Digital Commons Network^™

Autonomous Uavs For Near Earth Environmental Sensing, David J. Anthony

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are playing an increasing role in large scale environmental monitoring. Small UAVs are increasingly used to monitor agricultural fields, infrastructure projects, and disaster areas. The combination of their sensors, ease of use, and portability make them an ideal tool for collecting information on demand about geographic regions. These small UAVs do have several significant limitations. The UAVs have very limited autonomy and fly pre-determined flight paths far above the underlying terrain, limiting the spatial resolution of the collected data. Current battery technology severely limits their flight times, which in turn limits the temporal resolution of the …

Optimization Of Irrigation Decision In Cornsoywater, Dharmic Payyala

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A crop simulation model is used to estimate crop production as a function of weather conditions, soil parameters, and plant related inputs. These crop simulation models are extensively used by farmers, corporations and policy makers for agronomical planning and decision making. CornSoyWater is one such application which provides irrigation recommendation for soy and corn farmers using hybrid maize and soy sim models. As this is a simulation technology, the accuracy of results depends on the quality of data provided to it. One such important input parameter is weather data. CornSoyWater simulates field and crop conditions by retrieving the updated weather …

Semeo: A Semantic Equivalence Analysis Framework For Obfuscated Android Applications, Zhen Hu

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Software repackaging is a common approach for creating malware. In this approach, malware authors inject malicious payloads into legitimate applications; then, to ren- der security analysis more difficult, they obfuscate most or all of the code. This forces analysts to spend a large amount of effort filtering out benign obfuscated methods in order to locate potentially malicious methods for further analysis. If an effective mechanism for filtering out benign obfuscated methods were available, the number of methods that must be analyzed could be reduced, allowing analysts to be more productive. In this thesis, we introduce SEMEO, a highly effective and …

Testing The Independence Hypothesis Of Accepted Mutations For Pairs Of Adjacent Amino Acids In Protein Sequences, Jyotsna Ramanan

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Evolutionary studies usually assume that the genetic mutations are independent of each other. However, that does not imply that the observed mutations are independent of each other because it is possible that when a nucleotide is mutated, then it may be biologically beneficial if an adjacent nucleotide mutates too.

With a number of decoded genes currently available in various genome libraries and online databases, it is now possible to have a large-scale computer-based study to test whether the independence assumption holds for pairs of adjacent amino acids. Hence the independence question also arises for pairs of adjacent amino acids within …

Finding Dna Motifs: A Probabilistic Suffix Tree Approach, Abhishek Majumdar

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

We address the problem of de novo motif identification. That is, given a set of DNA sequences we try to identify motifs in the dataset without having any prior knowledge about existence of any motifs in the dataset. We propose a method based on Probabilistic Suffix Trees (PSTs) to identify fixed-length motifs from a given set of DNA sequences. Our experiments reveal that our approach successfully discovers true motifs. We compared our method with the popular MEME algorithm, and observed that it detects a larger number of correct and statistically significant motifs than MEME. Our method is highly efficient as …

The Effect Of Frequency Resolution On Intelligibility Sentence And Its Relevance To Cochlear Implant Design, Seth H. Roy

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study is to understand how electrical stimulation (as opposed to acoustical stimulation) of the auditory nerve is used in cochlear implants. Speech is a complex signal that changes rapidly in time and frequency domains. Since phonemes (the smallest unit of speech that distinguishes words) depend on nuanced differences in frequency patterns, it would be expected that a signal with drastically reduced frequency information would be of limited value for conveying speech. Such a frequency-poor signal is the object to be investigated in the present work. It is also the basis of the way speech is represented …

Microstructure And Properties Of Spark Plasma Sintered Moalb Ceramics, Ting Lou

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Molybdenum aluminum boride (MoAlB) is a ternary transition metal boride which has promising aeronautic and nuclear applications. It inheres excellent properties of the binary transitional metal borides (e.g., MoB, ZrB₂) such as high melting temperature, high hardness, and thermal conductivity. Besides, MoAlB is superior to MoB because: (1) the Al element provides an oxidation resistance at high temperatures; (2) its nanolaminated structure consisting of M-B layers with alternating Al layers results in a unique damage tolerance property. In this research, polycrystalline MoAlB have been successfully synthesized and simultaneously sintered using spark plasma sintering (SPS) from molybdenum boride (MoB) …

El Titiritero, Emma Oliver, Elaine M. Miller

The Kennesaw Tower Undergraduate Foreign Language Research Journal

In many Hispanic countries, there is a Catholic custom called “la quema de Judas,” or “the burning of Judas.” On Easter, Sunday, life-size replicas of Judas are made and burned with Fireworks or bonfires for the betrayal of Christ, a ritual to cleanse the soul. In recent decades the ritual has grown to encompass other aspects of the community, and it is now natural to see dolls in the likeness of corrupt political figures publically set on fire. In the 16th century, the Spanish brought the “gift” of Catholicism, from which this ritual stems, to Mexico’s indigenous peoples. With the …

La Corrupción En Venezuela: “Una Pérdida Total De La Moralidad”, Sahara Khan

The Kennesaw Tower Undergraduate Foreign Language Research Journal

Acknowledging the rampant political corruption that has persisted in Venezuela for decades, this paper contrasts two theories of its source: the “elite” culture of the Venezuelan populace and the “democratic socialist” government structure through a literature review supplemented by an interview with Venezuelan refugees. By analyzing political theories by various authors and compiling historical information, this paper concludes that the political theory of populism (also known as functionalist theory) accurately combines cultural and governmental perspectives, providing the most comprehensive reason for Venezuelan corruption. Furthermore, the theory of populism also explains the dynamics of social psychology that contributed to the moral …

An Evaluation Of The Relationships Between Safety Management System Intiatives, Transformational Safety Leadership, Self-Efficacy, Safety Behavior And Safety Related Events Mediated By Safety Motivation In Collegiate Aviation, Daniel Kwasi Adjekum

Theses and Dissertations

The study conceptualized Safety Management System (SMS) initiative, self-efficacy, and transformational safety leadership as constructs that relates to safety behavior (measured by safety compliance and safety participation) when mediated by safety motivation using a concurrent-triangulation approach. The study also evaluated the relationship between safety behavior and safety -related events. Structural equation modeling techniques was used to derive a final measurement model that fit the empirical data and was used to test the study hypotheses. Utilizing a sample of 282 collegiate flight students and instructors from a large public university, a 46-item survey was conducted to measure respondent’s perceptions on the …

A Mixed Method Approach To Collegiate Aviation Risk Assessment For Dual Cross-Country Flights At The John D. Odegard School Of Aerospace Sciences, Paula Renee Carlson

Theses and Dissertations

Risk is unavoidable within aviation. It is not possible to eliminate all risks, but rather to mitigate risks and the potential outcomes that a risk could cause to occur. The University of North Dakota utilizes a risk assessment form that is potentially inadequate in its ability to properly assess the risk of a flight as compared to the risk perceived by the pilots that will conduct the flight. The purpose of this study was to create a more accurate preflight risk assessment form to evaluate the potential risks that could occur on a cross-country training flight and to determine the …

Miocene-Pliocene Strike-Slip Basin Development Along The Denali Fault System In The Eastern Alaska Range: Chronostratigraphy And Provenance Of The Mccallum Formation And Implications For Displacement, Wai Kehadeezbah Allen

Open Access Theses

The Denali fault system represents one of the major strike-slip faults in North America but very little is known about the amount and timing of displacement on this 2000-km-long structure. The 7.9 M 2002 Denali Earthquake emphasized the importance of this fault system for understanding the deformational record of the upper plate of the southern Alaska convergent margin. Our analysis of the Miocene-Pliocene McCallum Formation located along the east-central part of the Denali fault provides one of the few records for Neogene displacement as well as changes in surface and basin processes related to tectonic transport. We have established a …

Using Academic And Learning Analytics To Explore Student Success In An Online Graduate Program In Communication, Megan N. Bergman

Open Access Theses

Fueled by the increase in data associated with the use of learning management systems, scholars and practitioners alike have been trying to explain and predict student success; yet the use of data analytic methods (academic and learning analytics) in higher education has created challenges and shortcomings for those who wish to adopt learning and academic analytics practices for their institution or program. Very little is known about either online education, particularly in the field of communication, as well as in online graduate and professional degree programs in any field from a learning and academic analytics perspective. This work reviews the …

Assessing Fuel Burn Inefficiencies In Oceanic Airspace, Stephen Builta

Open Access Theses

Increasing the efficiency of aircraft operations offers a shorter term solution to decreasing aircraft fuel burn than fleet replacement. By estimating the current airspace inefficiency, we can get an idea of the upper limit of savings. Oceanic airspace presents a unique opportunity for savings due to increased separation differences vs. overland flight.

We assess fuel burn inefficiency by comparing estimated fuel burn for real world flights with the estimated optimal fuel burn. For computing fuel burn, we use the Base of Aircraft Data (BADA) with corrections based on research by Yoder (2005). Our fuel burn results show general agreement with …

Multimedia Techniques For Construction Education And Training, Wayne A. Bunnell

Open Access Theses

The current profession of civil engineering often focuses education and training on code compliance rather than constructability and construction techniques. Also, it is well accepted that it takes a decade or more for engineers to develop a high-level project construction understanding and many state departments of transportation rely on in-field training for entry-level inspectors, with little or no education provisions for contractors. This research investigated the use of time-lapse photography to develop training and education material that will improve the understanding of project construction and crucial quality control specifications of an entry-level engineer, contractor, or inspector. Overall, the project team …

Prevalence And Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns Of Salmonella Isolated From Poultry Farms, Carmen G. Velasquez Moreno

Open Access Theses

Antimicrobial agents are used in human medicine to treat infections by inhibiting the growth of bacteria. The same or similar drugs are used in in food-producing animals for therapeutic and sub-therapeutic purposes. Antimicrobial resistant bacteria that develop on farms are a public health risk as these organisms may contribute to treatment failures in infected humans. The main objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of Salmonella isolated from poultry farms in two different seasons to evaluate the effect of recommended biosecurity practices. Specifically, we identified Salmonella serotypes, measured antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and characterized AMR patterns. We hypothesized that …

Size Scaling Of Strength And Toughness For 3d Printed Polymer Specimens, Darren Thomas Bell

Open Access Theses

To find material systems that offer low density and high strength, stiffness or toughness, hierarchically designed material systems have provided a promising research area. This thesis lays the groundwork for designing efficient micro-architectured material systems by characterizing size effects for 3d printed polymer parts. Two methods were used to analyze data from 3-point bend tests for specimens of varying size: the load-separation method was used for finding the point of crack growth initiation and Bazant’s method was used to find shape independent strength at failure. The strength values were used as inputs for finding size independent material constants within a …

Antibacterial Activity Of Essential Oil Encapsulated Sodium Iota-Carrageenan Fibers, Carlos D. Carter

Open Access Theses

Spoilage microorganisms cause food waste and loss of quality. While the foodborne pathogen outbreaks lead to thousands of hospitalizations and deaths. Essential oils (EOs), plant extracts, possess the required antimicrobial activities and thus their usage stands out as a feasible approach for controlling the undesirable bacterial growth in food systems. However, EOs are highly volatile and lose their activity upon exposure to environmental conditions. In this regard, their encapsulation in Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) matrices such as food grade polysaccharides especially iota-carrageenan could be one of the viable alternatives. Iota-carrageenan, sulfated polysaccharide from marine algae, is being used in …

Investigation Of Ambient Seismic Noise Using Seismic Interferometry In The Midwestern United States, Joshua Dakota Boschelli

Open Access Theses

The portion of the North American craton occupied by the Midwestern United States is a cratonic platform, where a veneer of Phanerozoic sedimentary strata buries the Precambrian basement up to 7 km. Due to the sediment cover and low topographic relief, the at depth structure of the region remains poorly understood. This region is of particular interest because over the past half-billion years tectonic forces have resulted in the formation of epeirogenic provinces in a stable cratonic interior. Using the OIINK flexible seismic array and the Earthscope Transportable Array, Ambient Seismic Noise Tomography was applied to investigate the crustal structure …

Mechanism Of Shot Peening Enhancement For The Fatigue Performance Of Aa7050-T7451, Daniel James Chadwick

Open Access Theses

Shot peening is a dynamic cold working process involving the impingement of peening media onto a substrate surface. Shot peening is commonly employed as a surface treatment technique within the aerospace industry during manufacturing, in order to improve fatigue performance of structural components. The compressive residual stress induced during shot peening is understood to result in fatigue crack growth retardation, improving the performance of shot peened components. However, shot peening is a compromise between the benefit of inducing a compressive residual stress and causing detrimental surface damage. Due to the relatively soft nature of AA7050-T7451, shot peening can result in …

Printing 3d Lithium-Ion Microbattery Using Stereolithography, Qiming Chen

Open Access Theses

Microbatteries have been gained a lot of importance since the development of micro- and nanotechnologies. Integrating the microbattery system will enable a variety of applications, such as implantable biomedical devices and wireless sensor networks. In this paper, we demonstrated a new method to fabricate three dimensional lithium-ion microbattery using stereolithiography. A UV-curable gel polymer electrolyte resin is first synthesized and characterized. The electrolyte resin is then applied to build into 3D architecture by stereolithography. The gel electrolyte structure is designed into a zigzag shape in order to improve the contact area between electrode and electrolyte. Battery's active material, LiFePO4 (LFP) …

Lightcraft Previzion In Distance Education, Perry L. Cox

Open Access Theses

Visual Effects has continued to progress at an astonishing rate and green screen technology can be seen in all aspects of the video industry from Hollywood blockbusters down to training videos and distance education.

As video technology has increased, so has the quality and capability of distance education. Purdue University has set itself to be at the forefront of distance education. This study looked to evaluate Purdue's investment in the Lightcraft Technology's Previzion system and its impact on distance education at Purdue. There were 65 initial participants and this study compared the impact of two separate videos on their learning. …

Tangible Interaction As An Aid For Object Navigation In 3d Modeling, Sanmathi Dangeti

Open Access Theses

This study introduced an interaction technique that used tangible interaction for 3D modeling. A hybrid interaction technique using a Kinect camera and a smartphone with a gyroscope was developed for the navigating objects in a 3D modeling software. It was then tested on 20 participants categorized as amateurs who had basic 3D/ CAD modeling experience and 20 participants categorized as the experts who had extensive experience working with the modeling software. This research study presents the need for existence of such interaction technique, gaps from the related previous studies, statistical findings from the current study and possible reasons for the …

Taming Tail Latency For Erasure-Coded, Distributed Storage Systems, Jingxian Fan

Open Access Theses

Nowadays, in distributed storage systems, long tails of responsible time are of particular concern. Modern large companies like Bing, Facebook and Amazon Web Service show that 99.9th percentile response times being orders of magnitude worse than the mean. With the advantages of maintaining high data reliability and ensur- ing enough space eciency, erasure code has become a popular storage method in distributed storage systems. However, due to the lack of mathematical models for analyzing erasure-coded based distributed storage systems, taming tail latency is still an open problem.

In this research, we quantify tail latency in such systems by deriving a …

An Investigation Of Composite Failure Analyses And Damage Evolution In Finite Element Models, Ann M. Frappier

Open Access Theses

This paper presents a composite conical structure used commonly in flight-qualification testing. This structure’s overall load-displacement behavioral response is characterized. Mixed-mode multidelamination in a layered composite specimen is considered in Abaqus/Explicit through both the Virtual Crack Closure Technique and Cohesive Elements. The Virtual Crack Closure Technique and Cohesive Elements are compared against experimental test results presented in literature. Further, a thorough comparison in which the effects of failure criteria type, through-thickness mesh density, and finite element type on the progressive failure response of this composite assembly is discussed. Lastly, Abaqus/Standard and Helius PFA are compared in order to gain confidence …

Uncertainty Quantification On Industrial High Pressure Die Casting Process, Jiahong Fu

Open Access Theses

High pressure die casting (HPDC) is a famous manufacturing technology in industry. This manufacturing process is simulated by commercial code to shed the light on the quality of casting product. The casting product quality might be affected by the uncertainty in the simulation parameter settings. Thus, the uncertainty quantification on HPDC process is significant to improve the casting quality and the manufacturing efficiency.

In this work, three uncertainty quantifications and sensitivity analyses on the A380 aluminum alloy HPDC process of intermediate speed plate are performed. The material thermophysical properties, boundary conditions of the model, and operational as well as artificial …

Thermal Transport In Lithium Ion Batteries: An Experimental Investigation Of Interfaces And Granular Materials, Aalok Jaisheela Uday Gaitonde

Open Access Theses

Increasing usage and recent accidents due to lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries exploding or catching on fire has inspired research on the characterization and thermal management of these batteries. In cylindrical 18650 cells, heat generated during the battery's charge/discharge cycle is poorly dissipated to the surrounding through its metallic case due to the poor thermal conductivity of the jelly roll, which is spirally wound with many interfaces between electrodes and the polymeric separator. This work presents a technique to measure the thermal conduction across the metallic case-plastic separator interface, which ultimately limits heat transfer out of the jelly roll.

The polymeric separator …

Mitigating Conflict: A Human Dimensions Analysis Of Mesopredators And Their Management, Zoe Elizabeth Glas

Open Access Theses

Recent research on species that are both uncommon and unfamiliar to the public has shown that wildlife value theory may not be applicable to the management of all species. This stands in contrast to studies on charismatic megafauna like deer, bear and elk, in which wildlife value orientations could be used to predict the acceptability of various management actions. To further evaluate this phenomena, this study presents the findings of a survey of Indiana residents evaluating 1) the applicability of wildlife value theory to mesopredators, which are common and well known, but not charismatic megafauna, and 2) factors that may …

Design Of Nitroxide-Based Radical Polymer Materials For Electronic Applications, Martha E. Hay

Open Access Theses

Radical polymers represent a new class of organic electronic materials that rely on an oxidation-reduction (redox) reaction to transport charge. That is, stable radical sites pendant to the polymer backbone communicate electronically through a rapid oxidation-reduction reaction. This redox mechanism has previously been established as effective for charge-storage applications (e.g., secondary batteries). When applied in the solid state, radical polymers demonstrate electrical conductivity on par with that of first-generation conjugated polymer electronic materials. This initial success has prompted interest in developing design rules for radical polymers. Specifically, this thesis explores the impact of radical density in a polymer …

Development And Initial Validation Of A Culturally Responsive Classroom Climate Scale, Horane A. Holgate

Open Access Theses

This study describes the development and initial validation for a measure of a culturally responsive classroom climate in postsecondary classrooms. By examining multiple frameworks of culturally responsive teaching four factors were identified as representing cultural responsiveness in the classroom: inclusiveness, cultural inclusion, diverse language and diverse pedagogy. Using these factors and conceptual definitions a survey measure was developed and the overall factor structure and reliability of the measure examined using Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The results provide evidence for a second order factor model with cultural responsiveness as a higher order construct represented by four factors. The results are …