Digital Commons Network^™

Online Structure, Parameter, And Utility Updating Of Bayesian Decision Networks For Cooperative Decision-Theoretic Agents, Iheanyi Umez-Eronini

Theses

Multi-agent systems, systems consisting of more than one acting and decision making entities, are of great interest to researchers because they have advantages for some specific tasks where it would be more effective to use multiple small and simple robots rather than a large and complex one. One of the major problems with multi-agent systems is developing a means to organize or control the overall behavior of the system. Typically, multi-agent control involves one of two structures. In some designs, there is a hierarchy with some robots being leaders and other followers. Other designs involve robot specialization towards one particular …

Reading First Teachers' Knowledge Of English Phonology And Attitudes Toward Reading Instruction, Courtney Richmond

Theses

The Reading First grant requires teachers to go through professional development and education about reading instruction to improve their teaching methods. The purpose of this study is to determine whether teachers' knowledge of the English language and their attitudes toward explicit reading instruction improved after working in schools that received the Reading First grant. Seventy-six teachers from four schools that received the Reading First grant were surveyed to determine their knowledge of English phonology and attitudes toward explicit and implicit reading instruction. Reading First teachers had more knowledge of English phonology than other teachers, but did not differ in their …

Sift The Rabble, Stephanie Benvenuto

Theses

A descriptive narration of a project to create a short 2-D hand-drawn (with some digital effects) animated film featuring the adventures of a young boy as he discovers objects in a junkyard that lead to flights of his imagination. Includes original thesis proposal, storyboard, and screen shots.

The Role Of Identity Formation And Career Indecisiveness In Effective School-To-Work Transitions For Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disabilities, Elizabeth S. Garfield

Theses

Many school districts devote the majority of their transition resources to those students that are graduating and continuing their education through college. However, only about 15% of ninth grade students go on to graduate high school and obtain a 4-year college degree within six years of their high school graduation. Schools focus their resources and curriculum on the college bound minority instead of the work bound majority. This contributes to ineffective transition planning for those students going directly from school to work; and is especially true for students with Emotional/Behavioral disabilities (ED/BD). These students are leaving school unprepared to be …

Selection Of Optimal Background Estimation Methods For Unstructured Detectors, Manuel R. Ferdinandus

Theses

Target detection algorithms determine the presence of a target in a pixel by comparing the spectrum of a given pixel to the both the target and an estimate of the background. Because of this target detection performance is particularly sensitive to the way that the background is characterized. We will investigate the performance of a number of Background Characterization Methods (BCMs) described by J. West by applying the S. Rotman target implantation method.

Our goal will be to determine which BCM works best for a particular image and a particular target when using the Generalized Likelihood Ratio Test (GLRT) target …

The Past, Chun-Hsiang Huang

Theses

A descriptive narration of a project to create a computer-animated film depicting an epic battle between a primeval human, a devil, and a god who comes from space, when the Earth is still young. Includes original thesis proposal, complete storyboard, and production stills.

Effects Of Freezing And Thawing On The Structures Of Porous Gas Diffusion Media In Pem Fuel Cells, Joaquin A. Pelaez

Theses

Fuel cells are a very promising technology for transportation applications in the future. Many companies are performing research in order to make the implementation of fuel cell- powered vehicles more feasible. One issue that needs to be addressed is the fact that fuel cell vehicles will be used in sub-freezing climates. Vehicles undergo frequent shut-down and startup events, and as such, freezing and thawing effects on fuel cell components become important when the vehicle is shut off and left standing in cold climates. When shut off, fuel cells will maintain water in the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) and gas diffusion …

Determination Of The Fundamental Image Categories For Typical Consumer Imagery, Kenneth N. Fleisher

Theses

Many tasks in imaging science are image-dependent. While a particular dependency might simply be a function of certain physical attributes of an image, often it is closely related to the perceived semantic category. Therefore, a thorough understanding of image semantics would be of substantial practical value. The primary goal of this research was to determine the fundamental semantic categories for typical consumer imagery. Two psychophysical experiments were performed. Experiment I was a Free Sorting Experiment where observers were asked to sort 32 1 images into piles of similar images. Experiment II was a Distributed Experiment conducted over the internet which …

Conservation Of The Brca1 Gene, Matthew Gary Wronkowski

Theses

Most research has been conducted on the structure and function of many individual genes as well as complementary proteins. Many of these studies look at specific population groups' country of origin, geographic location, or ethnicity but do not correlate findings between these groups. In this project I attempted to associate the structural and functional consequences of individual mutations in Human BRCA1 to other organisms. My findings suggest a strong correlation between human geographical isolation and mutation exclusivity. Furthermore strong sequence and mutation conservation as well as structural homology exist between many species.

Case Study: Enhancing The Customers Product Experience Through Package Revision, Keith J. Vent

Theses

This thesis is a case study to illustrate the importance of a products packaging related to the customers and consumers overall product experience. A company launched a new contact lens product in Europe a year after the product was introduced ... in North America. The lens was manufactured using the company's low-cost, daily disposable lens platform to enable a 10 to 20% cost benefit over the competition. However the new lens was not as well received in Europe as it was in the United States. To identify potential impacts to market acceptance, a third party marketing research firm conducted focus …

Gpsense: An Algorithmic Framework For Intelligent Sensing At Node Level In Wsn, Soujanya Soni

Theses

We proposed a new Genetic Programming algorithm termed GPSense for use in wireless sensor networks (WSN). Existing algorithms for pattern recognition and data mining in WSNs work offline, i.e. they query the WSN nodes, bring data to the base-station and the mining is done at the base-station. This increases the latency of decision making, enhances decision communication costs and generally leads to non-local decisions. It is generally believed that this paradigm is more powerefficient since sensor nodes are significantly constrained in terms of computing power (processor speed, low-power batteries, limited-memory). We believe that a distributed data mining approach can be …

Sustainable Shoe Design With A Single Material, Jungyun Lee

Theses

People tend to throw away a shoe rather than repair it for further use. This means more and more shoes are thrown away, and since a shoe is made out of many kinds of materials that are all glued or stitched together, it is difficult to recycle or reuse the shoe. Additionally, there is a symbolic relation between the land and shoe; a shoe is the product that connects people to the ground. It is ironic that a shoe, which provides the connection, has a negative effect on the land. If we wear a shoe longer, we can reduce the …

Environmental Health & Safety Management In The Wake Of Sarbanes-Oxley: A Focus On The Benchmark Alcohol Beverage Industry, Diana V. Vesosky

Theses

In a post-Enron world, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act holds the highest corporate officers of publicly held corporations personally accountable with regard to financial reporting. This project examines the requirements of the law, risks of not complying the law, how Sarbanes-Oxley has impacted environmental health and safety (EHS) management, and what EHS professionals and companies should be doing to comply with the law.

Effect Of Die Cutting On Polymeric Materials, Pushpak Jain

Theses

Concavity is a major concern of manufacturers in every region. Concavity occurs as a process of die cutting foam. During die cutting, hydraulic pressure is applied. The compression from die causes concavity in foam sheets. The experiment was conducted using eight different dies and 2different materials polyethylene and polyurethane with 2 different densities and 2 different thicknesses. The experiment will evaluate the factors contributing toward the concavity.

Language Integrated Query In Java For Xml And Relational Database, Anurag Naidu

Theses

XML and relational databases are the most commonly used data-sources for numerous Java-based enterprise applications. The ever-growing dependence of Java-based applications on these technologies calls for developing a uniform means of querying these data-sources in the Java layer such that queries written for any of these technologies look similar and are in fact governed by a single grammar. This thesis implements a new backend system encapsulating querying capabilities over XML and JDBC based relational databases which would complement the translation of queries written using QuEL [1], a language extension to the Java programming language. The QuEL language extension to Java …

Energy- And Area-Efficient Dc-Dc Converters Fabricated In Low Temperature Crystalline Silicon-On-Glass Technology, Hans Christian Rotmann

Theses

The display industry is moving toward the development of system-on-panel (SOP) architectures to make increasingly compact small-format displays and reduce manufacturing cost. Presently, the voltages required by pixel drivers, row scan logic, and timing circuitry, are generated from a single supply voltage using charge pumps fabricated on a high voltage, monolithic integrated circuit mounted off the glass panel.

In this work, a new high-efficiency charge pump architecture for fabrication on display glass substrates is presented. The distinguishing feature of this work is the nestedclock timing scheme used to improve power efficiency and reduce output voltage noise without the use of …

Landscapes Of Beethoven's Signature "From The Heart, May It Go To The Heart", Virginia L. Martin

Theses

"Landscapes of Beethoven's Signature, an exhibit consisting of twenty-two works of art in a variety of media, is a tribute to the revolutionary composer Ludwig van Beethoven [...]. Landscapes of Beethoven's Signature comprises a body of visual works showing the hand of Beethoven the Creative Artist. Literal landscapes, which also incorporate Beethoven's calligraphy, have been interpreted in the two larger oil paintings, 'In Moonlight' and 'Look Through These Trees.' Figurative depiction of 'landscape' and 'signature' is represented in a variety of ways within the sculptures, prints, books and calligraphy. For several of the pieces, visual material was derived from Beethoven's …

The Integration Of Graphic Communication And Educational Tools For Children With Dyslexia, Amar Abdulla Behbehani

Theses

Design for education is an important approach in the graphic design field. The intention of this thesis is to conduct further research that can help educators and designers build healthier learning environments for children with learning disabilities. Learning environments are not limited to physical environments such as classroom designs or school architecture; they are extended to cognitive environments that are greatly affected by external influences such as sensory stimulation and learning methods. Children with special educational needs could benefit from effective design solutions for better information processing. This designer attempts to develop typographic solutions to facilitate the reading process of …

Maybe, Kara Canal

Theses

Maybe consists of an installation space embracing three video projections, each presenting the viewer with a series of distilled moments. Every connected element in the installation provides an opportunity for engagement with the intangible memories of adolescence. The video pieces present fragments of narratives and invite viewers to fill in the gaps with their own memories, reflections and experiences. The point of view of the camera in each video positions the viewer as a voyeur—and as such the viewers are granted the opportunity to pause, consider and reflect, and hopefully realize something new about themselves while participating in the actions …

Jack, Han-Yi Tseng

Theses

Not Included

Leveraging Lean Process Improvement Methodology To Promote Economic And Environmental Sustainability: Obstacles And Opportunities, Jennifer Doman

Theses

We are on the verge of a paradigm shift in the regulatory community in the United States. The EPA is slowly moving away from command and control to a more collaborative structure, and Lean process improvement is one of the primary catalysts of change. A significant percentage of American enterprises have some experience with Lean methods, and the EPA and others believe that Lean can be leveraged to promote environmental benefits while still delivering valuable business benefits, such as increased productivity and reduced costs. This research explores both the opportunities available for businesses today, and the current obstacles encountered when …

Anomaly-Based Botnet Detection For 10 Gb/S Networks, Jonathon Donaldson

Theses

Current network data rates have made it increasingly difficult for cyber security specialists to protect the information stored on private systems. Greater throughput not only allows for higher productivity, but also creates a “larger” security hole that may allow numerous malicious applications (e.g. bots) to enter a private network. Software-based intrusion detection/prevention systems are not fast enough for the massive amounts of traffic found on 1 Gb/s and 10 Gb/s networks to be fully effective. Consequently, businesses accept more risk and are forced to make a conscious trade-off between threat and performance. A solution that can handle a much broader …

Assisting Small And Medium Enterprises Establish Procedures For Verification, Management Review And Continual Improvement Of Iso 14001, Parimala Anthony

Theses

This study addresses the issue of reaching small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with appropriate means to help them establish procedures for verification, management review and continual improvement in accordance to the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) standard. The relative contribution of SMEs to the total industrial environmental impact is unknown, but it is likely to be considerable, given their contribution to total production and their dominance in sectors such as information technology, electronics, metals, printing, textiles etc. Therefore, the role of SMEs in protecting and improving the environment, through their production and marketing of environmental technologies (for energy efficiency, …

Light Pollution: A Case For Federal Regulation, Timothy Berthaume

Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the body of evidence concerning light pollution and exposure to artificial light and determine if the scientific research warrants regulatory oversight in the United States. The first question that guided this effort was: Does improper artificial lighting and exposure to light-at-night constitute a risk to human health and safety? The follow up question being: Is light pollution a concern to ecological systems, and if so to what extent? A comprehensive literature review was conducted to ascertain the status of the research—if any—in these two areas and what the findings were. The overarching …

An Soa-Based Tennis Club Reservation System, Alan Amin

Theses

This paper illustrates the design and implementation of an SOA-based tennis club reservation system using Web services. It reconciles best views from both the practical and theoretical worlds to yield a reasonable solution that conforms to essential design patterns and exhibits an acceptable performance. The server-side system consists of three abstract layers for data store, data access, and Web services. On the client-side, three applications are developed to consume the Web services: a Web application, a desktop application, and a PDA application.

The Incorporation Of Atmospheric Variability Into Dirsig, Brian Dobbs

Theses

The goal of this research can be divided into two main areas. The first is to improve the existing manner in which DIRSIG samples and references the atmosphere. The second is to give DIRSIG the ability to incorporate atmospheric inhomogeneities, as well as the ability to accurately model them. DIRSIG has limitations in how it currently samples the atmosphere. From a geometric standpoint, it does not fully sample the energy which is scattered by the atmosphere towards the sensor (upwelled radiance). There are also other geometric issues which lead to inaccurate modeling results. One significant inaccuracy is the fact that …

Performance Comparison Of Hyperspectral Target Detection Algorithms, Adam Cisz

Theses

This thesis performs a performance comparison on existing hyperspectral target detection algorithms. The algorithms chosen for this analysis include multiple adaptive matched filters and the physics based modeling invariant technique. The adaptive matched filter algorithms can be divided into either structured (geometrical) or unstructured (statistical) algorithms. The difference between these two categories is in the manner in which the background is characterized. The target detection procedure includes multiple pre-processing steps that are examined here as well. The effects of atmospheric compensation, dimensionality reduction, background characterization, and target subspace creation are all analyzed in terms of target detection performance. At each …

A Program Of Self-Esteem Development For Deaf Children In Rural Areas, Candi Daviton

Theses

Deaf children in rural areas often lack the development of self-esteem essential to their overall development of social and academic skills. Deaf children in rural communities generally have low interpersonal communication and leadership skills. Being isolated with no role model for their identification (deafness) could limit their language acquisition and identity development. The purpose of this project is to develop a special curriculum project which would help initiate a program that would enable deaf children in rural areas to develop self-esteem skills through a one week summer camp program focusing on learning about themselves and related essential self-esteem skills through …

Practical Implementation And Performance Analysis On Security Of Sensor Networks, Nidhi Verma

Theses

A wireless sensor network (WSN) is a network made of thousands of sensing elements called as nodes with wireless capabilities. Their application is varied and diverse ranging from military to domestic and household. As the world of self-organizing sensor networks tip to the edge of maximum utilization, their wider deployment is adding pressure on the security front. Powerful laptops and workstations make it more challenging for small sensors. In addition, there are many security challenges in WSN, e.g- confidentiality, authentication, freshness, integrity etc. Contributions of this work are as follows: “Symmetric” security implementation: This thesis work designs a symmetric-key based …

Graphical Microcode Simulator With A Reconfigurable Datapath, Brian Vanburen

Theses

Microcode is a symbolic way to simplify control design that allows changing, testing and updating the control unit of processors. By changing the microcode, the same datapath can be used for an entirely different application, such as supporting a completely different instruction set. For these reasons, a majority of control units in modern day processors are microcoded. The object was to investigate and implement a graphical microcode simulator with a reconfigurable datapath and microcode format. By allowing a wide configuration of the datapath, many types of logical processors can be designed and simulated. The resulting implemented simulator is able to …