Digital Commons Network^™

Classifying Electrocardiogram With Machine Learning Techniques, Hillal Jarrar

Master's Theses

Classifying the electrocardiogram is of clinical importance because classification can be used to diagnose patients with cardiac arrhythmias. Many industries utilize machine learning techniques that consist of feature extraction methods followed by Naive- Bayesian classification in order to detect faults within machinery. Machine learning techniques that analyze vibrational machine data in a mechanical application may be used to analyze electrical data in a physiological application. Three of the most common feature extraction methods used to prepare machine vibration data for Naive-Bayesian classification are the Fourier transform, the Hilbert transform, and the Wavelet Packet transform. Each machine learning technique consists of …

Millipyde: A Cross-Platform Python Framework For Transparent Gpu Acceleration, James B. Asbury

Master's Theses

The prevalence of general-purpose GPU computing continues to grow and tackle a wider variety of problems that benefit from GPU-acceleration. This acceleration often suffers from a high barrier to entry, however, due to the complexity of software tools that closely map to the underlying GPU hardware, the fast-changing landscape of GPU environments, and the fragmentation of tools and languages that only support specific platforms. Because of this, new solutions will continue to be needed to make GPGPU acceleration more accessible to the developers that can benefit from it. AMD’s new cross-platform development ecosystem ROCm provides promise for developing applications and …

Optimizing A Virtual Human Platform For Depression/Suicide Ideation Identification For The American Soldier, Christina M. Monahan

Master's Theses

Suicide surpassed homicide to be the second leading cause of death among people 10-24 years old in the United States \cite{1}. This statistic is alarming especially when combined with the more than eight distinctly different types of clinical depression among society today \cite{2}. To further complicate this health crisis, let’s consider the current worldwide isolating pandemic often referred to as COVID-19 that has spanned 12 months. It is more important than ever to consider how we can get ahead of the crisis by identifying the symptoms as they set in and more importantly ahead of the decision to commit suicide. …

Jited: A Framework For Jit Education In The Classroom, Caleb Watts

Master's Theses

The study of programming languages is a rich field within computer science, incorporating both the abstract theoretical portions of computer science and the platform specific details. Topics studied in programming languages, chiefly compilers or interpreters, are permanent fixtures in programming that students will interact with throughout their career. These systems are, however, considerably complicated, as they must cover a wide range of functionality in order to enable languages to be created and run. The process of educating students thus requires that the demanding workload of creating one of the systems be balanced against the time and resources present in a …

Benchmark Testing Of Gold Ribbon Bonds On Thin-Film Microchips With New Gold Ribbon Auto-Bonder, Austin Conrad

Master's Theses

The focus of this document is on the gold ribbon bond testing and creation of a bonding map for the new gold ribbon Auto-Bonder at Keysight Technologies in Santa Rosa, California. The new Auto-Bonder replaces a nearly 50-year-old machine that no longer had any documentation for the original process of thin-film microchip ribbon bonding. The original process was developed in the early 1970s to provide an electrical connection from the top to the bottom of the microchip. The electrical connection takes the place of what would be a via in a modern silicon microchip. Gold wire bonding is a common …

Wi-Fi Sensing: Device-Free In-Zone Object Movement Detection, Nicholas P. Schnorr

Master's Theses

Wi-Fi Sensing is becoming a prominent field with a wide range of potential applications. Using existing hardware on a wireless network such as access points, cell phones, and smart home devices, important information can be inferred about the current physical environment. Through the analysis of Channel State Information collected in the Neighborhood Discovery Protocol process, the wireless network can detect disturbances in Wi-Fi signals when the physical environment changes. This results in a system that can sense motion within the Wi-Fi network, allowing for movement detection without any wearable devices.

The goal of this thesis is to answer whether Wi-Fi …

On The Mobility Of Small Aperture Telescopes For Initial Orbit Determination And Apparent Magnitude Derivation Of Low Earth Satellites, Jonathan Ian Hernandez

Master's Theses

Maintaining Space Domain Awareness (SDA) of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) requires effective methods of tracking and characterization. Optical measurements of these objects are generally sparse due to limited access intervals and high angular rates. Light pollution and geographic obstructions may also preclude consistent observations. However, a mobile small aperture telescope grants the ability to minimize such environmental effects, thereby increasing capture likelihoods for objects within this regime. By enhancing LEO satellite visibility in this way, extensive orbital and visual data are obtainable.

An 8-inch Meade LX200GPS telescope equipped with a Lumenera SKYnyx2-0M CCD camera comprises the system that …

Characterizing Direction Specific Ganglion Cell Receptor Activation Using A Perturbation Based Decomposition Method, Camila Paola Monchini Moline

Master's Theses

Characterizing postsynaptic current signals in the retina by neuroreceptor activation frequency is important for studying the mechanism of action behind phototransduction of varied visual stimuli. A better understanding could in turn lead to the creation of methods for early detection and prevention of debilitating optical neuropathies, such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and retinitis pigmentosa. More recent in-vitro and in-vivo studies have aimed to differentiate the effects of various neurotransmitters, such as acetylcholine, GABA, and glutamate, on receiving and processing different types of visual stimuli from the retina into the visual cortex.

The focus of this work will be to …

Assessing The Effects Of Oxaliplatin On An In Vitro Three-Dimensional Human Colorectal Cancer Model, Sabrina Nelson

Master's Theses

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States with a 5-year late-stage survival rate of only 14%. Due to the lack of translation between animal models and clinical trials as well as the inefficacy of many chemotherapeutics in initial clinical trials, researchers are turning to in vitro drug screening models in an effort to mimic the conditions in vivo. This research project aimed to validate an in vitro tumor culture model within a microfluidic device using a clinically relevant chemotherapy drug. The first experiment consisted of a cell density and drug concentration study to determine …

Indoor Positioning Using Synchronized Ultrasonic Ofdma Signals, Julian Bartolone

Master's Theses

This paper proposes a method of short-range indoor localization using differential phase measurements of synchronized two-tone ultrasonic signals in an Orthogonal Frequency Multiple Access (OFDMA) scheme. This indoor positioning system (IPS) operates at an ultrasonic frequency of approximately 40kHz and synchronizes using an infrared signal. The OFDMA scheme allows for a receiver to process the signals from multiple transmitters continuously without the signals interfering with each other. The phases of the signals are measured using Goertzel Filters, allowing for low-complexity frequency content analysis. A MATLAB simulation using the proposed localization method is performed using four transmitter nodes in the corners …

Performance Loss Rate And Temperature Modeling In Predictive Energy Yield Programs For Utility-Scale Solar Power Plants, Katelynn M. Dinius

Master's Theses

The Gold Tree Solar Farm, designed by REC Solar, has a rated output power of 4.5 MW and began operation in 2018 to provide electricity to Cal Poly’s campus. Gold Tree Solar Farm site terrain consists of rolling hills and uneven slopes. The uneven typography results in interrow shading, requiring a modified tracking control algorithm to maximize power production. Predicting a utility solar field’s lifetime energy yield is a critical step in assessing project feasibility and calculating project revenue. The MATLAB-based predictive power model developed for this field overpredicted power in the middle of the day. The purpose of this …

Collateral Damage: How Expanding Public Charge Policy Influences Adult Esl Enrollment, Allison M. Eckert

Master's Theses

This study used statistical analysis of enrollment records for ESL programs at community colleges throughout California from 2015-2019 to determine whether adult immigrants’ participation in public ESL programs was reduced under President Donald Trump. Immigrant families’ lesser use of public education services and means-tested federal benefits has been widely documented in the wake of Trump’s expansion of the public charge rule, which counted immigrants’ use of a wider array of public benefits against their case for residency in the United States than had any previous iteration of the rule. Failing the public charge test can block an immigrant’s entry into …

Get Into It: Unpacking The Relationship Between Hegemonic Norms And The Race And Gender Of Pop Artists, Bailey Shelton

Master's Theses

Many contemporary popular musical artists are victims of media controversy while they simultaneously make musical chat history. As a culture founded and sustained by a white supremacist capitalistic patriarchy, race and sex appear to influence the way hegemonic in-groups treat minorities and the way minorities are perceived and live within the confines of said hegemony. With the context of understanding feminist theories, hegemonic norms, parasocial relationships, celebrity appeal, and norms, the researcher wanted to understand if there are clear relationship among these frameworks in modern society. This study employed a 2x2 2between subjects factorial design method to gather information about …

Multi-Valued Solutions For The Equation Of Motion, Darcy-Jordan Model, As A Cauchy Problem: A Shocking Event, Chandler Shimp

Master's Theses

Shocks are physical phenomenon that occur quite often around us. In this thesis we examine the occurrence of shocks in finite amplitude acoustic waves from a numerical perspective. These waves, or jump discontinuities, yield ill-behaved solutions when solved numerically. This study takes on the challenge of finding both single- and multi-valued solutions.

The previously unsolved problem in this study is the representation of the Equation of Motion (EoM) in the form of the Darcy-Jordan model (DJM) and expressed as a dimensionless IVP Cauchy problem. Prior attempts to solve have resulted only in implicit solutions or explicit solutions with certain initial …

For Cause And Countries: Initial, Sustaining, And Combat Motivation In The Royal Air Force Eagle Squadrons, 1940-1942, Timothy Defazio

Master's Theses

Before the United States entered the Second World War, 245 American pilots pledged their service to the Royal Air Force (RAF). Organized into 71, 121, and 133 Squadrons, collectively known as the Eagle Squadrons, these foreign volunteers present an intriguing avenue of soldier motivation analysis. Employing the conceptual framework offered by John Lynn and James McPherson, this thesis analyzes three components of the Eagles’ motivation—initial, sustaining, and combat.

Viewed in context, the Eagles’ decision to join a beleaguered air force reflected a commitment to ideological principles, as the desires to defend England and curb German aggression figured largely into their …

Chitosan Graphene Composite Fabrication And Characterization For Treatment Of Harmful Algal Blooms And Toxins, Sarah Zetterholm

Master's Theses

Chitosan graphene composites were fabricated and characterized as a management strategy for harmful algal blooms (HABs) caused by various species of cyanobacteria. These chitosan graphene materials were compared to previously studied chitosan graphene-oxide composites in both material properties and HAB treatment. In previous studies, adsorption of the cyanobacteria onto the surface of the composite materials has been observed. Investigations of the pure materials for these composites are also included in this study to determine whether removal is a result of charge interactions with the composite, or as an inherent property of the graphene or graphene oxide. Initial results suggest that …

A Descriptive Study Of The Foster Grandparent Program In Support Of The Creation Of An Afterschool Program To Address Food Insecurity And Chronic Disease Risk In Older Adults And Children, Sara Sorrell

Master's Theses

Volunteer service is associated with self-reported health improvement by older adult volunteers in AmeriCorps Senior programs. However, little is known about how specific chronic diseases and mental health issues affect Foster Grandparents, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic’s influence on volunteer activities for older adults. Using Bourdieu’s concept of habitus, this study outlines the structural influences of the Foster Grandparent program on volunteers’ motivation for volunteering, mental and physical health status before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and current household food security status. The study utilizes a survey, which was distributed by the National Senior Corps Association and …

Media Frames And Abortion Issue Polarization, Shianne Galuska

Master's Theses

The abortion issue is one of the most polarizing topics within the public and media sphere. How the media chooses to frame the abortion debate may influence public opinion and individual reactions. Specifically, articles that use incongruent abortion frames (pro-life/pro-abortion & anti-abortion/pro-choice) may be contributing to an ingroup versus outgroup mentality by highlighting who is the ingroup and who is the outgroup, thus generating moral disgust and polarization (characterized by anger, bias, and activism) amongst those with opposing views. This study sought to answer whether presenting individuals with an incongruent abortion frame increases anger, bias, and activism (polarization), as well …

Higher Command: An Examination Of African American Leadership In The Vietnam Era, Amanda Abulawi

Master's Theses

Since the founding of the United States, African Americans have sacrificed their lives to uphold the nation’s democratic ideals, all while being denied equal access to voting, education, employment, and housing rights at home. Military service appealed to many African Americans who hoped it would lead to social and economic advancement for themselves and their race. Despite African American military participation throughout the nation’s history, these soldiers were treated as outsiders through segregated units and often relegated to non-combative duties, until the Vietnam War. This was the first major conflict in which African Americans had been deployed in large numbers …

Invisible Russian Armies: Wagner Group In Ukraine, Syria And The Central African Republic, Ryan Benaso

Master's Theses

This study provides in depth case studies of three distinct theaters of operations that the Wagner Group participated in order to further Russian national interests overseas. The first of theise is a case study just across the Russian border in the Ukraine during the Crimean annexation and the subsequent Donbas War where the Wagner Group was founded. The second case study also signifies the next stage in the Wagner Group’s evolution as it enlarges and is put in the vanguard for major operations in the Syrian Civil War culminating in the infamous encounter with US forces in Khasham. The third …

Racial Bias In Pain Perception And Treatment Among Healthcare Pre-Professionals, Raegan Bishop

Master's Theses

The novel coronavirus has impacted Black Americans who have had higher rates of infection, hospitalization and death compared to White Americans. Although higher rates of obesity and other chronic diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure have been implicated and, likely, play a substantial role in the disparity, racial biases among health care providers that affect the provision of care have yet to be examined. There is some evidence that racial bias among healthcare providers affects pain outcomes among Black American women with healthcare providers prescribing Black women pain medication less often than to White women (Badreldin, et. al., 2019; …

Using Praise To Increase Visual Attending In An Asynchronous Online Learning Environment: An Eye Tracking Study, Andrew J. Rozsa Iii

Master's Theses

With the emergence of online courses in the mid-1990s, the number of students enrolled in online courses has been growing at an exponential rate (Schwirzke, Vashaw, & Watson, 2018). This trend brings with it new problems, such as familiarity with evidence-supported behavioral techniques that will maintain student engagement and improve likelihood of academic success in online learning environments. The purpose of the present study was to examine how the use of praise may affect visual engagement with video lectures with the assistance of commercially available eye tracking technology. A secondary objective of the study was to identify how praise affects …

The Role Of Digital Transformation And Specification Data Management In Streamlining Supply Chains, Daniel Klemm

Master's Theses

The packaging and product supply chain is currently undergoing a digital transformation that changes the way organizations manage data. Cloud-based software is an emerging technological innovation entirely focused on harnessing the power of packaging/product specifications to create efficiencies. These applications coordinate the data that millions of SKUs worldwide are generating into a harmonized system that will not only organize the SKUs but also create valuable information that will allow stakeholders to make decisions based upon data-driven insights.

Specifications are the DNA-level information of packaging and products. Items such as the bill of materials, technical drawings, and inventory are stored together …

Third Trimester Plasma Metabolites Associated With Gestational Diabetes: An Ancillary Analysis Of The Healthy Beginnings Trial, Rodrigo D. Rosario

Master's Theses

Introduction: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) results in complications affecting both mother and child. The implementation of metabolomics to assess metabolite alterations is needed to better understand its etiology. Prior research by our lab in first trimester samples of GDM patients indicated altered fatty acid utilization and purine degradation products.

Objective: Metabolomics analysis was conducted on third trimester (28 -35 weeks) plasma samples to observe differences associated with GDM.

Methods: Fifty samples taken from the Healthy Beginnings trial and their corresponding data were included in the study. Plasma samples were analyzed using UPLC-MS with metabolomic assays for primary metabolomics, aminomics, and …

Extinction Coefficient Measurement Comparison Of Tungsten Powder Clouds, Spencer P. Grenley

Master's Theses

All materials in dust form pose an increased risk of accidental deflagration, or explosion. For workplace safety, this risk of deflagration for a solid particulate sample is characterized through specialized dust explosibility testing systems. These systems disperse a cloud of powder inside a spherical chamber via a pressure gradient, where a timed ignition occurs. The accuracy of measurements taken during this process are predicated upon the assumption that the cloud of powder is uniformly distributed during the ignition period. Metal additive manufacturing (AM) is a rapidly expanding technology that, in some cases, involves heavy metal powders that do not disperse …

Optimization Of Interplanetary Transfer Trajectories Using The Invariant Manifolds Of Halo Orbits, Ryan Yedinak

Master's Theses

Traditionally, two-body dynamics have been used to design orbital trajectories for interplanetary missions using a series of Lambert’s transfers and gravity assists. Although these are reliable methods, they have extremely high fuel requirements, especially for missions to outer planets. From an orbital mechanics perspective, three ways of reducing fuel requirements for these types of missions are utilizing low energy transfer trajectories, applying low thrust engine parameters, and implementing orbit optimization techniques.

The goal of this thesis is to combine low energy transfers created from the dynamics of the Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem (CRTBP) with low-thrust orbit optimization techniques to develop …

Thermal Vacuum Chamber Modification, Testing, And Analysis, Jared C. Lehmann

Master's Theses

This work discusses the modification and analysis of the Blue Thermal Vacuum Chamber (TVAC) located at the Space Environments Lab at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The modified design has a cylindrical test section and can accommodate 6U Cubesats or larger for educational or research purposes. The sizing process for the modified shroud cooling system and modular heating plates is discussed. The modified cooling system uses existing nitrogen plumbing into the chamber and control systems with a new copper shroud. The modified heating system uses modular heater plates, which utilize the existing three heater strips. The modified system …

Testing And Characterization Of Polymer Laminates For Swelling, Absorption, And Cracking, Matthew W. Carlson

Master's Theses

A polymer laminate consisting of multiple layers of proprietary blends of Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol (EVOH) and Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) and used in the construction of air bladders was evaluated for hygroscopic effects driving delamination and multiple layer fragmentation. These air bladders are observed to suffer delamination during a manufacturing process that involves immersion in an alcohol/water solution. A plausible underlying mechanism is differential swelling and absorption by the laminate constituents. Both room and elevated temperature swelling tests were carried out to find the absorption and swelling coefficients of the constituents. These coefficients served as input into a Finite Element Analysis …

An Examination Of The Fuzzy Inference System On Probabilistic Roadmap Path Planning, Brandon Replogle

Master's Theses

In recent years, multi-robot systems have been widely used in many applications such as warehouse inventory tracking and automatic search and rescue operations. Probability roadmap (PRM) is a typical path planning algorithm that can determine an optimal trajectory once the robot start and goal positions are specified. However, when the number of robots in the system increases, it converges slowly and may even fail to find the solution.

In this thesis, a fuzzy inference system is proposed and combined with the probability roadmap algorithm for robot path planning. Computer simulation results in five different environments show this approach is very …

Potential Impact Of Contour Bunds On Diclofenac Removal For Stormwater Control In Rangeland Applications, Braden Alan Whitehead

Master's Theses

Diclofenac (DCF) and other emerging contaminants have been found in environments worldwide. These contaminants may enter the environment due to the application of treated wastewater, biosolids and direct excrement related to veterinary application. Leakage from the soils toward the groundwater is largely controlled by sorption and microbial degradation. Most studies on the environmental fate of DCF have focused on degradation during wastewater treatment processes. However, little is known about their behavior in soil. In this study, the combined effect of adsorption and degradation of diclofenac has been investigated in four (4) 24 ft³ agricultural soil-filled beds designed to mimic …