Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of A Prototype Ball-And-Plate Balancing Platform, Scott J. Mangin

Master's Theses

Ball-and-plate balancing platforms have been utilized throughout academia to further understanding of nonlinearities that can occur when applying control algorithms to nonholonomic and underactuated systems. The objective of this thesis is to build upon an existing ball-and-plate balancing platform used in the Intro to Mechatronics class and create a robust platform system that can be utilized by future students to test various controller designs derived from MATLAB/Simulink®. The ball-and-plate platform design uses a myriad of sensors to track the system components in real time: a resistive touch panel is used to track the position of the ball on the plate, …

Aeroelastic Analysis Of Small-Scale Aircraft, Kent Roberts

Master's Theses

The structural design of flight vehicles is a balancing act between maximizing loading capability while minimizing weight. An engineer must consider not only the classical static structural yielding failure of a vehicle, but a variety of ways in which structural deformations can in turn, affect the loading conditions driving those deformations. Lift redistribution, divergence, and flutter are exactly such dynamic aeroelastic phenomena that must be properly characterized during the design of a vehicle; to do otherwise is to risk catastrophe. Relevant within the university context is the design of small-scale aircraft for student projects and of particular consideration, the DBF …

Underground Transmission For Renewable Energy: Design, Modeling, And Analysis, Matthew Suen

Master's Theses

A microgrid is a local energy grid that could be disconnected from the larger grid and operate autonomously. This particular segment of the power industry is growing due to its reliability during times of emergency and crisis. Among these benefits are improved efficiency, lower operating costs, renewable generation sources, and improved resiliency of the regional electric grid. Communities can better prepare for unprecedented weather like wildfires, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. Regions that produce renewable energy can export their surplus through high voltage transmission lines to balance power supply and demand needs.

This Underground High-Voltage Transmission Network project aims to …

Effect Of Indentation On Sandwich Composite Structure Mechanical Behavior, Marius V. Jatulis

Master's Theses

Composite sandwich structures are prevalent in engineering applications where high strength to weight ratios are critical. A composite sandwich includes the addition of a core material between two composite face sheets to increase ultimate stress in compression and bending loading cases. The performance of many composite sandwich structure configurations is well understood in the undamaged case. This analysis examines a type of damage, low velocity indentation, and determines the effect on mechanical behavior. The scope of the analysis includes manufacturing sandwich composite structures, creating indentation in the composite, and testing the sandwich composite structure. The mechanical behavior of the composite …

Parametric Paraglider Modeling, Peter F. Heatwole

Master's Theses

Dynamic simulations are invaluable for studying system behavior, developing control models, and running statistical analyses. For example, paraglider flight simulations could be used to analyze how a wing behaves when it encounters wind shear, or to reconstruct the wind field that was present during a flight. Unfortunately, creating dynamics models for commercial paraglider wings is difficult: not only are detailed specifications unavailable, but even if they were, a detailed model would be laborious to create. To address that difficulty, this project develops a paraglider flight dynamics model that uses parametric components to model commercial paraglider wings given only limited technical …

Patterns Of Academic Help-Seeking In Undergraduate Computing Students, Augie Doebling

Master's Theses

Knowing when and how to seek academic help is crucial to the success of undergraduate computing students. While individual help-seeking resources have been studied, little is understood about the factors influencing students to use or avoid certain re- sources. Understanding students’ patterns of help-seeking can help identify factors contributing to utilization or avoidance of help resources by different groups, an important step toward improving the quality and accessibility of resources. We present a mixed-methods study investigating the help-seeking behavior of undergraduate computing students. We collected survey data (n = 138) about students’ frequency of using several resources followed by one-on-one …

Fire Effects In Montane Meadows, Rosie Deak

Master's Theses

The impact of forest fires on downstream meadow communities across California is of great ecological interest, as meadows are an important source of biodiversity in this region. Over a century of fire suppression has led to increased forest stand densities, which in turn has resulted in less water availability due to increased transpiration of densely growing trees. This potentially has left less available water for downstream plant communities in meadows. If true, then high mortality wildfires in surrounding forest are predicted to lead to an increase in available downstream moisture where obligate and facultative-wetland taxa increase and dry-adapted upland taxa …

Investigation Of Green Strawberry Detection Using R-Cnn With Various Architectures, Daniel W. Rivers

Master's Theses

Traditional image processing solutions have been applied in the past to detect and count strawberries. These methods typically involve feature extraction followed by object detection using one or more features. Some object detection problems can be ambiguous as to what features are relevant and the solutions to many problems are only fully realized when the modern approach has been applied and tested, such as deep learning.

In this work, we investigate the use of R-CNN for green strawberry detection. The object detection involves finding regions of interest (ROIs) in field images using the selective segmentation algorithm and inputting these regions …

Impact Of Teaching Practices And Communication Climates On Participation In Computer Science Education, Jackie Krone

Master's Theses

One way to understand teaching is to view it as a people process rather than a presentation of knowledge. It follows that the role of an educator often extends beyond the primary subject matter and into the realm of classroom management. With this in mind, our research aimed to capture the various teaching practices, participation patterns, and communication climates that occur in virtual computer science classrooms. We sought to answer the following research questions related to virtual computer science classrooms at our institution: Who participates in virtual computer science classrooms, and is participation proportional to student demographics? Is there any …

Mindset Matters: The Relations Between Growth Mindset And Academic And Career Variables Among First-Generation College Students, Dillon Harper

Master's Theses

Can altering the perception of failure change future performance? Growth Mindset (GM) has been investigated for several decades, and studies have indicated that altering the way people perceive failure can impact certain levels of performance like academic achievement. The individual who endorses a GM views a challenge or failure not as a defeat and submission of inability, but a recognition that further growth, persistence, and effort are required to accomplish the desired task. This project aimed to understand more about first generation college students (FGCS) who endorse a growth mindset. Specifically, the intention of the study was to understand how …

Use Of Magnetic Iron-Coated Halloysite Nanotubes In Cell Growth, Differentiation, And Combating Cancerous Growth, Christopher Daniel Candler

Master's Theses

Magnetic Halloysite Nanotubes can be used in multiple ways in combating growth of osteosarcoma. The adsorption ability of the inner and outer surfaces of halloysite nanotubes allows for attachment of different molecules, including anti-cancer drugs, polymer layering for controlled drug release, and magnetic coating. This magnetic coating would allow for cell membrane disruption, hyperthermia, and for targeting of specific tissue. In this project, the goal was to create these magnetic nanotubes and test their cytotoxicity against stem cells and osteosarcoma cells.

To create these magnetic nanotubes, we used electrodeposition to adsorb ferrous oxide nanoparticles (FeNPs) onto halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) to …

Impact Of Biodegradable Materials On Healthy And Diseased Brain Cells: Function And Viability, Kyle Mason Rugg

Master's Theses

With the recent creation of Metal Organic Biohybrids (MOBs) from the DeCoster lab group at Louisiana Tech University, a new class of nano and micro particles needs to be investigated. The amalgamation of metals such as copper and an amino acid have already shown promise for biomedical applications such as delayed drug delivery or time delayed anti-microbial effects1. In this study the effects of cobalt, copper, and zinc-based MOBs have been compared against silicon dioxide nanoparticles, a negative control, and copper oxide nanoparticles, a positive control, in order to observe their effects on cancerous glioma cells and healthy astrocyte cells. …

Transient Thermal Response Of Tissues Surrounding An Implanted Medical Device During Inductive Charging, Peter C. Leboeuf

Master's Theses

Inductive charging as a means of power delivery to implanted device is becoming more commonplace as increasingly sophisticated implants with higher power requirements enter clinical use. When such devices undergo inductive charging, losses within the system result in dissipated heat that must be absorbed by the surrounding tissue. The skin-mounted primary antenna and components within the implanted device such as the metal casing, battery, and secondary antenna are all susceptible to temperature increase during a charging cycle. Heating of this kind must be considered when designing modern implants utilizing this mode of power transfer in order to safeguard surrounding tissues …

Integration Of Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy For Multichannel Cell Culture Measurement, Conard Chan

Master's Theses

ELECTROCHEMICAL IMPEDANCE SPECTROSCOPY (EIS) has been widely used to study the electrical properties of biological material due to its non-invasive nature and experimental reliability. However, most of the precision impedance analyzers used in EIS only provide single- or two-channel measurements which are inadequate for larger-scale multiplexed measurements, such as those found in modern microfluidic cell culture experiments. The Biomedical Microsystems Laboratory has developed a 16-channel cell culture platform with integrated electrode arrays for monitoring cell growth and electrical properties (i.e., the so-called “electrical phenotype”). In this paper, a system consisting of a 16-channel solid-state analog multiplexer (MUX)paired with a low-cost, …

Characterization, Design, And Optimization Of Dual-Purpose Wind Turbines And Frost Protection Fans, Ethan Narad

Master's Theses

This thesis report outlines the creation of a MATLAB tool to design reversible machines that can function as both wind turbines and as agricultural frost protection fans. Frost protection fans are used to prevent crop loss during radiative freeze events during which a temperature inversion is present. Such a dual-purpose machine fundamentally has the constraint that it must use symmetric airfoils, so a suite of tools for automatically designing an optimized wind turbine blade with symmetric airfoils using the Blade Element Momentum (BEM) theory approach is presented. The BEM code is then re-derived and adapted for use with a frost …

The Effect Of Group Identification And Emotion On Participation In Collective Action, Iryna Chaban

Master's Theses

In the last few years, the number of collective actions in the United States started to increase. These events have been ranging from peaceful to violent. The present research aims to understand what is causing groups to participate in collective action and become aggressive. It will expand understanding of group identification, emotion, and participation in collective action. The researcher hypothesizes that individuals who hold higher identification with a group are more likely to experience anger and participate in a protest. Data collection involved an online survey. Introductory psychology students read a passage describing a protest and respond to several short …

Elucidating The Function Of An Evolutionarily Conserved Col2Α1 Isoform During Vertebrate Development, Charles Lantz H. Ingersoll

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Formation of skeletal structural elements during vertebrate embryogenesis is largely a

conserved evolutionary process that employs numerous conserved genes and pathways. One

critical gene in this process is the highly conserved vertebrate Type II Collagen alpha 1 (col2α1).

It produces multiple splice isoforms that have different functions and expression patterns during

skeletogenesis. Two of the primary isoforms are of great interest; variant 1, the primary

embryonic isoform, and variant 2, a post embryonic isoform. While the more commonly known

post-embryonic isoform has been well studied over the last 30 years, identification of a unique

role for the evolutionarily conserved …

Autonomous Network Defence Using Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning And Self-Play, Roberto G. Campbell

Master's Theses

Early threat detection is an increasing part of the cybersecurity landscape, given the growing scale and scope of cyberattacks in the recent years. Increasing exploitation of software vulnerabilities, especially in the manufacturing sector, demonstrates the ongoing need for autonomous network defence. In this work, we model the problem as a zero-sum Markov game between an attacker and defender reinforcement learning agents. Previous methods test their approach on a single topology or limit the agents to a subset of the network. However, real world networks are rarely fixed and often add or remove hosts based on demand, link failures, outages, or …

The Relationship Between Transformational Leadership And Affective Commitment And Intent To Leave The Organization: The Mediating Role Of Psychological Empowerment, Neiry Lara

Master's Theses

The leadership style of organizational leaders has important implications for organizations and their employees. Transformational leadership has been studied extensively due to the numerous positive outcomes. Unfortunately, not much research has focused on the mediating mechanism between transformational leadership and outcomes. Therefore, the present study explored the mediating role of psychological empowerment on the relationship between transformational leadership and the outcomes of affective organizational commitment and turnover intentions. It was hypothesized that psychological empowerment would act as a mediator between transformational leadership and affective organizational commitment and turnover intentions. Results of an online survey from 111 employed individuals showed that …

An Initial Study Of Properties Of Monolithic Silicon Dioxide Parts Produced By The Ceramic On-Demand Extrusion Process, Sam Sujit Choppala

Master's Theses

The ceramic on-demand extrusion (CODE) process is an additive manufacturing process for technical ceramics, which features an oil bath and partial drying to print stronger green bodies due to better preservation of the printed specimen structure and reduction of uneven part evaporation. A 3D printer capable of performing the CODE process is built with subsystems including motion, extrusion, and heating, and is controlled through LinuxCNC. The CODE printer and process is tested with silicon dioxide as the technical ceramic. High strength silicon dioxide parts are essential in various present-day industries such as dental, medical, and semiconductor. A 55vol% solids loading …

Advancing Understanding Of The Relationship Between Tropical Cyclogenesis And Precipitation In A High-Resolution Model, Hananeh Jafary

Master's Theses

This study evaluates the relationship between tropical cyclone (TC) genesis, also known as tropical cyclogenesis, and precipitation in forecasts produced by the Basin-scale Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting (HWRF-B) model. Pre-TC (PTC) forecasts from HWRF-B were produced during the 2017-2020 hurricane seasons in the North Atlantic and eastern North Pacific. In PTC forecasts, various precipitation characteristics, including rate, and coverage, were compared for different forecast outcomes of signal detection: hits, misses, false alarms, and correct rejections. Moreover, differences in radar reflectivity, mid-tropospheric moisture, and vertical wind shear (VWS) were studied and compared for developing (i.e., underwent cyclogenesis) and non-developing PTCs. …

Doppler Lidar Observations Of The Wildfire Environment: Applications For Monitoring Downslope Wind Events And Prescribed Fires, Alan C. Huston

Master's Theses

Extreme wildfire activity is often associated with downslope windstorms which cause fires to spread rapidly. To limit the potential for a utility-caused ignition, Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) can be used preemptively during predicted wind events. The timing of when winds might mix down to the surface and impact the power grid infrastructure is difficult to predict due to the interaction of the atmosphere with complex terrain. To improve the spatial and temporal accuracy of wildfire mitigation during PSPS events, the deployment of a mobile Doppler LiDAR was used to monitor the vertical structure and evolution of two downslope wind …

Autonomous Vehicle Testing Using A Model-Based Approach, Muslim Razi

Master's Theses

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) offer advantages in many different industries which isleading to an increase in their adoption. Testing and conducting quality assurance on the complex systems are crucial in ensuring safety and reliability. The main challenges with AV testing include modeling diverse scenarios which an AV can encounter in the real world. Compared to real-world testing, simulators provide an efficient and versatile alternative for AV testing. SVL Simulator is one such simulator that integrates with Baidu’s Apollo AV platform. In this paper, a model-based testing framework utilizing semantic trees and 3D test tables is used to model driving scenarios into …

Amplifying Testimonios Of Latino Male Student Success, Jilian Gómez

Master's Theses

The purpose of this qualitative counternarrative ethnographic study was to explore the success stories and lived experiences of six Latino male students, utilizing an asset-based approach and consideration of intersectional identity, cultural wealth, and contextual settings. This asset-based theoretical framework, the Latino Male Student Success Paradigm, was developed and used to contextualize the Latino male students' testimonios of their experiences and how they advanced their academic success. A semi-structured interview protocol was used to invite testimonios from the research participants, which included discussions about their academic success. The testimonios provided insight into what facilitated their resiliency when facing adversity within …

Black, Green, And Young: A Case Study Assessing Implementation And Outcomes Of An Environmental Science, Technology, Engineering And Math Curriculum For Youth In West Oakland, California, Ashari A. Taylor-Watson

Master's Theses

Environmental racism plagues low-income communities of color through exposure to environmental hazards, and the youth are most vulnerable. Environmental science, technology, engineering, and math (E-STEM) curriculums promoted as tools for corrective justice. Using a West Oakland, California Boys and Girls Club as a case study, I first describe the environmental awareness, attitudes, and actions of a group of six- to 13-year-old, predominantly African - American, children from this low-income community. I then examine the possible impacts of an E-STEM curriculum on participants, and I identify staff- and researcher-identified challenges to its implementation. During the study, the cohort experienced a heightened …

Co-Composted Biochar Improves Dry-Farmed Tomato Productivity In The Santa Clara Valley, Ca, With No Change In Soil Microbiology, Duncan A. Keller

Master's Theses

California is a globally important site for agricultural production, but the state is currently suffering from an unprecedented drought. One strategy to conserve water is dry farming, where growers cache moisture in the soil from off-season rain or early-season irrigation for crops to use throughout the growing season. Some California growers have dry-farmed tomatoes for decades. Recently, some have begun adding co-composted biochar (COMBI) to boost productivity and stimulate soil microbiology, particularly arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. To the best of my knowledge, no field research on dry-farmed tomato systems currently exists, let alone on the effects of COMBI amendments on yield, …

Balancing Berkeley: A Case Study Exploration Of Black Student Experiences At Elite Universities, Sha Quasha Y. Morgan

Master's Theses

A qualitative study examining the individual and personal definitions of college success from the perspective of Black students at predominantly White and elite institutions. Using students from the University of California, Berkeley as a snapshot of the larger institutional context, this thesis centers the experiences of Black undergraduate students to discuss equity and student success. The university’s written texts, reports and survey results were examined regarding diversity and interpreted to reveal patterns in subtext and narrative about commitments to success and compared to that of the students’ experiences. Emergent themes included: isolation and sense of belonging, race relations including intra …

A Risc-V Matrix Multiplier Using Systolic Arrays, Miao Wang

Master's Theses

Many modern day applications can be solved with the usage of machine learning, which involves training a computer to learn on large amounts of data without direct programmer guidance. Conventional computers typically use normal general purpose central processing units, though more specialized tasks may take advantage of more parallel hardware such as graphics processing units. In the pursuit of increased performance to facilitate increasingly more complex machine learning models, researchers in both academia and industry look towards field-programmable gate arrays and application specific integrated circuits for their needs. Various implementations, both theoretical and practical, exist across a wide variety of …

Acoustic Cloak Design Using Generative Modeling And Reinforcement Learning, Linwei Zhuo

Master's Theses

Metamaterials are engineered composites that can exhibit acoustic, electromagnetic, elasto-dynamic and mechanical properties that are not found in natural materials Due to the complexity of the target objective functions, it is difficult to find the globally optimized solutions in the inverse design of metameterials. This thesis proposes and outlines two model, a gradient-based optimization method combined with generative networks (2D-GLOnets) and a reinforcement learning (RL) model, that can find the optimized metamaterial structures across a wide range of parameters. By perturbing the positions of each cylindrical scatterer in a planar configuration, 2D-GLOnets and the RL model with Deep Deterministic Policy …

Examining Communibiology During Adrenal Stress Scenario Training In Feminist Self-Defense: An Experimental Study, Daniel A. Van Hook

Master's Theses

In communication episodes featuring heightened stress, interactions that are perceived as threatening and evoke a sense of powerlessness often predict a cycle of victimization. Meanwhile, social interactions which affirm safety and agency amidst stress foster empowerment. This study utilized Hoplology, which studies stress inoculation against aggression and posttraumatic stress, and Communibiology, the study of neurobiology as an antecedent and outcome of communication, to explore (a) whether Adrenal Stress Scenario Training in Feminist Self-Defense (ASST-FSD) produces a physiological response to promote stress inoculation, (b) how anxiety impacts physiological response, and (c) reports of mental toughness. A 4-day ASST-FSD training pilot study …