Digital Commons Network^™

Modeling Scenes And Human Activities In Videos, Arslan Basharat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, we address the problem of understanding human activities in videos by developing a two-pronged approach: coarse level modeling of scene activities and fine level modeling of individual activities. At the coarse level, where the resolution of the video is low, we rely on person tracks. At the fine level, richer features are available to identify different parts of the human body, therefore we rely on the body joint tracks. There are three main goals of this dissertation: (1) identify unusual activities at the coarse level, (2) recognize different activities at the fine level, and (3) predict the …

Providing A Better Understanding For The Motorist Behavior Towards Signal Change, Noor Elmitiny

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research explores the red light running phenomena and offer a better understanding of the factors associated with it. The red light running is a type of traffic violation that can lead to angle crash and the most common counter measure is installing a red light running cameras. Red light running cameras some time can reduce the rates of red light running but because of the increased worry of the public towards crossing the intersection it can cause an increase in rear end crashes. Also the public opinion of the red light running cameras is that they are a revenue …

Synthesis Of Best Practices In Transportation Security, Volume Ii: Emergency Response, Rodrigo Vargas, Jon D. Fricker

JTRP Technical Reports

Part I of the research focused on developing a methodology to identify and evaluate the most critical and vulnerable INDOT assets. This method aims at obtaining an index that reflects the vulnerability and criticality of an asset on the basis of multiple performance criteria. This methodology was tested on the seven INDOT districts. Because not all the factors that influence the vulnerability do have same weight, the analytical hierarchical process is used to obtain the weights for the criteria. Countermeasures are suggested as a part of the research to reduce the vulnerability of a given asset based on its relevant …

Freeway Crash And Lane Compliance Under Truck Lane Restriction And Differential Speed Limit, Murat Korkut

LSU Master's Theses

In the last decade, several fatal truck related crashes occurred on the elevated freeway over the Atchafalaya Basin. In an attempt to reduce the crash rates, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development implemented two policies to regulate the truck traffic on this rural divided freeway that has two lanes in each direction of flow. These policies restricted truck traffic to the right lane and reduced the maximum truck speed limit to 55-mph. On the other hand, maximum car speed limit was kept at 60-mph. The changes took place in 2003. While the policies were in effect, crash and traffic …

Assessing The Accuracy Of Task Time Prediction Of An Emerging Human Performance Modeling Software - Cogtool, Oluwakemi Damilola Adio

LSU Master's Theses

There is a need for a human performance modeling tool which not only has the ability to accurately estimate skilled user task time for any interface design, but can be used by modelers with little or no programming knowledge and at a minimal cost. To fulfill this need, this research investigated the accuracy of task time prediction of a modeling tool – CogTool - on two versions of an interface design used extensively in the petrochemical industry – DeltaV. CogTool uses the KeyStroke Level Model (KLM) to calculate and generate time predictions based on specified operators. The data collected from …

Hydrogen Applications For Lambert - St. Louis International Airport, Mathew Thomas

Masters Theses

"Today, major airports are facing challenges related to pollution, energy efficiency, and safety and security. Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, regarded as one of the key energy solutions of the 21st century are more energy efficient and reliable than conventional systems and have the potential to diminish these challenges. These technologies can also play a significant role in reducing the noise, air, and water pollution and enhancing energy security. This paper presents the design of a set of hydrogen technologies and systems that are commercially available and are ready for practical, real-world use. The hydrogen applications selected for Lambert-St. Louis …

Synthesis Of Best Practices In Transportation Security, Volume I: Vulnerability Assessment, Haritha Reddy Venna, Jon D. Fricker

JTRP Technical Reports

Part I of the research focused on developing a methodology to identify and evaluate the most critical and vulnerable INDOT assets. This method aims at obtaining an index that reflects the vulnerability and criticality of an asset on the basis of multiple performance criteria. This methodology was tested on the seven INDOT districts. Because not all the factors that influence the vulnerability do have same weight, the analytical hierarchical process is used to obtain the weights for the criteria. Countermeasures are suggested as a part of the research to reduce the vulnerability of a given asset based on its relevant …

Studying The Impacts Of Primary Incidents On Freeways To Identify Secondary Incidents, Rohit Reddy Saddi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Freeway incidents are associated with different impacts such as traffic congestion, delays, fuel consumption, secondary incidents etc. Secondary incidents are caused due to primary incidents and require the same personnel who are already engaged. This thesis studies various impacts caused by primary incident in space and time occurring on the freeways and these results are applied to identify secondary incidents. Three types of impacts are identified and proposed in this study. Dynamic nature of queue length in the direction of accident is studied. Dynamic nature of congestion in the opposite direction of the freeway till the accident is cleared is …

To License Or Not To License Revisited: An Examination Of State Statutes Regarding Private Investigators And Digital Examiners, Thomas Lonardo, Doug White, Alan Rea

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

In this update to the previous year's study, the authors examine statutes that regulate, license, and enforce investigative functions in each US state. After identification and review of Private Investigator licensing requirements, the authors find that very few state statutes explicitly differentiate between Private Investigators and Digital Examiners. After contacting all state agencies the authors present a distinct grouping organizing state approaches to professional Digital Examiner licensing. The authors conclude that states must differentiate between Private Investigator and Digital Examiner licensing requirements and oversight.

Zigbee-Enabled Structural Health Monitoring Using The Smartbrick System, Tyler Harms

Masters Theses

"This thesis describes the design, testing, and proposed extended field test of a wireless sensor network based on the SmartBrick, a structural health monitoring (SHM) device developed at Missouri S&T. The SmartBrick serves as the base station for the network, which utilizes additional sensor nodes to monitor the structure. Each node measures a range of environmental and structural phenomena, including vibration, tilt, humidity, and strain. The nodes use Zigbee short-range communication to transmit their data to the base station, which in turn uses the GSM cellular network to provide long-range communication capability and support for remote control.

Unlike many SHM …

Feasibility Of A Human Performance Model In Consequence Management, Kashmeera Ghosh

Masters Theses

"Human civilization has always encountered unpredictable disasters as a result of natural events. Now it also faces the disasters caused by terrorist attacks. Governments must have consequence management plans in place to protect public health and safety, restore essential services, and provide emergency relief to affected businesses and individuals. Human performance models predict outcomes in complex dynamic situations. Such models can simulate disaster management procedures under varying circumstances. This work applies human performance modeling in a terrorist situation and evaluates possible uses of such models by first responders in practical consequence management applications. It includes a case study of an …

In-Plane Behavior Of Strengthened Unreinforced Masonry Infill Walls With Alternative Wood-Fiber Fly Ash Material, Yosuke Tanizawa

Masters Theses

"This research investigates the potential for an alternative masonry product to use in masonry infill wall systems. The study also investigates the effects of an external fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) strengthening system on in-plane behavior of the alternative unreinforced masonry (URM) walls. The alternative masonry product is produced in a solid unit configuration and utilizes recycled white oak wood-fibers and an ASTM Class-C fly ash as its raw materials. The external strengthening system investigated consists of an elastomeric polyurea surface coating with and without integrated discrete chopped E-glass fibers which is directly sprayed on the URM wall surfaces. The alternative …

Vehicle Positioning Using Image Processing, Armadeep Kaur

Masters Theses

"An imaging-processing approach is described that detects the position of a vehicle on a bridge or similar environment. A load-bearing vehicle must be carefully positioned on a bridge for quantitative bridge monitoring. The personnel required for setup and testing and the time required for bridge closure or traffic control are important management and cost considerations. Consequently, bridge monitoring and inspections are good candidates for smart embedded systems. The objectives of this work are to reduce the need for personnel time and to minimize the time for bridge closure. An approach is proposed that uses a passive target on the bridge …

Development And Operational Analysis Of Highway Alternating Merge Transition Zones, Wakeel Ishola, Anthony Idewu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The design and control of work zone traffic control areas is governed by standards published by the United States Department of Transportation (US-DOT) and documented in the Manual for Uniform Control Devices (MUTCD). While these configurations have evolved over time to reflect safer and more efficient management practices and have become familiar to drivers, they are also recognized as areas of vehicle conflict that can cause congestion and safety problems. As part of this research, a new design has been developed that has the potential to lessen the detrimental effects of lane closures in work zones. This new concept, known …

The North American Transportation Security Center, Steven Douglas Kreis, Michael M. Barclay

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

No abstract provided.

Generalized Event Tree Algorithm And Software For Dam Safety Risk Analysis, Anurag Srivastava

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Event tree analysis is a most commonly used method in dam safety risk analysis modeling. Available software tools for performing event tree analyses lack the flexibility to efficiently address many important factors in dam safety risk analysis. As a result of these practical limitations, spreadsheets have been used, sometimes including Visual Basic macros, to perform these analyses. However, this approach lacks generality and can require significant effort to apply to a specific dam or to modify the event tree structure. In response to these limitations, here a generalized event tree analysis tool, DAMRAE (DAM safety Risk Analysis Engine), has been …

Acuta Enews October 2008, Vol. 37, No. 10

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

Nominate Now for 2009-2008 Board of Directors

From the President................. Corinne Hoch, Columbia Univ., ACUTA President

Tech Talk: Why Not Share That Extra Computing Power?................ Kevin Tanzillo, Dux PR

DC Update................. Dave Ostrom, Washington State University

Clemson Researchers' EarthBottle Made fro Plants Will Soon Be in Stores

Info Links...................... Randy Hayes, Univ. of Northern Iowa

The ICT Regulations toolkit: A Resource Worth Checking Out

Loans to Cover Disaster Losses

Board Report................ Riny Ledgerwood, San Diego State Univ., ACUTA Secretary/Treasurer

Check It Out: Press Releases... Job Postings... RFIs/RFPs

OCS Federation Submarien Cable Completed

Welcome New Members

Joint Adaptive Distributed Rate And Power Control For Wireless Networks, James W. Fonda, Jagannathan Sarangapani, Steve Eugene Watkins

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A novel adaptive distributed rate and power control (ADRPC) protocol is introduced for wireless networks. The proposed controller contrasts from others by providing nonlinear compensation to the problem of transmission power and bit-rate adaptation. The protocol provides control of both signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) and quality-of-service (QoS) support to bit-rate adaptation. Bit-rate adaptation is performed by local estimation of congestion levels, rendering little packet overhead, using Lyapunov based adaptive control methods. Performance of the proposed control scheme is shown through analytical proof and simulation examples.

Cryptosporidium Outbreak (Water Treatment Failure): North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Spring 2001, Patrick B. Jameson, Yung-Tse Hung, Chin Y. Kuo, Paul A. Bosela

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

An outbreak of cryptosporidiosis occurred in the town of North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada in the spring of 2001. The outbreak left thousands of people sick including about 50 people hospitalized. The source of the outbreak was from the city's surface water treatment plant. The Sedimentation Contact Unit did not satisfactorily remove suspended solids from the source water, resulting in filter breakthrough. Contaminated water was released into the distribution system causing the outbreak. Communication breakdown and confusion exacerbated the situation, extending the duration of the outbreak. The outbreak prompted the province to change the way it regulated municipal utilities of water …

A Real-Time Traffic Condition Assessment And Prediction Framework Using Vehicle-Infrastructure Integration (Vii) With Computational Intelligence, Yongchang Ma

All Dissertations

This research developed a real-time traffic condition assessment and prediction framework using Vehicle-Infrastructure Integration (VII) with computational intelligence to improve the existing traffic surveillance system. Due to the prohibited expenses and complexity involved for the field experiment of such a system, this study adopted state-of-the-art simulation tools as an efficient alternative.
This work developed an integrated traffic and communication simulation platform to facilitate the design and evaluation of a wide range of online traffic surveillance and management system in both traffic and communication domain. Using the integrated simulator, the author evaluated the performance of different combination of communication medium and …

Benefits Of Case Based Instruction In Undergraduate Geotechnical Education, D. T. P. Phillips

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

The staged incorporation of appropriate case histories is one of the tools utilised at the University of Limerick to educate construction management & engineering students. This paper presents the author’s experience of introducing case histories in the first year of the four-year Bachelors Degree programme and the subsequent adoption of a case-based instruction approach on an introductory module in geology and soil mechanics. A post-module student survey indicates increased enthusiasm for the subject matter and a clear understanding of how key geotechnical concepts such as compaction theory and bearing capacity influence construction projects. This is a valuable module outcome for …

Risk Analysis In Geotechnical And Earthquake Engineering: State-Of-The-Art And Practice For Embankment Dams, D. N. D. Hartford

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

The nature of risk analysis as applied to earthfill dams for the purpose of safety assessment is examined with particular reference to the matter of demonstrating the scientific validity of risk constructs used to inform important dam safety decisions. The qualities and attributes of what would be considered to be transparent, credible and defensible risk analyses for dam safety decision-making are outlined. A conceptual approach to addressing the problem of quantifying internal erosion risk that combines critical state soil mechanics theory and dynamic event tree analysis is proposed. Finally, an experiment aimed at assessing contemporary capability to detect the “changes …

Statewide Wireless Communications Project, Volume 1: Communication Field Tests For Satellite, Cellular, And Spread Spectrum Radio, J. V. Krogmeier, Darcy M. Bullock

JTRP Technical Reports

The Statewide Wireless Communications Project was an umbrella project intended to support various INDOT activities in the area of wireless communications. As these activities were conducted independently the report for the project is organized into three volumes. Volume 1 contains the results of satellite and cellular communications field testing undertaken in support of INDOT’s SiteManager application. Volume 1 also contains the results of an evaluation of spread spectrum radios for long-range communications. Volume 2 contains the results of detection zone evaluation for loop detection of bicycles and the results of testing algorithms for travel time estimation using vehicle re-identification based …

Vehicle-Vehicle Channel Models For The 5 Ghz Band, Indranil Sen, David W. Matolak

Faculty Publications

In this paper, we describe the results of a channel measurement and modeling campaign for the vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) channel in the 5-GHz band. We describe measurements and results for delay spread, amplitude statistics, and correlations for multiple V2V environments. We also discuss considerations used in developing statistical channel models for these environments and provide some sample results. Several statistical channel models are presented, and using simulation results, we elucidate tradeoffs between model implementation complexity and fidelity. The channel models presented should be useful for system designers in future V2V communication systems.

Channel Modeling For Vehicle-To-Vehicle Communications, David W. Matolak

Faculty Publications

Physical layer channel modeling is critical for design and performance evaluation at multiple layers of the communications protocol stack. In this article we describe and provide results for modeling vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) wireless channels. V2V settings produce some unique conditions, and due to these conditions, V2V channels often exhibit greater dynamics than many conventional channels and, in addition, can also exhibit more severe fading. Thus, new channel models are needed to characterize this setting in order to evaluate contending transmission schemes and aid in V2V communication system design. A brief review of key statistical channel parameters is provided. Then both analytical …

Evaluating Arkansas Roadway Intersection Accidents Using Traffic Safety Analysis Methods: Generalized Estimating Equations And Roadway Observation, Jacob Mercer

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Considerable research has been made in recent years to evaluate road traffic safety. This is especially true with the United States, whose international rank in public safety is rapidly declining. In 2004, Arkansas ranked as the third highest in traffic fatalities among all the states. These are striking numbers that reflect the lack of attention that the state has received in terms of evaluating road traffic safety. Historically, this safety is measure by one of two methods: Statistical analyses of historical data or hands-on, observational analyses of present safety conditions. Rarely in research are both methods used within the same …

Development Of Prediction Models Of High Temperature Crumb Rubber Modified Binders, Carl Thodesen

All Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to identify and model critical elements of the asphalt rubber matrix contributing to the crumb rubber modified (CRM) binder properties as measured by Superpave testing procedures. Current models are neither applicable (due to new testing procedures) nor practical (due to the difficulty of application or lack of accuracy). Therefore, this research investigated the development of predictive models for estimating binder properties within a specified range of accuracy.
Multiple crumb rubber sources were evaluated in order to gain an understanding of the differences between the various crumb rubbers. This analysis permitted identification of the important …

2008 Directory Of Indiana State, County, City And Town Officials Responsible For Road And Street Work, Indiana Ltap

Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Directory

Contact information for agency officials and employees responsible for Indiana’s local road infrastructure.

Acuta Enews April 2008, Vol. 37, No. 4

ACUTA Newsletters

ln This lssue

From the President..................Walt Magnussen, Texas A&N Univ., ACUTA President

Board Report.........................Riny Ledgerwood, San Diego State Univ., ACUTA Sec./Treasurer

Campus Safety Legislation Mulled in Wake of Shootings ......Raymond Thrower, Jr., IACLEA

Tech Talk: We'll Ask Again: ls This a Phone You Want on Your Network? Kevin Tanzillo, Dux PR

12th Annual Strategic Leadership Forum Topics

DC Update .............Jeanne Jansenius, Sewanee, The University of the South

Nominate Now for ACUTA Ruth A. Michalecki Award

lnfo Links ............. Randy Hayes, Univ. of Northern lowa

Welcome New Members

Check lt Out: RFls/RFPs, Job Postings, Press Releases

2008 (Spring) Ensi Informer Magazine, Morehead State University. Engineering Sciences Department

ENSI Informer Magazine Archive

The ENSI Informer Magazine published in the spring of 2008.