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A Critical Analysis of the Graduate Socialization of Racially Minoritized School Psychology Students
No full textBy centering the voices of racially/ethnically minoritized school psychology graduate students I sought to understand how racially minoritized individuals experience their socialization process into the field, to critique and expose oppressive structures in place in their graduate programs, and to utilize garnered information to provide implications to address and dismantle oppressive structure within school psychology programs. Additionally, I sought to provide insight for school psychology training programs by identifying antiracist practices that minoritized graduate students view as supports in their training programs. Participants were eight racial/ethnic minoritized graduate students who participated in one to two virtual interviews discussing their experiences in their school psychology graduate programs. I used constant comparative analysis to derive themes from these interviews. When describing their graduate school socialization, participants described common themes of isolation and community, educational labor and taking on the role of the spokesperson, and the emotional labor of being a minoritized student. Four themes were discovered when exploring participant’s expression of their program’s perpetuation of oppressive structures (1) neglecting social justice (2) universal expectations for professionalism, (3) interactions with faculty, and (4) White fragility. Three themes were identified as perceived supports among participants: (1) representation in faculty and peers, (2) creating spaces, (3) faculty support and disclosure. Implications for research and practice are discussed
On the Performance Enhancement of Beamspace MIMO and Non-orthogonal Multiple Access for Future Cellular Networks
No full textThe ever-growing demand for higher data rates and greater data capacity at lower cost has led the mobile cellular industry to investigate new physical layer techniques and possible utilization of unused spectrums at higher frequencies for next-generation cellular networks. Thus, exploitation of the millimeter-wave (mmWave) spectrum and non-orthogonal multiple-access (NOMA) have been envisioned as the most promising enablers in meeting capacity demand. Due to the smaller wavelengths offered in mmWave frequencies, it is possible to deploy many antennas into a relatively smaller physical space in mmWave frequencies. This property leads to a promising integration between mmWave and massive multiple-input multiple-output (M-MIMO) architecture to surmount the severe free-space pathloss thanks to the high directional beamforming gain. MmWave M-MIMO also offers significantly improved spectral efficiency by allowing simultaneous transmission of multiple data streams and utilizing the abundant and large bandwidth. However, conventional digital precoding causes excessive power consumption and hardware cost when directly adopted for mmWave M-MIMO since each antenna element necessitates its own radio-frequency (RF) chain. This problem can be addressed by beamspace MIMO (B-MIMO) because it can reduce the required RF chain by taking advantage of inherent sparsity in mmWave channels and applying a proper beam selection. On the other hand, NOMA enhances spectral efficiency by multiplexing multiple users\u27 signals in the power domain using the same time and frequency resources, where the detection of multiple users\u27 signals is performed by successive interference cancellation (SIC).
The research has concentrated on the beam selection problem, precoding design in B-MIMO, and spectral/energy efficiency enhancement in mmWave M-MIMO and NOMA. Specifically, the dissertation addresses the following:
First, we investigate the complexity reduction of the existing beam selection algorithms with incremental QR precoder (I-QR-P) and decremental QR precoder (D-QR-P). The proposed two-stage and three-stage algorithms reduce the complexity of D-QR-P and I-QR-P, respectively. Both aim to lower complexity by decreasing the candidate beam size by eliminating the beams with no contribution to any user and using matrix perturbation theory to update QR decompositions.
Second, we propose a hybrid precoding algorithm for the lens antenna subarray (LAS)-MIMO architecture in mmWave to control the LAS design efficiently. The precoding problem is formulated as a sparse reconstruction problem due to the inherent sparsity of the mmWave channel. The proposed algorithm is an iterative process developed jointly using artificial bee colony (ABC) optimization with orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) algorithms. In each iteration, the algorithm randomly selects the switches for each lens using ABC and then uses OMP to approximate optimal unconstrained precoders.
Third, we investigate the spectral efficiency and energy efficiency tradeoff in downlink NOMA with the consideration of the quality of service (QoS) requirements. The non-convex multi-objective optimization problems are solved using population-based multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs).
Finally, we propose an algorithm for the user-cell association problem in M-MIMO ultra-dense heterogeneous networks (UDHNs)., where the spectral and energy efficiency tradeoff is addressed. To this end, we formulate a convex multi-objective optimization problem and convert it into a single objective optimization problem where a priority is assigned for the spectral efficiency and energy efficiency with a weighting factor. The problem aims to maximize the weighted sum of spectral efficiency and energy efficiency. As a solution, Lagrange duality analysis is performed, and a distributed game theoretical user-cell association (GTUCA) algorithm is developed, considering the fairness among users
Turmoil in the Workforce: Introduction of the Nomadic Employee
No full textThis phenomenological study is designed to define a “nomadic employee,” a figure who has emerged in the ever-changing labor force, and to define what drives these workers to move between companies within a short period of time (generally within a 12-month period). These nomadic employees are driving higher turnover rates and causing rising onboarding costs. Relationships between employees and their employers have changed drastically in recent decades. Business concepts have evolved, and, thus, so have employee motivations. With the introduction of the millennial generation into the workforce and the emergence of the technology revolution, workforces have transformed, again establishing the gig workforce and, now, the new nomadic employee. Disrupting employee retention rates, nomadic employees are moving from company to company to gain something they seek in their career, whether that incentive is growth, income driven, boredom, or additional creative benefits. The divide between employee and employer has grown substantially, burdening human resource groups to be more creative with enticing employees and maintaining the company’s human capital. Maintaining human capital is integral to a company’s success or failure. The inevitable predicament of employee gratification and employer dedication has changed the face of today’s workforce. Fighting the battle of employee retention, employers are finding creative ways to entice and retain employees by offering new benefits such as sleeping pods and healthy snacks. However, this study conducted a qualitative study concerning what drivers are influencing nomadic employees to transition between companies within a year of being hired. Using qualitative measures and semi-structured individual interviews of workforce members, this study analyzed trends that define the incentive to change jobs within a short period of time. Factors including changing business practices, the introduction of newer generations of workforces, and the evolution of the technology revolution, in particular, potentially could be driving unprecedented employee turnover, causing production loss, and increasing onboarding costs. Devotion to the company evaporated with the emergence of the nomadic employee, who has a primary objective of self-satisfaction and growth. This new, as of yet undefined, type of employee emerging from the rubble of a diminishing version of corporate America could be propelling us into a new workforce that the employee, rather than the employer, drives
Human Spacesuit Interaction during EVA of the Legs Using a Force Sensing System
No full textAstronauts perform a multitude of tasks in space, both in the spacecraft and outside of the spacecraft. Extravehicular Activity (EVA) refers to any activity that is completed outside of the spacecraft, whether it is work on the actual spacecraft, spacewalks, or conducting sample collections on other planets and moons. To do this safely, a pressurized Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) or commonly known as the spacesuit is used. There have been multiple iterations of the United States EMU with advances to further optimize the astronaut safety and EVA tasks. However, there is still relatively little information on the movement of the astronaut within their spacesuit, and how the interactions affect them. Astronauts are trained at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) on performing tasks while wearing the EMU underwater, but injury, discomfort, and limited mobility have been reported. While many of these injuries and discomfort have been observed and reported over the course for human exploration, a general understanding of the interactions and countermeasures are still in development. This project therefore aimed to contribute to the understanding of human-spacesuit interaction (HSI) particularly of the legs, including the knee and ankle area, using a force sensing system made up of force sensing resistor (FSR) sensors.
The first aim of this project was to conduct a review on previous studies to uncover any trends that were observed in terms of specific locations where injury was observed or measured. Various studies and surveys have been conducted to identify regions of the body where injury is more prominent either due to joint movement or a more rigid suit area. A literature review provided a better scope to the high contact regions, and where to place the sensors during the force sensing experiment. Furthermore, several studies have used motion capture and simulations to visualize the human movement within the spacesuit and characterize the interactions that occur. The second aim of this project was to develop a force sensing system that will be made up of Force Sensing Resistors (FSR) sensors and an Arduino Microcontroller. The system was used to take force measurements of human subjects as they performed common EVA tasks such as walking, squatting, and picking up objects while wearing a mock spacesuit over the sensors. The sensors collected interaction data that was then analyzed for percentage of time that the mock suit was in contact with the astronaut as well as force magnitude and evaluated for the risk of injury based on this value. Furthermore, the data provided an insight on the hot spot areas of the leg where contact occurred most of the time.
From this study, knee and shin interactions were documented for knee ROM, weighted and weightless squats, getting on one knee to pick up an object, and walking tasks. As expected, the knee interacted with the mock LTA in each of the tasks as the joint was bent in a high range. The front and back of the knee saw the highest amount of forces, while the sides saw moderate forces. The shin area interacted with the mock LTA during motions where the mock LTA was pulled up or taut, such as the squatting tasks. Furthermore, it was also found that the shin area can also be affected during the tasks that were isolated in the knee, such as the ROM. However, while interaction results of each task were found and analyzed, this thesis solely stood as the groundwork for human interaction studies of the lower body, as further modifications were necessary to have a successful data trial. Ultimately, the objective of this study to provide a framework for further work on the human-spacesuit interaction in the lower body as achieved, which recommendations on future work and improvements for both the study design and the system
Process Automation and Robotics Engineering for Industrial Processing Systems
No full textAutomation in industrial systems applications has emerged as the fundamental solution for improving quality, production rate, and efficiency of a process. Much of the recent popularity surrounding the transition of processes from manually operated tasks to automated systems can be attributed to the concept of Industry 4.0, which outlines the fundamental guidelines for integrating cyber-physical systems into industrial processes. Due to rapid advancement of technology in robotics and automation as well as the increase in accessibility of resources to this technology, the capability to develop automated systems has become feasible for small-scale enterprise. This work presents a two-part initiative to automate the process of an electronic component lead tinning operation proposed by an electrical component service company. In this effort, the theories of Industry 4.0 are used to analyze the current methods of the lead tinning process and develop an automated system solution that improves quality, production rate, and efficiency
Proud and Mischievous Designs: Elizabethan Propaganda of the Dutch Revolt
No full textIn the late sixteenth century, England’s political culture was engaged in a heated debate over that kingdom’s participation in the Dutch Revolt. Across the Channel, predominantly Protestant Dutch rebels had risen up in revolt against their Catholic overlord, King Philip II of Spain. The English people, linked to the Dutch by longstanding cultural, economic, and religious ties, largely sympathized with the rebels. Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester and, after his death, his stepson, Robert Deveraux, Earl of Essex, sponsored extensive campaigns of print propaganda to influence their fellow subjects to support an active English military intervention in the Revolt. They were countered both by English Catholic exiled authors and, at times, by more cautious elements at court led by William Cecil and his son, Robert Cecil. This dissertation examines the networks that produced propaganda both for and against English intervention in the Revolt along with the major themes of that propaganda. Chapters each examine a particular theme while progressing chronologically. The early chapters discuss the historic ties between England, Spain, and the Low Countries while later chapters cover propaganda produced in the 1590s when English armies were actively fighting in the Netherland
Digital fabrication of a small diameter polymer optical waveguide
No full textA novel polymer optical waveguide and method of manufacturing is presented herein. A digitally manufactured process is described which utilizes a micro-dispensed UV optical adhesive as the contour guiding cladding, a fused deposition modeling technology for creating a core, and a subtractive laser process to finish the two ends of the optical interconnect. The optical waveguide can be printed directly on a circuit board in some embodiments. Alternatively, using a slightly modified process including a step to bond the optical fiber to the substrate, the optical interconnect can be manufactured on a flexible substrate
Compositions and methods for modulating the endothelial barrier
No full textDisclosed are compositions and methods for modulating endothelial barrier function
Determining electronic component authenticity via electronic signal signature measurement
No full textExamples of determining electronic component authenticity via electronic signal signature measurement are discussed. Reference pin identifiers corresponding to pins of a known authentic electronic component are determined. Measurement values corresponding to characteristics of pins of an electronic component are obtained, and pin identifiers based on the measurement values are generated. Accordingly, an indication that the electronic component is authentic can be provided based at least in part on a comparison of the pin identifiers and the reference pin identifiers
Methods for the treatment of inflammation
No full textThe present disclosure is directed to methods for the treatment of inflammation or pain, particularly methods using compositions containing a compound of formula (I)