Fingerprinting The Smart Home: Detection Of Smart Assistants Based On Network Activity, Arshan Hashemi

Master's Theses

As the concept of the Smart Home is being embraced globally, IoT devices such as the Amazon Echo, Google Home, and Nest Thermostat are becoming a part of more and more households. In the data-driven world we live in today, internet service providers (ISPs) and companies are collecting large amounts of data and using it to learn about their customers. As a result, it is becoming increasingly important to understand what information ISPs are capable of collecting. IoT devices in particular exhibit distinct behavior patterns and specific functionality which make them especially likely to reveal sensitive information. Collection of this …

Cleaver: Classification Of Everyday Activities Via Ensemble Recognizers, Samantha Hsu

Master's Theses

Physical activity can have immediate and long-term benefits on health and reduce the risk for chronic diseases. Valid measures of physical activity are needed in order to improve our understanding of the exact relationship between physical activity and health. Activity monitors have become a standard for measuring physical activity; accelerometers in particular are widely used in research and consumer products because they are objective, inexpensive, and practical. Previous studies have experimented with different monitor placements and classification methods. However, the majority of these methods were developed using data collected in controlled, laboratory-based settings, which is not reliably representative of real …

Fluid Agitation Studies For Drug Product Containers Using Computational Fluid Dynamics, Matthew Hiroki Ichinose

Master's Theses

At Amgen, the Automated Vision Inspection (AVI) systems capture the movement of unwanted particles in Amgen's drug product containers. For quality inspection, the AVI system must detect these undesired particles using a high speed spin-stop agitation process. To better understand the fluid movements to swirl the particles away from the walls, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is used to analyze the nature of the two phase flow of air and a liquid solution.

Several 2-D and 3-D models were developed using Fluent to create simulations of Amgen's drug product containers for a 1 mL syringe, 2.25 mL syringe, and a 5 …

Molecular Dynamics Of P21 And Fluorescent Sphingomyelin In Keratinocytes Exposed To Uvb, Tyler Malcolm Fraser

Master's Theses

Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common malignant tumor, representing more than a third of all malignant tumors combined and the incidence is increasing every year. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is the most dominant factor contributing to tumor initiation and progression. The condition is most prevalent in populations with lighter skin and older age. Current pharmaceutical molecular research targets the inhibition of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR), a receptor which is commonly over-expressed or dysregulated in skin malignancies. This study evaluates the content and location of the damage marker p21 within keratinocytes that were incubated in …

Indirect Food Web Interactions: Sea Otter Predation Linked To Invasion Success In A Marine Fouling Community, Maggie F. Jenkins

Master's Theses

Humans have caused grave ecological and economic damage worldwide through the introduction of invasive species. Understanding the factors that influence community susceptibility to invasion are important for controlling further spread of invasive species. Predators have been found to provide biotic resistance to invasion in both terrestrial and marine systems. However, predators can also have the opposite effect, and facilitate invasion. Therefore, recovery or expansion of native predators could facilitate the spread of invasive species. Needles et al. (2015) demonstrated that the threatened southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) facilitated the invasion of an exotic bryozoan, Watersipora subatra. …

A Computational Fluid Dynamics (Cfd) Analysis Of The Aerodynamic Effects Of The Seams On A Two-Dimensional Representation Of A Soccer Ball, Allen R. Rohr

Master's Theses

Most major sports today use a dedicated ball or projectile with specific shape, size, and surface geometry, except for soccer. Over the history of the sport, the surface geometry and design stayed relatively unchanged, sewn together using 32 pentagonal and hexagonal panels. However, recent innovations in panel designs differ substantially from the traditional 32 panel ball. The effects these new designs have on the aerodynamic characteristics of the ball have remained largely unknown, even with the influx of experimental research completed in the past decade. Experimental studies have been broad in scope, analyzing an entire ball in wind tunnels or …

A Carrier-Pigeon Uas For South Pole Data Transfer, Shaun P. Wixted

Master's Theses

The assessment of feasibility of an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) that is specifically tailored—in performance, operating and support characteristics, and payload—to support hardware-based data transfer from South Pole Station in Antarctica to a location of high connectivity has been undertaken. Due to the specific location of the Amundsen-Scott South Pole station and competing demands from other governmental agencies, satellite connectivity requirements for data transfers cannot be met at the South Pole. In the recent decades, the advancement in UAS capabilities have overwhelming extended their operational reach in military and commercial reconnaissance and surveillance missions. This UAS has the potential to …

Population Curation In Swarms: Predicting Top Performers, Ryan W. Heller

Master's Theses

In recent years, new Artificial Intelligence technologies have mimicked examples of collective intelligence occurring in the natural world including flocks of birds, schools of fish, and swarms of bees. One company in particular, Unanimous AI, built a platform (UNU Swarm) that enables a group of humans to make decisions as a single mind by forming a real-time closed-loop feedback system for individuals. This platform has proven the ability to amplify the predictive ability of groups of humans in realms including sports, medicine, politics, finance, and entertainment. Previous research has demonstrated it is possible to further enhance knowledge accumulation within a …

Increasing Algal Productivity And Treatment Potential In Raceways Fed Clarified Municipal Wastewater, Christopher D. Pittner

Master's Theses

Two sets of triplicate pilot algal raceway ponds (1000-L, 0.30-m deep, paddle wheel mixed) were operated for 14 months at a California wastewater treatment plant to treat wastewater and generate algal-bacterial biomass as biofuel feedstock. Two experiments were run to determine the effect on biomass productivity of (1) hydraulic residence time (HRT: 2, 3, 4, or 4.5 days) and (2) feeding schedule (18 small pulses during 8 AM-4 PM [diurnal] versus 20 large pulses during 4 AM-12 AM [diel]). The target productivity was at least 20 g volatile suspended solids per m2 of pond per day. Additional output variables were …

A Novel All Wheel Drive Torque Vectoring Control System Applied To Four Wheel Independent Drive Electric Motor Vehicles Utilizing Super Twisting And Linear Quadratic Regulator Methods, Kenneth Daniel Schmutz

Master's Theses

This thesis contains the design and simulation test results for the implementation of a new all-wheel drive (AWD) torque vectoring (TV) control system. A separate algorithm using standard control methods is included in this study for a comparison. The proposed controller was designed to be applied to an AWD independent drive electric vehicle, however the main concepts can be re-purposed for other vehicle drive train configurations. The purpose of the control system is to assist the driver in achieving a desired vehicle trajectory whilst also maintaining stability and control of the vehicle. This is accomplished by measuring various real time …

Hdl-C As Most Predictive Variable Of Visceral Adipose Tissue In Young Military Personnel Of The National Guard, Sofia Rae Sanchez Porush

Master's Theses

Twenty-two young men and women of the 49^thMilitary Police Brigade of the California National Guard were participants of our nutrition education and health assessment program. The California National Guard has expressed concern of unsatisfactory physical and nutritional status of their personnel related to a nutrition knowledge deficit as evidenced by preliminary data of insufficient dietary intake and poor nutrition knowledge assessment scores. Our program was designed to implement a nutrition intervention including education and evaluate its effectiveness in reducing Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) risk factors, improving body composition, and providing educational lessons intended to alter lifestyle. Baseline data was …

Late Quaternary Evolution And Stratigraphic Framework Influence On Coastal Systems Along The North-Central Gulf Of Mexico, Usa, Robert Hollis

Master's Theses

Coastal systems in the Gulf of Mexico are threatened to reduced sediment supply, storm impacts and relative sea level rise (RSLR). The geologic record can provide insights of geomorphic threshold crossings (formation, progradation, transgression, destruction) to these forcing mechanisms to predict future barrier evolution to climate change. The stratigraphic framework and antecedent topography directly influence coastal evolution over geologic timescales. This study synthesizes ~2100km of geophysical data, 700+ sediment cores, and 63 radiocarbon dates to regionally map two sequence boundaries, multiple ravinement surfaces and fourteen depositional facies. One marine isotope stage (MIS) 6 valley’s fill provided up to 300 x10 …

Determinants Of Team Resilience; The Role Of A Reset Process Across Conditions, Jeffrey Hanrahan

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Use Of Alternative And Conventional Medications For Treating Hypertension By Jamaicans In The Hartford, Connecticut Area, Judith Bennett

Master's Theses

Abstract

Background

Hypertension continues to be an international public health concern. This chronic disease is highly prevalent in Caribbean countries. Jamaican migrants to the Greater Hartford, Connecticut area share in this high prevalence. The purpose of this study was to investigate the concomitant use of herbal and conventional medicines for treating hypertension among these migrant Jamaicans.

Methods

Qualitative and quantitative mixed methods were used to carry out this study. Focus groups and in-depth interviews collected qualitative data and a survey questionnaire collected quantitative data allowing for representation and hypothesis testing. Analysis of qualitative data used a thematic approach while SPSS …

Development And Cost-Effectiveness Of A Malnutrition Screening Program In A Skilled Nursing Setting, Emily Salas-Groves

Master's Theses

Malnutrition increases the cost of healthcare and is commonly unrecognized and untreated. These facts are especially true for healthcare settings that provide care to the elderly. Research emphasizes the need for malnutrition prevention in extended care facilities such as skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) so that patients receive timely and appropriate intervention(s).

The purpose of this study was to retroactively screen SNF patients using four alternative malnutrition screening tools and to compare results to those from the facility screening tool. A second purpose was to estimate differences in potential Medicare reimbursement based on the number of patients identified at risk for …

Metal Segregation During The Solidification Of Titanium-Aluminum Alloys For 3d Printing Applications, Jwala Parajuli

Master's Theses

Titanium-Aluminum alloys are one of the widely used alloys in multiple engineering applications. They are highly preferred in Selective Laser Melting (SLM) processes due to their low density, high melting temperature, and good strength. Segregation occurs during the solidification of most alloys and produces a non-uniform distribution of atoms. In SLM, segregation may depict the type of adhesion between the two deposited interfacial layers and the strength between the interphase between an already solidified layer and a new one, and overall, the quality of the printed part. In order to avoid segregation, the understanding of the segregation behavior at atomistic …

Assessing The Adequacy Of The Rate Based System Of Enteral Nutrition Infusion In The Icu Of A Community Hospital, Callie Betman

Master's Theses

The rate based system for delivering enteral nutrition has been found to result in an average delivery of 60-65% of estimated energy and protein needs in ICU patients. Interruptions in tube feedings for surgery, intolerances, and turning/bathing cause underfeeding as the rate based system does not allow the rate to be adjusted for any lost volume. At Northwest Hospital, protocol is to calculate the hourly tube feeding rate over 20 hours, and run over 24 hours, in order to adjust for an expected 4 hours of interruptions per day; however, the effectiveness of this protocol has not been studied. The …

Measuring Liquefied Residual Strength Using Full-Scale Shake Table Cyclic Simple Shear Tests, Taylor R. Honnette

Master's Theses

This research consists of full-scale cyclic shake table tests to investigate liquefied residual strength of #2/16 Monterey Sand. A simple shear testing apparatus was mounted to a full-scale one-dimensional shake table to mimic a confined layer of saturated sand subjected to strong ground motions. Testing was performed at the Parson’s Geotechnical and Earthquake Laboratory at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. T-bar penetrometer pullout tests were used to measure residual strength of the liquefied soil during cyclic testing. Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) was performed on the soil specimen throughout testing to relate the laboratory specimen to field index test …

Covering A Killer: A Content Analysis Of Newspaper Coverage Of White Male Mass Murderers In The U.S, Rhys Hall

Master's Theses

White men represent a disproportionate number of mass murderers via guns/bombings in the U.S. Though, there may be disparities in how often white masculinity is probed as a conflictual site of socialization when compared with other social racial and gender identities. Holding concern for how masculine violence is criminalized across racial lines, I conduct a review of racial typificiations of Black crime in newspapers to juxtapose with contemporary discourse of white masculine crime.

Using content analysis, I examine hundreds of newspaper publications released from 2011-2016 covering mass killers. I look for tendencies from paper writers to minimize sociological similarities between …

Ban The Box: Outcomes Of Mandatory Disclosure And Predictors Of Voluntary Disclosure Of Criminal History In Job Applications, Ginevra Marta Scherini

Master's Theses

The present study was conducted in order to examine the outcomes of mandatory disclosure of criminal history on the individual during the job application process and predictors of the likelihood of voluntary disclosure. It was hypothesized that having to disclose criminal history would predict higher levels of self-identification with criminal history, higher levels of experienced discrimination, higher levels of perceived stigma, lower levels of attraction towards the organization, lower confidence in obtaining employment, and lower levels of likelihood of voluntary disclosure. It was also hypothesized that environmental support, employment self-efficacy, self-identification with criminal history, and less experienced discrimination would predict …

Computational Models Exploring The Role Of Flexibility In Binding Tat Peptide To Tar Rna, Thanh Quoc Le

Master's Theses

Viral-encoded regulatory proteins interacting with RNA target sequences control the gene expression of lentiviruses, notably the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV). The latter provides a simpler interaction model between the viral trans-activator protein (Tat) and trans-activation response RNA element (TAR), including Tat peptides binding to TAR RNA fragments. This model may offer insights into clinical approaches for treatment, initially through theoretical consideration of the role of peptide flexibility in binding as evidenced by literature-based binding assays and NMR. It has more recently been suggested that DNA-protein binding may also be enhanced by increases in conformational entropy. …

An Examination Of The Demographic Antecedents And Job Outcomes Of Participation In Employee Resource Groups (Ergs), Emily Erin Lopez

Master's Theses

Employee resource groups (ERGs) are voluntary, employee-led groups formed in the workplace that focus on providing mutual support for members and that educate the organization about its members’ culture, identity, or experiences. The study’s purpose was to examine demographic antecedents and job outcomes associated with ERG participation. Specifically, this study examined gender identity and professional tenure as demographic antecedents of ERG participation and the relationship between ERG participation and employee outcomes, including job embeddedness and organizational commitment. Participants included 154 individuals employed at a technology company in the Northwestern United States who completed a survey regarding their personal characteristics and …

Changes In The Elasmobranch Assemblage In A California Estuary, Catarina Pien

Master's Theses

Elkhorn Slough is an estuarine system that provides habitat for several elasmobranch species. During the past century, the hydrography and habitat of Elkhorn Slough have dramatically changed. Previous studies suggest shifts in the species composition and habitat usage patterns of elasmobranchs. This study characterizes the elasmobranch species composition, and examines the abiotic conditions associated with differences in distribution by sex and life stage. Elasmobranchs were sampled from 2015 –2016 by longline and gillnet. Bat rays (Myliobatis californicus), leopard sharks (Triakis semifasciata), and thornback rays (Platyrhinoidis triseriata) were most commonly observed, and were generally more abundant during the dry seasons and …

All Eyes On You: The Impact Of Increased Surveillance And Media Publicity On Police Identity, Sara Serpa Rodrigues

Master's Theses

The recent surge in media footage surrounding police killings of unarmed black men clearly signifies the national concern for police violence, yet researchers have yet to study police identity in connection with such publicized inequality. This qualitative study closes this gap in research by addressing the following questions: “How do patrolling officers think about and experience their jobs at this particular historical juncture of increased internet and media exposure?” and, “How does the mass exposure and scrutiny of police violence shape police perceptions of their work and impact their work identity?” Face to face semi-structured interviews, symbolic interactionism, and interpretive …

Personality, Motivation, And The War Between Facebook And Twitter, Elizabeth Shallal

Master's Theses

Social networking sites (SNSs) have recently become integrated in modern lives as entertainment, communication, and even careers have become more reliant on them. The current study explored the relationship between Facebook and Twitter attachment and demographic, motivation, and personality traits. Differing psychological relationships may explain why people become more attached to specific SNSs as well as explain their continuance of use. Using online self-report measures, this study measured motivations to use Facebook and Twitter, the Big Five personality traits, and Facebook/Twitter attachment of 109 participants who have been users of both Facebook and Twitter. Results of hierarchical multiple regressions showed …

Micrometeorological Observations Of Fire-Atmosphere Interactions And Fire Behavior On A Simple Slope, Jonathan Marc Contezac

Master's Theses

An experiment was designed to capture micrometeorological observations

during a fire spread on a simple slope. Three towers equipped with a variety of

instrumentation, an array of fire-sensing packages, and a Doppler lidar was

deployed to measure various aspects of the fire. Pressure and temperature

perturbations were analyzed for each of the grid packages to determine if the fire

intensity could be observed in the covariance of the two variables. While two of

the packages measured a covariance less than -15 °C hPa, there was no clear

trend across the grid. The fire front passage at each of the three …

For The Bible Tells Me So, Jade Dozier

Master's Theses

The relationship between the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning) community and the church has been studied for critical reasons. The connection between the two has been uneasy because of the religious beliefs from religious groups and the many misunderstandings of what the LGBTQ community believes in. I have been able to understand the poor relationship between the Black church and homosexuality from the sources that are examined in my Literature Review. I evaluated the similarities and differences between queer men and women based on upbringing, denomination, and familial acceptance. As a LA native, I narrowed research on Black …

A Biochemical Study Of The Autocatalytic Nature Of A Serine Protease (Early Trypsin) From The Aedes Aegypti Female Mosquito, Rachael Marie Lucero

Master's Theses

The female Aedes aegypti mosquito requires specific midgut proteases to digest

blood meals in a biphasic manner for completion of the gonotrophic cycle. The anautogenous nature of the female mosquito has led to the mosquito in becoming an efficient vector in transmitting several bloodborne pathogens: Chikungunya, Yellow Fever, Dengue and the Zika virus. With the many flaws associated with current vector control strategies, our research lab is focused on the development of a potential novel vector control strategy by targeting midgut proteases involved in blood meal digestion. The role of one of the four most abundantly expressed proteases, AaET, an …

A Glottometric Subgrouping Of The Early Germanic Languages, Joshua Agee

Master's Theses

Historical Glottometry, introduced by Alexandre François (2014), is a wave-based quantitative approach to language subgrouping that is used to calculate the overall strength of a linguistic subgroup using metrics that capture the contributions of linguistic innovations of various scopes to language diversification, in consideration of the reality of their distributions. It primarily achieves this by acknowledging the contribution of areal diffusion to language diversification, which has traditionally been overlooked in cladistic (tree-based) models. In this thesis, the development of the Germanic language family, from the breakup of Proto-Germanic to the latest period of the early attested daughter languages (namely Gothic, …

The Effect Of Automating Routine Tasks On Air Traffic Controller Conflict Detection Performance, Lauren Claudatos

Master's Theses

The growing demand for air transportation necessitates the integration of automated support tools to assist air traffic controllers in managing the increase in number of flights. Using archival data from a human-in-the-loop simulation, the current study examined the potential consequence of integrating automated support on eight retired air traffic controllers’ performance and workload in current and projected future levels of air traffic. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA were used to examine workload and conflict detection performance across two levels of simulated air traffic density and two levels of automated routine task support. The participant controllers reported significantly higher workload and exhibited …