Digital Commons Network^™

Reimagining The Ssmint Software Package, Kelly Cecil

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

We examine two proposed indexing algorithms taking advantage of the new SSMinT libraries. The two algorithms primarily differ in their selection of documents for learning. The batch indexing method selects some random number of documents for learning. The iterative indexing method uses a single randomly selected document to discover semantic signatures, which are then used to find additional related documents. The batch indexing method discovers one to three semantic signatures per document, resulting in poor clustering performance as evaluated by human cross-validation of clusters using the Adjusted Rand Index. The iterative indexing method discovers more semantic signatures per document, resulting …

A Multi-Agent Design For Smart Distribution Automation System With Distributed Energy Resources And Microgrids, Sridhar Chouhan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The proliferation of Smart Grid technologies such as distributed energy resources (DER) and microgrids has resulted in new opportunities and challenges to existing Distribution Automation (DA) solutions. A novel hybrid Multi-Agent System (MAS) Fault Location, Isolation, and Restoration (FLIR) solution is proposed for electric distribution systems with different types of distributed generation (DG) resources and microgrids. The main goal of the MAS is to locate and isolate the fault and then to automatically reenergize fault-free portions of the network to restore power to as many customers as possible while maintaining system constraints like voltage and thermal capacity limits.;Determination of the …

The Analysis Of The Fatty Acid Content Of Fingerprint Residues Using Gas Chromatographymass Spectrometry, Ashley R. Cochran

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

One of the recurring issues in the practice of forensic science is human subjectivity, especially within the field of fingerprint examination. Smudged fingerprints at crime scenes that contain little to no ridge detail often cause problems for examiners who, in turn, are unable to make identifications or exclusions in the absence of DNA markers. In recent years, researchers have explored the chemical composition of fingerprint residues to either provide an alternative means for including or excluding potential donors, or to provide investigative leads. Research into the chemical composition of fingerprints has shown that it may be possible to determine sex, …

Analytical And Computational Studies Of Gaseous And Dusty Combustion: From The Impacts Of Local Flame Speed Variations To A Global Predictive Mining Fire Scenario, Sinan Demir

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Accidental fires and explosions in gaseous environments with dust impurities constitute a tremendous hazard for dwelling and office buildings as well as for industries dealing with explosive materials such as flammable gasses and combustible dust. Among these industries, coal mining traditionally exhibits one of the highest occupational fatality and injury rates, often due to methane/air/coal-dust catastrophes claiming many lives every year world wide. There is therefore a critical need to reduce the risk of such accidents, or at least to mitigate their disastrous consequences. For this sake, the analytical and computational studies of the present Dissertation reveal the mechanism of …

Micro-Ct Evaluation Of A Novel Technique Used For The Removal Of Single Cone Obturated Mesial Roots Of Mandibular First Molars Filled With Bioceramic Sealer And Bioceramic Coated Gutta Percha Vs Traditional Gutta Percha, Ernest Stephen Fragale Ii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of two new to the market 3-dimensional serpentine shaped nickel titanium rotary files, XP Shaper and TRUShape, as primary retreatment files for the removal of filling of material from mesial roots of mandibular first molars filled with bioceramic sealer and two different types of gutta percha, bioceramic coated and traditional non-coated cones.;Materials and methods: 40 mesial roots of mandibular first molars were prepared and divided into four groups (n = 10). 20 specimens were obturated with single cones of traditional non-coated gutta percha (TGP), EndoSequence Gutta Percha, and 20 …

A Transcription For The Viola Of Three Violin Works By Amy Beach: A Historical, Theoretical, And Pedagogical Analysis, Courtney Erin Grant

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The primary purpose of this project was to transcribe and create publisher-ready scores for viola and piano of three works originally written for violin and piano by Amy Beach. These scores are being made available through Spartan Press Music. The pieces transcribed are the Romance, opus 23, Three Pieces for Violin, opus 40, and Invocation, opus 55. A detailed analysis of each of these pieces is also included, as no other scholar has yet published such an analysis. The harmonic, thematic, and melodic components are broken down into as much detail as possible.;Each piece also adds significantly to the viola …

Effects Of Systematic Sleep Fragmentation On Tolerance And Threshold In A Pressure Pain Task: Associations With Sustained Attention, Margeaux Marissa Gray

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Purpose: Pain is amplified following partial sleep deprivation. Pain has not been evaluated after sleep interruption, when total sleep time is preserved. Sleep interruption, also called sleep fragmentation, is ecologically relevant because it is caused by common sleep disorders such as Obstructive Sleep Apnea [OSA], Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome [UARS] and Periodic Limb Movements Disorder [PLMD]. The Sleep Continuity Hypothesis posits that the restorative effects of sleep are related to sleep quality in addition to quantity. With this study, my goal was to evaluate whether sleep fragmentation affected pain threshold and/or tolerance by systematically fragmenting the sleep of otherwise healthy …

More Than Just Attendance: Individualistic Versus Collective Religious Socialization On Religious Change, Caitlin Halligan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With the recent rise in individuals not identifying with a religion, now is a prime time to research disaffiliation. Using data from the National Study of Youth and Religion, the present study examines whether or not collective religious participation in early adolescence, above and beyond individualistic religious participation, reduces the likelihood of disaffiliation in young adulthood. The results show that those who attended a religious youth group in early adolescence were less likely to disaffiliate in early adulthood than those who did not attend. Youth group seems to have a unique role in retaining youth involvement in the church.

Between A Bear And An Eagle: Soviet Arms And The U.S. Response In Peru, William Horacek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research looks at the left-leaning military government of Juan Velasco Alvarado of Peru ruled from 1968 to 1975. This government embarked on a crusade to modernize Peru through a series of reforms and changes in Peruvian foreign policy. The United States responded with non-overt economic pressure, and the ending of military sales to Peru. Peru bought weaponry from the Soviet Union against the wishes of the United States in 1973, and this resulted in a more conciliatory foreign policy from the United States towards the Andean nation. The shifting foreign policy is the opposite of how historians have characterized …

Afis Based Likelihood Ratios For Latent Fingerprint Comparisons, Shreya Sateesh Kamath

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Latent fingerprints are one of the most common pieces of evidence found on a crime scene and represent accidental or unintentional prints collected as part of a criminal investigation. They are caused when the friction ridge skin comes in contact with a surface, and thus requires the use of chemical processing to be visualized with the naked eye. The comparison and identification of fingerprints depends on various factors such as the substrate quality, surface, duration, environmental factors and examiner experience. These factors can result in reduced clarity or content, and can even cause distortions as compared to a fingerprint taken …

Seasons In The Woods---Exploring Whether Seminar Attendance Is Influenced When Landowners Are Involved In Topic Selection, Agnes Kedmenecz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Private woodland owners play a key role in maintaining and improving environmental amenities for local and downstream communities. To support these owners in making informed land-use decisions, extension professionals often rely on needs assessments to develop well attended educational outreach programs that reflect their ever changing educational needs. Recent work, however, has indicated a low correlation between woodland owners' expressed educational needs and seminar attendance.;Seasons in the Woods is a three-part woodland focused education series used to explore whether landowners would be more likely to express interest, register, and attend forestry education seminars if they were given the chance to …

Knowledge Of Applied Behavior Analysis Principles As An Outcome Of Instructional Coaching, Cristin Ketley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Training teachers to use evidence-based practices using instructional coaching is a major component of the Competent Learner Model (CLM). CLM strives to create sustainable educational programs for students with challenging behavioral and educational needs and uses coaching to teach the implementation and basic principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). This study used a knowledge test and additional survey items to find out what level of knowledge participants (N=154) had about principles of ABA following instructional coaching. It was discovered that the frequency of coaching and methods used by the coach was not significantly related to the level of knowledge participants …

Data Conversion Within Energy Constrained Environments, Brandon M. Kelly

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Within scientific research, engineering, and consumer electronics, there is a multitude of new discrete sensor-interfaced devices. Maintaining high accuracy in signal quantization while staying within the strict power-budget of these devices is a very challenging problem. Traditional paths to solving this problem include researching more energy-efficient digital topologies as well as digital scaling.;This work offers an alternative path to lower-energy expenditure in the quantization stage --- content-dependent sampling of a signal. Instead of sampling at a constant rate, this work explores techniques which allow sampling based upon features of the signal itself through the use of application-dependent analog processing. This …

Corticospinal Excitability During Locomotion In Humans, Lisa Kogan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The coordination between signals from cortical structures and spinal segmental pathways responsible for the control of locomotion remains a contentious issue in human motor control. The signals are known to be integrated, but the nature of these neural calculations is unknown. To understand these interactions in humans, noninvasive cortical stimulation techniques can be combined with detailed analyses of muscle activity patterns in locomotor tasks.;In this study, I tested the relationship between corticospinal inputs and the forward velocity of each limb. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was used to elicit motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in 12 healthy human volunteers during locomotion on …

A Work Flow And Evaluation Of Using Unmanned Aerial Systems For Deriving Forest Stand Characteristics In Mixed Hardwoods Of West Virginia, Henry Liebermann

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Forest inventory information is a principle driver for forest management decisions. Information gathered through these inventories provides a summary of the condition of forested stands. The method by which remote sensing aids land managers is changing rapidly. Imagery produced from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) offer high temporal and spatial resolutions and have added another approach to small-scale forest management. UAS imagery is less expensive and easier to coordinate to meet project needs compared to traditional manned aerial imagery. This study focused on producing an efficient and approachable work flow for producing forest stand board foot volume estimates from UAS imagery …

Analysis Of Model-Aided Navigation Of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Stephane D'Urso

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

To overcome the rapid and unbounded error growth of low-cost Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), aircraft localization methods commonly compensate for Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensor errors by integrating them with Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements via a Kalman Filter. However, over the past decade, the potential of GPS jamming or even spoofing GPS signals has forced the research community to focus on the development of GPS-denied navigation technologies. Among the GPS-denied techniques, one approach that has been considered is the use of a Vehicle Dynamic Models (VDM) to reduce the rate at which an INS becomes unusable. As such, this …

Comparison Of Methods Of Measuring Electronic Cigarette Puff Topography, Nicholas Felicione

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

To evaluate properly the potential benefits and harms of electronic cigarettes (ECIGs), it is important to evaluate how individuals puff from an electronic cigarette, or their puff topography. This measure, which includes indices of puff number, duration, volume, interpuff interval, and flow rate, can be used to predict exposure to toxicants including nicotine. Puff topography has been studied extensively for cigarette smokers, but not ECIG users. The studies that have involved electronic cigarette topography measurement have done so using devices that have not been thoroughly validated or proven reliable. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate methods of …

A System To Secure Websites And Educate Students About Cyber Security Through Crowdsourcing, Chitrangi Sameer Doshi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Startups are innovative companies who have ideas for the betterment of the society. But, due to limited resources, and highly expensive testing procedures, they invest less time and money in securing their website and web applications. Furthermore, cyber security education lacks integrating practical knowledge with educational theoretical materials. Recognizing, the need to educate both startups and students about cyber security, this report presents Secure Startup - a novel system, that aims to provide startups with a platform to protect their website in a costeffective manner, while educating students about the real-world cyber skills. This system finds potential security problems in …

Central Supply Company Noise Survey., Janice Drelick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Central Supply Company was interested in having a noise survey completed at two locations, a concrete batch plant and a block manufacturing plant. Noise levels were measured to evaluate the current hearing conservation program and to determine potential overexposure, compliance, and appropriateness of protection. Employee dosimetry results showed that sound levels at the concrete batch plant were not high enough to require employee enrollment in a hearing conservation program. At the block manufacturing plant, employee dosimetry results showed there was a need for a hearing conservation program, including a need for hearing protection to be worn at all times during …

Study Of Stress Anisotropy On Shale Rock Permeability, Charbel Nasr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Permeability is one of the most time-consuming rock petro-physical properties to measure, especially in the case of shales and tight rocks with Micro-Darcy ranges. Several unsteady state methods like GRI, Pressure Pulse Decay (PPD) have been applied to measure permeability but unfortunately results are not accurate due to the limitations to in situ stress conditions, repeatability and reproducibility issues. To overcome this limitations a system under steady state condition and with equal confining and axial pressure has been developed, obtaining remarkable permeability measurements. This system was designed and assembled by Zamirian et al 2015 referred to as Precision Petrophysical Analysis …

Monetary Policy, Economic Conditions, And Income Inequality, Edmond Berisha

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation is a collection of three chapters. The first chapter empirically investigates the relationship between interest rates, the stock market, household debt, and the distribution of income in the U.S. The results indicate that increases in the stock market and household debt increase income inequality. Moreover, the relationship between the interest rate and income inequality is found to be negative and statistically significant.;The second chapter examines the relationship between the yield spread and the income distribution. The yield spread is known to be closely related with business cycles identified by the National Bureau of Economic Research. It is low …

Gas Composition Effects In A Ci Engine Converted To Si Natural Gas Operation, Hemanth Kumar Bommisetty

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Low-carbon fuels such as natural gas (NG) have the potential to lower the demand of petroleum-based fuels, reduce engine-out emissions, and increase IC engine thermal efficiency. One of the most rapid and efficient use of NG in the transportation sector would be as a direct replacement of the diesel fuel in compression ignition (CI) engines without any major engine modifications to the combustion chamber such as new pistons and/or engine head. An issue is the large variation in NG composition with the location and age of the gas well across U.S., which would affect engine operation, as well as the …

Preparation Of Sicnfs Composite Anode By Electrophoretic Deposition (Epd), Meng Yao

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Recently, lithium ion batteries (LIBs) have been widely used in the field of portable electronic devices and electric vehicles due to high adaptability, high working voltage and low toxicity. However, traditional electrode materials have greatly limited the future of LIBs because of their low theoretical specific capacities; meanwhile, new electrode materials always need to be prepared by complicated and expensive methods, indicating the small probability of large-scale promotion. In this study, the Si/CNFs composite film anode without any binder by a simple and effective method - electrophoretic deposition (EPD) - is developed, which exhibits improved electrochemical properties.;This thesis is firstly …

Phosphorus Determination In Forage And Manure Using Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy To Support Comprehensive Nutrient Management Planning, Yadav Sapkota

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Phosphorus (P) runoff from agricultural fields is a major cause of water quality degradation problems. A P mass balance across the farm could maintain profitability and sustainability of animal-based farms and minimize water quality problems. Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMPs) require mineral composition, especially P, data on soil, forage, and manure samples for accurate planning. However, traditional wet chemical methods of P determination are costly, time-consuming, and generate hazardous waste. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) could overcome many of these disadvantages and allow rapid determination of P concentrations. Portable XRF (PXRF) units are Energy Dispersive (ED) systems with low power X-ray tubes …

Three Essays On The Economic Impacts Of Immigration, Juan T. Sayago-Gomez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The movement of population is a part of the adjustment process in economics and society to changes in conditions and the environment. However migration can affect the host country and have negative consequences, such as poverty, crime, and overcrowding the social systems that provide access to health care and public goods. This dissertation addresses some cases of what are the consequences of migration: First it considers the opening of the European Union to new countries in 2004 and 2007 insignificant effects from the increase of all immigrants, African immigrants, and Latin American immigrants on crime rates of the regions, but …

The Impact Of Shale Gas On Gas Storage Performance, Arya Maher Sattari

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The advances in technology has resulted in significant gas production from the shale formations across the United States. Marcellus Shale which spans most of the Appalachian Basin is one the most prolific gas producers in the United States. Marcellus Shale gas has a distinctly different composition from the existing Northern Appalachian typical dry natural gas. As gas production from Marcellus shale has increased, so has the amount of the shale gas in the natural gas transportation system in the Appalachian Basin. The composition of the injected gas into a storage reservoir can the storage volumes, pressures, the withdrawal rate, and …

Cardiovascular Mortality And Oral Antidiabetic Drugs: Protocol For A Systematic Review And Network Meta-Analysis, Rashmi Goyat, James Douglas Thornton, Xi Tan, George A. Kelley

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Introduction Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among individuals with diabetes. Despite the beneficial effects of antidiabetic drugs (ADDs) in terms of lowering haemoglobin A1c, several ADDs have been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular events. Given the high prevalence of cardiovascular disease among individuals with diabetes, it is important to weigh the benefits of ADDs against their cardiovascular safety. Therefore, the objective of the current study is to conduct a systematic review with network meta-analysis to compare the effects of different oral pharmacological classes of ADDs on cardiovascular safety.

Methods and analysis Randomised clinical …

Factors Affecting Availability For Detection: An Example Using Radio-Collared Northern Bobwhite (Colinus Virginianus), Christopher M. Lituma, David A. Buehler, Evan P. Tanner, Ashley M. Tanner, Patrick D. Keyser, Craig A. Harper

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Avian monitoring strategies are usually linked to bird singing or calling behavior. Individual availability for detection can change as a result of conspecific factors affecting bird behavior, though the magnitude of these effects is difficult to quantify. We evaluated behavioral and temporal factors affecting Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) breeding season individual availability for detection during three common survey times (3 min, 5 min, 10 min). We conducted 10-minute surveys associated with radio-collared male Northern Bobwhites on Peabody Wildlife Management Area, Kentucky, from 2010–2011. We homed to within 50 m of radio-collared males and recorded number of distinct Northern …

Multiresolution Modeling Of Semidilute Polymer Solutions: Coarse-Graining Using Wavelet-Accelerated Monte Carlo, Animesh Agarwal, Brooks D. Rabideau, Ahmed E. Ismail

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

We present a hierarchical coarse-graining framework for modeling semidilute polymer solutions, based on the wavelet-accelerated Monte Carlo (WAMC) method. This framework forms a hierarchy of resolutions to model polymers at length scales that cannot be reached via atomistic or even standard coarse-grained simulations. Previously, it was applied to simulations examining the structure of individual polymer chains in solution using up to four levels of coarse-graining (Ismail et al., J. Chem. Phys., 2005, 122, 234901 and Ismail et al., J. Chem. Phys., 2005, 122, 234902), recovering the correct scaling behavior in the coarse-grained representation. In the present work, we extend this …

Evaluating The Effect Of Alternative Carbon Allocation Schemes In A Land Surface Model (Clm4.5) On Carbon Fluxes, Pools, And Turnover In Temperate Forests, Francesc Montane, Andrew M. Fox, Avelino F. Arellano, Natasha Macbean, M Ross Alexander, Alex Dye, Daniel A. Bishop, Valerie Trouet, Flurin Babst, Amy E. Hessi, Neil Pederson, Peter D. Blanken, Gil Bohrer, Christopher M. Gough, Marcy E. Litvak, Kimberly A. Novick, Richard R. Philips, Jeffery D. Wood, David J P Moore

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

How carbon (C) is allocated to different plant tissues (leaves, stem, and roots) determines how long C remains in plant biomass and thus remains a central challenge for understanding the global C cycle. We used a diverse set of observations (AmeriFlux eddy covariance tower observations, biomass estimates from tree-ring data, and leaf area index (LAI) measurements) to compare C fluxes, pools, and LAI data with those predicted by a land surface model (LSM), the Community Land Model (CLM4.5). We ran CLM4.5 for nine temperate (including evergreen and deciduous) forests in North America between 1980 and 2013 using four different C …