Digital Commons Network^™

Avian Communities And Landscape Characteristics Of Golf Courses Within The Beaufort County Sea Island Complex, Jessica Gorzo

All Theses

The native breeding bird community of Beaufort County, South Carolina is experiencing landscape alteration in several forms. A prevalent human land use in the coastal zone is golf course development. This study explored the relationship between golf course land cover (n=23) and avian community metrics. Each study site consisted of the in-play area of the golf course, surrounded by a 400 m zone. Landscape metrics were calculated for each study site, and served as independent variables. The dependent variables were the following avian community metrics: species richness, neotropical migrant richness, abundance, diversity, evenness, and mean Partners in Flight (PIF) score. …

Effects Of Immersion On Spatial Updating In Virtual Panoramas, Phillip Napieralski

All Theses

An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of immersion on a common spatial knowledge acquisition task in a virtual panoramic environment. A virtual panorama, such as Google Streetview, is an environment that is comprised of 3D (spherical) images taken at regular intervals in a real world setting. Participants navigated the National Mall area of Washington DC in Google Streetview panoramas using either a keyboard and mouse or a head-mounted display (HMD) with a head orientation tracker. In an exploration phase, participants were asked to navigate and observe landmarks. Then, in a testing phase, participants were asked to look in …

Game Asset Development Pipeline With A Focus On Facial Rigging And Animation, Boqian Liu

All Theses

Though slowly improving, the majority of modern real-time productions--chiefly consisting of video games--tend to be lacking detail and flexibility in facial animation. A new facial rig is devised by investigating both the game asset development pipeline as well as current facial setup and animation schemes. The resultant rig hybridizes several of these solutions and not only attempts to address the issue of detail in facial animation but also usability and efficiency in its controller setup.

Champion Primes For Elliptic Curves, Jason Hedetniemi

All Theses

Let E_a,b be the elliptic curve y2 = x3 + ax + b over F_p. A well known result of Hasse states that over F_p
(p+1) - 2p½ ≤ #E_a,b ≤ (p+1)+2p½
If #E_a,b = (p+1) + floor(2p½) over F_p and E_a,b is nonsingular, then we call p a champion prime for E_a,b. We will discuss methods for finding champion primes for elliptic curves. In addition, we will show that the set of elliptic curves which have a champion prime has density one.

Surface Modifications Of Capillary-Channeled Polymer (C-Cp) Fibers For Applications In Highly Selective Separations, Jennifer Pittman

All Dissertations

High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is a key component in the purification and separation of biological samples. Stationary phases in HPLC are generally silica based porous particles or monoliths designed with high surface area and high capacities in mind. However, in the field of macromolecule separations, specifically proteins, the porous based stationary phases have inherent issues that include slow mass transfer, high operating back pressures, and analyte carryover. Recent research has looked to non-porous polymeric materials as stationary phases in HPLC to overcome these challenges. Specifically, fibrous based polymer stationary phases exhibit significant benefits for macromolecules that include improved mass …

Marketing In An Automobile Dependent Society: An Analysis Of Consumer-Oriented, Industry-Produced Advertising Material, John Ridout

All Dissertations

Despite the best intentions of public policy to cure societal ills, for the individual American consumer, the solution to the problem of automobile dependence is simple: buy an automobile. Consumers are alleviating societal pressure of not having a car rather than focusing on the negative impacts of vehicle usage after the purchase. Marketing and advertising play an important role in portraying how the public views transportation. Marketing reinforces automobile dependence and automobility by creating images and messages that say the norm of American life requires an automobile; therefore, marketing creates, controls, and reinforces values within the automobile consumer culture. Addressing …

Cuprate Mediated Allylic Substitutions On Vinylepoxides And Conjugate Additions On 2-Pyridones, Yaxin Huang

All Dissertations

Regioselective control in allylic substitution reactions of vinylepoxides is difficult due to the competition between SN2- substitution and SN2'- allylic substitution pathway. Although excellent SN2'/SN2- and anti/syn- ratios were achieved by CuCN derived organozinc cuprates on 4,5-epoxy-2,3-enoates, application of this methodology to the vinylepoxide, trans-1-(tert-butyldimethylsilyloxy)-2,3-epoxy-4-hexene, is explored. Dialkyzinc reagents mediated by catalytic amounts of CuCN provide excellent regio-(SN2'/SN2) and diastereo-(olefinic E/Z and anti/syn-) selectivity with n-Bu, Et and t-Bu ligands, while reduced E/Z and SN2'/SN2- ratios were achieved with aromatic ligands (e.g., furyl and Ph). The assignment of regio- and stereoisomers were achieved by alternative syntheses of the authentic compounds. …

Evaluation Of A Bisphosphonate Enriched Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene For Enhanced Total Joint Replacement Bearing Surface Functionality, Cassandra Wright-Walker

All Dissertations

Each year in the United States there is an increasing trend of patients receiving total joint replacement (TJR) procedures. Approximately a half million total knee replacements (TKRs) are performed annually in the United States with increasing prevalence attributed to baby-boomers, obesity, older, and younger patients. This trend is also seen for total hip replacements (THRs) as well. The use of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) inserts in TJRs results in wear particle-induced osteolysis, which is the predominant cause for prosthesis failure and revision surgery. Sub-micron size particle generation is inevitable despite the numerous efforts in improving this bearing material. …

Self-Assembled And Flow Induced Nano-Structures In Polymer Nanocomposites, Dilru Ratnaweera

All Dissertations

Distribution of nanoparticles (NPs) in polymers and role of NPs in modifying the structure of the polymeric matrices were studied using X-ray diffraction, neutron scattering, neutron reflectivity and atomic force microscopy techniques. Dispersion of NPs in polymers is challenging due to the aggregation tendency of NPs and inherent mixing challenges of polymer. Several strategies were used to control the NP distribution in polymers, including 'smart blending' and tailoring the interactions of the polymers.
In smart blending chaotic flow fields were used to disperse and orient montmorillonite NPs in homopolymer melt of polyamide 6 (PA6). The roles of duration of chaotic …

A Computational Pipeline For Mci Detection From Heterogeneous Brain Images, Lin Li

All Dissertations

The aging population has increased the importance of identifying and understanding mild cognitive impairment (MCI), particularly given that 6 - 15 % of MCI cases convert to Alzheimer's disease (AD) each year. The early identification of MCI has the potential for timely therapeutic interventions that would limit the advancement of
MCI to AD. However, it is difficult to identify MCI-related pathology based on visual inspection because these changes in brain morphology are subtle and spatially distributed. Therefore, reliable and automated methods to identify subtle changes in morphological
characteristics of MCI would aid in the identification and understanding of MCI. Meanwhile, …

Expert System Based Approach For Material Selection Of Automobile Body-In-White Structural Panels Using Numerical Ranking And Sustainability Indices, Ahmad Mayyas

All Dissertations

The goal of this work is to establish a set of quantifiable measures for design for sustainability (DFS) that can be applied to automotive applications in terms of environmental, social, economic and technical aspects. In this study, a comprehensive analysis was made in order to develop a methodology that can evaluate different body-in-white designs in terms of major sustainability aspects. Besides the complete life cycle analysis, environmental impacts and cost factors will be analyzed over vehicle's entire life-cycle (fuel extraction and refining, Pre-manufacturing, Manufacturing, Use, and
Post-use stages). The considered material options include: conventional steel, high strength steel, aluminum, magnesium, …

Modular Forms, Elliptic Curves And Drinfeld Modules, Catherine Trentacoste

All Dissertations

In this thesis we explore three different subfields in the area of number theory. The first topic we investigate involves modular forms, specifically nearly holomorphic eigenforms. In Chapter 3, we show the product of two nearly holomorphic eigenforms is an eigenform for only a finite list of examples. The second type of problem we analyze is related to the rank of elliptic curves. Specifically in Chapter 5 we give a graph theoretical approach to calculating the size of 3-Selmer groups for a given family of elliptic curves. By calculating the size of the 3-Selmer groups, we give an upper bound …

Hybrid Query Expansion On Ontology Graph In Biomedical Information Retrieval, Liang Dong

All Dissertations

Nowadays, biomedical researchers publish thousands of papers and journals every day. Searching through biomedical literature to keep up with the state of the art is a task of increasing difficulty for many individual researchers. The continuously increasing amount of biomedical text data has resulted in high demands for an efficient and effective biomedical information retrieval (BIR) system. Though many existing information retrieval techniques can be directly applied in BIR, BIR distinguishes itself in the extensive use of biomedical terms and abbreviations which present high ambiguity.
First of all, we studied a fundamental yet simpler problem of word semantic similarity. We …

Clustering And Classification Of Multivariate Stochastic Time Series In The Time And Frequency Domains, Ryan Schkoda

All Dissertations

The dissertation primarily investigates the characterization and discrimination of stochastic time series with an application to pattern recognition and fault detection. These techniques supplement traditional methodologies that make overly restrictive assumptions about the nature of a signal by accommodating stochastic behavior. The assumption that the signal under investigation is either deterministic or a deterministic signal polluted with white noise excludes an entire class of signals -- stochastic time series. The research is concerned with this class of signals almost exclusively. The investigation considers signals in both the time and the frequency domains and makes use of both model-based and model-free …

First Generation College Students In Engineering: A Grounded Theory Study Of Family Influence On Academic Decision Making, Denise Simmons

All Dissertations

This work develops a constructivist grounded theory describing the influence of family and those that serve a role similar to family on the academic decision making of undergraduate first generation in college (FGC) students majoring in engineering. FGC students, in this study, are students with neither parent having attained a bachelor's degree.
FGC students are an untapped talent pool with the potential to diversify and increase the number of engineers, which are both urgent national priorities. Much is known about FGC students with respect to their academic preparation, transition to postsecondary education, and progress toward degree attainment. However, the literature …

Quantitative, Spatial Imaging Based Measurements To Assess Cellular Health And Oxygenation In A Tissue Engineered Test System, Erik Bland

All Dissertations

Three-dimensional in vitro tissue test systems are employed to examine cell behavior, test responses to drugs and vaccines, and answer basic biological questions. These systems are more physiologically relevant than two-dimensional cell cultures, and are more relevant, easier and less expensive to maintain than animal models. However, methods used to measure cell behavior and viability have been developed specifically for two-dimensional cell cultures or animal models, and are often not optimally translated to three-dimensional in vitro test systems. The purpose of this work was to aid in the development of three-dimensional, spatially controlled in vitro test systems, and to develop …

A Radio Link Quality Model And Simulation Framework For Improving The Design Of Embedded Wireless Systems, Sally Wahba

All Dissertations

Despite the increasing application of embedded wireless systems, developers face numerous challenges during the design phase of the application life cycle. One of the critical challenges is ensuring performance reliability with respect to radio link quality. Specifically, embedded links experience exaggerated link quality variation, which results in undesirable wireless performance characteristics. Unfortunately, the resulting post-deployment behaviors often necessitate network redeployment.
Another challenge is recovering from faults that commonly occur in embedded wireless systems, including node failure and state corruption. Self-stabilizing algorithms can provide recovery in the presence of such faults. These algorithms guarantee the eventual satisfaction of a given state …

Further Investigation On Magnetically Induced Subsequent Fault And Study On Electromagnetic Scattering Of Objects Buried Below A Random Rough Surface, Haiyan Yang

All Dissertations

This dissertation contains two subjects: further development of numerical
technique for the analysis of magnetically induced subsequent fault (MISFault) in overhead power lines and its implementation into a software upgrade; and first-phase of study on the electromagnetic scattering from objects buried below a random rough surface making use of the multidomain pseudospectral time domain (PSTD) method and Monte-Carlo simulation. An initial electric fault can result in strong magnetic torque on the overhead power line conductors, which will make them swing and may bring them to close proximity or in contact with one another, causing a subsequent fault. In Chapter 2, …

New Results In Multivariate Time Series With Applications, Nan Su

All Dissertations

This dissertation presents some new results in stationary multivariate time series.
The asymptotic properties of the sample autocovariance are established, that is, we derive a multivariate version of Bartlett's Classic Formula.
The estimation of the autocovariance function plays a crucial role in time series analysis,
in particular for the identification problem.
Explicit formula for vector autoregressive $(p)$ and vector moving average $(q)$ processes are presented as examples.
We also address linear processes driven by non-independent errors,
a feature that permits consideration of multivariate GARCH processes.
We next compare several techniques to discriminate
two multivariate stationary signals. The compared methods include …

An Emerging Model Of Knowledge For Youth Development Professionals, Femi Vance

Journal of Youth Development

A model of knowledge for youth development professionals that is comprised of five knowledge domains: 1) Foundational Knowledge of Positive Youth Development; 2) Knowledge of Youth; 3) Knowledge of Group Facilitation; 4) Knowledge of Contexts and Organizational Systems and; 5) Specialized Youth Development Knowledge is proposed in this paper. The model is intended for use in youth development programs, which have been associated with better outcomes for participants when compared to other types of youth programs. The development of the knowledge base is framed by seminal research on teacher knowledge and informed by practice- oriented research in the out-of-school time …

Numerical Study For A Viscoelastic Fluid-Structure Interaction Problem, Shuhan Xu

All Theses

In this thesis, we consider a viscoelastic flow in a moving domain, which has significant applications in biology and industry. Numerical approximation schemes are developed based on the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) formulation of the flow equations. A spatial discretization is accomplished by the finite element method, and the time descritization is carried by either the implicit Euler method or the Crank-Nicolson method. Numerical results are presented for a fluid in a moving domain, where the boundary movement is specified by a given function. Then, we extend our work to a fluid-structure interaction problem. This system consists of a two-dimensional viscoelastic …

Extraction And Identification Of Volatile Constituents Of Oplopanax Horridus , Gregory Jones

All Theses

O. horridus is an important medicinal and spiritual plant for native peoples where it natively grows. Secondary volatile metabolites which compose the essential oil were isolated by atmospheric simultaneous distillation-solvent extraction (SDE) and headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) from the bark and leaves of Oplopanax horridus. The differences between the two extraction methods was investigated for their sensitivity, precision and use in separating volatile compounds from sample matrices.The extracts were analyzed by capillary gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. Compounds were identified according to their non-isothermal Kovats indexes, mass spectra, or by comparison with analytical standard substances. The bark essential …

Synthesis, Characterization And Applications Of Different Nanostructures, Whitney Snyder

All Theses

There has been a growing interest in the field of nanoscience for the last several decades including the use in optical, electrical, biological and medicinal applications. This thesis focuses on the synthesis of different nanoparticles for their potential uses in drug delivery and antimicrobial agents as well as porous alumina membranes as surface enhanced Raman scattering or SERS substrates.
The synthesis of nanocomposites (NCs) composed of silica and poly(4-vinyl pyridine) (P4VP) in a basic ethanol solution is presented in chapter 2. The composition of the NCs appears to be homogenous after synthesis and is greatly affected by heat and pH …

Little Houses, Big Expenses: A Financial Study Of Small House Museums In New England, Marie Elise Haremski

All Theses

This thesis is examines the finances of house museums in New England with annual receipts under $250,000. It discusses the need to compile and evaluate data of this nature and the steps that were taken to obtain and present that data. This study maps how house museums behaved during this period. It will also present recommendations for practices that can be implemented to either drive revenue up or costs down.
It analyzes the various income and expense categories as they have been reported to the Internal Revenue Service for the filing years 2000 through 2009. The income categories analyzed include: …

The Tiger Vol. 106 Issue 11 2012-04-13, Clemson University

Tiger Newspapers

No abstract provided.

7th Annual Focus On Creative Inquiry Poster Forum Program, Clemson University

Focus on Creative Inquiry

The poster forum today displays a few of the more than 400 projects initiated by Clemson University Creative Inquiry teams.

What is Creative Inquiry? It is small-group learning for all students. It is the imaginative combination of engaged learning and undergraduate research. Ultimately, it is the creation of an Ah-ha! Moment — and it is unique to Clemson University.

Creative Inquiry establishes small teams of undergraduate students that work with faculty mentors to take on problems that spring from their own curiosity, from a professor’s challenge, or from the pressing needs of the world around them. Students take ownership of …

Energetic Feedback And 26al From Massive Stars And Their Supernovae In The Carina Region, R. Voss, P. Martin, R. Diehl, J. S. Vink, Dieter H. Hartmann, T. Preibisch

Publications

We study the populations of massive stars in the Carina region and their energetic feedback and ejection of 26Al. Methods. We did a census of the stellar populations in young stellar clusters within a few degrees of the Carina nebula. For each star we estimated the mass, based on the spectral type and the host cluster age. We used population synthesis to calculate the energetic feedback and ejection of 26Al from the winds of the massive stars and their supernova explosions. We used 7 years of INTEGRAL observations to measure the 26Al signal from the region. Results. The INTEGRAL 26Al …

Sla 2011 Conference Report

NASIG Newsletter

No abstract provided.

March 2012 Full Issue

NASIG Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Weak Localization In A Lateral Superlattice With Rashba And Dresselhaus Spin-Orbit Interaction, D C. Marinescu, Andrei Manolescu

Publications

We calculate the weak localization (WL) correction to the conductivity of a lateral superlattice (LSL) with Rashba (R)-Dresselhaus (D) spin-orbit interaction (SOI). The superlattice is modeled as a sequence of parallel wires that support tunneling between adjacent sites, leading to the formation of extended Bloch states along its axis and a miniband in the energy spectrum. Our results, obtained by calculating the eigenvalues of the Cooperon operator in the diffusion approximation, indicate that the electron dephasing rate that determines the antilocalization correction is enhanced by a term proportional with the LSL potential and the bandwidth. Within the same formalism, the …