Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Insulin And Glutathione On In Vitro Spermatogenic Cyst Maturation, Peta-Gay A. Ricketts

Theses

No abstract provided.

Cyber Crime And Telecommunications Law, Robert Imhof

Theses

Cyber crime is a new and emerging area of concern for technology professionals, business leaders, and heads of government. This research takes a look at the individuals behind these crimes in order to develop a profile and determine emerging trends. Classical Sociological theory is detailed and its ability to apply to modern cyber crime is explained. Interviews were conducted with five professionals in the field in order to gain a wide range of differing experiences and emerging trends. The most important cyber crime laws in the United States Code were broken down into their elements and explained in a way …

Perceptual Audio Classification Using Principal Component Analysis, Zak Burka

Theses

The development of robust algorithms for the recognition and classification of sensory data is one of the central topics in the area of intelligent systems and computational vision research. In order to build better intelligent systems capable of processing environmental data accurately, current research is focusing on algorithms which try to model the types of processing that occur naturally in the human brain. In the domain of computer vision, these approaches to classification are being applied to areas such as facial recognition, object detection, motion tracking, and others. This project investigates the extension of these types of perceptual classification techniques …

Firewall Resistance To Metaferography In Network Communications, Richard Savacool

Theses

In recent years corporations and other enterprises have seen a consolidation of security services on the network perimeter. Services that have traditionally been stand-alone, such as content filtering and antivirus scanning, are pushing their way to the edge and running on security gateways such as firewalls. As a result, firewalls have transitioned from devices that protect availability by preventing denial-of-service to devices that are also responsible for protecting the confidentiality and integrity of data. However, little, if any, practical research has been done on the ability of existing technical controls such as firewalls to detect and prevent covert channels. The …

Towards Scale-Invariant Aboveground Biomass Estimation In Savanna Ecosystems Using Small-Footprint Waveform Lidar, Dave Kelbe

Theses

Land degradation is becoming an issue of increasing concern in the savanna ecosystems of southern Africa. As a result, there is a growing need to map structural changes at the fine scale, while retaining the ability to aggregate up to landscape level for analysis across land use gradients. Aboveground biomass (AGB) is an important indicator of vegetation structure and therefore is the ideal variable for estimation from light detection and ranging (lidar) data. To avoid the effects of scale, this paper takes a tree-delineation approach for segmentation of the structurally heterogeneous savanna environment. Diameter at breast height (DBH) measurements collected …

A Power Systems Transients Controller Using Transient Analysis Of Control Systems (Tacs) Modules., Shonique L. Miller

Theses

In the electrical power industry one of the most challenging tasks is to produce and provide electrical energy in a safe, reliable, efficient and economically sound manner under stressed conditions such as: (i) harmonic variation, (ii) frequency variation, (iii) voltage magnitude variation, (iv) transient overvoltages and inrush currents after a disturbance to the power system occurs. There are many disturbances that occur that provoke transients in power systems including: (i) lightning, (ii) capacitor switching events, (iii) faults, (iv) startup of motors and generators. Although they last for very short periods of time, the appearance of these transient overvolatges and inrush …

An Ontology-Based Assistant For Analyzing Agents' Activities, Roland Johnson

Theses

This thesis reports on work in progress on software that helps an analyst identify and analyze activities of actors (such as vehicles) in an intelligence-relevant scenario. A system is being developed to aid intelligence analysts, IAGOA ((Intelligence Analyst’s Geospatial and Ontological Assistant). Analysis may be accomplished by retrieving simulated satellite data of ground vehicles and interacting with software modules that allow the analyst to conjecture the activities in which the actor is engaged along with the (largely geospatial and temporal) features of the area of operation relevant to the natures of those activities. Activities are conceptualized by ontologies. The research …

Through-Steel Power Transmission Using Piezoelectric Transducers, Jr. Phillip Hobson

Theses

The objective of this study is to present and define a novel way of transmitting power wirelessly, by use of acoustic waves, through metal using piezoelectric transducers. Piezoelectric ceramic has the characteristic of converting an applied alternating voltage into an associated alternating mechanical movement. At a resonant frequency, efficient power transfer is achieved between opposed mating ultrasonic transducers that are coupled through a separating layer. Commercially available, off-the-shelf components were used to design a system that produced an amplified square-wave signal that was used to drive an ultrasonic transducer epoxied to a piece of ¼” thick steel plate. On the …

Validation Of The Integral-Differential Scheme As A Navier-Stokes Solver Via Simulation Of 2-D Experimental Fluid Studies, Jovan C. Brown

Theses

The goal of this research effort was to test the validity of an ˜in-house' Navier-Stokes Solver. Using a unique scheme coined ˜Integral Differential Scheme (IDS),' this code was designed to be an efficient and accurate numerical solver for various laminar single phase flows. The numerical scheme developed and programmed herein, is based on the solution of the integral form of the Navier-Stokes equation. This approach focuses on the benefits of the traditional finite volume and finite difference schemes, thus guaranteeing the conservation properties throughout the domain. Using low cost personal computing capabilities, this Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code was tested …

A Study Of The Economical Feasibility Of Installing Heating, Ventilation, And Air-Conditioning Condensate Recovery System, Rafid M. Kully

Theses

The objective of this study is to establish a guide line or an analytical frame work to predetermine the economic benefits associated with the installation of Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) condensate recovery systems to capture the air-handler’s condensate water and use it as makeup water for the cooling tower. Some factors should be considered such as; the location, building operation, amount of outside air required, type of energy recovery system, and indoor conditions setup. Experimental data was used from Emory University in Georgia, where a condensate recovery system was installed and the condensate water from four air-handler units at …

Study Of Nanodiamonds Using Molecular Dynamic Simulations With Reactive Potentials, Ferdaus Faruq

Theses

This thesis pertains to the application of classical molecular dynamic simulations using reactive potentials to create a stable nanodiamond with properties as determined by quantum simulations. Nanodiamonds possess large amounts of Structural Bond Energy (SBE) and they have internal pressures as high as 50 GPa. Nanodiamonds could be used as potential energetic materials if their bond energy could be released. The simulations described here incorporated reactive potentials such as AIREBO (Adaptive Intermolecular Reactive Empirical Bond Order) and ReaxFF (Reactive Force Field), since they are able to describe the breaking and forming of bonds. The simulation package LAMMPS (Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively …

Museum Education And Professional Development Partnerships: How The Educational Programs Of Museums Enhance Career Goals And Professional Development Skills In Adults, Victoria A. Jensen

Theses

No abstract provided.

Assessing Interpretability Of Visual Symbols Of Varied Colors Across Demographic Profiles, Brendan Parker

Theses

Visual symbols are often ambiguous. An icon is meant to convey a particular meaning, but viewers may interpret the image differently. This thesis shows how a viewer`s demographic background and icon color can affect their interpretation of a symbol. A website survey, featuring a library of icons, asked users of varied demographic profiles to interpret each figure presented randomly in one of five colors: black, blue, red, green, and orange. The qualitative text data from the participants` interpretations were compared to the quantitative data from icon and demographic information by means of multinomial logit analysis. The experiment found numerous noteworthy …

Influence Of Coulomb Interactions On Emission Dynamics In Semiconductor Quantum Dot Systems, Kamil Gradkowski

Theses

In this thesis the novel self-assembled quantum dots based on GaSb/GaAs technology are investigated for the possible application in the near- and mid-infrared, i.e. telecommunication networks, solar cells, gas sensors and imaging systems. These heterostructures exhibit a type-Il band alignment, which means that one species of carriers is confined to the dot, while the other is outside in the surrounding matrix. This physical separation of carriers leads to profound Coulomb interactions, which makes the optical properties of these structures dependent on the injected charge density. The relationship between two of those properties, the emission energy and transition probability, leads to …

Application Of Liquid Chromatography - Tandem Mass Spectrometry For The Determination Of Veterinary Drug Residues In Food Of Animal Origin, Brian Kinsella

Theses

The QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe) sample preparation approach was evaluated for the extraction of anthelmintic residues from bovine milk and tissues. Liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrom.etry (LC- MS/MS) was used for detection and quantification of residues, which included the benzimidazoles (BZs), macrocyclic lactones (MLS) and the generally overlooked flukicides.

Initial work focused on the optimisation of a QuEChERS method to effectively extract anthelmintic residues from milk and liver. The method involves the extraction of residues with acetonitrile (MeCN) in the presence of salts (MgS04 and NaCl) to induce phase separation. After shaking and centrifugation, …

Scaling A Single Element Combustor To Replicate Combustion Instability Modes Of A Liquid Rocket Engine, Brian A. Sweeney

Theses

This research evaluated a method of scaling a single element sub-scale combustor to match the combustion instability modes of a full-scale liquid rocket engine. The experiments used a shear-coaxial injector in an atmospheric chamber using gaseous oxygen and a heated gaseous methane/nitrogen fuel mixture. The flow conditions matched the full-scale equivalence ratio, propellant velocities and propellant volumetric flow rates. The first set of experiments empirically determined the effect of chamber diameter on chamber temperature. The results were used to calculate the dimensions of the sub-scaled combustion chamber that would match the transverse frequencies of the full-scale engine. The scaled chamber …

Validation Of The Forebody Design Of A Ramjet-Scramjet Propulsion System Using Computational Fluid Dynamics, Jamil D. Grant

Theses

The objective of this study is to effectively model and independently analyze the three dimensional forebody, inlet, and isolator of a conceptual Four-Point-Star Morphing Ramjet-Scramjet Engine. The analysis was conducted using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) softwares, namely, the Air Vehicle Unstructured Solver (AVUS) and FLUENTTM . Ultimately a steady, three dimensional, double precision solver was used to model and analyse this very complex problem. The morphing ramjet-scramjet engine is very unique in that, this engine actually changes its geometry to obtain optimal thrust efficiencies. This engine is capable of operating in many different propulsion regimes. The propulsion regime of interest …

A Survey Of Transition Strategies To Improve The Performance Of Chord In The Face Of Rapidly Changing Ip Addresses, Timothy Ecklund

Theses

Mobile wi-fi enabled devices are becoming less expensive and more common all the time. The field is ripe for DHTs like Chord. Given the highly scalable nature of DHTs, the ability to efficiently tap the storage resources of so many devices is very attractive. Unfortunately DHTs have been having a difficult time finding a foothold on mobile devices due to poor performance, both in terms of network overhead and lookup failure. Much of the research that has been done attributes this poor performance to the extra hops packets must make due to the mismatch between the physical topology and the …

From Medical Images To Individualized Cardiac Mechanics: A Physiome Approach, Chun Wong

Theses

Cardiac mechanics is a branch of science that deals with forces, kinematics, and material properties of the heart, which is valuable for clinical applications and physiological studies. Although anatomical and biomechanical experiments are necessary to provide the fundamental knowledge of cardiac mechanics, the invasive nature of the procedures limits their further applicability. In consequence, noninvasive alternatives are required, and cardiac images provide an excellent source of subject-specific and in vivo information. Noninvasive and individualized cardiac mechanical studies can be achieved through coupling general physiological models derived from invasive experiments with subject-specific information extracted from medical images. Nevertheless, as data extracted …

The Role And Significance Placed On Corporate Social Responsibility In The Hotel Industry In The South West Region Of Ireland., Shirley Millar

Theses

This research sets out to examine the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility in the context of the hotel industry, with a specific focus on Ireland and the South West Region. The study looked at the level of importance placed on CSR by both the hotel consumer and the hotel industry. The study also sought to determine the relevance of CSR as a source of competitive advantage

Interest in the practice of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become increasingly prominent in recent years. There has been a shift in practice from companies doing good to be seen to be doing good, …

Practical Programming With Total Functions, Karl Voelker

Theses

Functional programming offers an advantage over imperative programming: functional programs are easier to reason about and understand, which makes certain classes of errors less common. Yet, the two disciplines have some pitfalls in common: any computation, functional or not, may be non-terminating, or may terminate in a run-time error. Turner describes a discipline called ``Total Functional Programming'' (TFP) in which these pitfalls are impossible, due to some easily-checked rules which require all recursion to be done structurally. In this report, I detail my findings about the practical benefits and limitations of total functional programming, as well as the interactions which …

Polarimetric Remote Sensing System Analysis: Digital Imaging And Remote Sensing Image Generation (Dirsig) Model Validation And Impact Of Polarization Phenomenology On Material Discriminability, Chabitha Devaraj

Theses

In addition to spectral information acquired by traditional multi/hyperspectral systems, passive electro optical and infrared (EO/IR) polarimetric sensors also measure the polarization response of different materials in the scene. Such an imaging modality can be useful in improving surface characterization; however, the characteristics of polarimetric systems have not been completely explored by the remote sensing community. Therefore, the main objective of this research was to advance our knowledge in polarimetric remote sensing by investigating the impact of polarization phenomenology on material discriminability. The first part of this research focuses on system validation, where the major goal was to assess the …

A New Framework For An Electrophotographic Printer Model, Fermín A. Colón-López

Theses

Digital halftoning is a printing technology that creates the illusion of continuous tone images for printing devices such as electrophotographic printers that can only produce a limited number of tone levels. Digital halftoning works because the human visual system has limited spatial resolution which blurs the printed dots of the halftone image, creating the gray sensation of a continuous tone image. Because the printing process is imperfect it introduces distortions to the halftone image. The quality of the printed image depends, among other factors, on the complex interactions between the halftone image, the printer characteristics, the colorant, and the printing …

An Analysis Of The Contribution Of Public Relations To The Growth Of The Ballymaloe Brand., Avril Desmond

Theses

The aim of this dissertation was to explore the public relations techniques of Ballymaloe and determine the effectiveness of these techniques on the Ballymaloe brand. Relevant literature was explored and the subjects the subjects that were encountered included public relations traditional and new media avenues.

The research methodology constituted quantitative analysis. Interviews were the primary research tools, with media analysis being used to back it up. The data was analysed using content analysis procedures.

The conclusion identified that, Ballymaloe are inadequate in implementing two way communications with their strategic publics. The research highlighted the relaxed attitude towards their public relations …

Analysis Of Symmetric Key Establishment Based On Reciprocal Channel Quantization, David Wagner

Theses

Methods of symmetric key establishment using reciprocal quantization of channel parameters in wireless Rayleigh and Rician fading channels are considered. Two important aspects are addressed through generic analysis: impact of a proximity attack by a passive eavesdropper and achievable key establishing rates. The analysis makes use of the National Institute of Standards and Technology statistical test suite applied to the channel quantization bits as the outputs of a random number generator. For proximity attacks, a passive mobile eavesdropper with an ability to approach one of the communicating parties and a possible signal-to-noise ratio advantage is assumed. The minimal required distance …

An Analytic Investigation Into Self Organizing Maps And Their Network Topologies, Renee Baltimore

Theses

This paper details master's thesis work involving research and investigation into the approach of self-organizing maps for clustering of data, more specifically, clustering of image data, and how this can be used in understanding image composition. This work will build upon ideas which have previously been explored, such as using self organizing maps for identifying and grouping different regions of an image which may possess similar features. A large part of this research is based upon experimentation with a variety of topological models of the self-organizing map network and investigation into what advantages these different topologies afford the network in …

The Piano Laboratory As An Interlinking Resource In The Development Of Keyboard Skills For Young Pianists, Elaine Gordon

Theses

This study presents an account of practice-based educational research that was conducted during three half-year cycles between 2008 and 2010 in the CIT Cork School of Music (CSM) piano laboratories with Junior piano pupils and their teachers as participants. The study sought to explore teaching approaches in the PianoLab classes and to evaluate interlinking resources for young pianists in the context of their wider music education.

In line with action-oriented qualitative methods, the first cycle involved preliminary data gathering, through questionnaires and interviews, from musicianship and piano teachers on topics related to teaching materials. Subsequently, a Focus Group was set …

Toxicodynamics And Biotransformation Of Azaspiracids Incorporating Liquid Chromatography-Tandem-Mass Spectrometry (Lc-Ms/Ms) Techniques., Daniel O'Driscoll

Theses

Azaspiracids (AZAs) are a family of lipophilic polyether marine biotoxins, that have caused a number of human intoxication incidents in Europe since 1995, which was the first incident reported following the consumption by consumers of intoxicated shellfish {Mytilus edulis). This class of phycotoxins has been responsible for extended closures of shellfisheries in various locations around Europe, where levels of AZAl-3 are regulated in shellfish. Since their discovery in 1995, AZAs have become the focus of extensive research, resulting in the discovery of numerous analogues. Only AZAl and AZA2 have been found in phytoplankton and all the other analogues are believed …

Implementation Of Multi-Clb Designs Using Quantum-Dot Cellular Automata, Chia-Ching Tung

Theses

CMOS scaling is currently facing a technological barrier. Novel technologies are being proposed to keep up with the need for computation power and speed. One of the proposed ideas is the quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) technology. QCA uses quantum mechanical effects in the device at the molecular scale. QCA systems have the potential for low power, high density, and regularity. This thesis studies QCA devices and uses those devices to build a simple field programmable gate array (FPGA). The FPGA is a combination of multiple configure logical blocks (CLBs) tiled together. Most previous work on this area has focused on …

Rocket Motor Segmenting, Jeffrey Lynn Lee

Theses

No abstract provided.