Digital Commons Network^™

More Electric Systems Architecture Effect On Business Jet Performance, Kelsey M. Mazur

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

A more-electric systems architecture, using current state of the art components, is proposed for the business jet Dassault Falcon 2000. A model of the existing aircraft, both of its overall flying characteristics and performance and of its detail systems layout, is created using Pacelab APDc and SysArcc programs. The model is validated with respect to the aircraft published data. Then, another model of the same aircraft is created but, this time, it is for the aircraft with the new architecture and their respective performance is compared. In particular, this results in changes in mission range and the overall system's weight. …

Configuration Validation Of A Novel In-Space Propellant Storage And Transfer System, Priyadarshan Sundararaju

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The concept of developing a new technology for on-orbit storage and refueling system has been a great interest among scientists for many decades. This study is about Centaur-based on-orbit propellant storage and transfer. This system takes the advantage of rotational settling to a simple fluid management (FM) system. Specifically, enabling settled fluid transfer and settled pressure control between two tanks. This thesis work focuses on configuration and validation of static and dynamic stability, mass gauging and CFD analysis of the rotational propellant transfer method in space. The application of this technology in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geo-Synchronous Orbit (GEO) …

Vulnerability Analysis And Security Framework For Zigbee Communication In Iot, Charbel Azzi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Securing IoT (Internet of Things) systems in general, regardless of the communication technology used, has been the concern of many researchers and private companies. As for ZigBee security concerns, much research and many experiments have been conducted to better predict the nature of potential security threats. In this research we are addressing several ZigBee vulnerabilities by performing first hand experiments and attack simulations on ZigBee protocol. This will allow us to better understand the security issues surveyed and find ways to mitigate them. Based on the attack simulations performed and the survey conducted, we have developed a ZigBee IoT framework …

Influence Of Ph And Acidic Side Chain Charges On The Behavior Of Designed Model Peptides In Lipid Bilayer Membranes, Venkatesan Rajagopalan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The molecular properties of transmembrane proteins and their interactions with lipids regulate biological function. Of particular interest are interfacial aromatic residues and charged residues in the core helix whose functions range from stabilizing the native structure to regulating ion channels. This dissertation addresses the pH dependence and influence of potentially negatively charged tyrosine, glutamic acid or aspartic acid side chains. We have employed GWALP23 (acetyl-GGALW5LALALALALALALW19LAGA-amide) as favorable host peptide framework. We have substituted W5 with Tyr (Y5GWALP23) and Leu residues with Glu (L12E, L14E or L16E) or Asp (L14D or L16D), and have incorporated specific 2H-labeled alanine residues within the …

Assessing The Effects Of Interactive Video Modeling On The Fidelity Of Implementation Of Skill-Acquisition Procedures, Steven Sparks

Dissertations

Behavior-analytic study has led to many advances in staff training over the last several decades. The effectiveness of modeling, role-play, and video modeling are well demonstrated in scientific literature but these techniques are often time consuming for those conducting the training which often leads to their being quite costly. Interactive video modeling is an alternative that is potentially more cost and time efficient. This type of modeling consists of embedding response opportunities in traditional video models that require the trainee to answer questions in order to complete the video. Being required to answer the embedded questions causes the trainee to …

Visual Impairment And Factors Associated With Difficulties With Daily Tasks, Anne T. Riddering

Dissertations

In the past 10 years, the number of American adults with visual impairments has increased from 1 million to 4 million and is expected to double to 8 million people by the year 2050 (The Eye Diseases Prevalence Research Group, 2004; National Eye Institute, 2013). Therapies to treat retinal diseases causing visual impairment, such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration (Massof, 2002; Mogk, 2011), have evolved in the past two decades (Gupta et al., 2013; Hooper & Guymer, 2003), but little research has examined recent population and difficulties with performing daily activities. Different types of professionals, including ophthalmologists, optometrists, …

An Analysis Of Campus Violence Threat Assessment Policy Implementation At Michigan Community Colleges, Russell T. Panico Jr.

Dissertations

This dissertation evaluated campus violence threat assessment policy and procedure implementation at the community college level of higher education. The importance of this topic was to provide a manageable and collaborative initiative for leadership at institutions of higher learning to identify, develop, implement, and evaluate a policy that can effectively prevent acts of campus-related violence. A mixed-methods study approach using a Likert-scale survey with supporting open-ended questions was used to guide the exploration. Bardach’s (2016) Eightfold Path for Policy Analysis was the framework used by Michigan community colleges to apply to their own unique situations. This method determined the prevalence …

Development Of Printed Cross-Functional Sensors For Gearbox Lubricant Prognostics, John Omondi Manyala

Dissertations

Lubricant oil degradation is a major cause of failures in transportation machinery such as pumps, engines, and gearboxes. Proactive oil maintenance techniques such as the off-line oil sampling for laboratory analysis are not only costly but are also susceptible to various influences during the oil sampling, transportation and testing. In this study, an on-line oil condition monitoring system is presented with an integrated predictive prognostic scheme, describing the evolution in time of the identified fault indicators for purposes of estimating the remaining useful life of oil in real-time inside the gearbox. The proposed methodology facilitates on-demand gearbox maintenance rather than …

Towards Multipurpose Readability Assessment, Ion Madrazo

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Readability refers to the ease with which a reader can understand a text. Automatic readability assessment has been widely studied over the past 50 years. However, most of the studies focus on the development of tools that apply either to a single language, domain, or document type. This supposes duplicate efforts for both developers, who need to integrate multiple tools in their systems, and final users, who have to deal with incompatibilities among the readability scales of different tools. In this manuscript, we present MultiRead, a multipurpose readability assessment tool capable of predicting the reading difficulty of texts of varied …

Integrated Circuit Design For Hybrid Optoelectronic Interconnects, Kehan Zhu

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on high-speed circuit design for the integration of hybrid optoelectronic interconnects. It bridges the gap between electronic circuit design and optical device design by seamlessly incorporating the compact Verilog-A model for optical components into the SPICE-like simulation environment, such as the Cadence design tool.

Optical components fabricated in the IME 130nm SOI CMOS process are characterized. Corresponding compact Verilog-A models for Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) device are developed. With this approach, electro-optical co-design and hybrid simulation are made possible.

The developed optical models are used for analyzing the system-level specifications of an MZM based optoelectronic transceiver link. Link …

Estimating Length Statistics Of Aggregate Fried Potato Product Via Electromagnetic Radiation Attenuation, Jesse Lovitt

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This work investigates the feasibility of using non-destructive testing, in particular radiation tomography, to recover length statistics from aggregates of fried batonnet cut potato. Non-destructive testing comprises a variety of useful techniques for determining properties of an object that might otherwise require altering or destroying the object physically. Tomography is a common form of non-destructive testing used primarily to infer properties internal to an object. This process involves exposing the object of interest to radiation and detecting the quantity of radiation energy that penetrates the object, usually resulting in a grey scale image.

To do this, an artificial data pipeline …

Examining The Influence Of Number Line Fraction Task Characteristics On Student Work, Sharlee Hatch

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Research supports the claim that classrooms with teachers who respond to student thinking in the mathematics classroom will see greater student gains and student success (Lamon, 1996; Sleep & Boerst, 2012). The topic of fractions is both difficult to teach and learn, but has important implications on future success in mathematics and in life. This study set out to explore the ways in which student work is influenced by characteristics of number line fraction tasks. By examining task type, number line structure, and number choice this study shares the way these task characteristics influenced student strategies. The relationship between task …

Focus Structures In Copala Triqui, Zena Zimmerglass

Linguistics

The purpose of this research is to identify the techniques used by speakers of Copala Triqui to focus one or more constituents in a sentence. Copala Triqui is a native Mexican language originating in the region that is now San Juan Copala, Mexico. In this experiment, we tested for five types of focus: broad focus, subject focus, object focus, contrastive subject focus, and contrastive object focus. We captured these patterns by having speakers answer Triqui questions that elicited the appropriate type of focus. We found that some focused sentences allow for deviations in word order from non-focused or broad-focused ones. …

Reproductive Ecology Of Greater Sage-Grouse In Strawberry Valley, Utah, Jared Jeffrey Baxter

Theses and Dissertations

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter, sage-grouse) are a species of conservation concern in the rangelands of western North America due to their dramatic decline over the last half century. Effective conservation and management of sensitive species requires an understanding of how species respond to management actions. We examined two aspects of the reproductive phases of sage-grouse: nest predation, and habitat selection by female sage-grouse with chicks. In Chapter 1, we developed resource selection functions to assess the influence of mechanical treatments of mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata vaseyana) on habitat selection by greater sage-grouse with chicks. …

Cesa-Ces Newsletter- December 2016, Cesa Staff

Counselor Education Student Association Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Higher Education Perspectives: The Role Magic The Gathering Plays In Whole-Person, Academic, And Career Development, Bob Ellsworth Lynch

Dissertations

Games contribute to the whole-person, academic, and career development of collegeaged individuals (Alderman, 2015). However, many higher-education institutions do not sponsor gaming as a collegiate extracurricular activity, thereby possibly eliminating the opportunity of an all-inclusive environment (Alderman, 2015). To elucidate the problem, Astin and Antonio’s (2012) I-E-O model was engaged as conceptual framework for college-aged individuals’ perception of Magic the Gathering’s role in their whole-person, academic, and career development. The purpose of the study was to employ Magic the Gathering as the input; higher-education institutions as the environment; and wholeperson, academic, and career development as the outcome. Descriptive survey data …

If Rumors Were Horses, Katina Strauch

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

Feasibility Of Friction Stir Processing (Fsp) As A Method Of Healing Cracks In Irradiated 304l Stainless Steels, Cameron Cornelius Gunter

Theses and Dissertations

The current US fleet of nuclear reactors has been in service for three decades. Over this period, existing welds in stainless steel (SS) shrouds have sustained stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and are in need of repair. Additionally, helium has formed interstitially as a byproduct of proton bombardment. Current repair technology, such as TIG welding, puts extreme amounts of heat into the material and allows for interstitial helium atoms to aggregate and form bubbles/voids at grain boundaries. This significantly weakens the material, proving to be a very counterproductive and ineffective repair technique. Much study has been done on friction stir processing …

Development Of A Performance-Based Procedure For Assessment Of Liquefaction-Induced Free-Field Settlements, Brian David Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

Liquefaction-induced settlement can cause significant damage to structures and infrastructure in the wake of a seismic event. Predicting settlement is an essential component of a comprehensive seismic design. The inherent uncertainty associated with seismic events makes the accurate prediction of settlement difficult. While several methods of assessing seismic hazards exist, perhaps the most promising is performance-based earthquake engineering, a framework presented by the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research (PEER) Center. The PEER framework incorporates probability theory to generate a comprehensive seismic hazard analysis. Two settlement estimation methods are incorporated into the PEER framework to create a fully probabilistic settlement estimation procedure. …

Submerged Jump Remediation At Low-Head Dams: The Multiple Staggered Deflector Design, Ronald Francis Mcghin

Theses and Dissertations

Low-head dams are capable of creating dangerous counter-currents just downstream from the structure. These dangerous counter-currents are known as submerged hydraulic jumps and are responsible for hundreds of fatalities at numerous low-head dams across the United States. The counter-current creates high upstream-directed surface velocities across the width of the channel, making it nearly impossible for an individual to escape. This submerged jump can occur during a range of upstream and downstream conditions. Effective, safe and low-cost remediation options must be explored in order to prevent further fatalities at these structures. This document explores such a remediation option: the Multiple Staggered …

Comparison Of Simulation And Hands-On Labs In Helping High School Students Learn Physics Concepts, Matthew Charles Rytting

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the research was to determine whether PhET simulation labs or hands-on labs were more effective in helping students learn physics concepts. This measure was done by comparing quiz scores using recall, calculation, and transfer questions. Additionally, student perceptions of learning from both hands-on and simulation lab experiences were measured. Six labs were conducted with high school physics students on the topics of momentum, energy, circuits, angular momentum, pendulums, and friction. It was found that PhET simulation labs were as effective at creating student understanding, and sometimes more effective, as measured by quizzes given after the labs. Additionally, …

The Effects Of Experimental Anterior Knee Pain On Bilateral Ground Reaction Forces During Running, Emily Rachel Cronk

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the independent effects of anterior knee pain (AKP) on bilateral ground reaction force (GRF) during running, with a focus on GRF applied to the uninvolved leg, which, prior to this study, had never been evaluated. Twelve volunteers completed three data collection sessions, that corresponded to one of three conditions (control, sham, and pain), in a counterbalanced order. For each session, subjects ran for five minutes. For the pain and sham sessions, respectively, hypertonic and isotonic saline were infused into the infrapatellar fat pad of the right leg during the running, while no …

A Framework For Evaluating Recommender Systems, Michael Gabriel Bean

Theses and Dissertations

Prior research on text collections of religious documents has demonstrated that viable recommender systems in the area are lacking, if not non-existent, for some datasets. For example, both www.LDS.org and scriptures.byu.edu are websites designed for religious use. Although they provide users with the ability to search for documents based on keywords, they do not provide the ability to discover documents based on similarity. Consequently, these systems would greatly benefit from a recommender system. This work provides a framework for evaluating recommender systems and is flexible enough for use with either website. Such a framework would identify the best recommender system …

Development Of Highly Variable Microsatellite Markers For The Tetraploid Silene Stellata (Caryophyllaceae), Juannan Zhou, Michele R. Dudash, Charles B. Fenster, Elizabeth A. Zimmer

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Premise of the study:We designed and tested microsatellite markers for the North American native species Silene stellata (Caryophyllaceae) to investigate its population genetic structure and identify selection on floral design through male reproductive success.

Methods and Results: A total of 153 candidate microsatellite loci were isolated based on next-generation sequencing. We identified 18 polymorphic microsatellite loci in three populations of S. stellata, with di- or trinucleotide repeats. Genotyping results showed the number of alleles per locus ranged from six to 45 and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.511 to 0.951. Five of these loci were successfully amplified in S. …

The Effects Of Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams In Three Art Classrooms, Melanie April Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

Challenging and disruptive student behavior is a major concern for all teachers, including those who teach art. Unfortunately, there is a lack of research and resources available for art teachers to manage student behavior. School-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) is a framework that has been shown to improve student behavior. Class-wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) is an intervention that utilizes SWPBS principles including group contingency, social skills instruction, teacher praise, and positive reinforcement and has been shown to be effective in general education classrooms. This is the first study of CW-FIT in elementary art classrooms and examined the effects of …

The Ability Of Six Children With Language Impairment To Generate Stories From Pictured Stimuli: A Pilot Study, Molly Roxanne Alldredge

Theses and Dissertations

Narrative production and comprehension is a difficult task for children with language impairment (LI). Their stories are typically shorter and contain more grammatical errors than the stories of typically developing age-matched peers. This pilot study describes the abilities of six children with LI to produce stories from pictured stimuli. Stories were elicited from each child during a 10-week period. Stimulus pictures and coding procedures from the Edmonton Narrative Norms Instrument were employed to analyze the participants' story grammar (SG). Eight SG elements were assessed including character introduction, setting, initiating event (IE), internal response (IR), internal plan (IP), attempt, and outcome. …

Task-Level Feedback In Interactive Learning Enivonments Using A Rules Based Grading Engine, John Shadrack Chapman

Theses and Dissertations

In order to improve the feedback an intelligent tutoring system provides, the grading engine needs to do more than simply indicate whether a student gives a correct answer or not. Good feedback must provide actionable information with diagnostic value. This means the grading system must be able to determine what knowledge gap or misconception may have caused the student to answer a question incorrectly. This research evaluated the quality of a rules-based grading engine in an automated online homework system by comparing grading engine scores with manually graded scores. The research sought to improve the grading engine by assessing student …

The Influence Of Online English Language Instruction On Esl Learners' Fluency Development, Rebecca Aaron

Theses and Dissertations

The number of students participating in online-based instruction has grown steadily over the past decade as improvements in Internet availability, speed, and bandwidth have enabled students from around the world to enroll in online courses rather than participate in onsite traditional college courses. Online courses have also provided educational opportunities for language learners that are more convenient and cost effective. With the growth occurring in online instruction, it is critical to ask about the effectiveness of online English language learning. Even though this type of instructional medium has been available for more than a decade, there has been little empirical …

Evolvability And Excess Capability As A Response To Uncertain And Future Requirements, Jeffrey Douglas Allen

Theses and Dissertations

Product and system designers face many challenges in the modern world. Designing products that will be subject to emerging or uncertain requirements can be one of the most significant of these challenges. A major risk associated with emerging or uncertain requirements is premature obsolescence. Large-scale, complex engineered systems, such as, aircraft, spacecraft, large seagoing vessels, communication and power systems are especially susceptible to this issue. However, this challenge is not limited to only large-scale complex systems. Even relatively simple products can suffer from premature obsolescence and even failure to be initially accepted, due to inadequately understood or changing requirements. One …

Extending Time Until Failure During Leaking In Inflatable, Pneumatically Actuated Soft Robots, Joshua Parker Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

Soft robots and particularly inflatable robots are of interest because they are lightweight, compact, robust to impact, and can interact with humans and their environment relatively safely compared to rigid and heavy traditional robots. Improved safety is due to their low mass that results in low-energy collisions and their compliant, soft construction. Inflatable robots (which are a type of soft robot) are also robust to impact and have a high torque to weight ratio. As a result inflatable robots may be used for many applications such as space exploration, search and rescue, and human-robot interaction. One of the potential problems …