Digital Commons Network^™

Internet As A Crisis Management Tool: The Preparedness Of Company Websites, Verda Duygun

Theses

The Internet has become a crucial information resource. People can find what they seek in a matter of seconds. This new medium has provided opportunities as well as challenges for public relations practitioners. Its speed has also produced an increased risk of faster dissemination of rumors, hoaxes, and false information so important to counter in a crisis situation. In this study, I examined the preparedness of the top Fortune 50 companies to manage crises by evaluating the degree of interactivity of their Websites. The results indicate that few of the Fortune 50 companies are very interactive or well prepared to …

Will Using A Constructivist Approach Improve Laboratory Work For Phase 6 Electrical Apprentices?, Francis Ashworth

Theses

This study used action research to implement a constructivist approach in the delivery of the electronics and measurements laboratory classes for a phase six group of electrical apprentices in the Electrical Services Engineering Department of the Technologicl University Dublin. The aim of the study was to investigate if the constructivist approach adopted, with a research group, could improve the effectiveness of the two labs. The research group consisted of sixteen, phase six, male electrical apprentices for both the electronics and measurements labs. The students ranged in ages between eighteen and twenty five years of age and were a randomly selected …

A Study Of The Conditions And Variables That Affect The Printing Of Shrink Films On Waterbased Flexography, Jimmy Vainstein

Theses

Printing shrink labels with waterbased flexographic inks require a great deal of attention from the press operator. Lack of heat from the dryers can cause drying related problems, while an increase in the dryer temperature can shrink the material. Some press manufacturers recommend presses that are equipped with powerful dryers and expensive chill roll systems. Manufacturers also suggest the use of a corona treatment unit to improve ink adhesion. Newcomers, that do not wish to invest in new presses and equipment of this kind, struggle with finding a proper combination of press speed and dryer settings that may offer acceptable …

The Factors Influencing The College Choice Of The Leaving Certificate Cohort, Patrick O Sullivan

Theses

This thesis examines the factors that influence the college choice and decision making behaviour adopted by Leaving Certificate Students choosing third level colleges in tertiary education. It attempts to understand the decision making process and associated influences that affect students when considering a third level college. The position adopted for this study is that of a consumer behaviour perspective.

Whether or not the potential students operate a systematic process, logically thinking throughout each step, is worthy of research. Secondary research confirms the many variables influencing the decision-making process, particularly in the USA and UK. However, in-depth knowledge regarding the criteria …

Techno-Economic Evaluation Of Conventional And Membrane-Based Pretreatment Before Reverse Osmosis, Shamma Ahmed Rashid Al-Malek

Theses

In this thesis, a technological and economical comparison was conducted on both conventional and membrane based pre-treatment before reverse osmosis desalination. In order to produce high quality water at the design recovery ratio, reverse osmosis membranes should receive high quality feed water in terms of turbidity, suspended solids, and biological matters. Conventional pre-treatment schemes of media and cartridge filters after coagulation chambers have been used for years. Due to the poor performance and decline in reverse osmosis recovery, membrane based pre-treatment has emerged and has been under research and study in the recent years. Few conventional pre-treatment reverse osmosis plants …

A Study On The Thermal Degradation Resistance Of Thermoplastic Polyurethane Coatings, Montaser Mohamed Zamzam

Theses

In this work, a comprehensive study of thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) and the influence of the hard block content on their performance was carried out. The study comprises an extensive literature survey of the chemistry, structure and properties, and degradation and stability of TPUs, an experimental section dedicated to the materials, methodologies and instrumentations involved in the execution of the study, and a results and discussion section detailing all the findings and interpretation of the investigation.

TPU elastomers were prepared from 4,4’-diphenyimethane diisocyanate (MDI), monoethylene glycol (MEG), triethylene diamine (Dabco EG), Coim G-211 poly(ester) diol using the ‘one shot’ melt polymerization …

User Considerations In Graphic Design, Neva Corbo-Hudak

Theses

Not Included

Experimental Study Of Water Transport Mechanisms And Two-Phase Pressure Drop In A Simulated Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell Cathode Gas Channel, John Borrelli

Theses

Water management is one of the most important challenges in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) development. Water is a product of the fuel cell reaction, and it can accumulate in the gas diffusion medium (GDM) adjacent to the air distribution channels of a cathode flow field plate. While some water retention is necessary for membrane hydration, the majority must be removed from the cathode flow field channels for optimal stack performance.

The experiments of the present work utilize high-speed digital images to analyze water as it flows through a GDM sample and into a 1.08 mm hydraulic diameter rectangular …

Sparklines As Effective Graphics, George Francy

Theses

This research explores a method of graphical display called a sparkline. Sparklines are a valid method to convey statistical information, supported by an easy familiarity among users and a desire, expressed by information design expert Edward Tufte, for greater density in data display. The subject is examined in light of the broader concept of the integration of pictures and text, tracing this tradition back to medieval illuminated texts, through history to Galileo, and to such diverse modem techniques as emoticons. The historical perspective is expanded upon through an examination of perception theory and implications for data graphics. Ethical issues of …

Rebuild Performance Enhancement Using Onboard Caching And Delayed Vacation Termination In Clustered Raid 5, Akheel Ahmed

Theses

The Clustered Raid 5 (CRAID5) architecture with a parity group size(G) smaller than the number of disks(N) increases the load by the declustering ratio denoted by α = (G -1)/(N -1), which can be lesser than that in Raid 5 while switching to, and subsequently operating in rebuild mode. The Nearly Random Permutation (NRP) layout provides the flexibility to vary the declustering ratio (α) for a given N, and the Vacationing Server Model (VSM) of processing the rebuild requests provides acceptable rebuild and user response times.

The rebuild performance and the user response time can be improved by introducing an …

Cluster-Based Wireless Mobile Ad-Hoc Network Security, Mandur Bajra Bajracharya

Theses

A wireless ad-hoc network is a cooperative communication network deployed with a specific purpose. It is characterized by dynamically changing topology with no fixed infrastructure which exhibits a perfectly vulnerable state for a number of different kinds of attacks.

This thesis proposes a novel technique of achieving security in wireless mobile ad hoc networks by integrating a simple clustering and a voting mechanism together. The purpose of forming a cluster is to facilitate security in the network and the voting is performed to support the decision making process in the cluster. A procedure of forming small homogenous clusters throughout the …

Short-Term Effects Of Bulkheads On The Bayshore Of Fire Island, New York, Dipanjali Chavan

Theses

Construction of bulkheads as a method of shore protection is common on the bay shoreline of Fire Island, New York but there are few studies that assess the effects of these structures on beach change in estuarine and lagoon environments. A short-term field study was conducted at Cherry Grove on Fire Island to assess the effect of a bulkhead on the fronting profile and to the adjacent beaches on the east side of the bulkhead. Data on winds, waves, and currents were gathered daily at high water. Data on profile change and depth of sediment activation were gathered at low …

Stereo Vision Algorithm Using Propagation Of Correspondences Along An Array Of Cameras, Danyan Ganjali

Theses

One well known problem in stereo vision is the trade-off between precision and accuracy.

In a conventional two camera model, as the baseline separating the two cameras becomes smaller, the images that both cameras produce become more identical. This results in a more accurate set of correspondences, however at the same time causing less precise depth measurement due to the small angle used for triangulation. Similarly, in a larger baseline model, the depth measurement is more precise while the correspondences are not as accurate as of the shorter baseline model. This thesis proposes a method that promises to solve the …

Sharing The Big Apple : A Survey Study Of People, Place And Locatability, Samer Nadim Karam

Theses

Over the past half century social trends and new technologies have weakened local social ties and thus, the fabric of civil society itself. Mobile location-aware community systems offer one path to redress these problems by enhancing community cohesion and the formation of social capital by helping people to meet each other and coordinate their actions. However, little is known about the general population's desire and attitude towards these systems.

The design space described by the People-to-People-to-Geographical-Places Framework (P3-Framework), was used to guide a survey study of the impact of 'place' on people's social information needs and their willingness to share …

Evaluation Of Unifac Group Interaction Parameters Usijng Properties Based On Quantum Mechanical Calculations, Hansan Kim

Theses

Current group-contribution methods such as ASOG and UNIFAC are widely used for approximate estimation of mixture behavior but unable to distinguish between isomers. Atoms in Molecules (AIM) theory can solve these problems by using quantum mechanics and computational chemistry to compute atomic contributions to molecular properties and to intermolecular interactions. Rigorously defined properties available through AIM theory and new functional group definitions are used for the UNIFAC model to predict the behavior of various mixtures. Results are presented for various mixtures with nine regressed global parameters to optimize model's predictive capability. The results are also compared to analogous results for …

On Performance Analysis Of Optimal Diversity Combining With Imperfect Channel Estimation, Yong Peng

Theses

The optimal diversity combining technique is investigated for multipath Rayleigh and Ricean fading channel with additive white Gaussian noise where only imperfect channel knowledge is available at the receiver. The non-observable estimation error contributes as an additive source of noise which is not white. Therefore, the optimal combining weight is derived taking into consideration the imperfect channel knowledge.

The bit error rate for BPSK modulation over correlated Rayleigh and Ricean fading channel is derived for minimum mean square channel estimation using pilot symbol assisted modulation. Analytical result and Monte-Carlo simulation are presented for specific channel and estimation models to demonstrate …

Ambulatory Biopotential Measurement, Lakshmi Chitra Penugonda

Theses

Biopotential signals measure the electrical activity of different parts of the body. Conventional bedside monitors only provide information about the body under restricted conditions. Observation and documentation of biopotential signal during daily activities and the relation to patient symptoms may be important factors for clinical decision-making. Ambulatory monitoring helps to monitor the biopotential signal of a patient in the natural environment. The effective ambulatory system can help a physician to diagnose the patient's abnormality.

In this project, a low cost and flexible ambulatory biopotential system, compared to the commercially available systems, was designed and tested. Concurrently a software program was …

Structure And Dynamics Of Soluble Guanylyl Cyclase, Kentaro Sugino

Theses

Soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) is one of the key enzymes involved in many fundamental biological processes including vasodilatation. It can be allosterically activated by synthetic compound such as YC-l. Recently, the 3D structure of adenylyl cyclase (AC), which is a homologue of sGC, was determined. Using AC as template and homology modeling, the 3D structure of sGC is predicted. Prior experimental work has suggested two binding modes of YC- 1. In the current investigation, molecular dynamics simulations (MD) were conducted to seek more detail of molecular mechanism of sGC activation.

From these MD simulations, a tentative mechanism of sGC activation …

Difference-Expansion Based Reversible Data Hiding And Its Steganalysis, Guangsen Tian

Theses

A novel reversible data embedding method was reported in a recent IEEE journal article. The method was based on difference expansion (DE) technique. It used redundancy in digital images to achieve a high embedding capacity, while keeping visual distortion of the stego-image low. In this thesis, this technique was studied and experimentally evaluated. An effective steganalysis scheme for this DE-based reversible data embedding method was proposed, which used 12-dimensional feature vectors and a Bayes Classifier. The proposed steganalysis scheme steadily achieved a correct classification rate of 99%.

Performance Of Multi-User Codes In Wireless Communications, Muhammad Tauseef Ulislam

Theses

Multi-user codes are a widely used in transmitting user data from base station to mobile station and vice versa. In wireless communications a signal received by a mobile station goes through different fading channels resulting. These multi-paths add constructively and destructively with different delays and attenuation at the mobile station. The autocorrelation and cross correlation properties of the Multi-user codes play a significant role in extracting the user data from the signal corrupted by multipath fading channel.

The thesis presents a comparison of different Multi-user codes based on their autocorrelation and cross correlation properties. These codes are passed through a …

Evaluation Of Knox Group Contribution Parameters Using Quantum Based Molecular And Group Properties, Myriam Carrillo

Theses

Thermodynamic property prediction through the group contribution methods has been improving. However, the approaches considered in the past present not only limitations on the physical basis but often have restrictions as to certain substances, such as isomers. A new group contribution method is proposed that uses AIM theory, which is based on computational chemistry and quantum mechanics, to overcome these limitations by treating each molecule individually. An evaluation of this method as applied to the Knox model is proposed and analyzed for Vapor Liquid Equilibrium (VLE) of mixtures with the help of nine global parameters that are obtained by correlation. …

Analysis Of Mhpdm Algorithm For Data Hiding In Jpeg Images, Pooja Gore

Theses

In the recent years, there has been a great deal of interest in developing a secure algorithm for hiding information in images, or steganography. There has also been a lot of research in steganalysis of images, which deals with the detection of hidden information in supposedly natural images. The first section of this thesis reviews the steganography algorithms and steganalysis techniques developed in the last few years. It discusses the breadth of steganographic algorithms and steganalytic techniques, starting with the earliest, based on LSB flipping of the DCT coefficients, to more recent and sophisticated algorithms for data hiding and equally …

Approximation Algorithms For Variants Of The Traveling Salesman Problem, Ankur Gupta

Theses

The traveling salesman problem, hereafter abbreviated and referred to as TSP, is a very well known NP-optimization problem and is one of the most widely researched problems in computer science. Classical TSP is one of the original NP - hard problems [1]. It is also known to be NP - hard to approximate within any factor and thus there is no approximation algorithm for TSP for general graphs, unless P = NP. However, given the added constraint that edges of the graph observe triangle inequality, it has been shown that it is possible achieve a good approximation to the optimal …

Planar Visual Fusion Scintigraphy, Jacob Puthiamadathil

Theses

Planar scintigraphy, while providing useful information about the distribution of the radiopharmaceutical being used, often does not provide adequate information about the surrounding anatomical structures. A proposed method to solve this problem is by registering and fusing a scintigraphic image with a digital visual image. Fusing planar scintigraphic images with visual photographic images to supply an anatomic correlate to regions of radiopharmaceutical accumulation has been explored in this study. The digital visual image will provide a context for the relevant structures in the scintigraphic image. The validity of using one set of affine transformation parameters for registering all patient data …

Analysis Of Acceleration And Deceleration During Cyclic Exercise, Jeena Vadi

Theses

The Cyclic Exercise Protocol is a novel protocol that is designed to create a series of cyclic waves of exercise and recovery. This exercise protocol involves short bursts of exercise lasting for 60 seconds or less followed by a period of complete cardio recovery. This study involves the analysis of the acceleration and the deceleration regions of the cyclic exercise sessions. The objective of this study was to develop an algorithm to quantitatively analyze the acceleration and the deceleration regions of cyclic exercise sessions. The acceleration and the deceleration regions of cycles were split into three segments and each segment …

Enabling Cost Aware Routing With Auctions In Wireless Ad-Hoc Networks, Ali Yuksel

Theses

Battery power is a precious resource in wireless ad-hoc networks, and most routing protocols that have been proposed so far do not generate cost efficient routes. In this thesis, a novel auction-based cost-aware routing scheme, called CARA, is presented. CARA is designed as an extension of the MAC layer, and is shown to improve the cost efficiency of existing ad-hoc routing protocols through dynamic power control, while introducing only minimal additional overhead. The MAC layer at each node is given the capability to run local sealed-bid second-price auctions for the user data packets that need to be transmitted, and to …

Relationship Between The Autonomic Nervous System And The Recovering Heart Post Exercise Using Heart Rate Variability, Pierre Asselin

Theses

The goal of this thesis is to determine if a relationship exists between the activity of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the speed of heart rate recovery post maximal exercise. The parasympathetic branch of the ANS was assessed during rest by obtaining the high frequency (HF) component of the heart rate variability (HRV) frequency spectrum. The recovery time was estimated by fitting an exponential curve to the heart rate post exercise where the exponent was used to calculate the time constant to indicate recovery time. A regression was then performed on the HF and recovery time in order to …

Non-Linear Digital Control Of A Mckibben Muscle System, Surinkumar Patel

Theses

McKibben muscles are pneumatic actuators that have potential application in the rehabilitation of persons with physical impairments. These actuators have been known to exhibit similarities in human musculoskeletal systems. In order to better understand and improve the closed - loop control of these pneumatic muscles, a physical joint model was constructed with an agonist and an antagonist muscle operating under non-linear control. With the use of LabVIEW software, compliant McKibben air muscles and Flock-of-Birds sensor, the author was able to implement and compare a standard bang-bang controller and experimental non-linear digital Proportional (P) controller. The feedback mechanism is based on …

The Visualization Of Time, Li Huai Chang

Theses

"Time" is a broad issue which has various kinds of solutions to deal with in design. The Visualization of Time takes time concept and integrates visualization for communication. I explore both concrete and abstract concept of time and intend to create an interactive environment bringing users a dynamic visual experience.

The concrete concept of time discusses the power of time in nature. Think about the floating Time River brings days and nights, changes the tinges of nature in seasons. I, therefore, decided to create a visual Chinese garden to express time magic. Image Integration, storytelling, motion graphics are incorporated in …

Corporate Identity: The Reasons For Change, Kwiryun Kim

Theses

Not Included