presents a profile of the donor, details the types of items in the collection and discusses their potential scholarly value.