Digital Commons Network^™

Quantifying The Functional Consequences Of Spanish [S] Lenition: Plural Marking And Derived Homophony In Western Andalusian And Castilian, Mary Catherine Moran Ryan

Master's Theses

In this thesis, a new methodology is proposed for investigating Spanish [s] lenition (sound weakening or loss) via morphological analysis instead of phonetics. Word-final [s] is a morphological plural marker in Castilian Spanish, but is rarely produced in Western Andalusian Spanish (WAS). It is often asserted in the literature that the loss of [s] in WAS requires plurality to be expressed via alternative means. The results of this study rule out lexical and morpho-syntactic compensation for [s] lenition in WAS in several previously untested domains, and imply that there is no functional motivation in Modern Spanish driving a need for …

Time-Based, Low-Power, Low-Offset 5-Bit 1 Gs/S Flash Adc Design In 65nm Cmos Technology, Mehdi Nasrollahpour

Master's Theses

Low-power, medium resolution, high-speed analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) have always been important block which have abundant applications such as digital signal processors (DSP), imaging sensors, environmental and biomedical monitoring devices. This study presents a low power Flash ADC designed in nanometer complementary metal-oxide semiconductors (CMOS) technology. Time analysis on the output delay of the comparators helps to generate one more bit. The proposed technique reduced the power consumption and chip area substantially in comparison to the previous state-of-the-art work. The proposed ADC was developed in TSMC 65nm CMOS technology. The offset cancellation technique was embedded in the proposed comparator to decrement …

A Multi-Method Study Of Metamorphism And Fluid Flow During Contact Metamorphism Of The May Lake Interpluton Screen, Yosemite National Park, California, Susan Marie Scudder

Master's Theses

The May Lake interpluton screen is a 4 km long, ~0.5 km wide swath of metamorphic rock cropping out between plutons of the ~103 Ma Yosemite Valley Intrusive Suite and the ~93-85 Ma Tuolumne Intrusive Suite in Yosemite National Park, California. Metasomatic alteration and recrystallization due to contact metamorphism and fluid infiltration resulted from the emplacement of the Cretaceous plutons. Mineral assemblages are consistent with metamorphism to hornblende-hornfels and amphibolite facies. The presence of sillimanite-bearing metapelite and more Mg-rich clinopyroxene in calc-silicate assemblages of the northeast section of the screen than the southwest suggest higher grade metamorphism was experienced to …

Life History Aspects And Taxonomy Of Deep-Sea Chondrichthyans In The Southwestern Indian Ocean, Paul Joseph Clerkin

Master's Theses

During the last quarter of a century, the conservation and management of chondrichthyans (collectively, sharks, rays, and chimaeras) has received considerable focus. This is especially true for deep-sea chondrichthyans. As technologically advanced fisheries expand into deeper waters of the high seas, new chondrichthyan species are being discovered and described at an increasing rate. The objectives of this study were to investigate the deep-sea chondricthyan fauna in a remote region of the Southwestern Indian Ocean Offshore and provide descriptions of three species of Chimaeridae previously unknown to science, and collect and analyze biological parameters relating to the life histories of all …

Doppler Lidar Measurements Of Boundary Layer Heights Over San Jose, California, Matthew Robert Lloyd

Master's Theses

There is a need for understanding boundary layer depth and climatology over the urban area of San Jose, California. In this paper, Doppler LiDAR data are observed from San Jose. The adopted methods of vertical velocity variance and skewness are used to determine the estimated height of the convective boundary layer and to analyze sources of turbulence. The use of these methods helped identify a few types of the boundary layer that are common in San Jose. Also examined in this paper is a brief climatology of the mean maximum convective boundary layer height in San Jose over the period …

Surfactant Effect On Hydrate Crystallization Mechanism, Kevin Dann

Master's Theses

Gas hydrates pose economic and environmental risks to the oil and gas industry when plug formation occurs in pipelines. A novel approach using interfacial rheology was applied to understand cyclopentane clathrate hydrate formation in the presence of nonionic surfactant to achieve hydrate inhibition at low percent weight compared to thermodynamic inhibitors. The hydrate-inhibiting performance of low (CMC) concentrations of Span 20, Span 80, Pluronic L31, and Tween 65 at 2 C on a manually nucleated 2 μL droplet showed a morphological shift in crystallization from planar shell growth to conical growth for growth rates below 0.20 mm^2/min. Monitoring the internal …

Construction Of Bacterial Strains Containing A Plasmid Producing An Opossum-Based Anti-Venom Peptide For Low Cost Production Of The Peptide, Angela Cifelli

Master's Theses

A cost-effective therapy for snake bites and other biological toxins could save thousands of lives each year. A low-cost therapy can be achieved using a bacterial host that expresses a peptide that prevents death when administered after exposure to these toxins. A protein expressed in opossums, lethal toxin neutralizing factor (LTNF), provides the animal’s resistance to venom and a variety of other toxins. A small peptide fragment of this protein provides the same lifesaving properties as the full protein sequence. A synthetic copy of this peptide was tested in mice exposed to rattlesnake venom and showed lifesaving potential. The peptide …

Unified Software Engineering Reuse: A Methodology For Effective Software Reuse, Charles Allen Flood

Master's Theses

Software is a necessity in the modern world, and that need is continuously growing. As expensive as the creation of all this new software is, the maintenance costs are even greater. One solution to this problem is software reuse, whereby already written software can be applied to new problems after some modification, thus reducing the overall input of new code. The goal in traditional software reuse is to produce a piece of software with enough flexibility to be used at least twice. Unfortunately, there are many difficulties in achieving software reuse using modern programming techniques. Even software built specifically for …

Design Of A 2.4 Ghz Cmos Lna For Bluetooth Low Energy Application Using 45 Nm Technology, Chin-To Hsiao

Master's Theses

With the increasing need for the Internet of things (IoT), Bluetooth low energy (BLE) technology has become a popular solution for wireless devices. The purpose of this thesis was to design a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) low noise amplifier (LNA) for the Bluetooth low energy (BLE) front-end circuit. Forty-five nm CMOS technology was chosen for the design. The schematic was implemented in Cadence Virtuoso Schematic XL using the generic processing design kit (GPDK) 45 nm library and was simulated using Analog Design Environment (ADE). The LNA presented in this thesis achieved the lowest power consumption of 1.01 mW with a supply …

Development Of Dna Assembly And Error Correction Protocols For A Digital Microfluidic Device, Yuliya Khilko

Master's Theses

Customized production of synthetic DNA from oligonucleotides is in high demand. However, current technologies are costly and labor-intensive. A microfluidic technology can significantly decrease cost and labor. The purpose of this study was to develop a gene assembly protocol that was utilized on the Mondrian™ SP digital microfluidic device. The fragment of the human influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) gene (339 bp) was assembled from 12 oligonucleotides by the Gibson assembly method and error corrected with CorrectASE™ enzyme twice. The samples were analyzed by Sanger sequencing to verify the final accuracy of the assembly. A complete automation of droplet generation and …

Isolated Incidents: A Short Story Collection, Justin Bryant

Master's Theses

In my collection titled Isolated Incidents: A Short Story Collection, I explore the themes of isolation and loneliness while using dark humor and a satirical voice as an undercurrent to move the narratives. Isolation and loneliness intrigue me, because they are triggered and motivated by contradictory emotions inside of us. Fear, love, hate, and even nonchalant attitude and happiness can all mix to make us feel isolated even when we are not alone. People can be isolated when surrounded by others at a dinner table, or in a crowed bar, or even a small office filled with co-workers. Loneliness is …

The Impact Of A Changing Climate On The Frequency Of Sudden Stratospheric Warming Events, Ashley Fortin

Master's Theses

A sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event is a rapid breakdown of the polar vortex during the winter months. Driven primarily by anomalous planetary-scale Rossby waves propagating upward from the troposphere, SSW events are able to influence tropospheric weather through stratospheric-tropospheric coupling. As a result of increased greenhouse gas emissions, temperatures are changing across the troposphere and may influence how the stratosphere and troposphere interact. It is unclear how the stratospheric circulation will respond to these changes and how the frequency of SSW events may be affected. This study uses National Center for Environmental Prediction and National Center for Atmospheric Research …

Crafting Autonomy: A Reevaluation Of The Pedestal In The Sculpture Of Arlene Shechet, Nicole Cherubini, And Francesca Dimattio, Sara Morris Morris

Master's Theses

New York-based contemporary artists Arlene Shechet, Nicole Cherubini, and Francesca DiMattio have each developed a sculptural style that integrates the pedestal within their sculptures. Primarily made from clay, unconventional craft materials, and commonplace objects, these sculptures formally and conceptually blur the lines between craft and fine art, décor and sculpture, as well as private and institutional space. With a renewed interest in craft and feminism, these artists test the material hierarchies that have historically determined the categorization of art inside institutional spaces. This study investigates how these sculptures gain autonomy when exhibited inside museums in light of contemporary theories on …

Simulation Of Laser Induced Thermal Damage In Nd:Yvo4 Crystals., Richie Nagi

Master's Theses

Neodymium-doped yttrium orthovanadate (Nd:YVO4) is a commonly used gain medium in Diode Pumped Solid State (DPSS) lasers, but high heat loading of Nd:YVO4 at high pump powers (> 5 W) leads to thermal distortions and crystal fracture, which limits the utility of Nd:YVO4 for high power applications. In this thesis, a Nd:YVO4 crystal suffered thermal damage during experiments for investigating the optical gain characteristics of the crystal. This thesis examines the thermal damage mechanisms in detail. Principally, laser induced melting, as well as laser induced thermal stress fracture were studied, all in the absence of stimulated emission in the crystal. …

A 3d Framework For Characterizing Microstructure Evolution Of Li-Ion Batteries, Jeffrey David Gelb

Master's Theses

Lithium-ion batteries are commonly found in many modern consumer devices, ranging from portable computers and mobile phones to hybrid- and fully-electric vehicles. While improving efficiencies and increasing reliabilities are of critical importance for increasing market adoption of the technology, research on these topics is, to date, largely restricted to empirical observations and computational simulations. In the present study, it is proposed to use the modern technique of X-ray microscopy to characterize a sample of commercial 18650 cylindrical Li-ion batteries in both their pristine and aged states. By coupling this approach with 3D and 4D data analysis techniques, the present study …

Simulated Annealing-Based Optimal Proportional-Integral-Derivative (Pid) Controller Design: A Case Study On Nonlinear Quadcopter Dynamics, Kristofer Kevin Nemirsky

Master's Theses

In this thesis, the history and evolution of rotor aircraft with simulated annealing-based PID application were reviewed and quadcopter dynamics are presented. The dynamics of a quadcopter were then modeled, analyzed, and linearized. A cascaded loop architecture with PID controllers was used to stabilize the plant dynamics, which was improved upon through the application of simulated annealing (SA). A Simulink model was developed to test the controllers and verify the functionality of the proposed control system design. In addition, the data that the Simulink model provided were compared with flight data to present the validity of derived dynamics as a …

A Parallel Processing And Diversified-Hidden-Gene-Based Genetic Algorithm Framework For Fuel-Optimal Trajectory Design For Interplanetary Spacecraft Missions, Dhathri Harsha Somavarapu

Master's Theses

This thesis proposes a new parallel computing genetic algorithm framework for designing fuel-optimal trajectories for interplanetary spacecraft missions. The framework can capture the deep search space of the problem with the use of a fixed chromosome structure and hidden-genes concept, can explore the diverse set of candidate solutions with the use of the adaptive and twin-space crowding techniques and, can execute on any high-performance computing (HPC) platform with the adoption of the portable message passing interface (MPI) standard. The algorithm is implemented in C++ with the use of the MPICH implementation of the MPI standard. The algorithm uses a patched-conic …

Using Recycled Water For Potable Reuse In Santa Clara County, Ca: High School Students' Knowledge And Acceptance, Nicholas Ronald Ajluni

Master's Theses

The drought-prone State of California has an ever increasing demand for water. Potable reuse provides a viable alternative water supply, but public attitudes, knowledge, and acceptance have limited implementation. This study investigated the knowledge and acceptance that high school students have towards potable reuse. Previous research has identified four critical factors that influence acceptance of potable reuse: 1) knowledge of the wastewater treatment process, 2) knowledge of local water supplies, 3) trust in local water resource managers, and 4) belief in the need for a new water supply. This study uses both quantitative and qualitative methods through a Likert-style survey …

Nocturnal Drying In Elevated Coastal Terrain Of Central California: A Fire Weather Perspective, Richard Bagley

Master's Theses

The second largest fire shelter deployment in U. S. history occurred during the Devil Fire in a remote and rugged region of the San Francisco Bay Area when relative humidity values abruptly dropped in the middle of the night, causing rapid fire growth. Nocturnal drying in the higher elevations along California’s central coast is a unique phenomenon that poses a great risk to firefighters. Single digit relative humidity with dew points below -25°C is not uncommon during summer nights in this region. In order to provide the firefighting community with knowledge of these hazardous conditions, an event criterion was established …

A Method For Detection Of Local Dimension In Point Cloud Data, Catherine Boersma

Master's Theses

We have invented a method that uses the mathematical idea of local homology to calculate the local dimension (one-dimensional, two-dimensional, mixed dimension of varying types) of an underlying object in two-dimensional space from a point cloud approximation.

Motivated by the need to find an efficient method for computing local homology, we define a new mathematical object -- the Local Complex, and some variations of this idea -- that we show to be exactly related to the Vietoris-Rips complex under some settings. This concept captures the essence of the local homology of point cloud data at any scale. We provide a …

Comparative Study Of Broadband Photometry Relations For Ultra-Diffuse And Normal Galaxies In The Coma Cluster, Maria Babakhanyan Stone

Master's Theses

Ultra-diffuse galaxies are a novel type of galaxies discovered first in the Coma cluster. These objects are characterized simultaneously by large sizes and by very low counts of constituent stars. Conflicting theories have been proposed to explain how these large diffuse galaxies could have survived in the harsh environment of clusters. To date, thousands of these new galaxies have been identified in cluster environments. However, further studies are required to understand their relationship to the known giant and dwarf classes of galaxies. The purpose of this study is to compare the trends of inner and outer populations of normal members …

Mobile Doppler Lidar Observations Of The Convective Boundary Layer Over California, Christopher Paul Camacho

Master's Theses

A series of transects using a truck-mounted Doppler LiDAR were conducted to obtain mobile vertical profiles of the backscatter intensity and radial velocity across California. Using the backscatter and velocity profiles, several techniques were used to estimate the depth of the convective boundary layer (CBL). The CBL was estimated from the backscatter profiles using three analyses: (1) the Haar wavelet covariance, (2) the variance, (3) the gradient. These analyses were compared to vertical velocity variance, which uses a specified threshold (0.15 m2 s-2) to determine CBL height. The accuracy of the backscatter analyses was heavily dependent on strong aerosol loading …

A Complete Study Of N,N’ Bis(1 Phenylpropyl) 2,6 Pyridinedicarboxamide, Victoria Y. Chang

Master's Theses

Biological systems are often chiral or involve chiral compounds, e.g. L amino acids, the neurotransmitter L epinephrine. In some cases, two enantiomers of a chiral drug will have different activities, and in extreme cases, one form is therapeutic while the other form is toxic. Therefore, the development of reliable molecular probes for biological applications and chiral sensing is an important area of study. The unique spectroscopic and coordination properties of some lanthanide ions (Ln3+) and their complexes make them suitable for use as molecular probes. Chiral ligand systems have been developed that can coordinate with lanthanide ions to form complexes …

Taxonomic Revision Of The Short Nose Chimaeras (Genus Hydrolagus) From The Southern African Region, Kristin Walovich

Master's Theses

Short-nose chimaeras are an enigmatic and understudied group of deep-sea Chondrichthyan fishes. To resolve decades of confusion and misidentification in the southern African region, morphometric and genetic data were utilized to resolve taxonomic confusion for the genus Hydrolagus. Nearly 100 chimaeroid specimens were examined from numerous national and international museum ichthyology collections. A series of 96 measurements per specimen were recorded and analyzed with multivariate statistics to determine differences among species. Tissue was collected from various southern African species for analysis of the mitochondrial gene NADH2. The resulting genetic information was compared to morphologically similar species and those within the …

The Perception Of Trust Between Athletic Trainers And Musical Performing Artists, Jenna Lea Chinburg

Master's Theses

Trust is a crucial element for a successful patient-clinician relationship. Athletic

trainers may care for musical performing artists who demonstrate unique needs compared

to traditional patients. In order to provide the best care, athletic trainers must establish a

basis of patient-centered care and build solid professional relationships with performers.

By improving overall patient-clinician relationship factors with respect to this population,

trust may be implemented and sustained. The purpose of the study was to determine

factors that established or diminished trust between drum corps members and their

athletic trainers. The study included 12 semi-structured interviews in which Drum Corps

International (DCI) …

Automated Classification To Improve The Efficiency Of Weeding Library Collections, Kiri Lou Wagstaff

Master's Theses

Studies have shown that library weeding (the selective removal of unused, worn, outdated, or irrelevant items) benefits patrons and increases circulation rates. However, the time required to review the collection and make weeding decisions presents a formidable obstacle. In this study, we empirically evaluated methods for automatically classifying weeding candidates. A data set containing 80,346 items from a large-scale academic library weeding project by Wesleyan University from 2011 to 2014 was used to train six machine learning classifiers to predict “Keep” or “Weed” for each candidate. We found statistically significant agreement (p = 0.001) between classifier predictions and librarian judgments …

A Qualitative Analysis Of A Team's Experience Of Coping With Bereavement After The Death Of A Head Coach, Matthew Paul Gonzalez

Master's Theses

The consequences of coping with death as an athlete have been documented in the literature by a variety of studies. However, these studies have remained largely focused on coping with the death of a teammate. This study examined the inter- and intrapersonal impact of experiencing the death of a head coach. Experiencing the death of a head coach during the season may have profound and varied psychosocial consequences for all members of a team. A collegiate team was identified as having experienced the death of its head coach during his tenure and from that team five participants (four players and …

Illegal Dumping As An Indicator For Community Social Disorganization And Crime, Amory Anne Brandt

Master's Theses

Illegal dumping of household waste in and around city streets results in many negative health, economic, and environmental effects. This goal of this study was to understand the systemic causes of illegal dumping within San José, California. Illegal dump sites were identified, quantified, characterized, and mapped within urban census block groups at a range of median family income levels. Results showed that commonly dumped debris types were furniture, and garbage. The most illegal dumping occurred within census block groups with low median family incomes, high percentages of non-English speaking individuals, and high percentages of renters. Factors such as social disorganization, …

Knight's Tours And Zeta Functions, Alfred James Brown

Master's Theses

Given an m × n chessboard, we get an associated graph by letting each square represent a vertex and by joining two vertices if there is a valid move by a knight between the corresponding squares. A knight’s tour is a sequence of moves in which the knight lands on every square exactly once, i.e., a Hamiltonian path on the associated graph. Knight’s tours have an interesting history. One interesting mistake regarding Knight’s Tours was made by the famous mathematician Euler. His mistake led to the further study of knight’s tours on 3 × n chessboards. We will explore and …

An Analysis Of The Attitudes Of Undergraduate Theology Majors Towards Members Of The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Community, Jephet Williams

Master's Theses

Problem and Purpose

Research has identified students’ attitudes towards the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community as being determined partly by the students’ understanding of gender identity, and partly by a further mixture of variables that include religiosity, gender, and ethnicity. Most of this previous research has been undertaken in either secular or non-Adventist settings. This present study examines attitudes of undergraduate theology majors at two Adventist universities in North America and the Caribbean.

Method

A Likert Scale was constructed consisting of eight questions geared to elicit attitudes across a number of areas. Sixty-three students completed the questionnaire. Participating students …