Digital Commons Network^™

Millimeter Wave Radar Object Detection Through Frequency Selective Surfaces, Jacob D. Trevithick

Master's Theses

Millimeter wave (mmWave) radar systems are a leading technology in autonomous vehicle object sensing. The radar’s ability to detect surrounding objects is critical to its performance. One method of increasing object detection performance is to enhance object visibility. Frequency selective reflectors can increase object visibility. This work examines the performance of a mmWave 77 GHz radar system developed by Texas Instruments in conjunction with frequency selective surfaces. Two bandpass frequency selective surfaces are designed and fabricated using a loaded cross aperture configuration to analyze their application to object detection. The chosen design frequencies are 8 GHz and 79 GHz. The …

A Comparison Of Crushing Parameters Of Graphite Composite Thin-Walled Cylinders Cured In Low And High Pressures, Trenton John Matson

Master's Theses

Out-of-Autoclave (OoA) processes for manufacturing aerospace-grade parts needs to be better understood to further the development and success of industries that are manufacturing reusable launch vehicles, military and commercial aircraft, and spacecraft. Overcoming the performance limitations associated with OoA, also known as low-pressure prepreg curing, methods (void count, energy absorption, etc.) will help decrease the costs associated with aerospace composite manufacturing and the negative environmental effects correlated with high-pressure composite curing methods. Experimental, theoretical, and numerical approaches are used to explore both low and high-pressure curing cycles and how the two different processes affect final cured parts. Quasi-static uniaxial compression …

Predictors Of Ransomware From Binary Analysis, Aaron M. Otis

Master's Theses

Ransomware, a type of malware that extorts payment from a victim by encrypting her data, is a growing threat that is becoming more sophisticated with each generation. Attackers have shifted from targeting individuals to entire organizations, raising extortions from hundreds of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars. In this work, we analyze a variety of ransomware and benign software binaries in order to identify indicators that may be used to detect ransomware. We find that several combinations of strings, cryptographic constants, and a large number loops are key indicators useful for detecting ransomware.

Liquid Crystalline Brush-Like Imidazolium Co-Polymer Membranes For Energy Conversion, Edirimuni Iyomali Abeysekera

Master's Theses

Anion exchange membrane (AEM) research is primarily focused to develop suitable AEMs with high ion conductivity for high pH and high-temperature environments used in water electrolysis and fuel cells. To address these issue research has been done on improving the ion exchange head group to obtain high ion conductivity and designing a rational polymer architecture to improve chemical and mechanical stability.

Most widely used ionic head groups are based on quaternary ammonium ions due to its high ion conductivity. However quaternary ammonium ion containing membranes degrades with time resulting in low ion exchange capacity (IEC) and low alkaline stability due …

The Effects Of Creative And Cognitive Exercises On Body Balance, Gina Digiacomo

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

3d Printed Robotic Arm As A Developmental Platform For Education, Samuel Soifer

Master's Theses

Modern engineering courses provide students with exposure to the theory and derivations of problems. Rarely do these courses require students to apply their theoretical knowledge to problems that an engineer would face in industry, thus leaving a gap in a student’s education. In order for future engineers to effectively prepare to apply their engineering education to problems in industry, it is vital that engineering students take courses in which they can learn how to integrate different engineering topics and apply theoretical knowledge to industry problems.

The objective of this thesis is to develop an educational platform that both integrates and …

Experimental Investigation And Numerical Simulation Of Loop Thermosyphons, Sara A. Kloczko

Master's Theses

A Non-phase change heat pipe (NPCHP) with no wick was proposed recently as a new heat pipe which is not dependent on a wick or phase change at steady state operation and where the heat transfer is driven by the pressure response to a heat input, rather than phase change. The NPCHP is not a new device as suggested but is a loop thermosyphon with very high fill ratio. This effort focuses on proving the NPCHP, as an overfilled loop thermosyphon, is an effective heat transfer device through experiments and numerical simulations. An analysis of the operation and effectiveness of …

Monitoring Hydrologic Factors Influencing Bog Turtle Persistence At A Site In Connecticut, Julie Webb

Master's Theses

A calcareous fen that supported one of the few populations of bog turtles (Glyptemys muhlenbergii) in Connecticut has been shown by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to have declined with no sitings reported since 2004. This study evaluates the current hydrology of the fen in question to provide insight as to why it may be no longer habitable. Possible reasons for turtle decline identified at the outset of the project included salt contamination from deicing of a state road, periodic flooding from seasonal storms, nutrient and pesticide runoff from the draining farms, potential drying …

Coastal Adaptation To Sea Level Rise: Effects Of Residential Proximity To The Coast, Climate Change Perceptions, And Attitudes Toward Government For Valuing Ecosystem Outcomes, Kristin B. Raub

Master's Theses

In a changing climate, there has been an increase in the frequency and severity of hazards impacting coastal communities. Traditionally, hard defenses (sea walls) have been constructed to protect these communities, even though they can have negative impacts throughout the nearby coastal environment. There has been increasing consideration of alternative shoreline protection strategies, such as living shorelines, or managed retreat. However, each of these coastal management strategies comes with a series of monetary, environmental, and social tradeoffs making individual preferences dependent on multiple scenario-specific attributes. Ecosystem service valuation is a useful tool for understanding how humans relate to the environment …

Influence Of Endodontic Sealers On Dentin Strength In Endodontically Treated Teeth, Andrew Fossum

Master's Theses

Introduction: Gutta-percha is not compressible and tooth fracture can be initiated when force is applied to the gutta-percha. The aim of this study was to apply a hoop stress to roots which have been obturated with either gutta-percha and no sealer, gutta-percha and AH Plus sealer, gutta-percha and EndoSequence Bioceramic Sealer, gutta-percha and Tetranite®, or Tetranite® and no gutta-percha until fracture occurred and then compared the failure stresses. Methods: Teeth were divided into five groups based on the sealer type used, no sealer used or only sealer used. The teeth were then sectioned into 2mm thickness discs and load was …

Spring-Guided Electromagnetic Vibrations Energy Harvester, Ghufran Jaber Aldawood

Master's Theses

In recent years, vibration based energy harvesting techniques showed a promising alternative to power wireless sensor networks (WSN). Billions of low power sensors are currently used widely in wireless sensor networks (WSN) and the Internet of Things environment (IoT). These sensors are currently powered by a traditional power source, i.e. a disposable battery. Vibrations are an abundant source of kinetic energy that can serve as the power source for these sensor nodes. This approach eliminates the necessity for frequent battery replacement due to their short-life span and hazardous disposal process. The adverse and irreversible effect from the disposal of these …

Metal Related Nanoparticles' Physical Behaviors In Different Physiologica Environments, Muhetaer Tuerhong

Master's Theses

In the past decades, the development of nanotechnology has had tremendous successes in material science. In this technology, the pertinent materials are used at the intermediate scale between individual molecules and their size in the nanometer region(1-100nm) compared to bulk materials. This nanoscale size provides a larger surface area; therefore, nanoparticles would be perfect essential components of nanotechnology. The reduced size of nanoparticles has a larger surface ratio to volume, which can modify their chemical, mechanical, structural, and electrical properties.

In this study, the main goal is to test different metal related nanoparticles, such as CuNPs (Copper nanoparticles), FeNPs (Iron …

A Study Of The Mono-Stable And Bi-Stable Magnetic Spring Based Vibration Energy Harvesters Subject To Harmonic Excitation, Hieu Tri Nguyen

Master's Theses

Continuous improvement in electronics manufacturing has led to the deployment of low-power sensors, which has resulted in an urgent need for developing energy harvesters capable of generating electric power using abundant and free energy sources such as ambient vibrations. The work presented here is motivated by the growing interest in targeting nonlinear energy harvesting through magnetic interactions, which are compatible with ambient vibration energy sources that are often characterized by a broadband frequency spectrum and can be particularly rich with low frequencies. In this work, experimental and theoretical studies were performed to investigate a magnetic- levitation-based vibration energy harvester that …

Design And Analysis Of A Traveling Wave Fault Locator, Gerald Austin Taylor

Master's Theses

The accuracy of fault location is an integral part of power system operations. Improved fault location can reduce maintenance time, increase efficiency, and save money. When a fault occurs, it sends a disturbance in the current and voltage in each direction at almost the speed of light. This disturbance is called a traveling wave, and can be used to locate faults. In efforts to increase accuracy, the use of traveling wave theory to locate faults has become more popular.

This thesis goes through the process of designing and testing a traveling wave fault locator. The design includes analog and digital …

Customization Of Aneurysm Scaffold Geometries For In Vitro Tissue-Engineered Blood Vessel Mimics To Use As Models For Neurovascular Device Testing, Camille D. Villadolid

Master's Theses

Cerebral aneurysms occur due to the ballooning of blood vessels in the brain. Rupture of aneurysms can cause a subarachnoid hemorrhage, which, if not fatal, can cause permanent neurologic deficits. Minimally invasive neurovascular devices, such as embolization coils and flow diverters, are methods of treatment utilized to prevent aneurysm rupture. The rapidly growing market for neurovascular devices necessitates the development of accurate aneurysm models for preclinical testing. In vivo models, such as the rabbit elastase model, are commonly chosen for preclinical device testing; however, these studies are expensive, and aneurysm geometries are difficult to control and often do not replicate …

Application Of Elastodynamic Finite Integration Technique (Efit) To Three-Dimensional Wave Propagation And Scattering In Arbitrary Geometries, Sean M. Raley

Master's Theses

Over several decades, railroad Ultrasonic Testing (UT) industry techniques have primarily been developed through simple analytical modelling and experimental approaches. However, with present-day computational capabilities, we can use numerical techniques like the Elastodynamic Finite Integration Technique (EFIT) to fine-tune systems for complex applications before the fabrication process begins. EFIT is well-established as a useful method in numerical analysis of ultrasonic wave propagation with distinct advantages over the Finite Difference Time Domain method. Several software packages exist that use EFIT as the primary method for simulating the behavior of ultrasonic waves over time in 2 or 3 dimensions, but none of …

Assessment Of Patient Waiting Consultation Time In An Primary Healthcare Clinic -- The Outpatient Department Of Cho Ray Hospital, Pham Thi My Nhung

Master's Theses

Long patient waiting times in primary healthcare clinics in South Vietnam such as Thong Nhat Hospital and An Giang Hospital are a common phenomenon. In South Vietnam, especially at the Cho Ray Hospital, long patient waiting times were to be expected. Unfortunately, very little knowledge exists regarding potential causes of this problem or how it impacts patients. The purposes of this non-experimental, exploratory field study were to (a) assess the process and outcomes of an outpatient clinic as they related to waiting times, factors contributing to waiting times, and associated factors (outcomes) that influenced patient satisfaction levels in the outpatient …

Response And Recovery Of Horn And Petit Bois Islands, Mississippi, Usa To Tropical Cyclone Impacts: 2004 – 2016, Shara Gremillion

Master's Theses

Horn and Petit Bois islands are two of five Mississippi (MS) barrier islands that provide physical protection from tropical cyclones threatening the MS Gulf Coast, in addition to critical habitat for the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM). In September 2004, Hurricane Ivan removed a large volume of sediment from the eastern ends of Horn and Petit Bois islands with its 1-2 m storm surge and ~194 kph wind speeds. Then, in August 2005 Hurricane Katrina severely impacted the two islands again with its 3.5-5.5 m storm surge on Horn and Petit Bois islands, and up to 204 kph wind speeds …

The Effects Of Aqueous Atorvastatin On Steroidogenesis Of Xenopus Laevis At Environmentally Relevant Concentrations, Jeremy Johnson

Master's Theses

Statin drugs are a class of drug that work to reduce endogenous production of cholesterol by competitively inhibiting 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase (Hmgcr) thus inhibiting production of mevalonic acid in the mevalonate pathway. Atorvastatin (Lipitor) is one of the most widely prescribed statin drugs and contamination of wastewater effluent is a growing environmental concern because of the potential to interfere with steroidogenesis in wildlife. Amphibians may be particularly susceptible to the effects of atorvastatin contamination because of their highly permeable integument. I used an amphibian model, Xenopus laevis to test the hypothesis that chronic exposure to low concentrations of atorvastatin …

The Ecology And Evolution Of The Freshwater Turtles Of Southern Mississippi, Gabrielle Berry

Master's Theses

Turtles are one of the most threatened group of animals in existence today. The Southeastern United States is one of two global biodiversity hotspots for turtle species, including the state of Mississippi, where over 30 species can be found. However, very few studies have occurred within the state. This lack of research is even more startling given the ongoing decline, or even extirpation, of numerous turtle species across the world, due to a number of factors, including habitat degradation, and harvest for food or the pet trade.

The overarching goal of this project was to perform a species inclusive freshwater …

Krylov Subspace Spectral Methods With Non-Homogenous Boundary Conditions, Abbie Hendley

Master's Theses

For this thesis, Krylov Subspace Spectral (KSS) methods, developed by Dr. James Lambers, will be used to solve a one-dimensional, heat equation with non-homogenous boundary conditions. While current methods such as Finite Difference are able to carry out these computations efficiently, their accuracy and scalability can be improved. We will solve the heat equation in one-dimension with two cases to observe the behaviors of the errors using KSS methods. The first case will implement KSS methods with trigonometric initial conditions, then another case where the initial conditions are polynomial functions. We will also look at both the time-independent and time-dependent …

Direct Assessment Of Entrepreneurial Minded Learning Through Integrated E-Learning Modules, Aadtiyasinh Rana

Master's Theses

Entrepreneurial Minded Learning (EML) has a significant emphasis in engineering education

today. Several approaches have been used to assess the impact of various EML approaches. Many indirect assessment techniques have been used and a few direct assessment techniques have been developed. The work presented in this thesis investigates the effectiveness of two specific measurement methods to quantify entrepreneurial minded learning in students.

The University of New Haven has adopted the approach of integrating e-learning modules on entrepreneurial topics and related contextual activities into courses as the primary approach of developing an entrepreneurial mindset (EM) in students. This study focuses on …

Evaluation Of Commercial Protective Cultures For The Control Of Listeria Monocytogenes And Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia Coli In Raw Milk Cheese, Catherine Gensler

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Changing Salt Marsh Vegetation: Implications For Denitrification, Sean Khan Ooi

Master's Theses

Salt marsh vegetation zones are good indicators of soil conditions and will shift in response to large-scale changes to their environment such as sea-level rise and restoration activities. The goal of our study was to characterize the relationship between soil denitrification potential and salt marsh vegetation zones in tidally restored and unrestricted coastal marshes, and to use vegetation zones to predict how sea-level rise may influence landscape-scale denitrification. We conducted denitrification enzyme activity assays (DEA) on sediment collected from 20 salt marshes across Connecticut and found denitrification potential to be 7 and 17 times lower in short-form Spartina alterniflora zones …

Integrated Aeration For Enhanced Nitrogen Conversion And Removal And The Effect Of Sampling Frequency On Productivity Estimates In Algae-Based Wastewater Treatment Systems, Lauren Parker

Master's Theses

Raceway ponds can be used to cultivate microalgae for purposes such as wastewater treatment and feedstock for animal feeds and biofuels. Besides nitrogen assimilation in biomass, nitrification can be a wastewater treatment mechanism but one that is hindered by the low nighttime dissolved oxygen concentrations (DO) common in wastewater treatment raceways. The large diel difference in pond conditions and changing influent wastewater quality also raises the question of the optimal frequency and timing of grab sample collection, to obtain representative water quality data. Three sets of triplicate pilot raceways (1,000-L, 0.30-m deep, fed primary clarifier effluent) were operated at an …

Implementation Of A Scale Semi-Autonomous Platoon To Test Control Theory Attacks, Erik Miller

Master's Theses

With all the advancements in autonomous and connected cars, there is a developing body of research around the security and robustness of driving automation systems. Attacks and mitigations for said attacks have been explored, but almost always solely in software simulations.

For this thesis, I led a team to build the foundation for an open source platoon of scale semi-autonomous vehicles. This work will enable future research into implementing theoretical attacks and mitigations. Our 1/10 scale car leverages an Nvidia Jetson, embedded microcontroller, and sensors. The Jetson manages the computer vision, networking, control logic, and overall system control; the embedded …

Development Of A Prolyl Endopeptidase Expression System In Lactobacillus Reuteri To Reduce The Clinical Manifestation Of Celiac Disease, Kara Lynn Jew

Master's Theses

Celiac Disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder that emerges due to the ingestion of gluten, a protein found in a variety of common grains such as wheat, rye, and barley. Approximately 1 in 100 individuals in the US suffer from CD, making it the most commonly diagnosed gastrointestinal disorder (Ciclitira et. al., 2005). These proline-rich gluten peptides are resistant to proteolysis and accumulate in the duodenum of the small intestine. Once in the duodenum, these peptides illicit an autoimmune response resulting in villous atrophy. Current treatment for CD requires a rigorous adherence to a gluten-free diet. Nevertheless, gluten-containing grains are …

The Effects Of Atomic Oxygen On Patch Antenna Performance And Lifetime, Max J. Barta

Master's Theses

The space environment is a volatile and challenging place for satellites to survive in. For Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites, atomic oxygen (AO) is a constant corrosive effect that degrades the outer surface of satellites over long durations. Atomic oxygen exists in the atmosphere between 180 and 675 km and has a relatively high energy at 4.5 eV, which allows AO to break molecular bonds in materials on the surfaces of spacecraft. As the number and complexity of CubeSat missions increase, there is an increased risk that AO degradation on commercial off the shelf parts (COTS), such as antenna, could …

Humanitarianism Is Not Permissiveness: Defending The Integrity Of The Spanish Border And The Lives Of African Immigrants, Genevieve Hoyt

Master's Theses

Spain has recently become one of the top destinations for people immigrating to the European Union (EU), with upwards of 1 million African immigrants living in Spain today (“Immigrant and Emigrant Populations” 2018). This heavy flow of immigration into a country whose economy is barely afloat has caused a crisis for not only Spain but also the EU as a whole. Illegal immigration from Africa has proved to be a serious problem in Spain, bringing human rights violations at the border; an increasing unemployment rate; and growing discrimination against black immigrants in the social structure. This paper will analyze how …

Data-Driven Database Education: A Quantitative Study Of Sql Learning In An Introductory Database Course, Andrew C. Von Dollen

Master's Theses

The Structured Query Language (SQL) is widely used and challenging to master. Within the context of lab exercises in an introductory database course, this thesis analyzes the student learning process and seeks to answer the question: ``Which SQL concepts, or concept combinations, trouble students the most?'' We provide comprehensive taxonomies of SQL concepts and errors, identify common areas of student misunderstanding, and investigate the student problem-solving process. We present an interactive web application used by students to complete SQL lab exercises. In addition, we analyze data collected by this application and we offer suggestions for improvement to database lab activities.