Digital Commons Network^™

Dynamic Crisis Modifiers: Bp's Gulf Of Mexico Oil Spill, Catherine G. Bocke

Masters Theses

When an organizational crisis emerges, crisis communicators must craft specific messages for their stakeholders and the public. While an organization is attempting to shape how the public perceives it during a crisis, the media work to frame the public's perception of the crisis through news coverage. Situational crisis communication theory (SCCT) is a prescriptive theory that assesses a crisis situation to determine which crisis response will best protect the organization's reputation. Two factors, crisis history and severity, serve as modifiers that can affect the crisis situation, and ultimately influence the best response. BP's Gulf of Mexico oil spill serves as …

An Empirical Analysis Of The Service Sector Transformation In Safta Member Countries, Md. Tanvir Pavel

Masters Theses

This paper makes an attempt to assess the transformation process of the service sector in South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFT A) by using a panel data over the period 1990 to 2010. Based on the regression analysis, the study investigates the existence and association between the output of the service sector and per capita national output by applying panel least squares along with fixed effects and random effects. The generalized least squares (GLS) approach with fixed effect estimation comes in handy in our analysis. The study reveals that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) have a meaningful positive effect whereas …

The Effect Of The Power Balance Bracelet On Strength, Agility, Flexibility And Vertical Jump In Collegiate Male Athletes, Rusa Lea Reimnitz

Masters Theses

The Power Balance Bracelet is marketed as a way to increase an athlete's performance in strength, flexibility and balance. The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of the Power Balance Bracelet manufacturer's claims. Twenty male Division I athletes from Eastern Illinois University performed four tests on three different dates. The first session was a control trial and the subsequent sessions were performed with either the Power Balance bracelet or the placebo bracelet. Treatment order was assigned randomly with one half performing with the Power Balance and one half performing with the placebo bracelet in the second and …

The Relationship Between Dialectical Self And Hedonic, Eudaimonic, And Social Well-Being, Ayaka Hisanaga

Masters Theses

The present study examined the relationship between a dialectical self and three different conceptions of well-being: hedonic, eudaimonic, and social well-being. Dialectical self refers to the ability to recognize contradictions and changes in the self. The study was built upon previous research by Spencer-Rodgers and her colleagues (2004) that found a negative relationship between being dialectical and hedonic well-being (specifically selfesteem and life satisfaction). Although this previous study indicated that the more one perceives oneself as tolerant of contradiction and change, the more one would tend to experience life dissatisfaction and negative feelings (i.e., hedonic well-being), the current study predicted …

Inferencing Abilities Of Children With Specific Language Impairment, Kelsey J. Depew

Masters Theses

Inferencing is the ability to make judgments based upon limited information. It is necessary for basic problem solving, negation social interaction, and comprehension of oral and written language. Despite the importance of inferencing in daily life, there are currently no commercially available tests dedicated entirely to the assessment of inferencing. Previous research has demonstrated a developmental progression of inferencing abilities in neurotypical children. However, no clinical norms exist. Additionally, little research has been conducted regarding the inferencing abilities of children with language impairments. The purpose of this project was to compare inferencing abilities of children with language impairment to typically …

Adolescent Athletes' Use Of And Attitudes Toward Performance Enhancing Supplements, Stephanie R. Smith

Masters Theses

Performance enhancing supplements are widely used today in the competitive sports community. With the desire to be the best competitor, younger athletes are using supplements. Although there is no strong evidence that supplements will benefit adolescent athletes, this population is using supplements. The purposes of this study were to identify male and female adolescents' frequency of supplement use, nutrition knowledge, and collect data that will aid in the development of nutrition education materials for adolescent athletes.

A Neighbors' War: Provost Marshals, Desertion, The Draft And Political Violence On The Central Illinois Home Front, 1861-1865, Jason A. Miller

Masters Theses

This thesis argues that violence associated with the Copperhead movement during the American Civil War mainly sprung from local rather than national tensions. Viewing political violence within the context of one of the most divisive political regions in the nation-central Illinois, this thesis utilizes an unprecedented comprehensive reading of the region's provost marshal reports as its window into community life in postEnrollment Act central Illinois. From this newfound perspective this thesis uses those reports to create a framework to reinterpret traditional sources such as newspapers and government officials' correspondence. It finds that the upsurge in violence in postEnrollment Act central …

Generic Kinematic Simulation For Verification Of Laser Deposition Tool Paths, Sweta Dhaveji Chakravadhanula

Masters Theses

"The development of 3D visual simulation tool for machine simulation is a key approach in saving time and reducing cost. It is an important step before a manufacturing operation is performed on a part, as a tool to detect collision and validate the operation results. There are several kinds of manufacturing equipment being used and hence there is a need for the development of a generalized method to visually simulate a variety of machines. This paper presents the research conducted on describing machine configuration in a generic format which not only gives useful information, but can also be used as …

Parametric Moment Closure For Non-Linear State Dependent Stochastic Systems, Ritesh Arora

Masters Theses

"This research highlights the use of moment closure approximation techniques to provide analytical approximations to nonlinear state dependent systems. Nonlinear systems are often difficult to solve and often approximated through the use of simulation. However, Moment Closure has the capability to derive an approximate solution by making a closed form solution out of open set of differential equations representing nonlinear system behavior in both transient and equilibrium state. It is this capability of approximating the closed form solution to complex systems that draws interest in the use of this method within systems engineering. This research further extends to the stability …

Chemical Risk In Early Design, Carlton Ashley Washburn

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to present a methodology to identify risks in the chemical product development process, including fortification of the failure mode taxonomy by including chemical failures. This work will enable comprehensive risk analysis in technology-based products that have a chemical based subsystem, such as those used in the lithography process in the semiconductor industry. This research broadened the failure mode taxonomy by identifying chemical failures from publications in the semiconductor industry. These failures were analyzed to determine the rudimentary failure modes in each case. The newly identified failure modes were added to the failure mode taxonomy. …

Integration Of Multiple Vision Systems And Toolbox Development, Rohit Vijay Bapat

Masters Theses

"Depending on the required coverage, multiple cameras with different fields of view, positions and orientations can be employed to form a motion tracking system. Correctly and efficiently designing and setting up a multi-camera vision system presents a technical challenge. This thesis describes the development and application of a toolbox that can help the user to design a multi-camera vision system. Using the parameters of cameras, including their positions and orientations, the toolbox can calculate the volume covered by the system and generate its visualization for a given tracking area. The cameras can be repositioned and reoriented using toolbox to generate …

Module-Level Power Converters For Parallel Connected Photovoltaic Arrays, Zachary Scott Johnson

Masters Theses

"A new solar technology with the capability to increase array-level power production is introduced by using simple integrated power converters that connect directly to photovoltaic (PV) panels is investigated. The power converters proposed here are full-bridge DC-DC converters with high voltage gain that operate with an open-loop control scheme. The outputs of these converters could then be directly connected to a grid-tie converter eliminating the need to connect panels in series to achieve the appropriate voltage. With a high-efficiency converter, the total system efficiency would increase even though one panel in the array may be compromised. The simulation results show …

Behavior Of Staged Externally Bonded Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Sheets For Improved Ductility, Laura Marie Rathe

Masters Theses

"Fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) has become increasingly used for the retrofit of aging structures for increased lifespans and for the rapid repair of damaged structures. It has many advantageous such as ease in rapid installation, high strength-to-weight ratio, and corrosion resistance. The main disadvantage of the material is brittle behavior with little warning of impending failures. The main objective of this study is to develop a new system of FRP that exhibits a more ductile behavior. To achieve this objective, separate sheets of FRP were applied at various staged levels and thus engaged at different loads. Ductile behavior was evaluated …

Field Coupled Electrostatic Discharge Sensitivity Database, Zhen Li

Masters Theses

"Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) can disrupt the performance of an electronic system, like an MP3 player either by injected currents or by transient fields. It is possible to predict at least the approximate transient field levels inside a system, but it is difficult to determine the response of ICs subjected to these fields, as no IC specific data is available, and as it is often too involved to measure the sensitivity of every IC possibly used in a product. As deterministic solutions are difficult to achieve, a statistical approach has been selected in this research. The goal of this database for …

The Use Of Electrical Resistivity Tomography (Ert) To Delineate Water-Filled Vugs Near A Bridge Foundation, Jeremiah Chukwunonso Obi

Masters Theses

"A structural support was needed to strengthen the load-bearing capacity of an unnamed bridge foundation in Laclede County in South-Central Missouri due to increasing traffic volume and age of the bridge. This area is characterized by karstic features such as losing streams, underground caves and sinkholes. During the construction of a drilled shaft for the substructure, a few feet north of the north footing of the pier, voids were noted beneath a roughly 2 foot thick cap of dolomite rock. Because of this, there were concerns about the integrity of the rock beneath the existing bridge foundation. Consequently, subsurface investigation …

Forward Converter For Solar Power Applications, Nickolas Arthur Mcfowland

Masters Theses

"Most solar arrays used today are connected in series and have tremendous power losses in partially shaded conditions. This document explores photovoltaic arrays in a parallel connection to reduce the power losses in other solar cell connected applications. The two main issues with any photovoltaic arrays are solar modules being shaded and the efficiency of the power converters used within the solar array. This thesis concentrates on alleviating these problems with the development of a two phase dc to dc forward converter with a snubber circuit as well as connecting a solar array in parallel to increase the performance in …

Robust Evolutionary Algorithms, Brian Wesley Goldman

Masters Theses

"Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) have shown great potential to solve complex real world problems, but their dependence on problem specific configuration in order to obtain high quality performance prevents EAs from achieving widespread use. While it is widely accepted that statically configuring an EA is already a complex problem, dynamic configuration of an EA is a combinatorially harder problem. Evidence provided here supports the claim that EAs achieve the best results when using dynamic configurations. By designing methods that automatically configure parts of an EA or by changing how EAs work to avoid configurable aspects, EAs can be made more robust, …

Under Pressure: A Psychophysiological Analysis Of The Effect Of Temporal Constraints On Information Processing And Decision Making, Nagaratna Krishna Sneha Pochinapeddi

Masters Theses

"In recent times, decision making under time pressure has become more common than ever and hence, it has become a hot topic for behavioral researchers. This research studies the effects of temporal constraints on users' decision quality and decision strategy. The paper primarily addresses two research questions: (i) Does time pressure affect decision quality? (ii) Does time pressure affect decision strategy? The decision accuracy and decision strategy of the participants were measured for three time-pressure conditions namely, No time pressure, Reasonable time pressure and Extreme time pressure. Research results from the past revealed that, Cognitive style is also observed to …

Numerical Investigation Of Second-Law Characteristics Of Ramjet Throttling, Jonathan Albert Sheldon

Masters Theses

"A numerical study of a generic axisymmetric ramjet operating at conditions corresponding to flight Mach 3.0 and a standard altitude of 10 km is presented. The study includes both modeling of steady-state flowfields in the ramjet as well as transient throttling maneuvers in which the throttle is decreased or increased from maximum or minimum throttle positions. The results presented here focus on entropy generation and performance characteristics. Combustion-generated exothermic heat release is modeled using simple volumetric energy addition to the flow within a defined heat release zone. The study utilizes two levels of wall boundary modeling, corresponding respectively to inviscid …

Dynamic Model-Based Systems Engineering Using Xml Metadata Interchange, Dustin Scott Nottage

Masters Theses

"Designing systems presents an engineer with numerous design choices based on multiple conditions and constraints. Base camp planning must take into account the number of soldiers, the permanency of the base, the location of the base, etc. To help alleviate the complexity of constructing a base camp, a model-based systems engineering approach is used. This method creates and integrates models for all of the facilities that can make a base camp, as well as interactions between facilities and required utilities for each. The goal is to have a camp design, and then solve a system of equations to solve for …

Multiple-Input Multiple-Output System On A Spinning Vehicle With Unknown Channel State Information, Aditya Muralidhar

Masters Theses

"This thesis work presents the investigations into the performance of a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system with its transmitters on a spinning vehicle and no available channel state information (CSI) at the transmitter or the receiver. The linear least squares approach is used to estimate the channel and the estimation error is measured. The spinning is simulated based on a sample radiation pattern of a patch antenna. The antenna gains at different angles are obtained from this pattern and are used to model spinning. Spinning gives rise to a periodic component in the channel which can be estimated based on the …

Control And Operation Of Multiple Distributed Generators In A Microgrid, Shyam Naren Bhaskara

Masters Theses

"Small sized synchronous generator based distributed generators (DG) often have low start-up times, and can serve as dispatchable generators in a microgrid environment. The advantage is that it allows the power network to operate in a true smart grid environment. The disadvantage is that such DGs typically tend to have low inertia and the prime movers driving these resources need to be controlled in real time for them to operate effectively in islanded, grid-connected modes and during transition from grid-connected mode to islanded mode and vice versa. When multiple DGs are present in the microgrid, the overall control can become …

Sputter Deposition Of Thin-Film Capacitors Onto Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic Substrates, Jack Murray

Masters Theses

"Single layer thin film capacitor structures were fabricated on the surface of low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrates using sputter deposition. The capacitor structures had areas between ~10⁴ µm² to ~10⁶ µm² and featured ~200 nm Al or Pt electrodes with 150-1500 nm Al₂O₃ dielectric layers. Impedance analysis and current-voltage testing were carried out to determine the effect of electrode material and dielectric thickness upon capacitor performance. Capacitance values for devices with Al electrodes ranged from ~10 to ~700 pF, depending on capacitor area and dielectric thickness, and the fit to expected values was better than devices with Pt or …

Using Lidar As A Monitoring Device To Calculate Volume Of Rockfall Over Time, Travis James Kassebaum

Masters Theses

"There are many natural hazards which threaten the stability of highway infrastructure and the safety of motoring public. Rockfall and unstable slopes are one of the major concerns. This thesis describes a method which safely and accurately evaluates rockfall on rock outcrops through the use of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data. LiDAR is an imaging technology which can be used to measure and evaluate possible rock outcrop hazards such as: rockfall, rock-avalanches, debris flows, and landslides. LiDAR produces a three dimensional point cloud of millions of points which gives spatial data on the scanned object, accurate to millimeters, in …

Determination Of Linear Attenuation Coefficients Of Chemically Bonded Phosphate Ceramics, Jason Joseph Pleitt

Masters Theses

"Chemically Bonded Phosphate Ceramics (CBPCs) is a composite based material formed in a manner similar to cements. CBPCs have shown to be a good structural material with excellent thermal resistance properties. They have also been shown to have potential as a radiation shield. By incorporating various powders into the ceramic the improvement in its radiation shielding properties are examined. The method for obtaining the linear attenuation coefficients for CBPCs as well as MCNP simulated results for gamma and neutrons are presented"--Abstract, page iv.

Vehicle Path Verification Using Wireless Sensor Networks, Gerry W. Howser

Masters Theses

"Path Verification is a problem where a verifier would like to determine how closely a vehicle actually traversed a path that it claims to have traversed. This problem has critical significances in terms of vehicle mobility. Mobile nodes can be patrols officers or cab drivers, while respective verifiers can be police dispatchers or cab operators. In this paper, we design a sensor network assisted technique for vehicle path verification. In our design, a number of static wireless sensors placed in road segments will serve as witnesses and certify vehicles as they move. Post movement, these witness certificates will be utilized …

Thermal Modeling And Analysis Of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Open Cathode Fuel Cells, Blanca Ollero Loranca

Masters Theses

"In the past decade renewable energies have increasingly become a commodity in everyday life. Because of their high power densities and their application versatility, fuel cells have stood out among other sources of renewable energy. In order to improve this technology as the needs for it increases, thermal modeling is an essential step. Researchers in the past have investigated the effect that temperature has on fuel cells. However, not much work has been done on the thermal dynamics of these devices and no one, to the authors knowledge, has studied the speed of response in thermal changes as a function …

Force Sensing Of An Asymmetric Dielectric Barrier Discharge Using Mechanical Resonators, Mark Dawson Emanuel

Masters Theses

"Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuators are of great interest in flow control research and application. DBD plasma actuators are low-cost, lightweight, high voltage devices that have the capability of generating small amounts of thrust on the order of a few tenths of a gram. The thrust is created by rapidly pulsing plasma discharges which correlate to the frequency of the applied alternating current waveform, in the low kilohertz range.

Plasma actuators experience a reactant force generated by the pulsed plasma charging and then expelling air away from the charged surface. This force fluctuates with time as the plasma is …

Process Planning And Control Of Functionally Graded Parts Using Freeze-Form Extrusion Fabrication, Bradley Kenneth Deuser

Masters Theses

"Freeze-form Extrusion Fabrication (FEF) is an additive manufacturing technology that is capable of fabricating complex three-dimensional parts. FEF works by depositing an aqueous-based colloidal ceramic or metal paste in a layer-by-layer fashion below the freezing point of the aqueous medium as to rapidly freeze the paste. The FEF machine in the present study is equipped with three syringes and is capable of mixing each paste in a desired composition ratio by using an inline static mixer. Compensation for the transport delay caused by the static mixer is necessary; therefore, an algorithm was developed to apply a one-dimensional (1D) composition gradient …

Analysis Of Optimal Control Derivations For Aerial Defense, Andrew John Friedrichs

Masters Theses

"Optimal control will be used to derive four guidance laws for the purpose of defending an aircraft from incoming missiles. The dynamics of the defending missile, and the overall engagement are used in these derivations. They are evaluated first in two degrees of freedom, then in six degrees. The guidance objective is to move a defending missile between the aircraft and the attacker. Optimal control is used to derive different commanded accelerations. Utilizing small changes in the cost functions, four applications will be derived. Triangle Guidance is used for inspiration, and initially a direct approach is attempted. In the course …