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Biomass V2.0: A New Tool For Bioprocess Simulation, Y Phan-Thien May 2011

Biomass V2.0: A New Tool For Bioprocess Simulation, Y Phan-Thien

All Theses

A simulation software (BioMASS - Biological Modeling and Simulation Software) was upgraded from the previous version and provided with additional enhancements. Several new bioprocess configurations and their subroutines have been added. The additional processes included continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) with biomass recycle, and CSTR with additional stream in the second stage. The primary goal in the development of BioMASS v2.0 was to provide users with a ready-to-use, expressive visual modeling tools. In this new version, output from simulation can be visualized in graphics. Printing, exporting, and saving file options also are available. In summary, BioMASS v2.0 offers an effective …

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The Impact Of Trade Costs In Indonesian Agri-Food Sectors: An Interregional Cge Analysis, Irlan Rum May 2011

The Impact Of Trade Costs In Indonesian Agri-Food Sectors: An Interregional Cge Analysis, Irlan Rum

All Theses

An interregional Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) approach is used to measure the impact of variable internal trade costs have on regional consumer welfare and interregional market integration within the Indonesian economy. Existing high interregional price differences in the agri-food markets suggest the presence of variable internal trade costs, which serve as effective barriers to interregional trade. Given the important role of agri-food markets in both food security and income generation for rural households, these price differences can have significant welfare impacts on both producers and consumers. Reducing the costs of trade between Indonesia's various regions could facilitate interregional trade. Trade …

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Open Source Rigging In Blender: A Modular Approach, Ryan Cushman May 2011

Open Source Rigging In Blender: A Modular Approach, Ryan Cushman

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Character rigs control characters in the traditional CG pipeline. This thesis examines the rig creation process and discusses several problems inherant in the traditional workflow--excessive time spent and a lack of uniformity, and proposes a software plugin which solves these issues. This thesis describes the creation of a tool for Blender 3D which automates the rigging process yet keeps the creativity and control in the hands of the user. A character rig designed by this tool will be fully functional--yet capable of being split into its component parts and reconstructed as the user determines. These body parts are individually scripted …

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Examination Of Qualitative Methodology Usefulness In Assessing Management Effectiveness Of Protected Areas: A Case Study Of Mexico, Carla Mora-Trejos May 2011

Examination Of Qualitative Methodology Usefulness In Assessing Management Effectiveness Of Protected Areas: A Case Study Of Mexico, Carla Mora-Trejos

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Parks and Protected Areas (PAs) are an important approach for conservation of cultural and natural diversity worldwide (Bruner 2001; McNeely 1994; Rao & Geisler 1990). Their long term success depends on effective management in relation to the goals set forth for the PA. Measuring this can be complex and challenging and has been done in a variety of ways in order to better get at the answer of how to measure management effectiveness. The purpose of this research was to develop and test qualitative methodology designed to explore management effectiveness using all six elements from the WCPA framework (Hockings et …

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Towards Securing Virtualization Using A Reconfigurable Platform, Tushar Janefalkar May 2011

Towards Securing Virtualization Using A Reconfigurable Platform, Tushar Janefalkar

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Virtualization is no longer limited to main stream processors and servers. Virtualization software for General Purpose Processors (GPP) that allow one Operating System (OS) to run as an application in another OS have become commonplace. To exploit the full potential of the available hardware, virtualization is now prevalent across all systems big and small. Besides GPPs, state-of-the-art embedded processors are now capable of running rich operating systems and their virtualization is now a hot topic of research. However, this technological progress also opens doors for attackers to snoop on data that is not only confined to storage servers but also …

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Finite Element Analysis Prediction Of Stresses In H.L. Hunley Submarine By Global-To-Local Model Coordination, Aditya Sai Nag Choragudi May 2011

Finite Element Analysis Prediction Of Stresses In H.L. Hunley Submarine By Global-To-Local Model Coordination, Aditya Sai Nag Choragudi

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H.L Hunley was a submarine of the Confederate States of America that participated in the American Civil War. On February 17, 1864, H.L.Hunley created history by becoming the first submarine to sink a enemy ship after its attack on USS Houstanic. After Hunley never returned to the shore and the details of its wreck were unknown. On August 8, 2000, H. L Hunley was brought to the surface after 136 years of its wreckage. The submarine is currently at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center located in Charleston.
This study focuses on the structural analysis of the H.L Hunley submarine to …

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Strengthening The Anonymity Of Anonymous Communication Systems, Christopher Abbott May 2011

Strengthening The Anonymity Of Anonymous Communication Systems, Christopher Abbott

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In this work, we examine why a popular anonymity network, Tor, is vulnerable to timing side-channel attacks. We explore removing this vulnerability from Tor without sacrificing its low-latency which is important for usability.
We find that Tor is vulnerable because inter-packet delays propagate along the network path from the source to the destination. This provides an easily detected signature. We explore techniques for making the timing signature either expensive or impossible to detect.
If each packet took a unique, disjoint path from source to destination the inter-packet delay signature would be undetectable. Jitter and latency would change packet arrival orders. …

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Incorporation Of Novel Diphosphines Into Polymer Structure For Light Absorption And Emission Applications, Thora Maltais May 2011

Incorporation Of Novel Diphosphines Into Polymer Structure For Light Absorption And Emission Applications, Thora Maltais

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In today's society, there is a constant need for the development and production of new and improved technology, especially in the development of light emitting diodes for screens in electronic devices, and photovoltaic cells as sources for alternative energy. New insights for the development of such technology can be elucidated through the incorporation of chromophoric diphosphines into phosphonium and platinum(II) polymer frameworks. From diphosphine incorporation, it will be shown that polymer properties can be enhanced for such applications by invoking phosphorescence, and providing a modular platform for generating multilayer polymer films that provide intriguing energy transfer capabilities in the visible …

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The Rhetorics Of Constructing Hiv/Aids In The United States And China: A Comparative Analysis Of Two Online Discussion Forums, Jingwen Zhang May 2011

The Rhetorics Of Constructing Hiv/Aids In The United States And China: A Comparative Analysis Of Two Online Discussion Forums, Jingwen Zhang

All Theses

This thesis focuses on the cross-cultural comparison of the public rhetorics that construct HIV/AIDS in two online discussion forums from the United States and China. Social constructions of HIV/AIDS have previously been explored in specific countries and cultures; however, comparative studies have rarely been conducted, especially by applying rhetorical cultural analysis focusing on online discourses. Responding to these gaps in research, this study combines two underexplored dimensions -- comparative rhetorical analysis and online discourse -- to show how online communications, metaphors, and topoi identified in discussion forum posts reveal and construct the idea of HIV/AIDS in the public sphere for …

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Writing With Others: The Rhetoric Of Cloud Technologies In The Workplace, Sarah Garmon May 2011

Writing With Others: The Rhetoric Of Cloud Technologies In The Workplace, Sarah Garmon

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Communication scholars need to know more about how collaborative technology could change the workplace. Understanding the rhetorical situation of workplace communication helps explain the paradigm shift in the making between old technologies (e.g. Microsoft Office and PCs) and new technologies (e.g. Google docs and tablets). The study of two workplaces, Dr. Apparao Rao's physics lab at Clemson University and my freshman composition classroom, indicates that conventional forms of communication such as email, instant messaging, and voicemail may cause a gap workplace communication. Cloud-based solutions may fill that gap in communication as well as the gap between Carolyn Miller's dichotomy of …

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Multi-Scale Modeling Of The Fontan Circulation Using A Mock Circulatory System, John Chiulli May 2011

Multi-Scale Modeling Of The Fontan Circulation Using A Mock Circulatory System, John Chiulli

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The Fontan circulation is the result of a series of operations performed to save the lives of children born with univentricular circulations. The Fontan procedure achieves venous return to the pulmonary circulation without a ventricular power source. The load on the heart is reduced to normal, and these patients can lead a normal life into adulthood, although late complications continue to prevent normal lifespan. A unique feature of the Fontan circulation is the dependency of inferior vena cava flow on respiration. The Fontan circulation has been modeled experimentally using an adjustable mock circulatory system, which for the first time includes …

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Lean Manufacturing - An Integrated Socio-Technical Systems Approach To Work Design, Mohammed Raja May 2011

Lean Manufacturing - An Integrated Socio-Technical Systems Approach To Work Design, Mohammed Raja

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Over the years, the manufacturing industry has witnessed a number of work design practices, based on different principles, which have significantly shaped the nature of work and have affected employees' behavior and performance. This study compares the socio-technical systems (STS) principles and lean production (LP) principles in to explore the potential for synergistic integration between the two. They are categorized according to the common overarching goals of these principles, and through a process of theoretical rationalization, these categories are operationalized into the work design practices of middle management support, social practices usage, and technical practices usage.
A model of work …

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A Finite Element Model For Coupled Deformation-Flow Analysis Of Unsaturated Soil-Structure Systems And Its Validation, Hadakopan Krishnapillai May 2011

A Finite Element Model For Coupled Deformation-Flow Analysis Of Unsaturated Soil-Structure Systems And Its Validation, Hadakopan Krishnapillai

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The unsaturated soil mechanics is one of the emerging fields that require extensive studies to understand its behavior under various loading and environmental conditions. Unsaturated soil consists of three bulk phases: solid, liquid and gas and three interfaces: solid-liquid, liquid-gas and gas-solid. It is generally accepted that the interaction among various bulk phases and interfaces has to be taken into account in the characterization of unsaturated soils. The behavior of soil-structure systems is complex and the complexity further increases when the structure is located in unsaturated soil. Numerical methods such as the finite element method are ideally suited for elucidating …

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Biodiesel Production Using Chemical And Enzymatic Catalysts And Improvement Of Cold Flow Properties Using Additives, Hem Joshi May 2011

Biodiesel Production Using Chemical And Enzymatic Catalysts And Improvement Of Cold Flow Properties Using Additives, Hem Joshi

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Biodiesel production was carried out from soybean, canola and cottonseed oils along with poultry fat using catalytic potassium hydroxide. Further, the physical properties of biodiesel were studied with addition of ethyl levulinate (ethyl 4-oxopentanoate), short-chain alcohols (ethanol, isopropanol and butanol), and commercial cold flow improver (CFI) additives. The effects of adding ethyl levulinate, short-chain alcohols, and commercial additives were determined by studying their influence on the acid value (AV), cloud point (CP), pour point (PP), cold filter plugging point (CFPP), induction period (IP), kinematic viscosity (KV) and the flash point (FP). The results showed improved low temperature properties of the …

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Particle Beam Glow Discharge Spectroscopy As A Tool For Speciation And Metallomics Analysis, Charles Quarles Jr May 2011

Particle Beam Glow Discharge Spectroscopy As A Tool For Speciation And Metallomics Analysis, Charles Quarles Jr

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Metallomics is a growing field of interdisciplinary research that investigates metals in biological and environmental systems. One of the major problems in detecting metals in biological systems is the instrumentation required to analyze these complex biological samples. Typically, an inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer or -mass spectrometer (ICP - OES or - MS) is used for elemental analysis and an electrospray ionization-mass spectrometer (ESI-MS) is used for molecular information. In almost all cases, the sample introduction matrix is different for each instrument, which can affect the physiological conditions of the sample and change its properties. Particle beam/hollow cathode-optical emission spectroscopy …

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Automated, Parallel Optimization Algorithms For Stochastic Functions, Dheeraj Chahal May 2011

Automated, Parallel Optimization Algorithms For Stochastic Functions, Dheeraj Chahal

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The optimization algorithms for stochastic functions are desired specifically for real-world and simulation applications where results are obtained from sampling, and contain experimental error or random noise. We have developed a series of stochastic optimization algorithms based on the well-known classical down hill simplex algorithm. Our parallel implementation of these optimization algorithms, using a framework called MW, is based on a master-worker architecture where each worker runs a massively parallel program. This parallel implementation allows the sampling to proceed independently on many processors as demonstrated by scaling up to more than 100 vertices and 300 cores.
This framework is highly …

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High Resolution Vision-Based Servomechanism Using A Dynamic Target With Application To Cnc Machines, Carlos Montes-Solano May 2011

High Resolution Vision-Based Servomechanism Using A Dynamic Target With Application To Cnc Machines, Carlos Montes-Solano

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This dissertation introduces a novel three dimensional vision-based servomechanism with application to real time position control for manufacturing equipment, such as Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine tools. The proposed system directly observes the multi-dimensional position of a point on the moving tool relative to a fixed ground, thus bypassing the inaccurate kinematic model normally used to convert axis sensor-readings into an estimate of the tool position.

A charge-coupled device (CCD camera) is used as the position transducer, which directly measures the current position error of the tool referenced to an absolute coordinate system. Due to the direct-sensing nature of the …

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Targeting A-Form Nucleic Acids: A Neomycin Based Approach, Nicholas Shaw May 2011

Targeting A-Form Nucleic Acids: A Neomycin Based Approach, Nicholas Shaw

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This manuscript reflects our most recent advancements in the recognition of nucleic acids. Chapter one focuses on previously established methods in nucleic acid recognition. Nucleic acid targeting by small molecules affords a unique way to potentially inhibit biological functions, which is different from targeting enzyme and protein bio-macromolecules. We seek to further develop an aminoglycoside approach to targeting nucleic acids. Since aminoglycosides were first introduced, over 60 years ago, as treatment for tuberculosis, natural product discovery and demands for therapeutically more effective aminoglycosides, with lowered toxicity, have dominated the landscape of aminoglycoside research. More recently, our group has established neomycin …

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Synthesis, Characterization, And Reactivity Of Biologically Relevant Copper(I) Selone And Thione Complexes, Martin Kimani May 2011

Synthesis, Characterization, And Reactivity Of Biologically Relevant Copper(I) Selone And Thione Complexes, Martin Kimani

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In Fenton-like reactions, Cu+ localized on DNA reduces hydrogen peroxide to form hydroxyl radical (*OH), resulting in oxidative DNA damage. This DNA damage causes mutation and cell death, which can lead to diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's, and arteriosclerosis. Sulfur and selenium antioxidants have been investigated for the prevention and treatment of these diseases, and studies have shown that sulfur- and selenium-containing antioxidants prevent DNA damage from copper-generated hydroxyl radical and that metal coordination is required for the observed antioxidant activity.
To determine how copper coordination results in DNA damage inhibition, Cu+ complexes with selone and thione ligands were synthesized …

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Teacher Practices And High School Chemistry Students' Metacognitive Skillfulness, Joni Jordan May 2011

Teacher Practices And High School Chemistry Students' Metacognitive Skillfulness, Joni Jordan

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The research literature has been dominated with information about teacher practices that promise to help chemistry students improve their problem-solving abilities and maneuver the conceptual complexities inherent in learning chemistry. Drawing on this research, this study proposes that teaching for metacognition may equip students to learn science authentically and more responsibly. Research related to teaching for metacognition has provided some evidence that strategic questioning, specific feedback, and engaging activities help students become more metacognitive. Furthermore, research has shown that enhanced student metacognition improves problem-solving skills, enhances conceptual change, and may even compensate for lower cognitive abilities.
This study was inspired …

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Expanding A Validated Model: Effects And Antecedents Of Student Engagement, Barbara Nesbitt May 2011

Expanding A Validated Model: Effects And Antecedents Of Student Engagement, Barbara Nesbitt

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This study attempted to identify aspects of student engagement and capital inputs that impacted student achievement. The primary research question in the study asked: Does student engagement mediate the effects of capital inputs at the student, school, and class level to improve student achievement? The study also sought to understand how student engagement, capital inputs, and student achievement differed between White and African American students. This study used the 1990 and 1992 follow-up waves of the NELS:88 dataset. Two standardized scores defined student achievement: 12th grade reading and mathematics. The data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural …

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Methods Development And Force Field Evaluation For Molecular Simulations Of Interactions Between Structured Peptides And Functionalized Material Surfaces, Galen Collier May 2011

Methods Development And Force Field Evaluation For Molecular Simulations Of Interactions Between Structured Peptides And Functionalized Material Surfaces, Galen Collier

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The process of protein adsorption to material surfaces is highly complex and it is one of the most fundamental concepts upon which progress in the field of bioengineering is based. The strategic design of material surfaces for optimal utility in specific biological environments is absolutely dependent upon a thorough understanding of the mechanisms underlying protein adsorption, yet there is still a very limited understanding of these mechanisms. The primary reason for this lack of understanding is that protein adsorption is a dynamic process which occurs at the atomic and macromolecular scale, where experimental analyses provide a view that is static …

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Transport Phenomena In Semiconductor Superlattices, Florin Lung May 2011

Transport Phenomena In Semiconductor Superlattices, Florin Lung

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In this work we discuss two different manifestations of electronic transport phenomena in semiconductor superlattices.
In the first problem, we analyze recent experimental data of measurements of the Seebeck coefficient in InAlAs superlattices doped with ErAs nano-particles. Inspired by the known fact that a Schottky barrier develops at the ErAs-semiconductor interface, we formulate a phenomenological transport theory that explicitly considers the energy-dependent scattering on this barrier and determine its consequences on the transport properties. We show that in the miniband conduction regime, nano-particles can realize a filtering effect by increasing the scattering rates of the slow-moving carriers leading to an …

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A Decision Support System For Assessing Conveyance Options And Modeling Passenger Flow In Airport Terminals, Ping-Nan Chiang May 2011

A Decision Support System For Assessing Conveyance Options And Modeling Passenger Flow In Airport Terminals, Ping-Nan Chiang

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This dissertation focuses on the use of passenger conveyance systems and modeling passenger flow in airport terminals. The successfully designed airport concourse must perform at a level that meets the needs of its users - the passengers. In this research, we propose a database design methodology that allows key conveyance statistics to be analyzed within specific locations across the airport terminal. Using passenger conveyance observations collected at five North American airports, the database enables airport planners, operators and consultants to assess passenger behavior and conveyance device performance. Results from this section of the research were in direct support of the …

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Nonparametric Methods In Varying Coefficient Models And Quantile Regression Models, Chinthaka Kuruwita May 2011

Nonparametric Methods In Varying Coefficient Models And Quantile Regression Models, Chinthaka Kuruwita

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This dissertation aims to address two problems in nonparametric regression models. An estimation issue in generalized varying coefficient models and a hypothesis testing issue in nonparametric quantile regression models is discussed.
We propose a new estimation method for generalized varying coefficient models where the link function is specified up to some smoothness conditions. Consistency and asymptotic normality of the estimated varying coefficient functions are established. Simulation results and a real data application demonstrate the usefulness of the new method.
A new approach for testing the equality of nonparametric quantile regression functions is also presented. Based on marked empirical processes, we …

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System Integration For A Novel Positioning System Using A Model Based Control Approach, Chan Yet Wong May 2011

System Integration For A Novel Positioning System Using A Model Based Control Approach, Chan Yet Wong

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This dissertation presents a model-based approach to perform system integration of a novel positioning sensing method, termed 'Direct Position Sensing.' Direct Position Sensing can actively monitor the planar position changes of motion control devices without the dependency of the conventional position sensor combined with kinematic model to estimate the planar position. Instead, Direct Position Sensing uses the technology of computer vision and digital display to directly monitor the planar position displacement of a motion control device by actively tracking the desired position of the device based on the displayed target showed on the digital screen. The integration of the computer …

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Tactile Interfaces: Epistemic Techne In Information Design, Josephine Walwema May 2011

Tactile Interfaces: Epistemic Techne In Information Design, Josephine Walwema

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This dissertation is a study of the rhetorical concept of techne and how it might inform the field of Information Design, specifically in an Instructional Design space. I argue that current models of Information Design draw insights from (a) the scientistic models that emphasize rational and universal reach (b) the craft tradition that places emphasis on mechanistic acquisition of the right skills and (c) an interpretive rhetorical model. These perspectives dominate the Instructional Design paradigm, rendering systems-based design processes that at times eschew designing in favor of organizing. I suggest that the discipline requires a remediated epistemic techne shaped by …

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Educational Leadership And School Culture: A Study Of The Perceptions Of Effective Leadership, Pearly Milton May 2011

Educational Leadership And School Culture: A Study Of The Perceptions Of Effective Leadership, Pearly Milton

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Effective leadership has been cited as essential for creating and sustaining effective schools. Selecting, assigning, and retaining such leaders is a difficult task at best. Characteristics and/or skills deemed essential for effective leaders have been identified by researchers; however, many of our schools continue to produce results that are less than desirable. In addition, leaders who may be effective in one setting may not be in another. Research indicates organizational/school culture may be a contributing factor to the success of these leaders. Moreover, research indicates culture may have an impact on the characteristics perceived as effective/ineffective leadership attributes within these …

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Biologically Relevant Classes Of Boolean Functions, Lori Layne May 2011

Biologically Relevant Classes Of Boolean Functions, Lori Layne

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A large influx of experimental data has prompted the development of
innovative computational techniques for modeling and reverse
engineering biological networks. While finite dynamical systems,
in particular Boolean networks, have gained attention as relevant
models of network dynamics, not all Boolean functions reflect the
behaviors of real biological systems. In this work, we focus on two
classes of Boolean functions and study their applicability as
biologically relevant network models: the nested and partially nested
canalyzing functions.
We begin by analyzing the nested canalyzing functions} (NCFs),
which have been proposed as gene regulatory network models due to
their stability properties. We …

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Fluid Dynamics Of Cell Printing, Ping He May 2011

Fluid Dynamics Of Cell Printing, Ping He

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Cell printing is an emerging technology that uses droplets to deliver cells to desired positions with resolution potentially comparable to the size of single cells. In particular, ink–jet based cell printing technique has been successfully used to build simple bio–constructs and has shown a promise in building complex bio–structures or even organs. Two important issues in ink–jet based cell printing are the moderate survival rate of delicate cells and the limited cell placement resolution. Resolving these issues is critical for the ink–jet based cell printing techniques to realize their full potential.
In this work, we use numerical simulations to reconstruct …

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