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Localization System For Uav/Ugv In Urban Environments, Vishal Savio Coelho Jan 2009

Localization System For Uav/Ugv In Urban Environments, Vishal Savio Coelho

Electrical Engineering Theses - Archive

An implementation of relative localization of wireless sensor nodes using a potential field method is presented in this work. The system is designed to assist in UAV/UGV navigation in urban environments like rooms and passageways of buildings. An unmanned vehicle will need to rely on ground-based sensors to help it navigate indoors, as GPS signals are severely attenuated and reception is intermittent.A sufficient number of sensors are first deployed throughout the terrain in a random fashion. They must then localize themselves to the environment, i.e. they must develop an internal frame of reference or co-ordinate system. A potential field method …

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Will The Mortgage Market Correct - How Households And Communities Would Fare If Risk Were Priced Well, Lauren E. Willis Jan 2009

Will The Mortgage Market Correct - How Households And Communities Would Fare If Risk Were Priced Well, Lauren E. Willis

Connecticut Law Review

The dominant narrative of the subprime lending crisis is that recent mortgage market problems are the fallout of the bursting of a speculative housing bubble. The conventional wisdom derived from bubbles past is that markets self-correct. Certainly, house prices increased unsustainably, but whether the deflating of the bubble is leading to a "correct" mortgage market is less clear. Yet wise public policy depends on the answer to that question. If the cause of the crisis is a cyclical swing that ultimately rights itself through market forces, then the appropriate policy response need only stabilize the market and help those knocked …

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The Power Of Indian Tribes To Tax The Income Of Professional Athletes And Entertainers Who Perform In Indian Country Note, Drew K. Barber Jan 2009

The Power Of Indian Tribes To Tax The Income Of Professional Athletes And Entertainers Who Perform In Indian Country Note, Drew K. Barber

Connecticut Law Review

Athletes and entertainers represent some of the highest paid individuals in the United States today. Historically, these individuals perform in various states throughout the country and pay state income taxes to each state they earn income in. With the recent rise of athletic and entertainment venues in Indian Country, more athletes and entertainers are earning income in Indian Country. For example, the Mohegan Tribe owns and operates the Mohegan Sun Arena on its reservation in Connecticut and the Arena annually hosts hundreds of professional athletic and entertainment events. Because the Mohegan Sun Arena is located in Connecticut, athletes and entertainers …

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Principled Governance: The American Creed And Congressional Authority, Alexander Tsesis Jan 2009

Principled Governance: The American Creed And Congressional Authority, Alexander Tsesis

Connecticut Law Review

The Supreme Court recently limited Congress's ability to pass civil rights statutes for the protection of fundamental rights. Decisions striking sections of the Violence Against Women Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act focused on states' sovereign immunity. These holdings inadequately analyzed how the Reconstruction Amendments altered federalism by making the federal government primarily responsible for protecting civil rights. The Supreme Court also overlooked principles of liberty and equality lying at the foundation of American governance. The Court's restrictions on legislative authority to identify fundamental rights and to safeguard them runs counter to the central credo of American governance that …

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A Privacy Enhanced Situation-Aware Middleware Framework For Ubiquitous Computing Environments, Gautham V. Pallapa Jan 2009

A Privacy Enhanced Situation-Aware Middleware Framework For Ubiquitous Computing Environments, Gautham V. Pallapa

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The Ubiquitous Computing paradigm integrates myriads of small, inexpensive, heterogeneous networked devices, including sensors, distributed throughout the environment, with the intent of enabling context awareness in systems deployed to monitor the environment. This is accomplished by monitoring events, such as access, or utilization of resources, and obtaining knowledge about user activities, and interactions with other entities in the environment. Existing context-aware systems predominantly encapsulate the occurred activities either by using Event-Condition-Action rules, where an instance of the event performs as a trigger, or by prediction mechanisms, such as Dynamic Bayesian Networks, which compute decisions, based on the information obtained. However, …

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Effects Of Cyclic Strain And Growth Factors On Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Responses, Kytai Truong Nguyen, Hao Xu Jan 2009

Effects Of Cyclic Strain And Growth Factors On Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Responses, Kytai Truong Nguyen, Hao Xu

Bioengineering Faculty Publications - Archive

Under physiological and pathological conditions, vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) are exposed to different biochemical factors and biomechanical forces. Previous studies pertaining to SMC responses have not investigated the effects of both factors on SMCs. Thus, in our research we investigated the combined effects of growth factors like bFGF (basic fibroblast growth factor), TGF-�� (transforming growth factor ��) and PDGF (platelet-derived growth factor) along with physiological cyclic strain on SMC responses. Physiological cyclic strain (10% strain) significantly reduced SMC proliferation compared to static controls while addition of growth factors bFGF, TGF-�� or PDGF-AB had a positive influence on SMC growth …

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Attributes Selection And Package Design To Maximize Visibility Of Objects, Md Zahiduzzaman Miah Jan 2009

Attributes Selection And Package Design To Maximize Visibility Of Objects, Md Zahiduzzaman Miah

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

In recent years, there has been significant interest in the development of ranking functions and efficient top-k retrieval algorithms to help users in ad-hoc search and retrieval in databases (e.g., buyers searching for products in a catalog). We introduce a complementary problem: how to guide a seller in selecting the best attributes of a new tuple (e.g., a new product) to highlight so that it stands out in the crowd of existing competitive products and is widely visible to the pool of potential buyers. For example, assume one wants to sell an iPod in e-commerce site, but the title allows …

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Death In Paradise Lost, Luke Tesdal Jan 2009

Death In Paradise Lost, Luke Tesdal

English Theses - Archive

This thesis is an examination of the role that death plays in Paradise Lost. I argue that Milton's conception of death is a unified presentation of a complex but singular theological idea. My analysis examines the ways in which Milton's construction of death interacts with the traditions and interpretations of his contemporaries and with the theological views he explains in De Doctrina Christiana. Essential to my analysis is the connection between the monstrous form that Death takes in his physical appearances and the comforting promise that redemption offers by the end of the epic. These two representations are often viewed …

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Going Green - Impact On Residential Property Values, Ramya Rajajagadeesan Aroul Jan 2009

Going Green - Impact On Residential Property Values, Ramya Rajajagadeesan Aroul

Finance and Real Estate Theses - Archive

Hedonic pricing model is generally used to empirically understand the relationship between various housing characteristics and the housing values. In the past hedonic studies have looked at the relationship between the housing prices and structural features, environmental amenities, neighborhood characteristics, time variables and even financing. But real estate researchers have greatly overlooked to study the impact of greenness on residential properties though there has been a huge interest among the researchers and practitioners on green buildings. This study poses the primary question of if any potential relationship exists between greenness and property values. This study further extends the research question …

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Ingroup And Outgroup Members As Determinants Of Performance On A Brainstorming Task, Niveditha Parthasarathy Jan 2009

Ingroup And Outgroup Members As Determinants Of Performance On A Brainstorming Task, Niveditha Parthasarathy

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Many studies have investigated the effects of diversity on performance. Past research demonstrates that the relationship between group diversity and task performance is mixed and inconsistent (Mannix & Neale, 2005; van Knippenberg & Schippers, 2007; Webber & Donahue, 2001). Although some studies have examined the effects of diversity on brainstorming groups (Cox et al., 1991; Nakui et al, 2009), little attention has been paid to the effects of diversity on brainstorming individuals. To examine the influence of diversity on individual ideation, forty-eight participants were exposed to ideas that were presumably generated by a person from their own ethnicity (ingroup member) …

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Influence Of Peer Victimization And Social Support On Cortisol Production, Jennifer M. Knack Jan 2009

Influence Of Peer Victimization And Social Support On Cortisol Production, Jennifer M. Knack

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

The current dissertation sought to examine whether there was an association between peer victimization, neuroendocrine functioning, and physical health outcomes. Adolescents and their parent (N = 107) participated in a two-part study. In the first phase, adolescents completed a series of questionnaires either at school or online to assess levels of peer victimization, social support, and health outcomes. They then came into the laboratory with a parent for the second part of the study which consisted of two sessions. In session one, adolescents completed additional questionnaires and learned how to collect saliva samples (to assess cortisol levels); parents completed measures …

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Cost-Effectiveness Of Early Versus Delayed Functional Restoration For Chronic Disabling Occupational Musculoskeletal Disorders, Brian Rohan Theodore Jan 2009

Cost-Effectiveness Of Early Versus Delayed Functional Restoration For Chronic Disabling Occupational Musculoskeletal Disorders, Brian Rohan Theodore

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Chronic pain is among the most costly disorders in the United States. Societal impacts include productivity losses, disability compensation, and reduction in psychosocial well-being. To date, there is little documentation on the effect of extended disability on both treatment- and cost-effectiveness. The present study investigated the treatment- and cost-effectiveness of early versus delayed functional restoration for three groups, in a matched cohort design based on length of disability: Early Rehabilitation (4-8 months); Intermediate Duration (9-18 months); and Delayed Rehabilitation (>18 months). Psychosocial deficits at pre-rehabilitation were significantly greater for the late rehabilitation groups, with approximately 2 times greater likelihood …

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A National Study To Compare The Tolerability And Effectiveness Of Colon Cleansing Preparations, Glenda Lynn Daniels Jan 2009

A National Study To Compare The Tolerability And Effectiveness Of Colon Cleansing Preparations, Glenda Lynn Daniels

Nursing Dissertations - Archive

Colorectal cancer is the third most common form of cancer, and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Fortunately, 90% of colorectal cancer deaths are preventable if the disease is detected early. Colonoscopy, the gold standard for colorectal cancer screening, allows direct examination of the colon. However, the colon must be cleaned of all stool in order to detect polyps, tumors, inflammation, and other problems. A wide variety of purging agents are available for colon cleansing but all have limitations and poor bowel cleansing is common. The purpose of the study was to (1) describe bowel …

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Are We Speaking The Same Language? The Use Of The Mother Tongue By Native English Speaking Teachers In English As A Foreign Language Classrooms, Presley Doyal Mcfadden Jan 2009

Are We Speaking The Same Language? The Use Of The Mother Tongue By Native English Speaking Teachers In English As A Foreign Language Classrooms, Presley Doyal Mcfadden

Linguistics & TESOL Theses - Archive

The question of whether or not to use students' first language in second language acquisition is not a new one (Harbord, 1992; Duff and Polio, 1990). However, the way this question is addressed by the students themselves is rarely found in linguistic publications. This study discusses three dependant variables: The attitude (positive or negative) of EFL students towards their native English speaking teachers' attempts at using students' mother tongue in the classroom; the preferences concerning which pedagogical areas (vocabulary translation, error correction, grammar instruction, etc.) the students find the use of the first language more necessary for, and finally, the …

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A Tale Of Two Cities: Examining Nonprofit Accountability, Marcela Nava Jan 2009

A Tale Of Two Cities: Examining Nonprofit Accountability, Marcela Nava

Social Work Theses - Archive

Nonprofit organizations exist in a world of constantly increasing scrutiny and oversight, while public scandals create an increasing demand for public accountability. Program evaluation is seen as a powerful tool to assist nonprofits in establishing organizational accountability, yet studies suggest that program evaluation is not being used to establish accountability. In order to explore the use of program evaluation in establishing accountability, surveys were administered to nonprofit organizations in Dallas and Fort Worth. Respondents also participated in interviews about decision making processes regarding evaluation and accountability within their agencies. Results indicate that organizations in Dallas and Fort Worth are fairly …

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A Systematic Review Of The Effects Of Psychotherapy Involving Equines, Alison Selby Jan 2009

A Systematic Review Of The Effects Of Psychotherapy Involving Equines, Alison Selby

Social Work Theses - Archive

This systematic review examines the empirical literature in an emerging body of evidence for the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions involving equines across populations. Fourteen full reports in English were extracted from 103 studies accessed through sixteen electronic databases and a hand search. Selected quantitative studies were published in peer-reviewed journals; the gray literature and white papers were also explored. Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome (PICO) and Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria were applied to all studies. Data were synthesized in relation to four research questions informing evidence-based practice. No randomized clinical trials were located. Two studies …

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Topology Optimization Using Hyper Radial Basis Function Network, Aditya P. Apte Jan 2009

Topology Optimization Using Hyper Radial Basis Function Network, Aditya P. Apte

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Topology optimization has been conventionally used in automobile and aerospace industries to produce lightweight structures for minimum compliance or maximum fundamental frequency. Today, topology optimization finds application in solving diverse types of problems ranging from medicine to consumer products. Popular continuum based method SIMP fails to provide global solution due to too many variables involved. In this work, a novel hyper radial basis function network is presented as topology description function. The proposed approach provides drastic reduction in number of design variables involved in topology optimization. This makes the use of heuristic global solution possible. Parallel processing, reanalysis formulation and …

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Optimal-Control Theoretic Methods For Optimization And Regulation Of Distributed Parameter Systems, Jennifer Dawn Goss Jan 2009

Optimal-Control Theoretic Methods For Optimization And Regulation Of Distributed Parameter Systems, Jennifer Dawn Goss

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Optimal control and optimization of distributed parameter systems are discussed in the context of a common control framework. The adjoint method of optimization and the traditional linear quadratic regulator implementation of optimal control both employ adjoint or costate variables in the determination of control variable progression. As well both theories benefit from a reduced order model approximation in their execution. This research aims to draw clear parallels between optimization and optimal control utilizing these similarities. Several applications are presented showing the use of adjoint/costate variables and reduced order models in optimization and optimal control problems. The adjoint method for shape …

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Transient Flow Analysis Of Filling In Pulse Detonation Engine, Veera Venkata Suneel Jinnala Jan 2009

Transient Flow Analysis Of Filling In Pulse Detonation Engine, Veera Venkata Suneel Jinnala

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

The Pulse Detonation Engine (PDE) is considered to be a propulsion system of future air vehicles. The objective of the present study is to model an efficient inlet system for filling the detonation tube completely with the fuel/air mixture. In the present study the filling processes is modeled numerically using CFD code FLUENTTM. Calculations for the gas flow are carried out by solving the Navier-Stokes equations coupled with the k- ? turbulence model. Five different inlet configurations were proposed and simulated in both two-dimensionally and three-dimensionally. The model with an orifice plate at the inlets ensured the desired optimum results. …

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Guidance Of Receiver Aircraft To Rendezvous With Tanker In The Presence Of Wind, Jane-Wit Kampoon Jan 2009

Guidance Of Receiver Aircraft To Rendezvous With Tanker In The Presence Of Wind, Jane-Wit Kampoon

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

This thesis work addresses the problem of aircraft rendezvous in the presence of prevailing wind for automated aerial refueling operations. A modified point-parallel rendezvous procedure is defined. The tanker aircraft performs a racetrack maneuver along a pre-specified refueling orbit. The receiver aircraft enters the refueling area through a fixed point and flies along the refueling line that is aligned with on of the straight legs of the race track. It is the responsibility to meet the tanker at the rendezvous point. A virtual target is used to define the trajectory of the refueling orbit. A nonlinear guidance algorithm is used …

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A Study Of Ejection Times Of Terrestrial Planets From The Habitable Zones Of The Solar Twins Hd 20782 And Hd 188015, Katherine Elizabeth Yeager Jan 2009

A Study Of Ejection Times Of Terrestrial Planets From The Habitable Zones Of The Solar Twins Hd 20782 And Hd 188015, Katherine Elizabeth Yeager

Physics Theses - Archive

We provide a detailed statistical study of the ejection of Earth-mass planets from the habitable zones of the solar twins HD 20782 and HD 188015. These systems possess a giant planet that crosses into the stellar habitable zone, thus effectively thwarting the possibility of habitable Earth-mass planets. In the case of HD 188015, the orbit of the giant planet is essentially circular, whereas in the case of HD 20782, it is extremely elliptical. As starting positions for the giant planets, we consider both the apogee and perigee position, whereas the starting positions of the Earth-mass planets are widely varied. For …

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Analysis Of Calorimeter/Itc Cosmic Ray Data From The Atlas Detector, And Preparation For Supersymmetry Searches, Carlos Francisco Medina Hernandez Jan 2009

Analysis Of Calorimeter/Itc Cosmic Ray Data From The Atlas Detector, And Preparation For Supersymmetry Searches, Carlos Francisco Medina Hernandez

Physics Theses - Archive

The Large Hadron Collider is the largest most ambitious experiment in high energy physics history. It involves the greatest number of scientists from around the world. The first collisions will start being produced in late 2009 and we expect that the information collected will help us understand the physics behind the standard model such as higgs physics and the supersymmetric theories. The Department of Physics at University of Texas at Arlington, and more specifically the high energy physics group is actively involved with the design, construction and commissioning process of the ATLAS Tile Calorimeter. The group is also participating in …

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Does Chronic Pain And Pain Sensitivity Influence's One's Affective Experience Of Social And Physical Pain?, Marcos A. Gomez Jan 2009

Does Chronic Pain And Pain Sensitivity Influence's One's Affective Experience Of Social And Physical Pain?, Marcos A. Gomez

Psychology Theses - Archive

Pain Overlap Theory (Eisenberger, Jarcho, Lieberman, & Naliboff, 2006) suggests that the affective experience of physical and social pain share the same phenomenological and neurocognitive correlates (MacDonald & Kingsbury, 2006). An important question is how individual differences in pain experiences in one domain (e.g., physical pain) influences pain experiences in other domains (e.g., social). Chronic physical pain is thought to be associated with changes in physiological and psychological processes linked with pain unpleasantness. For example, chronic physical pain is thought to sensitize individuals to potential harm to the point that the individual may attempt to avoid (or even overreact to) …

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Understanding Stigma By Association: The Roles Of Prior Attitudes And Objective Justification, Theresa Glasgow Moehrle Jan 2009

Understanding Stigma By Association: The Roles Of Prior Attitudes And Objective Justification, Theresa Glasgow Moehrle

Psychology Theses - Archive

The interaction between Stigma by Association (SBA), Objective Justification (an excuse) and prior negative attitudes (homonegativity) was examined using a mock scholarship application and a recommendation index. In Study 1, 139 participants were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions in a 2 (Stigma Alliance: allied vs. neutral) x 2 (Objective Justification: high GPA vs. low GPA) between-subjects factorial design. Prior attitudes toward homosexuals were measured using the Short-form ATLG (Herek, 1988). Study 2 (N = 170) replicated Study 1 and added an index for possible friendship. In both studies it was hypothesized that there would be a main …

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Does Chronic Victimization Lead To A Rejection Attribution Bias?, Haylie Lauren Gomez Jan 2009

Does Chronic Victimization Lead To A Rejection Attribution Bias?, Haylie Lauren Gomez

Psychology Theses - Archive

This study examined the influence of chronic victimization on social pain reactions. This influence is referred to as the rejection attribution bias, measured via self-reports of feeling excluded, threatened needs, and neurological activity in the right prefrontal cortex (RPFC) after ostracism. Participants (N = 189) completed an online survey containing personality and victimization measures. They were then offered the opportunity to complete a second phase in the lab, which involved collection of EEG data before and during an online ball-tossing manipulation (Cyberball), and measures to assess affective responses to exclusion. Results support the RAB model, with victimized participants reporting greater …

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The Influence Of Knowledge Aquired At Study On Younger And Older Adults' Source Memory, Crystal Marie Cooper Cortes Jan 2009

The Influence Of Knowledge Aquired At Study On Younger And Older Adults' Source Memory, Crystal Marie Cooper Cortes

Psychology Theses - Archive

The current experiments were intended to investigate the tendency of younger and older adults to use knowledge acquired during encoding to guide source memory judgments at test. Participants studied a list of words with each word belonging to one of four categories. Each category, and the words chosen for that category, were assigned to a corner of the computer screen which contained one of four mathematical probability structures, 100%, 75%, 50%, and 25%, reflecting how many exemplars from a given category was to be presented in it. Both older and younger adults learned and later used the probability structure to …

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Organizational Justice And Stress: An Investigation, Heather E. Graham Jan 2009

Organizational Justice And Stress: An Investigation, Heather E. Graham

Psychology Theses - Archive

Utilizing survey methodology, the four-factor model of organizational justice was assessed, including distributive, procedural, interpersonal, and informational justice, as well as their relationships with overall perceived and work-related stress. In addition to the hypothesized relationships of each justice dimension and stress, this study investigated the Justice Salience Hierarchy (JSH) as proposed by Greenberg (2004). Confirmatory factor analyses indicated a reasonable fit of the four-factor model of justice; however, using moderated sequential regression analyses, the overall findings indicated a lack of support for the JSH. Notably, negative relationships between justice and stress were demonstrated. Specifically, results demonstrated the strength of informational …

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Walkout: The Footsteps Of Latino Youth Activism, Marta Galvan Jan 2009

Walkout: The Footsteps Of Latino Youth Activism, Marta Galvan

Sociology & Anthropology Theses - Archive

This qualitative study analyzes contemporary social action through the lens of Latino youth activism. A total of 11 people including Latino student demonstrators and non-demonstrators and teachers/administrators all shared their experiences and perspectives concerning the 2006 Latino youth immigration reform walkout that took place at a local high school. It was found that Latino youth secretly coordinated a walkout and executed it. Escorted by police they marched in the streets, recruited other students along the way, attended a rally, and were bused back to campus afterward. Demonstrators were both criticized and praised for their actions by peers and teachers/administrators. While …

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An "Absent Presence": An Internal History Of Insular Jewish Communities Prior To Expulsion In 1290, Jason Holder Bennett Jan 2009

An "Absent Presence": An Internal History Of Insular Jewish Communities Prior To Expulsion In 1290, Jason Holder Bennett

History Theses - Archive

This thesis, based on a study based on the legal and popular documents regarding Jews and Judaism in thirteenth-century England, argues that the Expulsion of the Insular Jews in 1290 was not just a financial decision as has been argued in the past by other historians. Most historians focus on one or two aspects of the Insular experience or Expulsion, with fiscal reasons always in the forefront. This work covers and analyzes excerpts from various poems, chronicles, and martyrologies from popular literature and art to show the feelings and beliefs of the populace on Jews and Judaism in that time …

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To Keep Those Red Lights Burning: Dallas' Response To Prostitution, 1874 To 1913, Gwinnetta Malone Crowell Jan 2009

To Keep Those Red Lights Burning: Dallas' Response To Prostitution, 1874 To 1913, Gwinnetta Malone Crowell

History Theses - Archive

This thesis examines the responses of city leaders, purity reformers, and citizens to prostitution within two red-light districts in Dallas between the years 1874 and 1913. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in the United States, prevailing social and moral standards judged prostitution both illegal and illicit. Yet sexual double standards, urban anonymity, and predominately male populations (especially in frontier and boomtowns) meant that it was often ignored or tolerated in segregated areas, or red-light districts. As towns grew into urbanized centers, houses of ill fame (which contributed to the financial development of many towns through fines and …

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