Digital Commons Network^™

A Robust Artificial Neural Network Controller For A Turbogenerator When Line Configuration Changes, Ganesh K. Venayagamoorthy, Ronald G. Harley

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents the design of a robust controller for a turbogenerator. The robust controller is an artificial neural network (ANN) that is trained offline on a family of ANN models of the turbogenerator. This ANN controller augments/replaces the traditional automatic voltage controller (AVR) and the turbine governor of the generator. Simulation results are presented to show that the ANN controller is robust when the transmission line configuration changes.

Performance Characteristics Of A Cascaded Two-Level Converter, Keith Corzine, C. A. Whitcomb, S. D. Sudhoff

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A cascaded two-level power converter is proposed which utilizes two six-transistor inverters and is capable of producing voltages which are identical to those of three-level and four-level converters. Since the machine voltages are the same, the converter performance is the same as is verified through laboratory tests. The advantages and disadvantages of the proposed cascaded converter are explored. The proposed converter is simpler to construct and offers more nonredundant switching states per number of active semiconductors than standard multi-level converters

Liquid Holdup Measurement Techniques In Laboratory High Pressure Trickle Bed Reactors, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan, Wes Highfill

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Three Different Techniques, Which Are Tracer, Drainage and Weighing Methods, Are Used to Measure Liquid Holdup in a Laboratory Trickle-Bed Reactor Operated under High Pressure. the Holdup Measurements Are Compared to Determine the Applicability of These Methods at High Pressure Operation. It Was Found that Tracer and Drainage Techniques Give Comparable Values for the Total Liquid Holdup. Although Several Investigators Recommended the Weighing Method over the Others based on their Experiments Performed at Atmospheric Conditions, It Was Found that the Weighing Method Failed to Measure Liquid Holdup Properly at High Pressure Operation.

A Survey Of Sexually Abusive Experiences In Childhood Amongst A Sample Of Third Level Students, Kevin Lalor

Articles

The following survey is an investigation into the nature, incidence and effects of childhood sexual abuse as experienced by a sample of third level students in Dublin. Unwanted sexual experiences whilst under the age of sixteen were surveyed. Response rates were high and indicate that unwanted sexual experiences prior to age sixteen are experienced by some 30% of female respondents. Indecent exposure was the most frequently reported experience. This figure falls considerably for contact and penetrative forms of abuse. Long term effects of non-contact forms of abuse were most frequently reported as embarrassment. More acute effects, such as suicidal tendencies, …

The Social Implications Of The Use Of Stored Tissue Samples: Context, Control, And Community, Karen H. Rothenberg

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Social Implications Of Genetic Testing, Karen H. Rothenberg

Faculty Scholarship

This paper examines the social implications of predictive genetic testing and its impact on the insurance industry. Although the Human Genome Project has the potential to improve the health of our nation, it also may serve as a means of highlighting genetic differences among individuals and ethnic groups. Thus, if we are to reach the full promise of the Project, society must address the public's fears of genetic discrimination in insurance and employment context. Following an analysis of state and federal legislation on genetic privacy and discrimination, the paper concludes with a challenge to the insurance industry to work with …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

The Development Of Undergraduates' Approaches To Studying And Essay Writing In Higher Education, Sherria Linda Hoskins

School of Psychology Theses

Higher education has undergone a massive expansion particularly over the last twenty years. However,the value of this expansion is difficult to as certain. Despite a growing field of research in to adult learning in higher education little is known about the type of learning developed in this system. Biggs (1996) expressed concern that university learning is represented by increased knowledge and assessment requiring students to reproduce content, not demonstrate critical thinking. He claimed that this type of learning exists even in course-work essay writing. These concerns formed the theoretical framework for the current research, which explored the development of approaches …

Sahaja Yoga: An Ancient Path To Modern Mental Health?, Adam Morgan

School of Psychology Theses

The present study looks to evaluate the effectiveness of the meditative practice of Sahaja Yoga as a treatment for the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Whilst there is a small research literature that has investigated the efficacy of meditation (usually based upon the Buddhist Vipassana tradition) for the treatment of such symptoms, and a smaller literature looking at the effectiveness of Sahaja Yoga in the treatment of a number of physical health problems, no published studies have looked at the effectiveness of Sahaja Yoga as a treatment for mental health problems. The present study therefore compared three independent groups, these …

Congressional Accountability And Denial: Speech Or Debate Clause And Conflict Of Interest Challenges To Unionization Of Congressional Employees , James J. Brudney

Faculty Scholarship

In 1995, Congress passed the Congressional Accountability Act, which applied federal workplace and anti-discrimination laws to Congress. Under the terms of the Act, Congress can prevent legislative staff from unionizing if the presence of organized employees would raise constitutional problems or present a conflict of interest. In this Article, Professor Brudney argues that these constitutional conflicts and issues do not pose sufficient concern to outweigh the workplace rights of congressional staff. Rather, he maintains that Congress, should either fulfill its obligations under the Act and allow legislative staff to unionize, or else enact a statute and explain the need for …

Mechanism Of Interaction Of Asphalt Cement With Crumb Rubber Modifier, Magdy Abdelrahman, Samuel Carpenter

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The nature of the interaction process between asphalt cement and crumb rubber modifier (CRM) has not been fully understood. Two main types of mechanisms that affect the produced binder properties are reported: particle swelling and degradation (devulcanization and depolymerization). These mechanisms occur as the binder is subjected to different combinations of interaction time and temperature. Insight into the mechanisms by which the interaction between the two materials takes place through monitoring the changes in the rheological parameters of the binder is provided. The effects of the interaction process variables, time and temperature, are explained. The effect of CRM properties, including …

Surveyor: Mobile Highway Inventory And Measurement System, Norbert H. Maerz, Steve Mckenna

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Surveyor is a mobile highway data collection system designed to collect measurement data about objects, features, structures, and landmarks located along highways and roadways for highway planning, management, and maintenance. It creates classified inventories annotated with object dimensions, object position relative to the road, and global position reference. The mobile data collection part of the system consists of a high-speed multifunction vehicle with minimum complement of a right-of-way video system with a precisely calibrated high-resolution video camera, a distance-measuring instrument for spatial positioning, a gyroscopic geometries system, and an ultrasonic grade system for precise measurement of vehicle attitude. Data acquisition …

Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Web Bag In A Web Warehouse, Sanjay Kumar Madria, Wee Keong Ng, Ee-Peng Lim, Sourav S. Bhowmick

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Sets and bags are closely related structures and have been studied in relational databases. A bag is different from a set in that it is sensitive to the number of times an element occurs, while a set is not. In this paper, we introduce the concept of a Web bag in the context of a World Wide Web warehouse called WHOWEDA (WareHouse Of WEb DAta) which we are currently building. Informally, a Web bag is a Web table which allows multiple occurrences of identical Web types. A Web bag helps one to discover useful knowledge from a Web table, such …

Predicting The Unconfined Compressive Strength Of The Breathitt Shale Using Slake Durability, Shore Hardness And Rock Structural Properties, Engin C. Koncagül, Paul M. Santi

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Compressive strength is the most widely used design parameter in the construction industry and in rock engineering. For example, Bieniawski [Bieniawski, Z.T., Estimating the strength of rock materials, Is. J. S. Afr. Inst. Min. Metall., 1974, 74, 312-320.] reported that mining engineers request the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) more often than any other rock property. However, standards set for specimen preparation are very demanding. Therefore, it is quite difficult and sometimes impossible to fulfill these requirements using weak rocks and especially shales. This paper evaluates the use of the slake durability and Shore hardness tests to estimate UCS, based on …

Remedy Selection For Cleanup Of Uncontrolled Waste Sites, Paul D. Bennett, Brad Brumbach, Tyrone W. Farmer, Preston L. Funkhouser Iv, Allen W. Hatheway

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Selection of remedy for uncontrolled hazardous waste sites involves comparisons of various technological approaches for minimization of threats and achievement of cleanup action levels. Approaches specified in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (SUPERFUND Law) National Contingency Plan (40 CFR 300) are broadly labeled as actions, alternatives, and technologies. We have found considerable perplexity in denoting the rank-hierarchy of these approaches and have developed a classification system for dealing with the totality of available measures for consideration in selection of remedy.

Optimized Calibration For Unsteady Flow Modeling Using A Genetic Algorithm, Daniel Sanchez, Jerome A. Westphal

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The calibration of an unsteady flow model generally relies on the estimation of roughness coefficients, which act as descriptors of friction resistance along the channel. Here an optimized procedure is implemented by incorporating a genetic algorithm (GA) to automate the process. This approach is suitable because discrete parameters are considered. The target is a one-dimensional unsteady flow model in which the roughness coefficient is allowed to vary not only along the river axis, but also dynamically with discharge. The objective function is the root mean square of the difference between measured and computed water levels at a given cross section. …

Stage-Discharge Relations On The Middle Mississippi River, Jerome A. Westphal, D. B. Thompson, Glendon Taylor Stevens, C. N. Strauser

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Based on measurements made on the Middle Mississippi River during the 1993 flood, stage-discharge relations for the rating curve are not single-valued. Analyses of these data suggest that the range of flow rates at a given stage is larger than that attributable to measurement replication error alone. Patterns of stage-discharge measurements also imply a tendency toward hysteresis. However, neither changes in stage nor changes in flow rate correlate with short-term scour and fill at gauging sites.

Liquefaction Of Silts And Silt-Clay Mixtures, Tianqiang Guo, Shamsher Prakash

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Low plasticity silts and silty clays occur extensively in the central United States. For evaluating their liquefaction potential during an earthquake, no guidelines are available based on their density, void ratio, plasticity index, standard penetration values, or any other simple soil property. Their liquefaction behavior is not properly understood at present and is often confused with that of sand-silt mixtures. Pore water pressures and liquefaction in silt and silt-clay mixtures are discussed, and the influences of plasticity index on their cyclic strength are reviewed critically. It is concluded that considerable additional work is needed to fully understand the liquefaction behavior …

Le Héros Sonyien À La Croisée Des Principes Sartriens Et Nietzschéens, Kasongo Mulenda Kapanga

Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Faculty Publications

Sony Labou Tansi s'est créé une réputation de maître de la parole mordante par sa dénonciation des pouvoirs abusifs de l'ère postcoloniale. Que ce soit dans le théâtre ou dans le roman, «l'enfant prodige de Brazza» use d'une verve castigatrice et d'un style incendiaire qui lui ont valu dans les lettres francophones africaines une réputation de censeur. Même si on mettait cette agressivité verbale au compte de l'afropessimisme, le malaise que la pléthore d'écrivains africains ont décrié, il se profile dans la floraison langagière de Sony une tension entre deux modes de pensée et deux philosophies complémentaires. II y a, …

A Calendar Of Wisdom. Daily Thoughts To Nourish The Soul. Written And Selected From The World's Sacred Texts (Book Review), Yvonne Howell

Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Faculty Publications

Tolstoy spent over fifteen years collecting "the wisdom of the centuries in one book" (6). He began compiling this wisdom in written form, as quotes from the world's sacred texts and from famous (as well as obscure) artists, in 1902-1903. The first version of the resulting book was published in 1904. It was reprinted three times during his lifetime, variously titled Thoughts of Wise Men, A Circle of Reading, or The Way of Life. It is the early version of the book that made it into the 1957 Soviet edition of Tolstoy's collected works as Krug chteniia: …

Experimental Studies With A Continually Online Trained Artificial Neural Network Controller For A Turbogenerator, Ganesh K. Venayagamoorthy, Ronald G. Harley

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents the design of a continually online trained (COT) artificial neural network (ANN) controller for a laboratory turbogenerator system connected to the infinite bus through a transmission line in real time. Two COT ANNs are used for the implementation: one ANN to identify the complex nonlinear dynamics of the power system, and the other ANN to control the turbogenerator. Practical results are presented to show that COT ANN controllers can control turbogenerators under steady state as well as transient conditions in the laboratory environment

Natural Treatment And On-Site Processes, Kevin D. White, Joel Gerard Burken

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Natural Treatment Systems, Which is Divided into Land-Treatment, Wetland, Aquatic, Onsite and Small Community, and Phytoremediation Systems, Are Discussed. This Include the Free Water Surface Constructed Wetlands, Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetlands, Vertical Flow Constructed Wetlands,ponds, Floating Aquatic Plant Systems, Solar Aquatic Systems, Small Treatment Systems, and In-Ground Disposals.

1-Hydroxyethyl-2,2′-Biimidazole, Geng Lin, Harvest L. Collier, Russell G. Baughman

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

The two imidazole rings in the title compound, C₈H₁₀N₄O, are almost coplanar, having an angle of 2.3 (2)° about the C-C bond connecting the rings. the conformation adopted is such that the nitrogen substituents (-H and -CH₂CH₂OH) are in a trans orientation. the molecules are connected by intermolecular O-H. . .O and N-H. . .N hydrogen bonds to yield an arrangement of pairs of molecules reminiscent of side-by-side stacks of crinkled ribbon.

Parents And Schools : Making The Literacy Connection, Patricia A. Greguras

Graduate Research Papers

Families can offer children many opportunities to read and write in their home. By being role models, parents demonstrate to their children the genuine functions of language. Letting children know that reading and writing are meaningful activities and are used for practical and enjoyable reasons fosters literacy.

A home/school literacy project was developed in a fifth grade class to encourage the home/school connection and to provide more parental support for the school program. Students wrote a monthly newsletter to their parents, read and journaled nightly with their parents, and invited parents to share their job experience, favorite book, vacation or …

The Relationship Between School-Based Extracurricular Activities And The At-Risk Behaviors Among Selected Northeast Iowa High School Students, Wende Gae Dawson

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between school-based extracurricular activities and at-risk behaviors among selected high school students in Northeast Iowa.

An Empirical Comparison Using Both The Term Structure Of Interest Rates And Alternative Models In Pricing Options On 90-Day Bab Futures, Irene Chau

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The use of the term structure of interest rates to price options is relatively new in the literature. It describes the relationship between interest rates and the maturities of bonds. The first model that described the interest rate process was the Vasicek (1977) model. There have been many studies on the formulation of theoretical pricing models. Yet limited empirical research has been done in the area of actually testing the models. In this thesis we report the results of a set of tests of the models indicated below. This paper involves analysis of the pricing errors of the Black model …

Emotion Altering Effects Of Research Participation, Matthew Dunsire

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Previous studies have suggested that participating in psychological research may temporarily amplify participants’ experience of positive or negative emotions (Daugherty & Lawrence. 1996). In the present research, 114 male and female university students completed either self-focused or non-self-focused questionnaires to investigate characteristics that may predispose some participants to positive or negative reactions following participation in research. Four hypotheses were examined: (a) A self-focused task compared to a non-self-focused task would significantly increase average levels of emotional arousal; (b) the amplification of emotional reactions would be greater in females than males (c) participants experiencing negative life events and who are less …

An Adaptive Hierarchical Fuzzy Logic System For Modelling And Prediction Of Financial Systems, Mark Kingham

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In this thesis, an intelligent fuzzy logic system using genetic algorithms for the prediction and modelling of interest rates is developed. The proposed system uses a Hierarchical Fuzzy Logic system in which a genetic algorithm is used as a training method for learning the fuzzy rules knowledge bases. A fuzzy logic system is developed to model and predict three month quarterly interest rate fluctuations. The system is further trained to model and predict interest rates for six month and one year periods. The proposed system is developed with first two, three, then four and finally five hierarchical knowledge bases to …

Aliens, Bodies And Conspiracies: Regimes Of Truth In The X-Files, Leanne Mcrae

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The X-Files is a television program that first screened on Australian television in 1993. This thesis will investigate the role of The X-Files as a cultural text. The X-Files is a significant program, and has contributed to a shift in the way in which television texts represent ideas about society, knowledge and truth. This thesis argues that The X-Files presents ‘knowledge’ in particular ways, and makes it possible to think about the relationship between the body, knowledge, and society in ways which have not previously been so visible.

Twentieth Century Approaches To The Matthean Community, Robert Kerry Mciver

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

No abstract provided.