Digital Commons Network^™

A "Divide-And-Conquer" Strategy For Nde Signal Inversion In Gas Transmission Pipelines, Justin Gary Bram

Theses and Dissertations

Signal inversion in nondestructive evaluation (NDE) applications is a critical step before remediation decisions are made. The accuracy and confidence of the signal inversion results therefore play a key role in evaluating the effectiveness of the NDE procedure. Conventional NDE signal inversion algorithms that employ artificial neural networks treat all geometric regions of the NDE signal equally. Consequently, when the inversion algorithm is presented with input data that is significantly different from the training data, the performance of the network deteriorates significantly. This thesis presents a superior alternative for NDE signal inversion. Different geometric regions of the NDE signature are …

Use Of Principal Component Analysis With Linear Predictive Features In Developing A Blind Snr Estimation System, Matthew James Marbach

Theses and Dissertations

Signal-to-noise ratio is an important concept in electrical communications, as it is a measurable ratio between a given transmitted signal and the inherent background noise of a transmission channel. Currently signal-to-noise ratio testing is primarily performed by using an intrusive method of comparing a corrupted signal to the original signal and giving it a score based on the comparison. However, this technique is inefficient and often impossible for practical use because it requires the original signal for comparison. A speech signal's characteristics and properties could be used to develop a non-intrusive method for determining SNR, or a method that does …

Random Feature Subspace Ensemble Based Approaches For The Analysis Of Data With Missing Features, Hussein Syed Mohammed

Theses and Dissertations

Missing data in real world applications is not an uncommon occurrence. It is not unusual for training, validation or field data to have missing features in some (or even all) of their instances, as bad sensors, failed pixels, malfunctioning equipment, unexpected noise causing signal saturation, data corruption, and so on, are all familiar scenarios in many practical applications.

In this thesis, the feasibility of an ensemble of classifiers trained on a feature subset space is investigated as an effective and practical solution for the missing feature problem. Two ensemble of classifiers approach motivated by the Random Subspace Method are proposed …

An Architecture For Intelligent Health Assessment Enabled Ieee 1451 Compliant Smart Sensors, Donald Albert Nickles

Theses and Dissertations

As systems become increasingly complex and costly, potential failure mechanisms and indicators are numerous and difficult to identify, while the cost of loss is very expensive - human lives, replacement units, and impacts to national security. In order to ensure the safety and long-term reliability of vehicles, structures, and devices attention must be directed toward the assessment and management of system health. System health is the key component that links data, information, and knowledge to action. Integrated Systems Health Management (ISHM) doctrine calls for comprehensive real-time health assessment and management of systems where the distillation of raw data into information …

Data Fusion Of Complementary Information From Parietal And Occipital Event Related Potentials For Early Diagnosis Of Alzheimer's Disease, Nicholas Stepenosky

Theses and Dissertations

The number of the elderly population affected by Alzheimer's disease is rapidly rising. The need to find an accurate, inexpensive, and non-intrusive procedure that can be made available to community healthcare providers for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is becoming an increasingly urgent public health concern. Several recent studies have looked at analyzing electroencephalogram signals through the use of many signal processing techniques. While their methods show great promise, the final outcome of these studies has been largely inconclusive. The inherent difficulty of the problem may be the cause of this outcome, but most likely it is due to …

Boosted Ensemble Algorithm Strategically Trained For The Incremental Learning Of Unbalanced Data, Michael David Muhlbaier

Theses and Dissertations

Many pattern classification problems require a solution that needs to be incrementally updated over a period of time. Incremental learning problems are often complicated by the appearance of new concept classes and unbalanced cardinality in training data. The purpose of this research is to develop an algorithm capable of incrementally learning from severely unbalanced data. This work introduces three novel ensemble based algorithms derived from the incremental learning algorithm, Learn++. Learn++.NC is designed specifically for incrementally learning New Classes through dynamically adjusting the combination weights of the classifiers' decisions. Learn++.UD handles Unbalanced Data through class-conditional voting …

Multiresolution Wavelet Analysis Of Event-Related Eeg Potentials Using Ensemble Of Classifier Data Fusion Techniques For Early Diagnosis Of Alzheimer's Disease, Apostolos Topalis

Theses and Dissertations

The recent advances and knowledge in medicine and nutrition have greatly improved our average life expectancy. An unfortunate consequence of this longer life span, however, is a dramatic increase in the number of individuals suffering from dementia, and more specifically, from Alzheimer's disease (AD). Furthermore, AD remains under-diagnosed and under-treated until its more severe stages due to lack of standard diagnostic tools available to community clinics. A search for biomarkers that will allow early diagnosis of the disease is therefore necessary to develop effective medical treatments. Such a biomarker should be non-invasive, simple to obtain, safe, inexpensive, accurate, and most …

Structuring Emperical Methods For Reuse And Efficiency In Product Development Processes, Marshall Edwin Bare

Theses and Dissertations

Product development requires that engineers have the ability to predict product performance. When product performance involves complex physics and natural phenomena, mathematical models are often insufficient to provide accurate predictions. Engineering companies compensate for this deficiency by testing prototypes to obtain empirical data that can be used in place of predictive models. The purpose of this work is to provide techniques and methods for efficient use of empirical methods in product development processes. Empirical methods involve the design and creation of prototype hardware and the testing of that hardware in controlled environments. Empirical methods represent a complete product development sub-cycle …

Assessing Perceived Marriage Education Needs And Interests Of Latino Individuals In Utah County, Utah, Iliana Snyder

Theses and Dissertations

This study utilized focus groups to assess the perceived needs and interests for marriage education among single and married Latino individuals residing in Utah County, Utah as well as the identification of common themes and differences for this population. Male and female groups at various points in the marital developmental life stage were studied including high school students (15-18 years of age), single never married young adults (19-30 years of age), committed (engaged or cohabiting) adults, married persons recently transitioning to parenting, and married people with children. The sample consisted of 10 groups, 5 female and 5 male. In addition, …

Wavefront Curvature Sensing From Image Projections, Jonathan C. Buffington

Theses and Dissertations

This research outlines the development and simulation of a signal processing approach to real time wavefront curvature sensing in adaptive optics. The signal processing approach combines vectorized Charge Coupled Device (CCD) read out with a wavefront modal estimation technique. The wavefront sensing algorithm analyzes vector projections of image intensity data to provide an estimate of the wavefront phase as a combination of several low order Zernike polynomial modes. This wavefront sensor design expands on an existing idea for vector based tilt sensing by providing the ability to compensate for additional modes. Under the proposed wavefront sensing approach, the physical wavefront …

Reconstructing Spectral Scenes Using Statistical Estimation To Enhance Space Situational Awareness, Travis F. Blake

Theses and Dissertations

A new sensor, the Advanced Electro-Optical System (AEOS) Spectral Imaging Sensor (ASIS) has been developed at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex (MSSC). ASIS is capable of collecting resolved imagery of space objects in 10's-100's of spectral bands while using an adaptive optics system. However, the stringent requirements of collecting ground-based images requires a sensor that induces spectral blurring. Post-processing algorithms to remove this blurring are required to fully exploit these spectral images. This research focuses on developing the reconstruction algorithms, based on proven estimation theories, required to spectrally deblur the images collected from ASIS. Additionally, the research will expand the …

The Piezoresistive Effect In Microflexures, Gary K. Johns

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research is to present a new model for predicting the piezoresistive effect in microflexures experiencing bending stresses. A linear model describing piezoresistivity exists for members in pure tension and compression. Extensions of this model to more complex loading conditions do not match experimental results. An accurate model of piezoresistivity in complex loading conditions would expand the design possibilities of piezoresistive devices. A new model to predict piezoresistive effects in tension, compression, and more complex loading conditions is proposed. The focus of this research is to verify a unidirectional form of this proposed model for microflexures in …

Life Stories Of Nikkeijin Seeking Better Opportunities: The Motivation Of Brazilian Immigrants In Japan, Marisa Utida Bellini

Theses and Dissertations

The immigration of Brazilian-Japanese to Japan has started as recently as the early 1980s as a result of an economic downturn in Brazil and labor shortages in Japan. In a recent study published by the Ministry of Justice in Japan, there are about 250,000 Brazilians currently working throughout Japan. Even though most of the Brazilians are second or third generation of Japanese descent, they are not fluent in Japanese, thus resulting in many cultural problems and misunderstandings. Some research has examined about the immigration of Brazilians (nikkeijin) to Japan, but none has investigated their acquisition of Japanese as a second …

Screencrayons: Using Screen Captures For Annotation And Research, Trent Alan Taufer

Theses and Dissertations

In a world full of digital information we should be able to easily collect, organize, annotate, and leverage information from many different sources. This should be easy to do and not interrupt our normal workflow. A system to support information collection and organization should be user-friendly and as unobtrusive as possible, while still allowing for flexible and intelligent annotation. It should also be able to leverage the inherent information content of a collection of annotated information. We present a system that will demonstrate how these ideas can come together to make information collection easier and more productive. The system facilitates …

Statistical Methods For Kinetic Modeling Of Fischer Tropsch Synthesis On A Supported Iron Catalyst, Brian L. Critchfield

Theses and Dissertations

Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) is a promising technology for the production of ultra-clean fuels and chemical feedstocks from biomass, coal, or natural gas. Iron catalysts are ideal for conversion of coal and biomass. However, precipitated iron catalysts used in slurry-bubble column reactors suffer from high attrition resulting in difficulty separating catalysts from product and increased slurry viscosity. Thus, development of an active and selective-supported iron catalyst to manage attrition is needed. This thesis focuses on the development of a supported iron catalyst and kinetic models of FTS on the catalyst using advanced statistical methods for experimental design and analysis. A high …

Branch Detonation Of A Pulse Detonation Engine With Flash Vaporized Jp-8, John David Slack

Theses and Dissertations

Pulse Detonation Engines (PDE) operating on liquid hydrocarbon fuels are limited to operating frequencies of 35 Hz due to long ignition times from a low energy ignition sources. This study shows ignition time of JP-8 can be nearly eliminated by igniting a thrust tube using a secondary detonation. A counter flow heat exchanger attached to a thrust tube utilized waste heat from the detonation process to heat JP-8 to supercritical conditions. The fuel flash vaporized when injected into the air stream of the engine. A detonation was produced by a spark in a 5 cm diameter, 1.37 m long tube. …

Social Withdrawal And Its Behavioral Correlates Among Chinese Preschoolers, Peixia Wu

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have recognized that social withdrawal in early childhood is a complex and multifaceted construct which includes three main observed subtypes: reticence, solitary-passive withdrawal, and solitary-active withdrawal. Each is differentially associated with children's behavioral outcomes in Western societies (e.g., United States, Canada). Furthermore, potential gender differences may exist regarding the distinct associations between non-social behavior and indices of maladjustment across boys and girls due to differential societal and cultural gender-role expectations. Previous studies suggest that subtypes of observed social withdrawal can be identified in Chinese preschoolers. It is important to examine the behavioral correlates of observed withdrawn subtypes in the …

Observation And Tracking Of Tropical Cyclones Using Resolution Enhanced Scatterometry, Richard Ryan Halterman

Theses and Dissertations

The QuikSCAT scatterometer provides global daily coverage of oceanic near-surface vector winds. Recently, algorithms have been developed to enhance the spatial resolution of QuikSCAT winds from 25~km to 2.5~km posting. These ultra-high resolution winds are used, in comparison with standard L2B data product winds, to observe and track tropical cyclones. Resolution enhanced winds are found to provide additional storm structure such as inner core size and structure and the presence of multiple eyewalls compared with standard resolution winds. The 2.5~km winds are also able to observe storms nearer to the shore than 25~km winds. An analysis of circulation center locatability …

Impact Of Foliar Fungicides On Yield And Net Returns In Soybeans, Benjamin L. Spinks

Theses and Dissertations

Field studies were conducted in 2003, 2004, and 2005 in the Mississippi delta at 12 locations across common production practices to evaluate the impact of 12 single applications of fungicides at the R3 and R5 growth stage on soybean yield, seed quality, and net returns. Averaged across locations, azoxystrobin alone and mixed with other fungicides increased yields 161 to 343 kg/ha compared to the nontreated control. Fungicide applications made at R3-R4 were more efficacious and resulted in larger yield increases than applications made at R5-R6. Plots treated at the R3-R4 growth stage with 0.11kg ai/ha azoxystrobin alone or in combination …

Installation And Instrumentation Of A Micro-Chp Demonstration Facility, Nicholas Alexander Stone

Theses and Dissertations

Micro-Cooling, Heating and Power (CHP) is the decentralized generation of electricity in which normally wasted heat is recovered for use in heating and cooling of the space. A micro-CHP demonstration facility is needed to showcase the system and allow for experiments to be performed. This thesis illustrates the steps taken for the installation and instrumentation of a Micro-CHP (Cooling, Heating, and Power) demonstration facility. Equipment sizing was performed by creating an accurate building model and performing a transient building analysis. Temperature, pressure, flow rate, and relative humidity are measured in order to determine accurate energy balances through each piece of …

Heat Transfer And Friction In Helically-Finned Tubes Using Artificial Neural Networks, Gregory J. Zdaniuk

Theses and Dissertations

The last few decades have seen a significant development of complex heat transfer enhancement geometries such as a helicallyinned tube. The arising problem is that as the fins become more complex, so does the prediction of their performance. In addition to discussing existing prediction tools, this dissertation demonstrates the successful use of artificial neural networks as a correlating method for experimentally- measured heat transfer and friction data of helicallyinned tubes.

Evaluation Of The Effects Of A Curriculum-Based Math Intervention Package With Elementary School-Age Students In A Summer Academic Clinic, Nicholas E. Hoda

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to empirically evaluate the effects of the Math to Mastery intervention package versus the effects of immediate corrective feedback with elementary school students who were performing at least one year below grade level in mathematics. Students were participants in a one-month summer academic clinic for remediation of reading, writing, and mathematics deficits held at a university in the southeastern United States. A combined-series multiple baseline design across participants was used to evaluate the effects of both interventions for gains in fluency as measured by digits correct per minute on one minute curriculum-based measurement probes. …

Monte-Carlo Simulation Of Photoproduction Of Omega Meson, Parikshit Manoj Junnarkar

Theses and Dissertations

The null result of December 2004 Sub-threshold photoproduction of J/$psi$ experiment has motivated this thesis. This monte-carlo predicts the cross-section for sub-threshold photoproduction process and provides an insight on the cross-section range of these processess. The experiment was also conducted as a calibration run for Omega and Eta mesons for the verification of correctness of experimental procedure. The results from this experiment are compared with the monte-carlo simulation for the number of omega meson events. This is primarily done as the models for photoproduction of omega meson are well tested. The monte-carlo provides satisfactory results for the photoproduction models and …

Sds-Page And Western Blotting Analyses Of Internalin A In Listeria Monocytogenes And Listeria Spp, Bang-Yuan Chen

Theses and Dissertations

Attachment strength of Listeria spp. and their InlA expression was assessed. Listeria monocytogenes 19111 exhibited the strongest attachment strength with L. monocytogenes 19115, L. grayi, L. innocua, and L. monocytogenes 7644 being the weakest. InlA expression was not detected in silver stained SDS gels but was detected in Western blotting images. Internalin A was only detected in protein extracts of L. monocytogenes 19111 and 7644 with band intensities of 50.1 and 2.5 pixels, respectively. Greater InlA expression was correlated with higher attachment strength in L. monocytogenes 19111. Listeria monocytogenes 19115 did not express InlA but it had a stronger attachment …

The Osmotic Second Virial Coefficient As A Predictor Of Protein Stability, Kusum S. Verma

Theses and Dissertations

The number of protein containing therapeutic drugs is growing day by day. Lack of proper storage conditions can cause protein degradation or aggregation. The osmotic second virial coefficient, B22, is a thermodynamic parameter, which can predict protein interaction with other proteins and solvent molecules. B22 has been successfully used as predictor of crystallization conditions for a protein in the solution, and in this study an attempt has been made to relate B22 as a predictor of stability of the protein. Static light scattering was used to measure B22 in our studies. B22 and the solubility of three proteins were measured …

Clustering Multiple Contextually Related Heterogeneous Datasets, Mahmood Hossain

Theses and Dissertations

Traditional clustering is typically based on a single feature set. In some domains, several feature sets may be available to represent the same objects, but it may not be easy to compute a useful and effective integrated feature set. We hypothesize that clustering individual datasets and then combining them using a suitable ensemble algorithm will yield better quality clusters compared to the individual clustering or clustering based on an integrated feature set. We present two classes of algorithms to address the problem of combining the results of clustering obtained from multiple related datasets where the datasets represent identical or overlapping …

Compact Modeling Of Silicon Carbide (Sic) Vertical Junction Field Effect Transistor (Vjfet) In Pspice Using Angelov Model And Pspice Simulation Of Analog Circuit Building Blocks Using Sic Vjfet Model, Siddharth Purohit

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents the development of compact model of novel silicon carbide (SiC) Vertical Junction Field Effect Transistor (VJFET) for high-power circuit simulation. An empirical Angelov model is developed for SiC VJFET in PSpice. The model is capable of accurately replicating the device behavior for the DC and Transient conditions. The model was validated against measured data obtained from devices developed by Mississippi Center for Advanced Semiconductor Prototyping at MSU and SemiSouth Laboratories. The modeling approach is based on extracting Angelov Equations Coefficients from experimental device characteristics using non linear fitting. The coefficients are extracted for different parameters (temperature, width, …

Effects Of Vasoactive Agents On The Mechanical Properties Of Aortic Heart Valve Leaflets, Rebecca Lynn Pounders Mathis

Theses and Dissertations

Heart valve disease is currently one of the leading forms of heart disease. Current literature has shown that endothelin I, angiotension II and 5-HT are vasoactive agents which cause concentration dependent contractions in aortic valve leaflet tissue. This study tested the mechanical properties of leaflets cut in the radial direction after they were exposed to the agents at varied concentrations or for 0.5, 6 or 24 hours. The elastic modulus, ultimate tensile strength and the yield strength were calculated. In the time trials the elastic modulus and the ultimate tensile strength both showed a significant increase at 24-hours. However, there …

Establishment Of Blackberries And Detection And Management Of Raspberry Crown Borer, Edward Heard

Theses and Dissertations

Evaluations of tactics for detection and management of raspberry crown borer, RCB, Pennisettia marginata (Harris) on blackberries were performed in Mississippi from January 2005 - July 2006. Randomized split plots with infested blackberries and certified nursery stock of two recommended cultivars, thorny ?Chickasaw? and thornless ?Apache? were planted. Pest management tactics targeting RCB included drenches: chemical insecticide bifenthrin, recently registered for RCB management; experimental pesticide E2Y45; and entomopathogenic nematodes Steinernema feltiae. Insect pheromones (E,Z)3-13-octadecadien-1-ol and (E,Z)3-13-octadecadien-1-yl-acetate were evaluated as RCB lures. Effects of fungicides captan, pyraclostrobin + boscalid, lime-sulfur and insecticide acetamiprid on viability and infectivity of entomopathogenic nematode species, …

Functional Role Of Recombinant Cysteine Protease On Spodoptera Frugiperda Peritrophic Matrix, Srinidi Mohan

Theses and Dissertations

Fall armyworm larvae (FAW), which are serious pests in the southern United States, show retarded growth when they feed on insect-resistant maize inbreds Mp704 and Mp708. These maize genotypes are not only resistant to FAW, but to a number of other lepidopteran pests. In these genotypes, a unique, extracellular, 33-KDa cysteine protease (Mir1-CP) rapidly accumulates in the whorl in response to insect feeding. Initial morphological studies on larvae feeding on resistant maize plants over-expressing the cysteine protease showed severe damage in insect?s first line of defense, the peritrophic matrix (PM). But it is not known whether the cysteine protease has …