Digital Commons Network^™

Uav & Ugv Drone Competition (Raytheon), Christian Michael Freese, Adien Edmond Haro, Ethan Ray Andres, Sam Sakaguchi

Mechanical Engineering

Autonomous vehicles have been starting to address real-world issues through innovative technology. RTX (Raytheon) needs a way to have two autonomous vehicles, an unmanned air vehicle (UAV), and unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) reliably communicate with each other with the goal of landing and delivering a payload to designated delivery zones. This will foster creativity, innovation, and team-solving skills. Additionally, it will also promote & strengthen university relationships, evaluate top graduates, and promote corporate branding.

This report details the design process of a UAV-UGV delivery system developed for the RTX Autonomous Vehicle Competition (AVC). The system features a custom-built hexacopter UAV …

Torsional Vibration Kit Simulator (Tks), Joseph Thachet, Luca Lawson, Ryan Ota, Otis Mcloughlin

Mechanical Engineering

The goal of this project was to create torsional vibration on a shaft while limiting axial and radial vibration. To do this an eddy current brake was used to slow down a rotating shaft. The electromagnets used to create the eddy currents are able to be turned on and off at a frequency produced by a function generator. This power cycling of the electromagnets creates an alternating braking force thereby inducing torsional vibration while limiting the other two vibration types

Alibaba: Building Advanced Intellectual Property Governance For E-Commerce Marketplaces, Liang Chen, Sin Mei Cheah, Can Huang, Guoqiao Liu

Asian Management Insights

How the global e-commerce powerhouse harnessed artificial intelligence (AI) to balance innovation and intellectual property (IP) rights protection.

Machine-Checked Proofs For Correctness Guarantees In Containment Architectures, Sophie Russ

Master's Theses

Modern computing systems are increasingly susceptible to attacks at the hardware and software levels. Formal methods offer promising guarantees as to the correctness and security of systems. However, these methods tend to scale poorly and are thus insufficient to protect complex systems. Leveraging minimal amounts of trusted hardware and software to ensure the security of whole systems is a promising approach to gain the benefits of formal methods without having to overcome the scaling problem. TrustGuard realizes this approach: a containment architecture model that requires all outgoing communication from the host computer to be validated by a small, external hardware …

Topodino: Self-Supervised Topological Representation Learning For Neuronal Morphologies, Yasser Binbisher

Master's Theses

Neuronal cell types are categorized by transcriptomic identity, yet their morphological heterogeneity defies this classification. In response, researchers have adopted unsupervised graph representation learning as a tool to reveal morphological variation within single-class transcriptomic types. However, the complex geometry of neuronal morphology—especially long axons and dense dendrites—challenges graph neural networks, which struggle with message propagation across extended structures. To mitigate this, current approaches enforce sub-sampling on neuronal graphs and omit axons entirely, sacrificing critical biological features for computational efficiency. To overcome this trade-off, this thesis introduces TopoDINO, a self-supervised, topology-aware representation learning model designed to preserve the full hierarchical organization …

Exploiting Compiler-Introduced Vulnerabilities In C: A Cross-Compiler And Cross-Architecture Analysis Of Undefined Behavior, Erik Mccutchen

Master's Theses

Compilers are a critical component in generating secure software across engineering disciplines. However, languages like C that permit undefined behavior introduce a fundamental tension between the compiler’s interpretation of undefined behavior and the security of the generated code. This tension can result in security vulnerabilities that, from the programmer's perspective, are ``created'' by the compiler. The widespread use of these languages, combined with the complexity of modern optimizations and limited developer visibility into compiler behavior, makes these vulnerabilities both pervasive and difficult to detect.

Building on prior work, this thesis refines a dataset of C code snippets that exhibit Compiler-Introduced …

Frequent Itemset Mining With Tidyclust In R, Andrew D. Kerr

Master's Theses

Unsupervised learning is closely associated with clustering, however other methods fall under this umbrella such as data mining. In R, the tidyclust package provides a unified interface for clustering models, yet lacks support for data mining. This thesis addresses this gap by introducing the Apriori and ECLAT algorithms into tidyclust, with a focus on frequent itemset mining. Unlike traditional clustering models, frequent itemsets produce groupings of column variables, rather than cluster labels or partitions of observations. To address this, a novel clustering approach is proposed: items (columns) are grouped based on their ”dominant” frequent itemset. A key contribution is a …

Stability Insights From Modeling Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, Giovani Thai

Master's Theses

This thesis centers around a model for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) as it behaves under imatinib treatment, a common medication for CML patients, and the anti-leukemia immune response. The dynamics are represented with a system of nonlinear delay-differential equations first constructed by Kim et al. in 2008, capturing population changes of T-cells and various CML growth stages. We investigate stability in both the clinical and mathematical sense. Through numerical simulations, we computationally incorporate a supplementary treatment plan to determine its effectiveness in aiding immune response and medication in achieving remission and full elimination. The primary goal is to conduct a …

Situating The Statistical Legacies Of Galton And Fisher: Multi-Layered Discussions In The Mathematics Classroom, Deborah Kent, Jemma Lorenat

The Mathematics Enthusiast

When ethics requirements are confined to courses taught by non-STEM faculty, students may erroneously conclude that such considerations are at most marginal to their professional training. Primary source readings and discussion frameworks can tangibly link data analysis to questions of values within data science, computing ethics, or statistics courses. The particular cases of Sir Francis Galton and Sir Ronald Fisher—both statisticians and eugenicists—provide a rich collection of easily accessible digitized primary source material as well as a vast number of related popular and technical publications. Galton and Fisher figured centrally in the development of statistics as it is currently practiced …

Trusted Together: A Commognitive Perspective On A Primary Source Project In Multivariable Calculus, Abe Edwards

The Mathematics Enthusiast

When an instructor asks their students to read, discuss, and learn from primary historical sources as replacements for traditional textbook expositions, it requires trust both of their students and of the source authors. This article draws on the commognitive theory of learning to justify this trust. The article demonstrates how a primary source project related to Green’s Theorem can be used to both help students see that mathematical objects evolve over time, and to give students opportunities to increase their participation in the mathematical community through the adoption of new mathematical discourses.

New Methods Of Capturing Students’ Experiences With Primary Source Projects: Pioneering A Transgressive Lens, Mark Watford, Kathleen Michelle Clark, Cihan Can

The Mathematics Enthusiast

The mathematics education research landscape possesses limited examples of large-scale research regarding students’ experience with primary historical sources in the learning of mathematics at the undergraduate level. However, the field continues to investigate methods of determining how students might overcome obstacles to reach new outcomes. This article documents an exploration within the TRansforming Instruction in Undergraduate Mathematics via Primary Historical Sources (TRIUMPHS) project that combined transgressions theory and situated learning theory, thereby illuminating three components of the former—boundaries, transgressive actions, and outcomes. In this regard, we capture students’ Primary Source Project (PSP) learning experiences in Abstract Algebra courses and bring …

Axon Initial Segment Plasticity Caused By Auditory Deprivation Degrades Time Difference Sensitivity In A Model Of Neural Responses To Cochlear Implants, Anna Jing , '24, Sylvia Xi , '25, Ivan Fransazov , '24, Joshua H. Goldwyn

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Works

Synaptic and neural properties can change during periods of auditory deprivation. These changes may disrupt the computations that neurons perform. In the brainstem of chickens, auditory deprivation can lead to changes in the size and biophysics of the axon initial segment (AIS) of neurons in the sound source localization circuit. This is the phenomenon of axon initial segment (AIS) plasticity. Individuals who use cochlear implants (CIs) experience periods of hearing loss, and so we ask whether AIS plasticity in neurons of the medial superior olive (MSO), a key stage of sound location processing, would impact time difference sensitivity in the …

Sequestrichnia In Complex Ophiomorpha Isp. From Late Pleistocene Grainstones In The Bahamas, With Modern Analogue Comparisons, H. Allen Curran, Koji Seike, Bosiljka Glumac

Geosciences: Faculty Publications

An important scientific contribution of ichnological research is to expand knowledge of animal behavior through the study of trace fossils. Ophiomorpha isp. is the dominant trace fossil preserved in Late Pleistocene shallow-marine grainstones throughout the Bahama Archipelago. These large, distinctive, and complex burrows commonly display elements reflecting specialized activities. Pouchlike structures of Ophiomorpha from two Exuma sites are interpreted as sequestrichnia—in this case, chambers constructed by callichirid shrimp specifically for storage of seagrasses and algae as food resources. Two morphologies are recognized: structures with radiating arms and blunt endings, and rectangular forms with pairs of arms separated by a short …

Enhancing Energy Consumption Forecasting For Electric Vehicle Charging Stations With Time Series Dense Encoder (Tide), Amril Nazir, Abdul Khalique Shaikh, Aftab Ahmed Khan, Abdul Salam Shah, Nadia Khalique

All Works

The increasing adoption of electric vehicles has led to the installation of charging stations in various locations in major cities worldwide. This study focuses on energy consumption forecasting for Boulder, Nevada, United States electric vehicle charging stations. Efficient management of energy resources at these charging points is crucial for optimizing resource utilization and reducing charging time. While existing literature has focused on energy consumption prediction in smart homes and grids, the significance of electric charging points in smart cities must be considered. The transformers have handled time series forecasting better with larger datasets like the Temporal Fusion Transformer and the …

Isotope Production Modeling In Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors, Aaron W. Burkhardt

Theses and Dissertations

The accurate prediction of isotopic compositions in Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors (SFRs) is essential for nuclear forensic analyses and international nuclear treaty monitoring, particularly with the increased global deployment of Generation-IV reactors. This research developed and validated a detailed computational model tailored specifically to the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR), employing advanced Monte Carlo neutron transport methods, sophisticated burnup modeling, and variance reduction techniques. Validation against empirical data from the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II confirmed the model’s accuracy, producing a comprehensive database of isotopic compositions across 301 assembly locations and 580 isotopes through the reactor’s initial operation and equilibrium cycle. The model …

A Parallel Fuzzy Logic Framework For Surgical Skill Evaluation Via Instance Segmentation And Deepsort Tracking, Mohsen M. Mohaidat

Dissertations

Manual evaluation of suturing skills during laparoscopic training is often subjective and labor-intensive, resulting in the lack of scalable and consistent feedback for trainees. This study proposes an automated framework that not only significantly reduces the need for in-person assessment by experts but also ensures scalability, thereby addressing the objectivity and cost-effectiveness limitations. While low-cost laparoscopic box trainers have become increasingly popular for residency training, performance assessment still depends on expert supervision. The proposed system aims to alleviate these limitations.

This study introduces a novel automated framework incorporating an optimized DeepSORT algorithm for classifying, localizing, and tracking surgical tools using …

Farmnav-Uav: A Field-Ready Autonomous Uav For Tracking Static And Dynamic Trajectories In Agricultural Applications, Veera Venkata Ram Murali Krishna Rao Muvva

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study presents the design and development of a custom-built uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) tailored for precision agriculture. Unlike commercial UAVs, which are often constrained by proprietary systems and limited hardware customization, the proposed platform emphasizes modularity, upgradeability, and cost-effectiveness. The UAV is equipped with a Cube Blue flight controller for reliable low-level actuation and a Raspberry Pi 4 companion computer that executes a Model Predictive Control (MPC) algorithm for high-level trajectory optimization and stability enhancement.

Most conventional UAV autopilot systems rely on non-optimal control strategies, such as proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controllers, which can be inadequate for dynamic or resource-constrained environments. …

Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex Function In Individuals With Chronic Motion Sensitivity, Oluwaseun Ibitunde Ambode

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Objective: The purpose of this study was to 1) determine whether Vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) integrity is different between young adults with and without chronic motion sensitivity (CMS), 2) assess correlation between VOR integrity and postural stability in young adults with and without CMS; and 3) Compare postural stability across different levels of physical activity in young adults with and without CMS.

Design: A Cross-sectional study design.

Methods: Forty healthy young adult men and women (age, 20-40 years) were stratified into CMS and Non-CMS groups, VOR integrity was assessed using Bertec Vision Advantage (BVA), postural stability was assessed …

The Role Of Swarm Intelligence Systems In Shaping Urban Development Policies, Sudaff Mohammed, Wahda Shuker Al-Hinkawi, Nada Abdulmueen Hasan

Iraqi Journal of Architecture and Planning

Swarm intelligence is a nature-inspired complex system that draws from the behaviours of social creatures such as ants and birds. This system functions through simple behavioural rules enacted by autonomous, intelligent agents. Existing literature indicates that swarm intelligence possesses a wide range of principles and characteristics derived from the theories of Biomimicry, complex adaptive systems, and parametric and generative design. While the previous studies have intensively addressed the computational aspects of intelligence, a comprehensive conceptual framework is essential for analysing complex urban forms and structures. Therefore, this research develops and applies a conceptual model of swarm intelligence by examining several …

Play The Players For Winning Peace: Complexity Analytics With The Uk-Ireland Good Friday Agreement As A Case Study, Bilal M. Ayyub

New England Journal of Public Policy

This article presents an innovative framework for analyzing and resolving intractable conflicts through the lens of complexity analytics. By conceptualizing conflicts as complex adaptive systems with fractal properties, we introduce a multifaceted methodology that integrates game theory, network analysis, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence (AI) to comprehend and influence conflict dynamics across multiple scales. The approach emphasizes ‘playing the players’ rather than focusing solely on the immediate conflict situation, drawing insights from poker strategy and AI-driven decision-making processes. This strategy involves understanding the psychological profiles, risk attitudes, and decision-making patterns of key actors, allowing for more nuanced and effective interventions. …

Structural Color Pigments For Waterborne Coatings, Kyle William Liston

Master's Theses

Structural colors offer unique alternatives to conventional pigments, utilizing their microstructures to produce vibrant colors. These pigments offer an alternative source for colorants without the need for less environmentally friendly conventional pigments. In keeping with the sustainability approach, the use of waterborne coatings was chosen over solvent-based coatings. Here we report the synthesis of brushite platelet, silica supraball, and inverse opal pigments. Brushite platelets were produced through a condensation reaction, while silica supraballs were synthesized via the Stöber process and assembly was attempted using an oil-in-water emulsion. Inverse opal was produced through the templating of silica on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) …

Critical Thinking: Skill Development Framework. 2nd Edition, Jonathan Heard, Claire Scoular, Daniel Duckworth, Dara Ramalingam, Ian Teo

Assessment and Reporting

The ACER critical thinking framework addresses the challenges associated with teaching and assessing critical thinking. It synthesises and harmonises existing theory and research on critical thinking to provide a holistic perspective from which teachers can operationalise critical thinking in the classroom. The framework outlines critical thinking processes in three strands: Constructing knowledge; Evaluating ideas; and Making decisions.

Creative Thinking: Skill Development Framework. 2nd Edition, Jonathan Heard, Dara Ramalingam, Claire Scoular, Prue Anderson, Daniel Duckworth

Assessment and Reporting

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) has reviewed the extensive literature on creative thinking and developed both a definition and a framework that synthesises and harmonises existing theory and research on creative thinking. This framework has been developed to address the challenges associated with teaching and assessing creative thinking. It outlines creative thinking processes along prescribed strands and aspects informed by a sound evidentiary basis. The aspects contained within the framework are designed to provide foci for teaching and the basis of assessment. ACER’s creative thinking framework identifies key factors that underpin the development of creative thinking with a …

State And Transition Models For Mulga Rangelands Of Western Australia, Alison O'Donnell, Anna E. Richards, Suzanne Prober, Peter-Jon A. Waddell, Sarah Luxton, Ian Watson, Brett Abbott, Philip Thomas, Joshua E. Foster

Natural resources published reports

This report details a collaborative project between the Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and CSIRO that focused on developing State and Transition Models (STMs) for mulga rangelands in Western Australia. The overarching aim of the project was to improve the common understanding of the characteristics and dynamics of mulga rangeland ecosystems and the expected impacts of management. Specifically, the project aimed to collate expert knowledge and monitoring information using a nationally consistent framework to develop quantitative and dynamic STMs. The geographic scope of the project covers the extensive mulga rangelands of Western Australia, particularly the Gascoyne …

Uncovering Best Practices For Professional Learning: A Focus On Dialogic Discourse, Belinda Jaquez

Dissertations

The education system rests in a paradox with an ever-changing world and classrooms frozen in time. Though technological advancements, societal changes, and policy reforms are continuously reshaping the world, classrooms have remained anchored in traditional teaching and learning practices. This study examined the relationship between professional learning programs and the quality of classroom instruction with a focus on implementing more collaborative and dialogic approaches to both student and professional learning. This research involved a multifaceted program evaluation of the learning environment centered on the learning experiences of both students and teachers. A utilization-focused evaluation approach was implemented to ensure the …

A Phenomenological Qualitative Study Of Sense Of Community In An Inner-City Parochial School: Expanding The Seats At The Table., Mary Andree Darnall

Dissertations

St. Angela’s School is an elementary school in the Austin area of Chicago. This phenomenological qualitative study examined Sense of Community (SOC) at St. Angela’s, operationalized as “The feeling that St. Angela School is welcoming, psychologically and physically safe, that I matter, I am respected, and that I belong.” As an inner-city, parochial school, St. Angela’s has seen extensive changes in the neighborhood and the student population, both in ethnicity and enrollment. The last two principals requested a study of its SOC to identify solutions as diminished enrollment and teacher turnover have threatened its continued existence.

Thirty-three individuals …

Identifying Success Characteristics Of First-Generation College Students: A Framework For Early Intervention In K-12 Education., Christopher Harmon

Dissertations

This dissertation examines how K–12 educators can better support first-generation college students by identifying the characteristics that promote success and developing early interventions using Wagner et al.’s (2006) 4 C’s model: Competencies, Conditions, Culture, and Context. Guided by Michael Quinn Patton’s Utilization-Focused Evaluation (UFE), it closely investigates how factors such as family background, academic preparation, finances, and social support shape first-generation students’ capacity to persist and excel in college. The research draws on interviews with first-generation doctoral students, offering a detailed, first-hand account of their educational journeys from early schooling through advanced degrees. Notably, the findings highlight the importance of …

Fast Transients From Magnetic Disks Around Non-Spinning Collapsar Black Holes, Justin A. Bopp

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Most black holes (BHs) formed in collapsing stars have low spin, though some are expected to acquire a magnetic accretion disk during the collapse. While such BH disks can launch magnetically driven winds, their physics and observational signatures have remained unexplored. We present global 3D general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations of collapsing stars that form slowly spinning BHs with accretion disks. As the disk transitions to a magnetically arrested state, it drives mildly relativistic, wobbling, collimated magnetic outflows through two mechanisms: steady outflows along vertical magnetic field lines (“Blandford-Payne jets”) and magnetic flux eruptions. With isotropic-equivalent energy of E_iso ≈10 …

Nurturing The Student Voice And Its Creative Power In Mathematics Teaching And Learning: Research With Students On Emotion, Imagination, And Understanding., Luis Adolfo Zambrano

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This research in mathematics education explores the teaching and learning of mathematics at the high school and community college levels, integrating diverse research methods to examine how educators can cultivate a dynamic, collaborative, and responsive classroom climate. Framed by K. Tobin and K. Alexakos’s authentic inquiry education research framework (2020), the methodology actively engages students as co-researchers, valuing their insights and experiences as integral to the learning process. This approach fosters a meaningful dialogue on managing emotional and cognitive challenges faced by students of mathematics while identifying strategies to support and enhance students’ innate imaginative and creative capacities.

Grounded in …

Exploring The Enstatite Chondrites: Modal Abundances, Metamorphic History, And Volatile Challenges, Mabel Gray

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis investigates the formation conditions, thermal histories, and volatile inventories of enstatite chondrites (ECs). A diverse set of ECs is analyzed to capture the broad variability within this meteorite class. Chapter 1 presents a comparative analysis of mineral abundances using automated point counting, X-ray diffraction analysis, and XMapTools-based phase mapping. The results reveal significant variations in silicate and sulfide abundances across EC groups, challenging the conventional binary classification and suggesting distinct formation conditions. Chapter 2 explores the thermal histories of two highly equilibrated EH chondrites, proposing a novel formation mechanism on the parent asteroid: contact metamorphism driven by an …