Digital Commons Network^™

Comparison Of Privacy Schemes In A Multi-Radio Vanet, Collin James Kenner

Master's Theses

Intelligent vehicles are rapidly improving in functionality as they improve upon and incorporate new technologies. The addition of networking capabilities grants vehicles significant knowledge about the location and decisions of vehicles in the surroundings, and allows them to share perception information. However, adversarial listeners in the system may track vehicles by their communications resulting in a loss of user privacy. Past research has attempted to minimize privacy loss in single-radio environments through pseudonym changing schemes. We improved upon this research by comparing pseudonym schemes in a multi-radio environment.

Our simulation environment was created using the OMNeT++ networking and SUMO traffic …

Single-Cell Impedance Spectroscopy, David Paul Lange

Master's Theses

Impedance spectroscopy (IS) is an important tool for cell detection and characterization in medical and food safety applications. In this thesis, the Cal Poly Biofluidics Lab’s impedance spectroscopy system was re-evaluated and optimized for single-cell impedance spectroscopy. To evaluate the IS system, an impedance spectroscopy bioMEMS chip was fabricated in the Cal Poly Microfabcrication lab, software was developed to run IS experiments, and studies were run to validate the system. To explore IS optimization, Maxwell’s mixture theorem and the Schwartz-Christoffel transform were used to calculate an analytic impedance solution to the co-planar electrode system,a novel volume fraction to account for …

Visual Speech Recognition Using A 3d Convolutional Neural Network, Matthew Rochford

Master's Theses

Main stream automatic speech recognition (ASR) makes use of audio data to identify spoken words, however visual speech recognition (VSR) has recently been of increased interest to researchers. VSR is used when audio data is corrupted or missing entirely and also to further enhance the accuracy of audio-based ASR systems. In this research, we present both a framework for building 3D feature cubes of lip data from videos and a 3D convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture for performing classification on a dataset of 100 spoken words, recorded in an uncontrolled envi- ronment. Our 3D-CNN architecture achieves a testing accuracy of …

Leveraging Defects Life-Cycle For Labeling Defective Classes, Bailey R. Vandehei

Master's Theses

Data from software repositories are a very useful asset to building dierent kinds of

models and recommender systems aimed to support software developers. Specically,

the identication of likely defect-prone les (i.e., classes in Object-Oriented systems)

helps in prioritizing, testing, and analysis activities. This work focuses on automated

methods for labeling a class in a version as defective or not. The most used methods

for automated class labeling belong to the SZZ family and fail in various circum-

stances. Thus, recent studies suggest the use of aect version (AV) as provided by

developers and available in the issue tracker such as …

Carbon Nanotube (Cnt) Coated E-Glass Fibre Sensor For Structural Health Monitoring Of Composite Materials, Sidney Wong

Master's Theses

Composite materials are extensively used as an advanced engineering material, particularly in aerospace, automotive, and buildings industries due to its superior properties such as high strength to weight ratios and resistance to corrosion. As composite materials are rapidly replacing traditional materials in aircraft manufacturing, improved methods of identifying damage and critical failure is in development. One of the most commonly used procedures utilizes a health monitoring system that relies on transducers to monitor transmitted waves generated by ultrasonics. By replacing this method with a nanotechnology-based one, it is possible to efficiently detect damage without the time-extensive process of scanning the …

Dynamic Pressure Sensing For The Flight Test Data System, Marc Y. Goupil

Master's Theses

This thesis describes the design, assembly, and test of the FTDS-K, a new device in the Boundary Layer Data System (BLDS) family of flight data acquisition systems. The FTDS-K provides high-frequency, high-gain data acquisition capability for up to two pressure sensors and an additional three low-frequency pressure sensors. Development of the FTDS-K was separated into a core module, specialized analog subsystem, and practical testing of the FTDS-K in a flow measurement mission. The core module combines an nRF52840-based microcontroller module, switching regulator, microSD card, real-time clock, temperature sensor, and trio of pressure sensors to provide the same capabilities as previous-generation …

Flight Test Data System For Strain Measurement, Zachary David Wilson

Master's Theses

This thesis describes the design and evaluation of two devices to be included in the next generation of the family of devices called the Boundary Layer Data System (BLDS). The first device, called the Quasi-Static Strain Data Acquisition System, is a continuation of the BLDS-M series of devices to be known as the Flight Test Data System (FTDS) that uses a modular approach to acquire non-flow, quasi-static mechanical strain measurements. Various breakout boards and development boards were used to synthesize the device, which were housed by a custom PCB board. The system is controlled by the Simblee^TM System on …

A Comparison Of The Army Corps Of Engineers Hydrologic Modeling System And Autodesk Storm And Sanitary Analysis For Hydraulic And Hydrologic Analysis And Design, Foster Josef Heifetz Campbell

Master's Theses

Hydrological and hydraulic effects of urban development is one of the key issues of study for improved water management. The addition of impervious surfaces to once pervious land and re-routing open channels and flow paths can cause flooding or declining water levels within a watershed. Many studies of these issues have found that there can be multiple factors causing hydrological and hydraulic impacts, and it can be hard to analyze and develop effective solutions without appropriate drainage software packages. However, there are multiple software packages available for use, and determining the correct one to use for a specific challenge can …

Development Of An Analysis Tool And Weight Estimation Method For Aircraft Wing Structures, Kevin M. Barton

Master's Theses

The goal of this effort was to build an analysis tool for aircraft wings and incorporate it into a program that optimizes the wing structure for the lowest weight for the conceptual design phase. The analysis tool calculates the internal stresses in primary load carrying members using established analysis methods for semimonocoque beams. Via a Graphical User Interface (GUI) built in MATLAB, the user can define the structural layout and material properties of the load carrying members. The program requires a degenerate geometry model built with Vehicle Sketch Pad (OpenVSP) to define the outer mold line (OML) of the wing, …

Design, Modeling And Control Of A Two-Wheel Balancing Robot Driven By Bldc Motors, Charles T. Refvem

Master's Theses

The focus of this document is on the design, modeling, and control of a self-balancing two wheel robot, hereafter referred to as the balance bot, driven by independent brushless DC (BLDC) motors. The balance bot frame is composed of stacked layers allowing a lightweight, modular, and rigid mechanical design. The robot is actuated by a pair of brushless DC motors equipped with Hall effect sensors and encoders allowing determination of the angle and angular velocity of each wheel. Absolute orientation measurement is accomplished using a full 9-axis IMU consisting of a 3-axis gyroscope, a 3-axis accelerometer, and a 3-axis magnetometer. …

Machine Learning Applications To Predict Road Crash And Soccer Game Outcomes, Lu Bai

Master's Theses

Machine learning has become a cutting-edge and widely studied data science field of study in recent years across many industries and disciplines. In this thesis, two problems (1- crash severity prediction, 2- soccer game outcome prediction.) were investigated by using a set of machine learning approaches, namely: Ridge regression, Lasso Regression, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Neural Network (NN), Random Forest (RF).

The first study is focused on investigating the critical factors affecting crash severity on a comprehensive time-series state-wide traffic crash data. The dataset covers crashes occurred in the state of Connecticut between 1995 and 2014. Traffic crashes are an …

Nurses' Level Of Comfort, Familiarity, And Knowledge About Diabetes Management In Vinmec Central Park International Hospital, Nguyen Thi Xuan Mai

Master's Theses

Clinical nurses have a key role in supporting and management of diabetes patients during hospitalization. The purpose of this study was to evaluate nurses’ level of comfort, familiarity, and knowledge in diabetes management. In this study, 30 full-time nurses working in Vinmec Central Park International Hospital completed a 34-question assessment that included eight questions on comfort, six questions on familiarity, and 20 questions on nursing knowledge. The findings indicated the level of nursing knowledge regarding diabetes management in the hospital was low. The comfort, familiarity, and knowledge scores were not directly proportional to the age, education, and years of clinical …

Preparing Future Dance Educators For Diverse Student Populations, Kaylee Anne Morrison

Master's Theses

The purposes of this study were to create a curriculum map for a potential Bachelor of Arts in Dance Education for a four-year university, promote quality dance education, and find ways to advocate for dance programs in rural communities. To determine the data, the researcher created an electronic survey, met with participants in person, and recorded interviews to collect the evidence. Thirty-six electronic survey participants were current and former dance educators. The participants for the interviews were ten current and former K-12 administrators, seven university faculty, and six general education teachers/curriculum specialist from diverse K-12 campuses. The researcher designed the …

Alternative Conceptions, Initial Knowledge, And Self-Efficacy Of The Novice And Expert Geologist Regarding Mineral Identification, Amanda Manzanares

Master's Theses

Research shows the novice geologist begins an introductory geology course with alternative conceptions about minerals and other geoscience concepts. Students use their prior understanding of these concepts as the basis for future learning. If students’ frameworks include alternative conceptions about foundational geoscience concepts, these could hinder their ability to learn more factual and complicated ideas and facts in the future. It takes time to change these alternative conceptions. For this reason, instructors need to understand their students’ prior understandings of geoscience concepts at the beginning of the courses to move students to a better understanding of the material. Moreover, the …

The Effect Of Interpersonal And Institutional Trust On Organizational Commitment In Voluntary Settings, Kayla Nicole Brewster

Master's Theses

The goal of this research was to explore how institutional and interpersonal trust affect organizational commitment within voluntary organizations. This research focused on civic engagement and religious organizations as forms of voluntary organizations and utilized previously validated instruments as the means to collect data. The participants were obtained by a random sample of students, staff, and faculty from a mid-sized university in the Rocky Mountain Region of the United States and the data collection method was an email with a description of the project and a link to the survey. The survey responses resulted in a sample size of 189 …

Sagebrush Seeds Of Success: A Genetic Analysis Of Bureau Of Land Management Seeds Of Success Seeds And Of Eriogonum Umbellatum, Emily Katherine Schumacher

Master's Theses

Due to the increasing frequency of anthropogenic disturbances, greater effort needs to be put into identifying appropriate seed material for large scale restoration projects. The Bureau of Land Management created the Seeds of Success (SOS) project to increase stocks of native seeds for restoration projects following worsening disturbances. However, there is little known about the genetic composition of these seeds, so it is unclear if these seed accessions will be able to establish healthy and persistent native plant communities. This thesis identified that in 20 accessions of SOS seeds, inbreeding was low to moderate in 17 accessions, allelic richness was …

The Influence Of Job Motivation On Nurse Retention: A Study Of American International Hospital, Hoa Thi Ngoc Nguyen

Master's Theses

For years, the concept of motivation has been a popular topic of discussion among various researchers and practitioners. Nowadays, managers are continuously challenged to perceive the motivated factors in their employees in order to promoting the retention of the motivated workforce. Healthcare worker retention is critical for health system functionality; however, the key issue is how to best motivate and retain health care professionals. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of literature on measuring motivation of health workers in Vietnam especially among nurses. For this reason, the study was conducted to survey the influence of job motivation on nurse retention in …

"To Get A Job In A Broadway Chorus, Go Into Your Dance:" Education For Careers In Musical Theatre Dance, Lauran Stanis

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify necessary education and experiences for dancers who wish to pursue a career in musical theatre dance and identify the content dancers who want to pursue careers in musical theatre dance should be studying. In this project, two groups of individuals were surveyed about their education and experiences. These individuals were those with dance degrees, and those working professionally in musical theatre as dancers or choreographers. A total of 174 subjects participated in the study. Of these participants, ninety-two were dance degree holders and eighty-two were musical theatre dance professionals. Two surveys were …

Dance Competitions: The Culture, The Training, And The Effects On Young Dancers, Teresa Schmitt

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to assist educators, students, and families, in understanding the advantages and disadvantages of participating in competition dance training as it exists in private studios. The researcher evaluated perceptions of competitive dance training through the lens of nine high school aged dancers who participate or did participate in such activities, with a goal of uncovering how this training experience affected them and what they thought about it. The research instrument used in this study was an electronic survey that included questions that produced responses that were analyzed either quantitively or qualitatively, depending on the nature …

Social Activism: Teaching Activism Through Socially Conscious Plays, Alanna Kiewe

Master's Theses

Students derived numerous benefits while participating in theater by gaining confidence and social skills. To help navigate these skills, this thesis showed that using a socially conscious play helped participants gain empathy, an understanding of their community, and an interest in social activism. This protocol outlined the process of producing And a Child Shall Lead, by Michael Slade. The entire process of working on Slade’s play allowed students in middle school to gain an understanding of the Holocaust and helped them appreciate how social activism can shape communities.

Improving The Knowledge Of Port-A-Cath Care For Nurses, Hoa Thi Nguyen

Master's Theses

The purpose of this research project was to evaluate the effectiveness of a training program to improve the knowledge of port-a-cath care for staff nurses. The main objectives were to assess staff nurses’ knowledge of the port-a-cath care process before the training program and measure knowledge of the device and the procedures associated with the use and maintenance of the device after training. The study used a one group pretest and posttest design. Simple random sampling was done in Hoan My Sai Gon Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (N = 90). The study instrument was a questionnaire that consisted …

The Power Of Environment As A Tool For Inspiration: Engaging Students Through In-Studio Vs Site-Specific Choreography, Taylor Kath

Master's Theses

The goal of this study was to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of in-studio and site-specific choreographic experiences with the desired result to discoverhow choreographers created, danced, and perceived this work. The research was conducted in a rural area and due to the vast and open terrain, there were incredible opportunities for site-specific work, providing artists with great advantages for inspiration. In a low-populated state with little access to urban art, generating site-specific dance occurrences was vital for both seeing and experiencing dance. The aim of this research was to determine whether in-studio or site-specific choreography provides more inspiration to …

Closing The Opportunity Gap In And Through Dance: A New Rubric Design, Emily Hunter

Master's Theses

The goal of this research was to design a dance audition rubric that could identify both capability and potential in novice students and formally trained dancers alike. The high school targeted in this study was among the top public arts schools in the nation, able to offer unparalleled opportunities to students who gain admission by audition. A problem existed in that students with little or no formal dance training had difficulty gaining entry to the dance program because the existing rubric rewarded evidence of training over raw talent. In designing a new rubric, the hope was to identify one way …

Perceptions Of Probation Officers' On Interconnections: A Mentoring Program, Vanessa Arellano

Master's Theses

Mentoring programs provide disadvantaged, at-risk, and adjudicated youth with positive role models that can bestow support and guidance (Grossman & Tierney, 1998). The mentoring phenomenon has grown tremendously with over 5,000 mentoring programs in the United States and serving about 3 million juveniles (MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership, 2006). Additionally, mentoring yields numerous positive outcomes, such as dissuading risky behavior and advocating prosocial behavior (Haddock et al., 2017). The current literature focuses on mentor, mentee and parental perspectives on mentoring programs with little information about probation officers. The current study relied on in-depth interviews with six probation officers who referred juvenile probationers …

A Slice Of The Big Apple: An Exploration Of The Impact Of Travel On High School Students’ Choreographic Process, Lauren Seibel

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to create, implement, and assess the results of a dance curriculum based on a long-distance travel experience as inspiration for choreography. The research spanned one semester. Participants included twenty high school dance students and nine audience members. In the study, the researcher attempted to answer the following essential questions: Q1 How can a high school dance course enhance the overall experience and understanding of traveling? Q2 In what ways can travel impact a student’s choreographic process? Q3 What aspects of traveling are most helpful for high school students when exploring their ability to choreograph? …

The Examination Of The Function Of The Cofactor Schnurri In The Cyst Stem Cells Of The Drosophila Melanogaster Testis Niche, Jade Koretko

Master's Theses

The study of adult stem cells in modern day research provides pertinent information about the development of organisms, how they grow, and how tissue is maintained. Drosophila melanogaster provide an ideal model for in vivo stem cell research, with one of the best-characterized niches in the testis. The testis stem cell niche consists of a hub that provides signals to the local stem cells, germline stem cells (GSCs), and cyst stem cells (CySCs). The CySCs produce cyst cell lineage that will provide support for the GSC daughter cells, which differentiate into sperm. Previously, Matunis, et al. determined the function of …

An Investigation Of Factors Affecting The Work Motivation Of Nurses Working At University Medical Centers, Quynh Duc Nguyet Nguyen

Master's Theses

The study was conducted to investigate factors affecting the work motivation of nurses working at University Medical Center. The study also examined the correlation between factors that might affect work motivation such as demographic characteristics (age, gender, job position, work unit, educational level, etc.). Determination of the importance of motivational factors is essential for managers and would help them develop appropriate solutions to enhance motivation for nurses. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. One hundred and forty (N = 140) nurses working at University Medical Center participated in answering a questionnaire to determine the importance of motivational factors. In addition, …

Assess Knowledge And Practice Eye Care For Patients Of Intensive Care Unit Nursing Staff, Le Hong Liem

Master's Theses

Eye care for intensive care unit (ICU) patients is still flawed as surface eye diseases are reported to be frequent in these patients. As nurses focus on saving patients, this process has been easily overlooked. This researcher proceeded with this study to initially evaluate the current knowledge and practice of ICU nursing care and create a proposal to develop a standardized procedure for eye care for patients in the ICU. The sample in this study consisted of 14 female nurses working at Becamex International Hospital. The data collection took place during a one-week period. The educational program was conducted twice …

A Description Of Lichen Community Structure And The Impacts Of Spruce Beetle Disturbance In Northwestern Colorado, Anna Freundlich

Master's Theses

Spruce beetle disturbance has affected millions of acres of forest throughout North America and Europe, but thus far little research has investigated how this disturbance influences lichen communities. To address this problem, we studied lichen communities and habitat characteristics within 44 plots across a chronosequence of spruce beetle damage spanning 1996–2017 in northwestern Colorado. We found 82 species of lichens, few habitat differences among spruce beetle disturbance classes, and only the most recently affected plots (2012–2017) had significantly different lichen community structure relative to remaining areas. Two primary gradients explained the majority of variation of lichen community structure within our …

An Analysis Of Registered Sex Offender Reentry Challenges In Mississippi, Kitsya Cordova

Master's Theses

Sex offenders are often considered the most dangerous type of criminal by the public, which is a common misconception (Levenson & D’Amora, 2007; Tewksbury & Copes, 2012). Registered sex offenders usually have the lowest recidivism rates when compared to other offenders (Robbers, 2009). The issue is that registered sex offenders are targeted by multiple set of laws such as the Wetterling Act, Megan’s Law, Adam Walsh Act, among others, Such sex offender legislation creates multiple reentry challenges that other type of offenders may not face (Grossi, 2017; Tewksbury & Copes, 2012). By using secondary data from Griffin and Evans (2019), …