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A Technique For Solving The Singular Integral Equations Of Potential Theory, Brian George Burns

Mathematics & Statistics Theses & Dissertations

The singular integral equations of Potential Theory are investigated using ideas from both classical and contemporary mathematics. The goal of this semi-analytic approach is to produce numerical schemes that are both general and computationally simple. Previous works based on classical methods have yielded solutions only for very special cases while contemporary methods such as finite differences, finite elements and boundary element techniques are computationally extensive. Since the two-dimensional integral equations of interest exhibit structural invariance under a wide class of conformal mappings initial emphasis is placed on circular domains. By Fourier expansion with respect to the angular variable, such two-dimensional …

Micro Synthetic Jets As Effective Actuator, Mehti Koklu

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Synthetic jets have previously been studied as actuators for external macroflow control and recently been proposed for internal microflow applications. Despite the wide variety of the potential applications of synthetic jet actuators, the majority of the studies have been done at macro scales. Furthermore, there has not been any design methodology that addresses the effectiveness of the micro synthetic jet actuators. Bearing these needs in mind, a micro synthetic jet configuration is considered in a microscale environment where Kn number is less than 0.1 and more than 0.001. Flowfields are simulated by solving the compressible Navier-Stokes equations. The wall boundary …

Seagrass-Mediated Carbonate Dissolution And Early Diagenesis In Bahamas Bank Sediments, Xinping Hu

OES Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents the results of studies examining the role that seagrasses play in carbonate dissolution and early diagenesis of Bahamas Bank sediments. Three aspects of this problem are addressed: (1) stable carbon isotopes as an indicator of early diagenesis of carbonates, using results of a field study; (2) carbonate dissolution stoichiometry and carbonate reprecipitation, using the results from closed-system sediment incubation studies; (3) carbonate dissolution and reprecipitation across the broader Bahamas Bank. In Chapter II, I examined δ¹³C in the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) of sediments with various degrees of seagrass densities. In low seagrass density and …

The Observation, Modeling, And Retrieval Of Bio-Optical Properties For Coastal Waters Of The Southern Chesapeake Bay, Xiaoju Pan

OES Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to develop an inverse method to retrieve the inherent optical properties (IOPs) and biogeochemical parameters (e.g. chlorophyll a concentration and salinity) appropriate to monitor the water quality and biogeochemical processes from remote sensing of the coastal waters in the southern Chesapeake Bay and coastal Mid-Atlantic Bight region (MAB) dominated by Case 2 waters. For this purpose, knowledge of the relationship between remote sensing reflectance (R_rs) and IOPs and the effect from bottom reflectance on R_rs, is required.

A substantial investigation of IOPs has been conducted for the coastal …

Costly Arbitrage And The Lead-Lag Structure Between Value And Glamour Stocks, Meng Li

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

Motivated by the findings of Lo and Mackinlay (1990) that size premium can be partially attributed to the lead-lag relation between the returns of large stocks and those of small stocks, in this thesis we hypothesize that a possible lead-lag structure between value and glamour returns can partially explain the value premium anomaly.

The thesis consists of three chapters. Chapter I documents a pronounced lead-lag structure between value and glamour stocks: the glamour stocks lead value stocks in terms of both mean returns and residual volatilities, suggesting that value stocks delay in price adjustment to new information. To further explore …

Three Methods For Solving The Low Energy Neutron Boltzmann Equation, Tony Charles Slaba

Mathematics & Statistics Theses & Dissertations

The solution to the neutron Boltzmann equation is separated into a straightahead component dominating at high energies and an isotropic component dominating at low energies. The high-energy solution is calculated using HZETRN-05, and the low-energy isotropic component is modeled by two non-coupled integro-differential equations describing both forward and backward neutron propagation. Three different solution methods are then used to solve the equations. The collocation method employs linear I3-splines to transform each equation into a system of ODES; the resulting system is then solved exactly and evaluated using numerical integration techniques. Wilson's method uses a perturbational approach in which a fundamental …

Simulations Of Intracellular Calcium Release Dynamics In Response To A High-Intensity, Ultrashort Electric Pulse, R. P. Joshi, A. Nguyen, V. Sridhara, Q. Hu, R. Nuccitelli, Stephen J. Beebe, J. Kolb, Karl H. Schoenbach

Bioelectrics Publications

Numerical simulations for electrically induced, intracellular calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum are reported. A two-step model is used for self-consistency. Distributed electrical circuit representation coupled with the Smoluchowski equation yields the ER membrane nanoporation for calcium outflow based on a numerical simulation. This is combined with the continuum Li-Rinzel model and drift diffusion for calcium dynamics. Our results are shown to be in agreement with reported calcium release data. A modest increase (rough doubling) of the cellular calcium is predicted in the absence of extra-cellular calcium. In particular, the applied field of 15 kV/cm with 60 ns pulse duration …

Measurements Of Correlated Pair Momentum Distributions In -3he(E,E',P,P)N With Clas, Hovhannes Baghdasaryan

Physics Theses & Dissertations

Nucleon-Nucleon (NN) Short Range Correlations (SRC) represent a valuable part of the nuclear wave function. Improved knowledge of SRC will give us a better understanding of nuclear matter and nuclear interactions in extreme conditions. A study of the effects of short-range correlations using the ³He(e, e'pp)n reaction measured at Jefferson Lab is presented. Two different approaches were selected to investigate SRC. The first approach consists of the kinematics when we investigate the two active protons and neutron is the spectator (was not involved in the interaction). This kinematics dominates by Final State Interactions which are reasonably …

Diagnosing Reading Strategies: Paraphrase Recognition, Chutima Boonthum

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

Paraphrase recognition is a form of natural language processing used in tutoring, question answering, and information retrieval systems. The context of the present work is an automated reading strategy trainer called iSTART (Interactive Strategy Trainer for Active Reading and Thinking). The ability to recognize the use of paraphrase—a complete, partial, or inaccurate paraphrase; with or without extra information—in the student's input is essential if the trainer is to give appropriate feedback. I analyzed the most common patterns of paraphrase and developed a means of representing the semantic structure of sentences. Paraphrases are recognized by transforming sentences into this representation and …

Preservice And K–12 Inservice Teachers' Perceptions Of Appropriateness Of Teacher Self-Disclosure And Its Teaching Effectiveness, Shaoan Zhang

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

Situating teacher self-disclosure within a curriculum and instruction context, this research explored preservice and K-12 inservice teachers' perceptions of appropriateness of teacher self-disclosure and its teaching effectiveness as a component of the informal curriculum as well as an instructional tool. The following research questions were explored: (1) Is there any difference among preservice teachers and K-12 inservice teachers in their perceptions of appropriateness of teacher self-disclosure? (2) Is there any difference between preservice teachers and K-12 inservice teachers in their perceptions of appropriateness of teacher self-disclosure? (3) Is there any difference among K-12 inservice teachers in their application of teacher …

Coopetition (Contemporaneous Cooperation And Competition) Among Nonprofit Arts Organizations: The Case Of Symphony Orchestras, Theresa A. Kirchner

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

Coopetition was formalized as a strategic management concept in the early 1990s by Ray Noorda, CEO of Novell, who coined the term and proposed that often, in order to achieve growth in an organization or industry, "You have to cooperate and compete at the same time" (Davis 1993). Although the individual ideas of cooperation and competition in the business environment have been well-established for some time, the formal idea of contemporaneous cooperation and competition, or cooperation among competitors, is relatively new in business and academic literature. Why is this hybrid concept important? The literature to date on coopetition and its …

A Wavelet Based Complementary Approach For Image Enhancement, Ismail Kosum

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Detail in an image means more meaningful information that is very important in many computer vision and pattern recognition applications. The object region visibility in an image plays an important role in obtaining accurate and desired information from the original image. In particular, image processing techniques developed for region segmentation and object classification have better results depending on the visibility in images. There are several enhancement techniques available which are capable of obtaining clear images with balanced lighting and contrast. In this thesis, a completely image dependent approach to enhance the luminance of images under extreme lighting conditions and a …

Performance Analysis Of Ieee 802.11b Devices In The Presence Of Interference Aware Scheduling-Adaptive Frequency Hopping Enabled Bluetooth Devices, Deepthi Gopalpet

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Wireless Local Area networks (WLAN) and Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPAN) provide complimentary services using the same unlicensed radio frequency band of operation. The 802.11b WLAN operates in the 2.4 GHz band and uses a Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum technique. It is designed to cover large areas ranging up to 100 meters in diameter, which may connect hundreds of computers. Bluetooth (BT) WPAN also operates in the same frequency band as the IEEE 802.lib and it uses a Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum technique. BT is primarily used for communications between notebooks, palm units and other personal computing devices within relatively …

Complexity, Fine-Tuning, And Multiple Universes: The Insufficiency Of Scientific Theories For Determining Metaphysical Views, Ashley Graham Kennedy

Institute for the Humanities Theses

Many argue that science can provide empirical evidence for the existence of God or a designer. In this thesis I examine three such arguments: the irreducible complexity argument from biochemistry, the fine-tuning argument from physics and the rare earth/privileged planet hypothesis from astronomy. I conclude that all three of the arguments fail to show whether or not the universe was designed, because science is not prepared to answer this question. Further, I argue that scientific theories, in general, cannot be used as the sole basis for metaphysical propositions.

An Exploratory Study Of Iso 9001:2000 Quality Management Systems Using The Iso/Iec 15504 Architecture, Paul Richard Shimp

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to provide an exploratory study on the implementation and issues regarding Quality Management Systems as defined by ISO 9001 :2000 using the architecture of ISO/IEC 15504. The recently published ISO/IEC 15504 series of standards provides a framework to assess processes and determine levels of capability. With the use of this framework, the study will focus on the assessment and identification of problem areas requiring focus for continual improvement within an ISO 9001 :2000 quality management system.

The structure of this paper is as follows: Section 1 provides a background discussion of ISO 9001 :2000. …

A Structured Systemic Framework For Software Development, Kevin Macgregor Adams

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to develop and apply a systems-based framework for the analysis of software development project performance. Software development project performance is measured at the project level; that is, cost, schedule, and product quality that affect the overall project. To date, most performance improvement efforts have been focused on individual processes within the overall software development system. Making improvements to sub-elements, processes, or sub-systems without regard for the overall project is a classic misbehavior entered into by practitioners who fail to use a holistic, systemic approach. Attempts to improve sub-system behavior are at odds with The …

Effects Of Elevated Atmospheric Co2 On Root Dynamics, Biomass And Architecture In A Scrub-Oak Ecosystem At Kennedy Space Center, Florida, Daniel Benjamin Stover

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

A major gap in whole-plant ecology lies with our understanding of root system growth, function and distribution. Large belowground structures, in addition to fine roots, are of particular interest because of their role in carbon sequestration. Non-destructive methods, including ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and minirhizotron observation tubes, were used to investigate effects of elevated CO₂ on root biomass, dynamics (productivity, mortality, and turnover), root persistence and architecture in a fire dominated scrub-oak ecosystem. Open-top chambers have been exposed to elevated atmospheric CO₂ for the past eleven years at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. No significant sustained CO₂ treatment effects …

Assessment Of Preliminary Design Approaches For Metallic Stiffened Cylindrical Shell Instability Problems, Vicki Owen Britt

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A preliminary design tool for metallic stiffened fuselage cylindrical panels subjected to longitudinal compression has been developed and validated by comparison to test results. Several methodologies for stiffened panel buckling and failure predictions were examined and evaluated. An appropriate level of analysis fidelity was determined for different failure modes and design details. Results from panel tests conducted to verify analytical methods used to design the Gulfstream V aircraft were presented. The panels were representative of four general skin/stringer configurations on the aircraft. Finite Element analyses and standard analytical methods were used to predict panel failure loads. The accuracy of the …

Masculine Ideology And High-Risk Behavior Among Disabled Veterans, Abby L. Braitman

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

There may be predictors for high-risk behaviors, such as alcohol abuse, aggression, and risky sexual behavior, that can help identify susceptible men. Previous research has shown that masculine ideology is linked to engaging in such high-risk behaviors (Jakupcak, Tull, & Roemer, 2005; Moore & Stuart, 2005). In addition, having a physical disability may threaten male masculinity and increase the probability of this behavior (Good, Thomson, & Brathwaite, 2005). This issue is especially important to investigate in the military population. Military personnel and veterans engage in more high-risk behaviors (Bray et al., 2006; Bray, Marsden, & Peterson, 1991). Furthermore, the number …

Influences Of The Family Environment And Parent-Child Relationships On The Executive Functioning Of Children With Adhd, Valarie M. Schroeder

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study examined the relationships between executive functions, family environment, and parent-child relationships in ADHD diagnosed children as compared to non-ADHD diagnosed children. Participants were parents (N = 134) of children diagnosed with ADHD and children not diagnosed with ADHD. As hypothesized, as compared to reports from parents of children not diagnosed with ADHD, parents of children diagnosed with ADHD reported their children as exhibiting greater problems with behavioral control and metacognitive abilities. Compared to control parents, parents of children with ADHD also reported their family environments as less organized and reported more conflict in their homes. In addition, …

Development Of An Acoustic Measurement Capability For Automobile Testing In Open-Jet Wind Tunnels, Brianne Y. Williams

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Automobile aeroacoustics is still in its beginning stages. Understanding where control of the noise sources is addressed using mainly exploratory experimental methods and idealized models. The difficulty of reducing noise levels lies in the mechanisms that generate noise. Sound sources are generated from unsteady aerodynamics which arises from turbulent boundary layers and from regions of separated flow over the vehicle. These regions are subjected to unsteady pressures which are interpreted by the driver as undesirable noise. In order to reduce the noise around an automobile, the individual sources are best identified by . performing full-scale wind tunnel testing. This identification …

Interactions Between Phytoplankton And Bacteria In The Uptake Of Organic Compounds, Andrea Michel Rocha

OES Theses and Dissertations

The most common methods for estimating bacterial productivity are [³H]-leucine and [³H]-thymidine incorporation. Uptake of these compounds has been attributed primarily to bacteria; however, because dissolved organic nitrogen may be an important N source for some phytoplankton, the use of these compounds to estimate bacterial productivity needs to be reexamined. In order to ascertain whether phytoplankton could compete with bacteria on relevant timescales and thereby bias bacterial productivity estimates in estuaries, I examined the ability of cultured phytoplankton and size-fractionated natural populations to take up leucine and thymidine in systems seasonally dominated by phytoplankton mixotrophs. In …

Band Gap Engineering Of Two Dimensional Silicon Photonic Crystals By Oxidation And Oxide Etching, Makhin Thitsa

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis a thorough analysis is presented on the effects of oxidation and oxide etching on the band structure of two dimensional silicon photonic crystals (2 D Si PC's). By using the plane wave expansion method (PWM), two structures of triangular lattice, namely, air cylinders embedded in a silicon background and silicon cylinders embedded in an air background are modeled. The thesis focuses on triangular lattice arrangement because for certain parameter values such a lattice can give rise to absolute band gap, which prohibits the propagation of either transverse electric (TE) or transverse magnetic (TM) polarizations.

During oxidation three …

Filling The Ontology Space For Coalition Battle Management Language, Charles Turnitsa, Curtis Blais, Andreas Tolk

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Faculty Publications

The Coalition Battle Management Language is a language for representing and exchanging plans, orders, and reports across live, constructive and robotic forces in multi-service, multi-national and multi-organizational operations. Standardization efforts in the Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization seek to define this language through three parallel activities: (1) specify a sufficient data model to unambiguously define a set of orders using the Joint Command, Control, and Consultation Information Exchange Data Model (JC3IEDM) as a starting point; (2) develop a formal grammar (lexicon and production rules) to formalize the definition of orders, requests, and reports; (3) develop a formal battle management ontology to …

Applying The Levels Of Conceptual Interoperability Model In Support Of Integratability, Interoperability, And Composability For System-Of-Systems Engineering, Andreas Tolk, Saikou Y. Diallo, Charles D. Turnitsa

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Faculty Publications

The Levels of Conceptual Interoperability Model (LCIM) was developed to cope with the different layers of interoperation of modeling & simulation applications. It introduced technical, syntactic, semantic, pragmatic, dynamic, and conceptual layers of interoperation and showed how they are related to the ideas of integratability, interoperability, and composability. The model was successfully applied in various domains of systems, cybernetics, and informatics.

Liberated Jokes: Sexual Humor In All-Female Groups, Janet Bing

English Faculty Publications

Females have formerly been under-represented in jokes. Many scholars have claimed that joke making is primarily a male activity, particularly in the domain of sexual jokes. In this paper, I discuss sexual jokes that women share with each other both in all-female groups and by e-mail. After reviewing some widely held assumptions about women and jokes, I explore liberated women's jokes, including their structure, use of stereotypes, and subversive ideas. Finally, I discuss why humor theory is incomplete without the inclusion of a female perspective and suggest that women should tell more jokes.

Elliptical Micro-Ring Organic Lasers, P. R. Korade, John Ballato, R, V. Gregory

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Multimode laser action was observed from optically excited 2,5-dioctyloxy poly(para-phenylene-vinylene), DOO-PPV, micro-rings coaxially deposited around glass optical fibres of elliptical cross-section. The laser emission was found to be dependent upon the incident angle of the excitation and exhibited linewidths of approximately 1.2 Å, quality factors (Q) exceeding 5000, and thresholds below 0.3 μJ pulse. Such elliptical organic micro-ring lasers offer increased tailorability in emission properties over more conventional analogues of circular cross-section. Also discussed is the potential for such low-threshold lasers to serve as integrated sources for fibre lasers and amplifiers.

Clarifications Of Rule 2 In Teaching Geometric Dimensioning And Tolerancing, Cheng Lin, Alok Verma

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing is a symbolic language used on engineering drawings and computer generated three-dimensional solid models for explicitly describing nominal geometry and its allowable variation. Application cases using the concept of Rule 2 in the Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) are presented. The rule affects all fourteen geometric characteristics. Depending on the nature and location where each feature control frame is specified, interpretation on the applicability of Rule 2 is quite inconsistent. This paper focuses on identifying the characteristics of a feature control frame to remove this inconsistency. A table is created to clarify the confusions for students …

Quark Contribution To The Small-𝔁 Evolution Of Color Dipole, Ian Balitsky

Physics Faculty Publications

The small-𝔁 deep inelastic scattering in the saturation region is governed by the nonlinear evolution of Wilson-lines operators. In the leading logarithmic approximation it is given by the Balitsky-Kovchegov (BK) equation for the evolution of color dipoles. In the next-to-leading order (NLO) the nonlinear equation gets contributions from quark and gluon loops. In this paper I calculate the quark-loop contribution to small-𝔁 evolution of Wilson lines in the NLO. It turns out that there are no new operators at the one-loop level—just as at the tree level, the high-energy scattering can be described in terms of Wilson lines. In addition, …

Low And Medium Β Superconducting Cavities And Accelerators, Jean R. Delayen

Physics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.