Digital Commons Network^™

Parametric Optimization Design System For A Fluid Domain Assembly, Matthew Jackson Fisher

Theses and Dissertations

Automated solid modeling, integrated with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and optimization of a 3D jet turbine engine has never been accomplished. This is due mainly to the computational power required, and the lack of associative parametric modeling tools and techniques necessary to adjust and optimize the design. As an example, the fluid domain of a simple household fan with three blades may contain 500,000 elements per blade passage. Therefore, a complete turbine engine that includes many stages, with sets of thirty or more blades each, will have hundreds of millions of elements. The fluid domains associated with each blade creates …

Development Of A Miniature Vtol Tail-Sitter Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Jeffrey V. Hogge

Theses and Dissertations

The design, analysis, construction and flight testing of a miniature Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) tail-sitter Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) prototype is presented in detail. Classic aircraft design methods were combined with numerical analysis to estimate the aircraft performance and flight characteristics. The numerical analysis employed a propeller blade-element theory coupled with momentum equations to predict the influence of a propeller slipstream on the freestream flow field, then the aircraft was analyzed using 3-D vortex lifting-line theory to model finite wings immersed in the flow field. Four prototypes were designed, built, and tested and the evolution of these prototypes is …

Expression Of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Mrna As A Function Of Age In Whole Hippocampus Preparations From Wistar Rats, Kasey C. Welch

Theses and Dissertations

Whole hippocampus preparations, isolated bilaterally, from untreated Wistar rats at various ages (10-90 days old) were analyzed for the mRNA expression of the alpha 2, alpha 3, alpha 4, alpha 5, alpha 7, beta 2, beta 3, and beta 4 neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits. To do so, RNA was isolated from acutely isolated hippocampal samples, converted to cDNA by means of a reverse transcription reaction, then analyzed with quantitative real-time PCR to determine the relative levels of the mRNAs the cells were expressing at the age when the samples were obtained. The relative expression of the levels of RNA …

A Study Of The Effectiveness Of Annotations In Improving The Listening Comprehension Of Intermediate Esl Learners, Ryan K. Rocque

Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to answer the age old question of what kind of input is best for ESL learners, but it approaches the question with a new perspective. There are many options when it comes to a choice of curriculum, both in terms of the method that is used and the materials that are available. Feature film is one important resource that has received increased attention in recent years. Curriculum specialists and teachers are incorporating various film clips into instruction to enhance a grammar point, to teach culture, or as a way to motivate learners. Yet adequate research does not …

Nrcs Curve Number Calibration Using Usgs Regression Equations, Charlotte M. Mecham

Theses and Dissertations

The Curve Number (CN) method of estimating the direct runoff response to rainfall events was originally developed in the 1950's primarily for agricultural purposes in the mid-western United States. The accuracy of the CN method is greatly affected by variation of the soil type and land use of the region. Curve Numbers developed for a given region are not appropriate for application in other regions. In order to produce reliable, consistent results, Curve Numbers must be calibrated for the area in which the CN method is to be applied. Calibration is ideally accomplished by direct measurement using several rain and …

Exploring The Common Design Space Of Dissimilar Assembly Parameterizations For Interdisciplinary Design, Brady M. Larson

Theses and Dissertations

The use of parametric CAD models in engineering, analysis, and optimization has greatly enhanced the effectiveness and efficiency of the product development process. Parametric models provide an attractive avenue for expansive design exploration. There still exists, however, a great challenge for products requiring design input from multiple disciplines. The collaboration of engineering disciplines can be hampered by many factors including: competing design objectives, communication of design changes, the use of different design and analysis software, and different geometry definitions. These obstacles become compounded when developing products at the assembly level. The use of solid parametric assembly models is not readily …

Generating Cad Parametric Features Based On Topology Optimization Results, William R. Blattman

Theses and Dissertations

Shape optimization has become an important tool in industry to minimize weight and generate new designs. At the same time, companies are turning to CAD-centric design strategies where robust parametric CAD models are used to generate new designs and part-families of current designs, as well as the tooling and manufacturing procedures. However, due to its complexity, the optimal topology results are often discarded or recreated by hand into a CAD model. From a design stand point, the results can be improved with the use of manufacturing constraints on the shape optimization process. These constraints improve the manufacturability based on common …

How Soviet Russia Liberated Women: The Soviet Model In Clara Zetkin's Periodical 'Die Kommunistische Fraueninternationale', Liberty Peterson Sproat

Theses and Dissertations

Clara Zetkin was celebrated in both Germany and the Soviet Union before World War II because of her active involvement in the communist movement. She wrote prolifically and preached the virtues of socialism. She concerned herself particularly with women's needs, arguing that women would respond best to a different form of agitation than that used among men. Zetkin asserted that communism was the only way to respond to women's concerns as mothers and that only state involvement in domestic life would allow women to be fully emancipated. Women needed freedom from household work and increased training and support to aid …

Identifying Factors That Produce Blame For Sexually Harassing Behavior, Colin W. Key

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated how individual differences impact ratings of blame for sexual harassers and their victims and whether or not any relationships could be explained by defensive attribution theory. This theory claims that blame is a product of the relevance of the situation and the actors within that situation. Participants completed an online questionnaire in which they read hypothetical cases of sexual harassment. They rated the relevance of the situation and the individuals in the scenarios, attributed blame to hypothetical harassers and victims, as well as other information expected to predict ratings of blame. Results suggested that 1) defensive attribution …

A Longitudinal Examination Of The Influences Of Family Processes And Demographic Variables On Adolescent Weight, Jessica Lee Price

Theses and Dissertations

Nationally representative studies estimate that almost one in five adolescents in the United States is overweight. This is a major concern for individuals' physical and psychological health and the overall economy in terms of health care costs and loss of productivity. The approach of this study was to understand adolescent overweight as influenced by family processes including: parent-adolescent relationship, monitoring or parental knowledge, control, family meals, and parenting styles. Race, sex, family structure, income, and mother Body Mass Index (BMI) were also included. A sub-sample of 4,688 adolescents from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 was used to address …

Improving Spreadsheets For Complex Problems, Brian C. Whitmer

Theses and Dissertations

Spreadsheets are one of the most frequently used applications. They are used because they are easy to understand and values can be updated easily. However, many people try to use spreadsheets for problems beyond their intended scope and end up with errors and miscalculations. We present a new spreadsheet system which uses complex-values and equation code reuse to overcome the limitations of spreadsheets for complex problems. We also discuss the features necessary in order to make these enhancements useful and effective.

Generalized Constrained Interpolation, Jacob Porter Merrell

Theses and Dissertations

Interpolation is essential in digital image processing, especially magnification. Many different approaches to interpolation specific to magnification have been developed in an effort to overcome the shortcomings of bilinear and bicubic interpolation. One of these approaches, Constraint-Based Interpolation, produces an image that is free of jaggies and has less blurring than bilinear or bicubic interpolation. Although Constraint-Based Interpolation produces a visually pleasing image, there are user-chosen parameters that make the algorithm difficult to use. In this thesis we propose a method for automatic selection of those parameters and an extension of Constraint-Based Interpolation to other forms of image manipulation, such …

Increasing Dogma Scaling Through Clustering, Nathan Hyrum Ekstrom

Theses and Dissertations

DOGMA is a distributed computing architecture developed at Brigham Young University. It makes use of idle computers to provide additional computing resources to applications, similar to Seti@home. DOGMA's ability to scale to large numbers of computers is hindered by its strict client-server architecture. Recent research with DOGMA has shown that introducing localized peer-to-peer downloading abilities enhances DOGMA's performance while reducing the amount of network and server usage. This thesis proposes to further extend the peer-to-peer abilities of DOGMA to include peering client server communication by creating dynamic clusters of clients. The client clusters aggregate their communication with only one client …

Vol. 10 No. 1 Esr Review, Esr Review

Journal of Microfinance / ESR Review

No abstract provided.

Utilizing Socially Responsive Knowledge, Lisa Jones Christensen, Jennifer Boehme Kumar

Journal of Microfinance / ESR Review

No abstract provided.

Inca Garcilasco's Comentarios Reales, Or Who Tells The Story Of A Conquered Civilization?, Darío Fernández Morera

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Lewis, Bernard. What Went Wrong: The Clash Between Islam And Modernity In The Middle East. Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. Islam: Religion, History, Civilization., Connie Lamb

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

End Matter, Comparative Civilizations Review

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Viacom V. Youtube: The Crossroads Of Copyright Law, Clark Collings

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

No abstract provided.

Full Issue, Prelaw Review

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

No abstract provided.

Full Issue, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Measuring The Relationship Between Organizational Transparency And Employee Trust, Brad R. Rawlins

Faculty Publications

The literature on transparency and trust suggest the two concepts are related. While this idea is logical on its face, would it hold true if measured? Using an instrument that measures both transparency and trust, analysis of employee opinion supports this notion. In particular, organizations that encourage and allow public participation, share substantial information so their publics can make informed decisions, give balanced reports that hold them accountable, and open themselves up to public scrutiny, are more likely to be trusted.

Racial Bias In The Nba: Implications In Betting Markets, Tim Larsen, Joe Prince, Justin Wolfers

Faculty Publications

Recent studies have documented the existence of an own-race bias on the part of sports officials. In this paper we explore the implications of these biases on betting markets. We use data from the 1991/92 - 2004/05 NBA regular seasons to show that a betting strategy exploiting own-race biases by referees would systematically beat the spread.

When One Civilization Is Replaced By Another: The Case Of Czechoslovakia, Marie Homerova

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Numerical Analysis Of Passive Force On Skewed Bridgeabutments With Reinforced Concrete Wingwalls, Scott Karl Snow

Theses and Dissertations

Numerical Analysis of Passive Force on Skewed BridgeAbutments with Reinforced Concrete WingwallsScott Karl SnowDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, BYU Master of Science Historically bridges with skewed abutments have proven more likely to fail during earthquake loadings (Toro et al, 2013) when compared to non-skewed bridges (Apirakvorapinit et al. 2012; Elnashai et al. 2010). Previous studies including small-scale laboratory tests by Jessee (2012), large-scale field tests by Smith (2014), and numerical modeling by Shamsabadi et al. (2006) have shown that 45° skewed bridge abutments experience a reduction in peak passive force by about 65%. With numerous skewed bridges in the …

Palestinian Women's Roles After The First Intifada, 1987-1992, Bader Seetan Almadi

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a study of Palestinian women’s roles following the First Intifada, or Palestinian uprising, which began in 1987. This study considers whether Palestinian women found greater participation in their social life outside of the home during the challenges of the Intifada. In Palestinian society, traditional family roles and the various interpretations of Islamic teachings about to the family have severely restricted the role of women in society, and these limitations have served to increase the desire of these women for greater participation outside of the home.

This dissertation will focus on how religious forces, in addition …

Profiles Of The Prophets: Ezra Taft Benson, John P. Livingstone

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

No abstract provided.

New Publications, Religious Educator

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

No abstract provided.

Spencer W. Kimball And The Revelation On Priesthood, Edward L. Kimball

BYU Studies

Edward L. Kimball discusses the former Mormon policy of restricting Church members of African descent from receiving the priesthood. He examines the traditional and proposed scriptural basis for the policy, its origin and implementation, and the chain of events that led his father, President Spencer W. Kimball, to seek revelation regarding changing the policy. Black Africans' interest in joining the Church, the Civil Rights movement, Church members' changing perceptions regarding the priesthood policy, and spiritual manifestations all contributed to President Kimball's landmark decision. The article describes how President Kimball went about obtaining the revelation allowing all worthy male Church members …

Reza Aslan, No God But God—The Origins, Evolution, And Future Of Islam. Bat Ye'or Eurarabia The Euro-Arab Axis: Land Of Dhimmitude. Robert Kagan, Dangerous Nation: America's Place In The World From Its Earliest Days To The Dawn Of The Twentieth Century, Laina Farhat-Holzman

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.