Digital Commons Network^™

Visualization Queries, Nicholas Del Rio, Paulo Pinheiro Da Silva

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

This paper introduces the notion of a query that describes a visualization request in terms of a universe of concepts, which includes but is not limited to Views, Operators, and Parameters. In the presence of specifications based on these concepts, users may be able to request for what properties they want to see in their visualizations (i.e., the graphical analogues of some dataset) without having to specify how to generate them, and more importantly, without being fully aware of a wide range of toolkit specific implementation details. The result of a query is a visualization that satisfies declarative user-defined criteria …

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 52 Number 2, Fall 2010, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

16 - JUSTICE, EDUCATION, AND THE CATHOLIC IMAGINATION By Keith Warner, O.F.M. A religious vision of a sustainable future is less about politics than ethics. It means drawing on deep spiritual currents in the Catholic tradition-and environmental concern as if people mattered.

22 - WRITING THE ISLAND An essay in the words and images by John Seibert Farnsworth and Charles Barry. A journey to the Sea of Cortez-to paddle and dive, to hear the island speak, to look carefully, to write, to come home sunburned and transformed.

30 - INTERNET, WE HAVE A PROBLEM. By Sam Scott '96. One fine …

Hrc Enews — 2010 Fall, Megan K. Svarz

Publications (HRC)

This issue contains staff accomplishments and announcements, event listings, and a "new faces" listing for new staff, affiliates, and researchers.

Co-Creation And Collaboration In A Virtual World: A 3d Visualization Design Project In Second Life, Keng Siau, Fiona Fui-Hoon Nah, B. Mennecke, S. Schiller

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

One of the most successful and useful implementations of 3D virtual worlds is in the area of education and training. This paper discusses the use of virtual worlds in education and describes an innovative 3D visualization design project using one of the most popular virtual worlds, Second Life. This ongoing project is a partnership between IBM and three universities in the United States: the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Iowa State University, and Wright State University. More than 400 MBA students have participated in this project by completing a creative design project that involves co-creation and collaboration in Second Life. The MBA …

Pilot Evaluation Of Energy Savings And Persistence From Residential Energy Demand Feedback Devices In A Hot Climate, Florida Solar Energy Center, Danny Parker

FSEC Energy Research Center®

According to past studies, providing instantaneous feedback on household electrical demand has shown the promise to typically reduce energy consumption by 5-10%. This paper briefly reviews past research and describes a two year pilot evaluation of a low cost residential energy feedback system installed in twenty case study homes in Florida. Although not a statistical sample (the participants were self-selected and interested in reducing energy use), the study showed an average 7% reduction in energy use from feedback homes in the second year of monitoring after controlling for weather-related influences. However, a follow-up evaluation done three years later found little …

Establishing A Collaborative Environment Between Transportation Agencies And Tribal Communities, Rebecca Martinez

Civil Engineering ETDs

Historically, transportation systems have overcome physical and geographical barriers to provide a flow of people and commodities across nations. While geographical barriers have been overcome, political and institutional barriers still exist when multiple government stakeholders are involved in the transportation planning process. Such is the case on transportation projects affecting or of concern to tribal communities. Many states across the nation have taken initiative in implementing programs to aid in the creation of a collaborative environment among transportation agencies and tribal communities. One such effort has been the establishment of intergovernmental networks within states that create a working group of …

Chemical Changes In Soil And Soil Solution After Calcium Silicate Addition To A Northern Hardwood Forest, Youngil Cho, Charles T. Driscoll, Chris E. Johnson, Thomas G. Siccama

Civil and Environmental Engineering - All Scholarship

Liming has been used to mitigate effects of acidic deposition in forest ecosystems. This study was designed to examine the effects of calcium (Ca) supply on the spatial patterns and the relations between soil and soil solution chemistry in a base-poor forest watershed. Watershed 1 at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire, USA was experimentally treated with wollastonite (CaSiO₃) in October, 1999. Exchangeable Ca (Ex-Ca), soil pH_s (in 0.01 M CaCl₂), effective cation exchange capacity (CEC_e), and effective base saturation (BS_e) increased, while exchangeable acidity (Ex-Acid) decreased …

Hrc Enews — 2010 Summer, Megan K. Svarz

Publications (HRC)

This issue contains staff accomplishments and announcements, event listings, and a "new faces" listing for new staff, affiliates, and researchers.

Review Of State Laws And Practices For Disposition Of Re-Aligned Or Bypassed Segments And Associated Row, Lenahan O'Connell, Ted Grossardt

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This study identified the laws and practices of 11 state DOTs in regard to the transfer of responsibility for re-aligned or bypassed state highway system roads to local jurisdictions - usually cities or counties. Each state's approach to such transfers was identified by obtaining and analyzing the relevant state statutes and then conducting telephone interviews with strategically placed individuals at the associated DOT. Four states require local approval before the state can abandon a road. These four have a policy of obtaining written consent for the transfer of responsibility for maintenance and do so most often prior to construction of …

Effects Of Internal Gas Explosion On An Underwater Tunnel Roof, Omar Al-Farouk Salem Al-Damluji, Akram Younis Thannon Al-Sa'aty, Rafi' Mahmoud Sulaiman Al-Nu'aimy

International Conferences on Recent Advances in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Soil Dynamics

An underwater reinforced concrete tunnel roof is subjected to an internal gas explosion. Dynamic analyses are performed for three cases, namely, (1) an uncoupled solution, (2) class II coupling analysis and (3) full model with class I and II couplings. Three load cases are considered, dead (gravity) load, uniformly distributed vertical loads from sand and water and finally an internal pressure gas explosion. Linear and non-linear constitutive relationships are considered for the materials constituting the gas explosion problem. Results include time deflection of tunnel roof, time histories of stresses in vertical reinforcing bars and contours of concrete stresses for tunnel …

Teaching Sustainability Analysis In Electrical Engineering Lab Courses, David Braun

Electrical Engineering

Laboratory courses represent an incompletely tapped opportunity to teach sustainability concepts. This work introduces and evaluates a simple strategy used to teach sustainability concepts in electrical engineering laboratory courses. The technique would readily adapt to other disciplines. The paper presents assessment data and a wiki containing student sustainability analyses.

Renewable Energy Education At Merrimack College, Jack Adams

Electrical Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper describes recent, ongoing and planned Renewable Energy (RE) education at Merrimack College. The primary RE education efforts have been through the department of Electrical Engineering (EE), with involvement from the department of Civil Engineering. In summer of 2009 the college installed a solar hot water (SHW) system in one of its student townhouses. The subjects of the advanced EE elective “Energy Measurement and Display” in summer 2009 were the selection of sensors to measure energy delivered by this SHW unit, and the uploading via Ethernet of real time data to a central server. The EE department requires all …

A Web And Mobile System For Environmental Decision Support, James Carswell, Keith Gardiner, Michela Bertolotto, Andrea Rizzine

Books/Book chapters

Current field data collection methods for many of today’s scientific and other observer/monitor type applications are still entrenched in the “clipboard age”, requiring manual data transcription to a database management system at some (often much) later date, and only allows for visualisation and analysis of recently captured field data “back in the lab”. This chapter is targeted at progressing today’s pen & paper methodology into the spatially enabled mobile computing age of realtime multi-media data input, integration, visualisation, and analysis simultaneously both in the field and the lab. The system described is customized to the specific needs of the Canadian …

Women As Sustainability Leaders In Engineering: Evidence From Industry And Academia, Jennilee Harrison

All Theses

Women are underrepresented in engineering education and practice, which limits the quality of the engineering workforce. One way to increase the participation of women in engineering is to emphasize subjects that appeal to them and emphasize skills at which they are especially adept. A subject that may fit this description is sustainability. The purpose of this research is to compare the percentage of women in selected sustainable engineering leadership positions to the percentage of women in general engineering leadership positions, to examine whether the subject of sustainability may help increase participation of women in engineering. Gender data was collected for …

Basin-Scale Water System Operations With Uncertain Future Climate Conditions: Methodology And Case Studies, Sebastian Vicuna, John A. Dracup, Jay R. Lund, Larry L. Dale, Edwin P. Maurer

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering

The old and useful paradigm used by water resource engineers, that hydrology in a given place is stationary, and hence it is sufficient to look into the past to plan for the future, does not hold anymore, according to climate change projections. This becomes especially true in snow-dominated regions like California, where not only the magnitude but also the timing of streamflow could be affected by changes in precipitation and temperature. To plan and operate water resources systems at the basin scale, it is necessary to develop new tools that are suited for this nonstationary world. In this paper we …

Selecting The Best Location For A Meteorological Tower: A Case Study Of Multi-Objective Constraint Optimization, Aline James, Craig Tweedie, Tanja Magoc, Vladik Kreinovich, Martine Ceberio

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

Using the problem of selecting the best location for a meteorological tower as an example, we show that in multi-objective optimization under constraints, the traditional weighted average approach is often inadequate. We also show that natural invariance requirements lead to a more adequate approach -- a generalization of Nash's bargaining solution.

Hrc Enews — 2010 Spring, Megan K. Svarz

Publications (HRC)

This issue contains staff accomplishments and announcements, event listings, a "new faces" listing for new staff, affiliates, and researchers, and an "of interest" section.

Online Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring And Control System, Paul Duffy, Gerard Woods, James Walsh, Michael Kane

Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Nitrogen And Phosphorus Biomass-Kinetic Model For Chlorella Vulgaris In A Biofuel Production Scheme, William M. Rowley

Theses and Dissertations

Chlorella vulgaris was cultured in microbioreactors using Bold’s Basal medium at varying nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations to define nitrogen and phosphorus utilization standards. Nutrient concentration was varied between 137 mg/L to 7.33 mg/L NO3-N and between 55.2 mg/L to11.0 mg/L PO4-P in five test scenarios. All were grown under a constant photoperiod at 22±2 °C and a mixture of 4 to 10% carbon dioxide/air. Maximum yield and growth rate occurred with the highest initial nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations. A statistically significant difference in biomass was found among all test levels at the end of the eight day growth period. Applying …

Random Approach To Optimization Of Overlay Public-Resource Computing Systems, Grzegorz Chmaj, Krzysztof Walkowiak

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research

The growing need for computationally demanding systems triggers the development of various network-oriented computing systems organized in a distributed manner. In this work we concentrate on one kind of such systems, i.e. public-resource computing systems. The considered system works on the top of an overlay network and uses personal computers and other relatively simple electronic equipment instead of supercomputers. We assume that two kinds of network flows are used to distribute the data in the public-resource computing systems: unicast and peer-to-peer. We formulate an optimization model of the system. After that we propose random algorithms that optimize jointly the allocation …

The Systemic Correlation Between Mental Models And Sustainable Design: Implications For Engineering Educators, Linda Vanasupa, Roger Burton, Jonathan Stolk, Julie B. Zimmerman, Larry J. Leifer, Paul T. Anastas

Materials Engineering

Many studies have illuminated our understanding of the kinds of competencies and behaviors exhibited by effective designers. Against the backdrop of global challenges made more urgent by unintentional negative impacts of engineered products and systems, however, we are left to deduce that our ways of educating engineering designers is fundamentally flawed. We assert that one can trace the cause of our collective, unintended negative consequences to the mental models of reality that we consciously or unconsciously carry. In this paper, we present the case for developing awareness and facility with mental models. We also suggest an alternate mental model as …

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 51 Number 4, Spring 2010, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

14 - BENDING LIGHT By Steven Boyd Saum. They wanted to show that green living is not a compromise. So, for the international Solar Decathlon, the SCU-led Team California built a house of light and wonder. And it was dazzling enough to win No. 3 on the planet.

22 - CONNECT THE DOTS By Scott Brown '93. From border security to disaster preparedness, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano '79 has one immense portfolio. She's also the point person on immigration. How to put those together?

28 - THIS PLACE WE CALL HOME By Kristina Chiapella '09 '09. Generations ago, …

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 52 Number 1, Summer 2010, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

16 - COURAGE IN THE FACE A photoessay from Haiti by Michael Lattimore. A journey to document humanitarian work by doctors in the wake of the January quake.

20 - PILGRIMAGE By Martha Stortz. Walking the Camino to Santiago de Compostela, and learning a few things along the way: about big questions, saints, direction, and feet.

28 - THE HISTORIANS An interview by Ron Hansen M.A '95. Between them, historians George Giacomini '56 and Tim O'Keefe can claim nearly a century of educating Santa Clara students. This year, both close the books on teaching in the classroom. But first they …

Hrc Enews — 2010 Winter, Megan K. Svarz

Publications (HRC)

This issue contains staff accomplishments and announcements, event listings, a "new faces" listing for new staff, affiliates, and researchers, and an "on the move" section listing new developments.

A General Approach Towards The Synthesis Of Amido-Functionalized Biodegradable Polyesters, Joseph Russell

Master’s Theses

The thesis presented here describes methodologies to produce pendant group functionalized polyesters from amido-functionalized α-hydroxy acids. The synthetic methods used to produce the functionalized α-hydroxy acids are compatible with a wide array of functional groups, making this technique highly versatile. The synthesis of functionalized polyesters was investigated to develop polymers with properties that may improve the capabilities of existing biodegradable polyesters for applications in controlled release pharmaceuticals. Chemically modified a-hydroxy acids were synthesized by reacting glyoxylic acid with a primary or secondary amide. To demonstrate the utility of this reaction, fourstructurally dissimilar amide substituents were examined including 2-pyrrolidione, benzamide, acetamide …

Develop Sonic Infrared Imaging Nde For Local Damage Assessment In Civil Structures, Qi He

Wayne State University Dissertations

Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) is an interdisciplinary field of study, which is concerned with the development of analysis techniques and measurement technologies for the quantitative characterization of materials, tissues and structures. Ultrasonic IR Imaging is a novel NDE technique, which combines a short ultrasonic pulse excitation and infrared imaging to detect defects in materials and structures. In this technique, a sound pulse with a frequency in the range of 20-40kHz is infused on a target material for a short duration (usually less than one second). The sonic/ultrasonic sound waves travel into the material and cause rubbing and clapping between the surfaces …

Effects Of The Antimicrobial Tylosin On The Microbial Community Structure Of An Anaerobic Sequencing Batch Reactor, Toshio Shimada, Xu Li, Julie L. Zilles, Eberhard Morgenroth, Lutgarde Raskin

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

The effects of the antimicrobial tylosin on a methanogenic microbial community were studied in a glucosefed laboratory-scale anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) exposed to stepwise increases of tylosin (0, 1.67, and 167 mg/L). The microbial community structure was determined using quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and phylogenetic analyses of bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene clone libraries of biomass samples. During the periods without tylosin addition and with an influent tylosin concentration of 1.67 mg/L, 16S rRNA gene sequences related to Syntrophobacter were detected and the relative abundance of Methanosaeta species was high. During the highest tylosin dose of …

Agenda: World Energy Justice Conference And Appropriate Technology Arcade, University Of Colorado Boulder. Center For Energy & Environmental Security, University Of Colorado Boulder. School Of Law

World Energy Justice Conference (October 23-24)

The 2009 CEES Energy Justice Conference took place at the University of Colorado Law School on October 23rd and 24th, 2009. It featured 11 sessions, more than 40 speakers, and attracted over 200 attendees. The Conference brought together leading international and U.S. decision-makers in politics, engineering, public health, law, business, economics, and innovators in the sciences to explore how best to address the critical needs of the energy-oppressed poor (EOP) through long-term interdisciplinary action, information sharing, and deployment of appropriate sustainable energy technologies (ASETs).

The Colorado Journal of International Environmental Law & Policy (CJIELP) at the University of Colorado Law …

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 51 Number 2, Fall 2009, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

16 - POLITICS AND RELIGION: STILL ON A COLLISION COURSE? An interview with Avraham Burg, former speaker of the Israeli Knesset. Plus excerpts from talks by E.J. Dionne Jr., Lisa Sowle Cahill '70, and Michael Eric Dyson.

20 - THE GULF OF WONDER By Emily Elrod '05. With a movie, Patrick McVeigh '78 offers investors a unique opportunity: Wake up the citizens of America and help them save one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Plus, a 30 percent return.

24 - SEASON PREMIERE: "RESURRECTION" By Karen Crocker Snell. Forensic investigator Horatio Caine lies facedown in a pool …

On-Line Realtime Water Quality Monitoring And Control For Swimming Pools, Paul Duffy, Gerard Woods, Sean O'Hogain, James Walsh, C. Caplier

Conference Papers

Effective swimming pool water quality monitoring and control systems are important to safeguard public health and for bather comfort. Most Irish swimming pool monitoring systems rely heavily on manual methods for sampling, testing and data recording of important parameters. Microbiological testing is infrequent and results can often take days. The goal of this research is to develop a water quality monitoring and control system with real time data logging, automatic data analysis, remote monitoring and control, microbiological sampling capabilities and online connectivity. National Instruments hardware and its software package LabView form the basis of the monitoring and control system. Several …