Digital Commons Network^™

Run-To-Run Control Via Constrained Optimization Of A Mechanical Serial-Sectioning System, Damian L. Gallegos-Patterson

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

This thesis develops a methodology for run-to-run (R2R) control of a mechanical serial sectioning (mss) system for microstructural investigations. mss is a destructive material characterization process which repeatedly removes a thin layer of material and images the exposed surface. The images are then used to gain insight into the internal structure and arrangement of a material and are often used to generate a 3-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of the sample. Currently, an experienced human operator selects the parameters for mss to achieve the desired per slice removal rate. The proposed R2R control methodology automates this process while improving the precision and …

Ms4 Swmpp 2022, National Technology & Engineering Solutions Of Sandia, Llc (Ntess) And Department Of Energy (Doe)

Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit

Stormwater discharges from Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico (SNL/NM) are eligible for coverage under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit. This Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP) was prepared by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia (NTESS) for the Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Sandia Field Office (SFO), owner of SNL/NM, located in Albuquerque, NM.

Atomic Gradiometry Based On The Interference Of Microwave Optical Sidebands, Kaleb L. Campbell

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

We describe a novel pulsed magnetic gradiometer based on the optical interference of sidebands generated using two spatially separated alkali vapor cells. The sidebands are produced with high efficiency using parametric frequency conversion of a probe beam interacting with Rubiduim 87 atoms in a coherent superposition of magnetically sensitive hyperfine ground states. First, experimental evidence of the sideband process is described for both steady-state and pulsed operation. Then, a theoretical framework is developed that accurately models sideband generation based on density matrix formalism. The gradiometer is then constructed using two spatially separated vapor cells, and a beat-note is generated. The …

The Influence Of A Learning Management System (Lms) And Microblogging On Social Presence, Sense Of Community, And User Interface Satisfaction In A Distance Education Course, Andrew G. Leach

Organization, Information and Learning Sciences ETDs

The impact of social media on everyday life is undeniable. Social media has transcended its initial purpose of connectivity and branched into other sociocultural aspects. Educators must create a rich and active learning environment where students can actively engage with their educational curriculum. This study used a mixed methods approach to investigate the influence that learning management systems (LMS) and microblogging (social media) have on key elements of distance education design. These elements include social presence, sense of community, and overall user interface design. Students’ perceptions of these elements were collected from students enrolled in a graduate course during summer …

Stochastic Optimal Shared Control With Non-Gaussian Processes, Paul Onor

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

In this paper, we propose an approach for shared control of a planar quadrotor that allows for non-Gaussian disturbance in the model and non-Gaussian variation in the pilot's control actions. We do this by constructing empirical characteristic functions for the state, inputs, and disturbance using demonstrations by a human expert. These are then used to make predictions of future states and of the system disturbance, using the first and second moments of the empirical characteristic function to estimate the mean and variance of these processes. With this method, we can extend assumptions from additive white Gaussian noise to any real-valued …

A Theory Of Text Setting Contour: A Proposed Theory That Places Text At The Structural Foreground Of The Analysis Of Vocal Music, Grace K. Weaver

Music ETDs

How can contour theory be used to analyze a composer’s setting of a poem? Can this approach provide insights that lead to an interpretation of the composer’s setting of the text? This study presents a new contour theory on text setting by examining two different settings of the same text. This theory examines one aspect of the music, the vocal line, and plots syllable’s locations in two dimensions of music: pitch space and duration. Using these data points, one can suggest an interpretation of the poem. Through the application of this theory to Fanny Hensel and Franz Schubert’s setting of …

Psychosocial And Neuroprediction Of Criminal Recidivism In A Sample Of Adult Female Offenders, Bethany G. Edwards

Psychology ETDs

Recidivism is costly and damaging to society. Despite the narrowing gender gap in the criminal justice system, research on female recidivism falls behind that in males. Biopsychosocial theories suggest a combination of psychosocial and neurobiological factors likely promotes criminal risk in females. This study examined the utility of various risk factors in predicting recidivism in female offenders (n = 298). Results highlight specific psychosocial risk factors (i.e., impulsive/antisocial psychopathic traits, incarceration history, substance use, education, and age) that were especially helpful in identifying females at elevated risk. A particularly novel aspect of this study was incorporation of structural and functional …

Machine Learning Techniques For Seismic Data Analysis And Explosion Monitoring, Mohammad Ashraf Siddiquee

Computer Science ETDs

The current seismic data processing pipeline is surprisingly human-dependent. With the rapid increase of seismic-sensor data availability, all manual data processing approaches fail to detect, classify, and analyze seismic activity within a reasonable amount of time. An automated, fast, and reliable seismic data processing pipeline is desired for the meaningful analysis of massive seismic datasets. In this thesis, we show how advanced time-series data-mining and machine learning techniques can be leveraged to resolve this issue. We precisely focus on seismic activity detection, classification, and inspection using our techniques that would help us better understand the surrounding earth structure, earthquake evaluation, …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Carbon Nanotube Metal Matrix Composites For Use In Photovoltaic Gridline Applications, Cayla M. Nelson

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

Performance reliability is crucial for photovoltaic (PV) cells in both terrestrial and space-based applications. Electrical efficiency losses over time are heavily impacted by electrical losses due to microcracks within the cell structure and metallization failure. Mechanical stresses and thermal cycling of the device can lead to fracture of the current-carrying metal (Ag) lines on the surface of the device, significantly reducing output power. Incorporating carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into PV metal lines as a reinforcement, forming a CNT/Ag metal matrix composite (MMC), enhances the electrical and mechanical performance of the device. In this work the influence of CNT/Ag MMCs were explored …

Expanded-Range Venturi Flow Meter: Development And Testing Of A 3d-Printed Flow Meter And Solid-State Valve Concept, Joseph M. Pomo

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

In this thesis, I document the design, testing and performance of a novel Expanded-Range Venturi Flow Meter (ERVFM) concept. The ERVFM combines two, parallel-configured Venturi Flow Meters (VFM) with a Solid-State Selector Valve (SSSV). The goal was to create a reliable, high-turndown ratio flow meter which directs the fluid to either Venturi tube using the inherent pressure drop of the SSSV, and without moving parts. I constructed a pumped-fluid loop test-setup and quantified the ERVFM’s performance through pressure loss and mass flow rate measurements. In addition, I used python to develop models to assist in prototype design and data-processing. My …

Nuevomexicana/O Identity Affirmations Through Chicana And Chicano Muralism, Howard E. Griego

Chicana and Chicano Studies ETDs

This research spotlights Nuevomexicana/o identity as expressed in murals produced by New Mexican artists during the Chicana and Chicano Mural Movement of the 1970s. Extant research focuses on Chicana/o murals in other regions mainly in California and Texas, and New Mexico has been understudied in the literature. This study analyzes murals and interviews with New Mexico artists to explore how these artists portrayed their identity and conveyed their social and political expression through their thematic content. A dialectical analysis was conducted using a mixed method approach. A statistical analysis determined the frequency and distribution of distinct themes. The findings showed …

Reimagining Rhetorical Ability: (Dis)Embodiments Of Disabled Speakers In The Stuttertalk Podcast And The 2020 Democratic National Convention, Katherine Mulle

Communication ETDs

While communication scholars have dedicated much research towards defining and furthering effective communication, explorations of speech disability, especially from a critical lens, are largely absent in these pursuits. I conducted a critical rhetorical analysis of the (dis)embodiments of disabled speakers through examining segments from the 2020 Democratic National Convention (DNC) program that cover Joe Biden’s story as a person who stutters, and episodes of StutterTalk, a podcast created by and featuring people who stutter. Moreover, I organize this thesis around two claims: (1) As a person who stutters with certain privilege and power, Joe Biden’s DNC story further secured …

Thermodynamic And Kinetic Investigation Of U(Vi) And As(V) Reactions: Insights For Risk Assessment And Remediation, Maria Isabel Meza

Civil Engineering ETDs

The goal of this dissertation was to investigate the mechanisms of immobilization of uranium (U) and arsenic (As) in waters nearby to Native American Communities for remediation applications. This work sought to identify the physical or chemical processes affecting the complexation, sorption, and precipitation of U and As with calcium (Ca), carbonates (CO3)2-, and phosphate (PO4)3-. The current knowledge about the mechanisms affecting the reaction of metal mixtures such as U, As, and other co-occurring elements in natural waters with minerals such as limestone1-5 and hydroxyapatite for remediation applications is limited. A better understanding of thermodynamics and kinetics affecting the …

Three Essays On Student Enrollment Responses To General Household And Education-Specific Assistance Programs, Usamah Wasif

Economics ETDs

Greater educational attainment is associated with an increase in expected income, lowering of internal discount rates, and improved financial and health literacy. Income transfers have the potential to positively impact educational attainment by either reducing the direct cost of college attendance or by inducing an income effect that nudges students to decrease labor supply and devote greater time to studies. Whether assistance leads to more education depends on the circumstances, particularly the educational stage and assistance type. High school students may react differently to assistance relative to college students and both may react differently to general household income transfers compared …

Relationships Between Self-Efficacy, Participation In Prison Programs, And Perceived Ability To Live Crime Free Upon Release From Prison, Beret Ravenscroft

Nursing ETDs

This study examined the relationships between self-efficacy, participation in prison programs, and perceived ability to live crime free among male prisoners in state-operated New Mexico prisons. Among the 589 study participants, those who reported having received assistance in changing criminal attitudes agreed they would be able to live crime free at a rate 8% higher than those who did not (p = .029). Those who agreed that they are able to accomplish any task (p = .001) or who disagreed with feeling helpless to deal with problems (p = .001) also scored significantly higher in perceived ability …

Implications For Cross-Training Between Applied Behavior Analysis And Speech-Language Pathology, Katherine Lynn Isaacson

Speech and Hearing Sciences Publications

This paper is to provide clarity about the overlaps between the fields of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and speech-language pathology, including evaluation, assessment, intervention planning, and treatment of language development, nine articles were selected for a review of terms and definitions, philosophical and theoretical underpinnings, and licensure/certification requirements pertaining to both scopes of practice. Behavior analysts and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are likely to provide intervention alongside one another due to their frequent provision of intervention with individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Despite broad, initial overlaps between the professions, the required educational coursework, supervised fieldwork and clinical practicums, and …

The Effects Of A Power Iteration-Based K-Eigenvalue Solver For Various Subcritical Parameters And Calculations, Daniel H. Timmons

Nuclear Engineering ETDs

The need to simulate subcritical benchmark parameters quickly and accurately is becoming increasing important. When using Monte Carlo methods this is traditionally done using a fixed-source calculation where a particle and its progeny are tracked until their removal from the system. This method can be slow for near critical systems. The use of a k-eigenvalue solver could reduce the computational footprint and reduce the need to post process data.

This is done for four parameters from the ICSBEP benchmark values: R_1 , R_2 , M_L, and M_eff. These parameters are calculated in two new distinct ways. First, is directly …

Permeability And Porosity Of Loose Granular Salt, Evan J. Babcock

Civil Engineering ETDs

In this study, permeability and porosity measurements are made and reported for loose granular salt from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Measurements are made on a particularly wide range of particle sizes of this salt in a permeameter constructed large enough to fit and represent mixtures containing salt particles up to 25.4 cm in size. Salt samples with different particle size distributions are constructed and tested at varying levels of consolidation due to induced vibrations. Permeability measurements are made at a varying range of porosities for a given sample. Measurements are also compared with a predictive model for permeability …

Halogen And Non-Traditional Isotope Geochemistry Of Planetary And Terrestrial Materials, Anthony Gargano, Zachary Sharp, Justin Simon, Charles Shearer, Adrian Brearley, James Day

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

This dissertation presents the advances in non-traditional isotope geochemistry of planetary and terrestrial materials encompassing chlorine, sulfur, and zinc isotopes, as well as halogen geochemistry. A wide breadth of materials was studied throughout the completion of this work including iron meteorites, achondrites, chondrites, Apollo lunar samples, as well ancient marine chert, and carbonate sediments. Much of the focus involved the development of a method capable of simultaneously measuring the halogen contents and chlorine isotope compositions of geological materials. Here, I present these data sets to broadly characterize the process of devolatilization of planetary materials, and specifically the problem of ‘halogen-poisoning’ …

Beyond Seeing: Sight, Mind, And Power In Early-Medieval England, Kevin S. Jackson

English Language and Literature ETDs

Before the development of optical science, sight was largely understood to function extramissively, with rays emitted from the eyes effectuating sight as they came into contact with the physical world. In early-medieval England in particular, a very strong correlation between extramissive sight and an extracorporeal mind is evident, based in part on a potential source for this model that has yet to be identified in scholarship: De opificio Dei, by Lactantius. The connection between sight and the mind accounts for anxiety about the possibility of seeing God, manifest in some early-medieval English translators’ careful revision of biblical texts. Sight …

Text Nudges: Proactive Communication By An Urban Community College, Ann L. Hall

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The landscape of higher education has shifted over the last ten years. Student needs have changed. Educational institutions have begun to change the way they conduct business to support student needs more fully including just-in-time communications that are focused and customized to the individual student. Higher education institutions are using text nudges to support student outcomes from enrollment to graduation. This study evaluated the impact of text nudges on retention at a large, urban community college in the southwest region of the United States. The study found a small, negative relationship between the number of text nudges received and fall …

Relating Plant Community Structure To Carbon Dynamics In Semiarid Grasslands, Theodore D. Roper

Biology ETDs

Understanding how fine-scale changes in soil characteristics and plant community composition affect ecosystem functioning is key to predicting how biome shifts will affect regional and global carbon cycling. This is crucial in the dryland biomes of the US Southwest, projected to be one of the regions most affected by climate change. We examined fine-scale drivers of ecosystem function within two biomes – a Chihuahuan Desert grassland and Plains/Chihuahuan Desert ecotone – via long-term vegetation data, micrometeorological data, eddy covariance carbon flux measurements, and soil water and texture, finding that the ecotone site had over 30% higher soil water content, over …

Coloniality And Paradoxes Of Migrancy: Experiences Of Nicaraguan Migrants In Costa Rica, Darcey Rydl

Communication ETDs

Vernacular (personal) discourses surrounding Nicaraguan immigration to Costa Rica were investigated through the lens of coloniality – a theoretical and conceptual process of understanding how the Eurocentered matrix of power and knowledge produces the subjectivity of peoples through exploitation (Mignolo & Walsh, 2019). Compared to national discourses, this study asked how vernacular discourses may challenge colonial social structures of power as well as support those same structures of power. To elicit these discourses, oral histories were conducted with nine Nicaraguans who have fled their country because of political violence. Oral histories allow for a complete account of the past by …

The Development Of Discourse Markers In Narrations Written By Spanish Heritage Language Learners: A Case For Explicit And Implicit Instruction, Mark Cisneros

Spanish and Portuguese ETDs

This Dissertation attempted to determine the types and number of discourse markers (DMs) used in narrations written by Spanish Heritage Language (SHL) learners and if they benefitted from the following pedagogical intervention (i.e., Explicit Instruction + Input Flood + Textual Enhancement) regarding the use of DMs. It also calculated the syntactic complexity, morphosyntactic accuracy, and fluency of their narrations. For this study, 39 SHL learners served as participants: 19 in an Experimental group and 20 in a Control group. All participants wrote two narrations of two short, silent films: a pre-test narration and an immediate post-test narration. Before completing the …

Rapid Response Protocol (Rrp) For Monitoring Water Quality Parameters For Wildfire Disturbance, Paige G. Tunby

Civil Engineering ETDs

The increase in wildfire frequency and intensity has been driven by the sensitivity of fire regimes to climate changes and fire suppression. Wildfires impact hydrological and environmental processes and ecosystem service due to the mobilization of wildfire debris by precipitation. Data on post-fire water quality dynamics have been measured in a few study cases from burned watersheds where sensors were deployed to monitor non-fire-related water quality issues. This has led to a dearth of data for understanding the effects of wildfire disturbances on fluvial networks. To close the gap in available water quality data, we have created a rapid response …

Longitudinal Study Of The Relations Between Corporal Punishment And Children's Aggression: The Mediating Role Of Self-Regulation, Jeremy T. Armijo, Cara Streit, Ryan J. Kelly, Ashley Martin-Cuellar

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

The current study looked to expand on established literature on the detrimental outcomes of corporal punishment by examining the long-term longitudinal associations between corporal punishment and children’s aggression in gender and racially diverse, low-income samples. Data were collected from 17 sites across the United States, with urban and rural locations included from an Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project (EHSREP). Lastly, the study aimed to look at self-regulation as a mediator to help explain the relationship between corporal punishment and aggression. The results show an overall positive association between corporal punishment and aggression. This means higher levels of harsh …

Deformation Of Antigorite + Olivine Aggregates: Implications For Mantle Wedge Dynamics, Roselyn K. Hurlow

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

Aggregates with varying volume proportions of antigorite and olivine were deformed at mantle wedge conditions of high-pressure (P) (2.5-7.6 GPa), -temperature (T) (675 K), and strain rates from ~1.0*10^-5 to ~1.0*10^-4 s^-1 using the deformation-DIA (D-DIA) to investigate deformation mechanisms and stress/strain partitioning. Macroscopic strain, lattice strain, and texture were measured in situ using synchrotron x-ray diffraction and radiography and were modeled for olivine using Elasto-Viscoplastic Self-Consistent (EVPSC) simulations. These modeled results are coupled with microstructure images and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) measurements results to determine stress and deformation mechanisms. Previous to this study, investigations have been …

Resource Estimation For Quantum Simulation Algorithms, Changhao Yi

Physics & Astronomy ETDs

A major application of quantum computers is simulating other quantum systems that are intractable to simulate classically. The broad family of algorithms for this problem go by the name of quantum simulation. Product formulas provide resource efficient and practical methods to simulate Hamiltonian dynamics. In this thesis, we study the resource estimation of quantum simulation by product formula from two aspects. First, we provide a detailed analysis of the algorithm itself. Using the effective Hamiltonian perspective, we successfully reduce the circuit complexity of quantum phase estimation and digital adiabatic simulation. Second, we analyze the performance of dynamical decoupling, a widely-used …

The Political Urgency Of Black Manhood: Frederick Douglass On Constitutional Theory, John M. Kang

Faculty Scholarship

How did Frederick Douglass—one who was born a slave, one who had been denied all formal education, one who had been sundered from his family, one who had been starved, tortured, and, on occasion, nearly killed—manage to muster the courage to do something as bold as challenge the United States Supreme Court? This Article suggests that Douglass, in order to assert his right as an American citizen, first had to assert his right as a man in an explicitly gendered sense. That is, Douglass had to muster a powerful sense of manliness that could elevate him psychologically to assert his …

The Political Urgency Of Black Manhood: Frederick Douglass On Constitutional Theory, John M. Kang

New Mexico Law Review

How did Frederick Douglass—one who was born a slave, one who had been denied all formal education, one who had been sundered from his family, one who had been starved, tortured, and, on occasion, nearly killed—manage to muster the courage to do something as bold as challenge the United States Supreme Court? This Article suggests that Douglass, in order to assert his right as an American citizen, first had to assert his right as a man in an explicitly gendered sense. That is, Douglass had to muster a powerful sense of manliness that could elevate him psychologically to assert his …