Digital Commons Network^™

In Situ Measurement, Characterization, And Modeling Of Two-Phase Pressure Drop Incorporating Local Water Saturation In Pemfc Gas Channels, Evan See

Theses

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) have been an area of focus as an alternative for internal combustion engines in the transportation sector. Water and thermal management techniques remain as one of the key roadblocks in PEMFC development. The ability to model two-phase flow and pressure drop in PEMFCs is of significant importance to the performance and optimization of PEMFCs. This work provides a perspective on the numerous factors that affect the two-phase flow in the gas channels and presents a comprehensive pressure drop model through an extensive in situ fuel cell investigation. The study focused on low current density …

"Because I Like It? No, They Made Me Do It!!" Why Juveniles Engage In Sexting, Jennifer Ann Haegele

Theses

Developments in technology have changed the way we do everything; advanced our research capabilities, enhanced our communication abilities and speeds, even the way people commit crimes. It provides perpetrators with a new way to commit traditional crimes as well as new forms of crime. One of the many opportunities involved with increased communication devices is known as sexting. Adolescent sexting has received national and local attention due to possible long-term implications such as registering as a sex offender and even suicide. Sexting, which is considered an antisocial behavior among adolescents, has progressively become implicated in peer pressure as well. Peer …

Determining A Substitution Matrix For The Alignment Of Disordered Proteins, Dong Kim

Theses

As the research of disordered proteins progresses and more disordered protein sequences are discovered, an optimal substitution matrix for the alignment of these sequences must be elucidated. The currently used substitution matrices, PAM and BLOSUM, are ideal for the alignment of general protein sequences. But it is discovered that this set of matrices is not adequate for the specific alignment of disordered protein sequences. By implementing genetic algorithms, a substitution matrix improved for the alignment of disordered proteins has been achieved. The genetic algorithm determined matrix performed two times better when compared to BLOSUM62 and PAM250.

A Physicalist Account Of Consciousness And The Conceivability Argument, Christopher John Owen

Theses

I argue that David Chalmers’s Conceivability Argument is just as easily applied to a physical account of consciousness as it is applied to dualism, which implies that the Conceivability Argument yields absurd conclusions. To do so, I give a physical account of phenomenal consciousness within the brain, and then argue that conceiving of zombies is begging the question. I also suggest that because I have a plausible account of phenomenal consciousness based within the physical, such a consciousness is just as conceivable as a zombie would be in the Conceivability Argument. As I have given a conceivable account of physical …

The Explanatory Indispensability Of Mathematics: Why Structure Is 'What There Is', Nils Richards

Theses

Inference to the best explanation (IBE) is the principle of inference according to which, when faced with a set of competing hypotheses, where each hypothesis is empirically adequate for explaining the phenomena, we should infer the truth of the hypothesis that best explains the phenomena. When our theories correctly display this principle, we call them our ‘best’. In this paper, I examine the explanatory role of mathematics in our best scientific theories. In particular, I will elucidate the enormous utility of mathematical structures. I argue from a reformed indispensability argument that mathematical structures are explanatorily indispensable to our best scientific …

A Defense Of The Kalam Cosmological Argument And The B-Theory Of Time, Curtis John Metcalfe

Theses

William Lane Craig is the most recognizable contemporary defender of the kalam cosmological argument. The argument, in its simplest form, is that (i) Whatever begins to exist has a cause of its existence, (ii) The universe began to exist, and (iii) Therefore, the universe has a cause of its existence. In defending this argument, he claims that it presupposes the theory of time commonly referred to as the A-theory of time, which is roughly the view that time really does flow from the nonexistent future into the present, and then out of existence into the past. Though this may be …

Analysis And Optimization Of Patient Bed Assignments Within A Hospital Unit While Considering Isolation Requirements, Christina Cignarale

Theses

Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) are infections acquired by patients admitted in healthcare facilities. These infections can be contagious or even worse, fatal, which has prompted the medical community to put guidelines in place to isolate patients who may pose a risk of spreading or be susceptible to an infection(s). These isolation practices also have the unwanted consequence of constraining the options for inpatient bed assignments since infected patients cannot be assigned to a room where uninfected patients reside. Historically, hospitals in the United States have been built with single and double bedrooms to provide inpatient care. As long as demand …

Philosophical Disagreement And Skepticism, Eric Thomas Wilcox

Theses

Disagreement is ubiquitous in philosophy. Although this disagreement is sometimes easily explained, other times we find more difficult disagreement arising between epistemic peers. There are a few different ways we can react to peer disagreement in philosophy. Following Hilary Kornblith, I argue that we should suspend judgment in the face of such disagreement. Although I think this is the most rational choice, it eventually leads to an uncomfortable skepticism towards philosophical methods. I conclude that when we examine the reliability of philosophy based on its usual defenses, we find that philosophy is indeed unreliable.

Multiple-Target Tracking Using Spectropolarimetric Imagery, Tingfang Zhang

Theses

Detection and tracking methods are two hot research topics in the field of multiple target tracking. Often change detection and motion tracking are used to detect and track moving vehicles, but in this thesis new approaches are provided to improve these two aspects. In the detection aspect, a combined detection method is presented to improve target detection techniques. The method of combining RX (Reed-Xiaoli) with change detection has demonstrated good performance in highly cluttered, dynamic ground-based scenes. In the tracking aspect, Kalman filter and Global Nearest Neighbor are applied in motion tracking to predict the location and implement data association …

Environmental Virtue, Callicott And The Land Ethic, John Charles Simpson

Theses

Callicott’s interpretation of Leopold’s land ethic has been criticized as ecofascist and misanthropic. In addition, it has been argued that his principle precept upon which his land ethic rests is vague if not incoherent. In light of these challenges, I suggest a better way to arrive at a land ethic, which deals not with obligations or duties to the land as Callicott’s does but instead with the application of virtues to nature. In this paper, I provide a brief overview of Callicott’s land ethic and then include a few criticisms of the land ethic. Next, I argue for why a …

Matter, Spirit, And Cosmogony: The Context And Meaning Of Thomas Vaughan’S Alchemical Vitalism, Adam Heinrich Borrego

Theses

During the seventeenth century in Europe, three major theories of matter were in contention for the dominant natural philosophy: the hylomorphism of the Aristotelian-Scholastic philosophy, the mechanism of the Cartesians and other mechanical philosophers, and the vitalism of the Hermeticists and alchemists. The debate over matter between these three views of the physical world, as well as the argument over their associated epistemologies, fueled the scientific revolution. The fact that alchemy was a viable contender for the dominant natural philosophy of the time—an era that is supposed to be marked by strides forward to a more “rational” and “scientific” view …

Joint Optimization Of Manifold Learning And Sparse Representations For Face And Gesture Analysis, Raymond Ptucha

Theses

Face and gesture understanding algorithms are powerful enablers in intelligent vision systems for surveillance, security, entertainment, and smart spaces. In the future, complex networks of sensors and cameras may disperse directions to lost tourists, perform directory lookups in the office lobby, or contact the proper authorities in case of an emergency. To be effective, these systems will need to embrace human subtleties while interacting with people in their natural conditions. Computer vision and machine learning techniques have recently become adept at solving face and gesture tasks using posed datasets in controlled conditions. However, spontaneous human behavior under unconstrained conditions, or …

A Better Looking Brain: Image Pre-Processing Approaches For Fmri Data, Siddharth Khullar

Theses

Researchers in the field of functional neuroimaging have faced a long standing problem in pre-processing low spatial resolution data without losing meaningful details within. Commonly, the brain function is recorded by a technique known as echo-planar imaging that represents the measure of blood flow (BOLD signal) through a particular location in the brain as an array of intensity values changing over time. This approach to record a movie of blood flow in the brain is known as fMRI. The neural activity is then studied from the temporal correlation patterns existing within the fMRI time series. However, the resulting images are …

Fusing Art And Science, Steven Tippin

Theses

In this thesis, I will demonstrate how I incorporate scientific theory to produce varying aesthetics in my artwork. By discussing the foundations on which I have built this notion, in addition to my childhood interests, I will assert that my artwork is firmly grounded and entrenched in my interests in both science and art.

Perception Based Heterogeneous Subsurface Scattering For Film, Laura Wieme

Theses

Many real world materials exhibit complex subsurface scattering of light. This internal light interaction creates the perception of translucency for the human visual system. Translucent materials and simulation of the subsurface scattering of light has become an expected necessity for generating warmth and realism in computer generated imagery. The light transport within heterogenous materials, such as marble, has proved challenging to model and render. The current material models available to digital artists have been limited to homogeneous subsurface scattering despite a few publications documenting success at simulating heterogeneous light transport. While the publications successfully simulate this complex phenomenon, the material …

Automated Sleep Classification Using The New Sleep Stage Standards, Elizabeth Fehrmann

Theses

Sleep is fundamental for physical health and good quality of life, and clinicians and researchers have long debated how best to understand it. Manual approaches to sleep classification have been in use for over 40 years, and in 2007, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) published a new sleep scoring manual. Over the years, many attempts have been made to introduce and validate machine learning and automated classification techniques in the sleep research field, with the goals of improving consistency and reliability. This thesis explored and assessed the use of automated classification systems with the updated sleep stage definitions …

Pupil Wavefront Manipulation For The Compensation Of Mask Topography Effects In Optical Nanolithography, Monica Sears

Theses

As semiconductor optical lithography is pushed to smaller dimensions, resolution enhancement techniques have been required to maintain process yields. For some time, the customization of illumination coherence at the source plane has allowed for the control of diffraction order distribution across the projection lens pupil. Phase shifting at the mask plane has allowed for some phase control as well. However, geometries smaller than the imaging wavelength introduce complex wavefront effects that cannot be corrected at source or mask planes. Three dimensional mask topography effects can cause a pitch dependent defocus (δBF), which can decrease the useable depth of focus (UDOF) …

Imaging Methods For Understanding And Improving Visual Training In The Geosciences, Brandon May

Theses

Experience in the field is a critical educational component of every student studying geology. However, it is typically difficult to ensure that every student gets the necessary experience because of monetary and scheduling limitations. Thus, we proposed to create a virtual field trip based off of an existing 10-day field trip to California taken as part of an undergraduate geology course at the University of Rochester. To assess the effectiveness of this approach, we also proposed to analyze the learning and observation processes of both students and experts during the real and virtual field trips. At sites intended for inclusion …

Examination Of Interactive Experience: Construction Of Physical And Social Presence In Virtual Environments, Malwina Buldys

Theses

Interactivity seems to be a familiar concept, which partially explains its frequent use in discussions about new communication technologies and what they can bring to communication studies. However, interactivity research has yet to reach a comprehensive and concrete consensus concerning the antecedents and consequences of interactive experiences. The main objective of this research is to determine the factors responsible for fostering the interactivity experience in the multiuser virtual environments and to observe how this variance in interactivity will affect the formation of physical and social presence. The study also examines the possible relationship between physical and social presence via correlation …

Effect Of Time Constraint On Second Language Reading Comprehension, Hammad Alshammari

Theses

This study aimed to investigate the role of time constraint on second language reading comprehension via the recruiting of 47 Saudi participants who were learning English as a second language. Subjects shared similar level of English proficiency; all participants were in their third semester of English at Aljouf University, Saudi Arabia, at the time of data collection. Participants were divided into three time groups; limited (20 minutes), extended (30 minutes), and unlimited (40 minutes). In terms of stimuli, a reading text was adapted from a standard English proficiency exam, TOEFL. The text consisted of 699 words and was of moderate …

Feasibility Of Capturing Circulating Tumor Cells With A Magnetized Device, Jay Wheaton

Theses

A standard inferior vena cava (IVC) filter is plated with Nickel in order to be rendered magnetizable. In the presence of an applied magnetic field, the IVC filter has a strong magnetic gradient near the surface that captures circulating tumor cells (CTCs) tagged with paramagnetic nanoparticles. Particle motion and capture includes a balance of the magnetization force and hydrodynamic drag force. ANSYS Fluent CFD software and ANSYS Workbench Magnetostatics were used independently to obtain fluid velocity and magnetic field intensity solutions. The separate solutions were combined in Matlab for numerical particle tracking. Empirical capture efficiency was determined using in-flow spectrometer …

Warranty Prediction During Product Development: Developing An Event Generation Engine, Sivakumar Sundar

Theses

In 2010, high tech industries including computer makers, peripherals manufacturers, and medical equipment manufacturers spent a total of $8 billion on warranty. Reducing warranty costs improves the manufacturer's profit and helps to reduce the overall cost of the product. An often cited principle is that approximately 80% of the eventual product cost is 'locked in' during the very early stages of product development, however, traditional methods of warranty analysis are not well suited to predict the warranty costs during these early stages. Thus, product development personnel need better tools to make good predictions about the warranty costs so that they …

Tsv Placement Optimization For Liquid Cooled 3d-Ics With Emerging Nvms, Sundararaman Mohanram

Theses

Three dimensional integrated circuits (3D-ICs) are a promising solution to the performance bottleneck in planar integrated circuits. One of the salient features of 3D-ICs is their ability to integrate heterogeneous technologies such as emerging non-volatile memories (NVMs) in a single chip. However, thermal management in 3D-ICs is a significant challenge, owing to the high heat flux (~ 250 W/cm2). Several research groups have focused either on run-time or design-time mechanisms to reduce the heat flux and did not consider 3D-ICs with heterogeneous stacks. The goal of this work is to achieve a balanced thermal gradient in 3D-ICs, while reducing the …

A Computational Study Of Branching Rules For Multi-Commodity Fixed-Charged Network Flow Problems, Sheetal Murkute

Theses

Branch and bound based algorithms are used by many commercial mixed integer programming solvers for solving complex optimization problems. In a branch and bound based method, a feasible region is divided into smaller sub-problems. This is called branching and various branching strategies have been developed to improve the performance of branch and bound based algorithms. However, their performance has primarily been studied on general mixed integer programs. Thus, in the first phase of this thesis, we study the performance of these branching strategies on a specific, structured mixed integer program, the capacitated multi-commodity fixed charge network flow (MCFCNF) problem. We …

New Economy : Assessment Of The Institutionalization Of An Emerging Paradigm And Academic Field Through Inquiry Into Prominent Boundary Organizations, Jeanine Cava Rodgers

Theses

It is increasingly acknowledged that in order to reach global and regional sustai nabi l ity goals, economic growth and consumption levels in wealthy developed nations will need to stabilize or reverse. Organizations and projects of a wide variety have emerged and expanded to take on this challenge, and shape the so-called, "new economy". The purpose of this research is to gain a clearer picture of the impacts of efforts to develop a shared new-economy knowledge framework on the broader sustai nabi l ity conversation, and to assess the intellectual institutionalization of same. This thesis focuses in on the influence …

Fuzzy Logic For Task Space Telemanipulation Of A Five Fingered Robotic Hand, Raaghavann Srinivasan

Theses

This work presents a fuzzy logic based HandyMan (Hand gesture commands for grasping and manipulation) system to recognize the operator's hand gestures during task space telemanipulation. A combination of joint positions may be shared between at least two manipulation gestures. To avoid misinterpretation of gestures by the gesture recognition system, six new manipulation gestures were introduced. The gestures are produced by the user wearing a CyberGlove™.

This system replaces the previous HandyMan gesture recognition method. The output of the fuzzy system drives the state machines to implement the gestures with the robot hand.

The experimental results show that the proposed …

A Multi-Temporal Fusion-Based Approach For Land Cover Mapping In Support Of Nuclear Incident Response, Shagan Sah

Theses

An increasingly important application of remote sensing is to provide decision support during emergency response and disaster management efforts. Land cover maps constitute one such useful application product during disaster events; if generated rapidly after any disaster, such map products can contribute to the efficacy of the response effort. In light of recent nuclear incidents, e.g., after the earthquake/tsunami in Japan (2011), our research focuses on constructing rapid and accurate land cover maps of the impacted area in case of an accidental nuclear release. The methodology involves integration of results from two different approaches, namely coarse spatial resolution multi-temporal and …

Computational Fluid Dynamics Based Redesign Of The Magnetically Levitated Blood Shearing Device For Hemolysis Predictions, Shanoo Revankar

Theses

Annular Couette type blood shearing devices have been used for analysis of blood damage related to device induced shear stress. Two important factors in predicting cell damage are the magnitude of stress and the duration of exposure to the stress. Several previous devices for blood damage analysis consist of concentric cylinders with one cylinder rotating and the other held stationary. This generates a Couette flow between the cylinders. In a typical apparatus, the shear stress can be controlled by varying the rotation of the inner cylinder and the exposure time can be controlled by controlling the axial velocity of the …

Characterization Of Wave Propagation Through Composite Laminates, Chantly Smith

Theses

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) seeks to develop systems for data collection, verification, and analysis to detect the potential for critical damage to occur in engineering structures. Composite panels are engineering structures that are susceptible to damages such as delamination and fiber breakage which greatly reduce the safety and performance of the structure. For composite materials that are widely used in aviation, early detection of such damage is important to prevent failure while the component is in flight. A common SHM method for damage assessment of composites is the Lamb wave propagation technique, whereby waves may be introduced into the composite …

Eliminating The Shortage Factor: Modeling The Behavior Of Future Donations Using Forecasting Techniques To Improve The Distribution Efficacy Of A Food Bank, Jessica Rena Terry

Theses

Food insecurity is defined as the inability to provide food for oneself. As of 2011, more than 14.9% of American households suffered from food insecurity. Many individuals suffering from food insecurity obtain assistance from governmental programs and nonprofit agencies. Food Banks are one of many non-profit organizations assisting in the fight against hunger. They serve communities by distributing food to those in need through charitable agencies. Many of the food distributed by the food bank come from donations. These donations are received from various sources in uncertain quantities at random points in time. Due to this variability, predicting the quantity …