Digital Commons Network^™

Video Partitioning By Temporal Slice Coherency, Chong-Wah Ngo, Ting-Chuen Pong, Roland T. Chin

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We present a novel approach for video partitioning by detecting three essential types of camera breaks, namely cuts, wipes, and dissolves. The approach is based on the analysis of temporal slices which are extracted from the video by slicing through the sequence of video frames and collecting temporal signatures. Each of these slices contains both spatial and temporal information from which coherent regions are indicative of uninterrupted video partitions separated by camera breaks. Properties could further be extracted from the slice for both the detection and classification of camera breaks. For example, cut and wipes are detected by color-texture properties, …

Synthesis And Use Of Chiral Surfactants., Xiaoye Yang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It has been previously shown that micelles formed from surfactants with chiral head groups serve to induce a chiral reaction medium, leading to enhanced enantioselectivities in the reaction products. This utilization of chiral surfactants will offer an economical alternative to traditional chial solvents while simultaneously reducing organic waste. We have successfully dimethlated S-leucinol in an 85% yield, and have synthesized a hydrocarbon-based surfactant with this molecule as a head group. We have also formed polymeric surfactants that have polydimethylsiloxane as the hydrophobic portion with the (S)-dimethylleucinol as a head group. Tests of the solubility of these surfactants have been conducted. …

Dynamic Hyperpolarizability And Two-Photon Detachment In The Presence Of A Strong Static Electric Field: Application To H-, M.V. Frolov, N.L. Manakov, Anthony F. Starace

Anthony F. Starace Publications

Our recent analysis [J. Phys. B 33, R141 (2000)] of the problem of H^- in both laser and strong static electric fields, which treated effects that are linear in the laser intensity l (e.g., the dynamic polarizability and the single-photon detachment cross section), is extended here to treat effects of higher order (∼l²) in the laser intensity (e.g., the dynamic hyperpolarizability, the two-photon detachment cross section, the linear in l corrections to the single-photon detachment rate, etc). We introduce the concept of the dynamic hyperpolarizability of an atom in the presence of a strong electric field …

Determination Of Diazacon In Quail Feed And Quail Serum By Ion Pair Reversed-Phase Chromatography, John J. Johnston, Margaret J. Goodall, Jerome C. Hurley, Christi A. Yoder, Lowell A. Miller

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Liquid chromatographic (LC) methods were developed for quantitating the potential avian contraceptive DiazaCon in quail feed and serum. DiazaCon was extracted from ground quail feed with basic n-butyl chloride. The n-butyl chloride extract was evaporated to dryness. The DiazaCon residues were dissolved in an aqueous methanolic ion pairing solution and quantitated by LC at 206 nm. Avian sera was combined with an equal volume of a pH 4 aqueous solution of ion pairing reagent and filtered to remove interfering proteins. DiazaCon was quantitated by LC. Mean recoveries for 500 and 2000 ppm fortified feed were 89.1 and 91.0%, …

Development Of An Integrated Sensor For The Measurement Of The Acoustic Local Volume Displacement Of Vibrating Beams, Randall Rozema

Masters Theses

Currently, the methods used for sensing the volume displacement of a vibrating structure entail the use of a polyvinylidene fluoride sensor that spans the entire length of the structure. However, this work shows that the surface behavior related to volume displacement can be measured through the use of a polyvinylidene fluoride sensor that spans only the area of interest. In this application it was shown that two-point sensors are required in addition to the distributed, polyvinylidene fluoride sensor to achieve an accurate measurement. As a result, a set of four beams with different end conditions were constructed so that the …

Real-Time Travel Time Estimation Using Macroscopic Traffic Flow Models, Pushkin Kachroo, Kaan Ozbay, Antoine G. Hobeika

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research

This paper presents the estimation of travel time on highways based on macroscopic modelling. The focus is on real-time values as compared to average or static values. The macroscopic models are used for distributed and time/space lumped settings and corresponding travel time estimation functions and algorithms are developed. The implications of these algorithms for the implementation of various incident management and traffic control strategies are also discussed.

August 2001 Commencement Program, Bowling Green State University

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Theoretical Study On The Mechanism Of Removing Nitrogen Oxides Using Isocyanic Acid., Taraneh Nowroozi-Isfahani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The mechanism of RAPRENO_x reactions - RAPid REduction of Nitrogen Oxides using Isocyanic acid - proposed by Robert A. Perry¹ in an attempt to help control the emission of nitrogen oxides pollutant into the atmosphere, has been re-investigated theoretically. The study of reaction mechanisms was carried out using Chemist software². All mathematically possible elementary steps have been evaluated and the chemically reasonable ones have been considered to propose new sets of reaction mechanisms. Density Functional Theory (B3LYP/6-31 G**) calculations using Gaussian 98³ were made in order to study the relative energies of all species and …

Investigation Of Perceptions Of Environmental Management Systems And Its Perceived Importance In A Corporation Undergoing Iso 14001 Certification., Charlette Michelle Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The International Organization of Standardization (ISO) has created a series of voluntary standards (ISO 14000) which promote waste reduction and improve businesses’ environmental management. ISO 14001 is the Environmental Management System portion of ISO 14000 requiring employee awareness and involvement. The Robert Bosch Corporation is undergoing ISO 14001 certification.

In this study, a 23-question survey was used to evaluate Bosch employees’ awareness of ISO 14000 and their support of a waste reduction program at four plants (Johnson City, TN; Sumter, South Carolina; Ashland, Ohio; and South Bend, Indiana). Employees surveyed were not yet familiar with ISO 14000 and that their …

Lithospheric Structure Of The Basin And Range Province-Southwestern Colorado Plateau. Southeastern California, Southern Nevada, And Western Arizona, Nigel Oakley Hicks

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Basin and Range Province of the western United States is an unusually wide continental rift zone and its structure and evolution have been the topic of much debate. Active source seismic surveys within the Basin and Range Province have delineated a relatively uniform crustal thickness (-30 km) despite varying magnitudes of crustal extension (<10-300 km). Large scale Cenozoic crustal extension has exhumed midcrustal rocks (from 10-20 km depth) along low angle detachment faults to create metamorphic core complexes (exposed lower plate rocks). In contrast to the extreme amounts of extension and internal deformation of the Basin and Range, the Colorado Plateau has remained a relatively rigid block, with a crustal thickness of 40-50 km, apparently resistant to the deformation processes that have shaped the Basin and Range observed today. In general, geophysical surveys reveal a significant contrast in crustal structure between the Basin and Range and it's transition into the Colorado Plateau.

The debate about the origin of the Basin and Range has underscored the need for additional geophysical constraints. Thus in this study, a regional analysis of lithospheric structure in the region of southeastern California, southern Nevada, and western Arizona that includes the Basin and Rangesouthwestern …

Green Tea Antioxidants Inhibition Of Oxidation And Mutation, Paul Stout Mcconnell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Green tea is a complex mixture containing several major potent antioxidants e.g., flavins and/or polyphenols. These antioxidants in green tea may react directly or indirectly with strong oxidizers e.g. peroxynitrite or its constituents (superoxide or nitric oxide). Green tea antioxidants can destroy the oxidants. Based on a simple chemical interaction of peroxynitrite (OONO-) and luminol, blue light is produced upon oxidation. It was shown that green tea and constituents have light inhibitory capabilities. In order to show the possible beneficial effects of green tea with DNA, plasmids were chosen to determine whether or not green tea was also capable of …

Simulation Based Modeling Of The Elastic Properties Of Structural Wood Based Composite Lumber, Laszlo Bejo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The importance of wood-based composite lumber is increasing in the US market for construction materials. Manufacturers of such composites strive to make their products more competitive by increasing their value. This dissertation describes the development of simulation models that can aid these efforts by estimating the elastic characteristics of composite lumber products. The study included the assessment of the orthotropic mechanical properties of the raw material, the effect of densification it experiences during the hot-pressing procedure, and the geometric structure of the composites. Using the results of these investigations, computer models were created based on principles of deterministic and stochastic …

Nondestructive Testing Of Reinforced And Prestressed Concrete Structures Using Acoustic Waveguides, Komwut Wissawapaisal

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The main objective of this research is to develop both passive and active nondestructive testing techniques for reinforced and prestressed concrete structures using acoustic waveguides. The first technique introduces a two-dimensional surface waveguide to enlarge the acoustic emission (AE) monitoring area of a reinforced concrete structure. A two-dimensional steel wire system is developed as an acoustic waveguide to study the AE behavior of a reinforced concrete floor slab. AE sensors are mounted to the end of the waveguides to detect AE signals, which are generated by pencil-lead breaks at various locations on concrete surface. Results show that the use of …

Visual Iconic Object-Oriented Programming To Advance Computer Science Education And Novice Programming, Nancy Silva Martinez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Learning how to program a computer is difficult for most people. Computer programming is a cognitively challenging, time consuming, labor intensive, and frustrating endeavor. Years of formal study and training are required to learn a programming language's world of algorithms and data structures. Instructions are coded in advance before the computer demonstrates the desired behavior. Seeing all the programming steps and instruction code is complicated. There exists a tremendous gap between the representations the human brain uses when thinking about a problem and the representations used in programming a computer. Often people are much better at dealing with specific, concrete …

Experiment Determination Of Required Lateral Restraint Forces For Z-Purlin Supported, Sloped Metal Roof Systems, Spencer R. Lee, Thomas M. Murray

American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Specifications, Standards, Manuals and Research Reports (1946 - present)

No abstract provided.

2001 August, Office Of Communications & Marketing, Morehead State University.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Morehead State University press releases for August of 2001.

Quantum Phase Transition Of Itinerant Helimagnets, Thomas Vojta, Rastko Sknepnek

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We investigate the quantum phase transition of itinerant electrons from a paramagnet to a state which displays long-period helical structures due to a Dzyaloshinskii instability of the ferromagnetic state. In particular, we study how the self-generated effective long-range interaction recently identified in itinerant quantum ferromagnets is cut off by the helical ordering. We find that for a sufficiently strong Dzyaloshinskii instability the helimagnetic quantum phase transition is of second order with mean-field exponents. In contrast, for a weak Dzyaloshinskii instability the transition is analogous to that in itinerant quantum ferromagnets, i.e., it is of first order, as has been observed …

On-Road Remote Sensing Of Automobile Emissions In The Chicago Area: Year 4, Sajal S. Pokharel, Gary A. Bishop, Donald H. Stedman

Fuel Efficiency Automobile Test Publications

The University of Denver has completed the first four years of a multi-year remote sensing study in the Chicago area. The remote sensor used in this study is capable of measuring the ratios of CO, HC, and NO to CO2 in motor vehicle exhaust. From these ratios, we calculate the percent concentrations of CO, CO2, HC and NO in the exhaust that would be observed by a tailpipe probe, corrected for water and any excess oxygen not involved in combustion. Mass emissions per mass or volume of fuel can also be determined. The system used in this study was configured …

Preliminary Studies Using Remote Sensing To Evaluate I/M Effectiveness, Sajal S. Pokharel, Gary A. Bishop, Donald H. Stedman

Fuel Efficiency Automobile Test Publications

No abstract provided.

Learning To Move Amid Uncertainty, Robert A. Scheidt, Jonathan B. Dingwell, Ferdinando A. Mussa-Ivaldi

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

We studied how subjects learned to make movements against unpredictable perturbations. Twelve healthy human subjects made goal-directed reaching movements in the horizontal plane while holding the handle of a two-joint robotic manipulator. The robot generated viscous force fields that perturbed the limb perpendicular to the desired direction of movement. The amplitude (but not the direction) of the viscous field varied randomly from trial to trial. Systems identification techniques were employed to characterize how subjects adapted to these random perturbations. Subject performance was quantified primarily using the peak deviation from a straight-line hand path. Subjects adapted their arm movements to the …

A Multi-Agent Framework For Supporting Intelligent Fourth-Party Logistics, Hoong Chuin Lau, G. Lo

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

A distributed intelligent agent-based framework that supports fourth-party logistics optimization under a web-based e-Commerce environment has been proposed in this paper. In the framework, customer job requests come through an e-Procurement service. These requests are consolidated and pushed to the e-Market Place service periodically. The e-Market Place then serves as a broker that allows intelligent agents to bid to serve these requests optimally in real-time by solving multiple instances of underlying logistics optimization problem. The resulting system was implemented based on the Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) platform using distributed system technology for communication between objects.

Numerical Model For Determining The Wetting Front In A Clay Layer Of A Leaking Composite Barrier, Mustafa Eftelioglu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Composite barriers for hazardous and solid waste landfills are designed to minimize hydraulic transport of the contaminant leachate of the landfill; however, the geomembrane can be damaged during construction or otherwise contain imperfections from manufacturing. It is desirable to estimate the discharge characteristics and the flow width of such a leachate should leaks in the geomembrane occur.;Numerical solutions of the flow equations for unsaturated soil barriers can provide an understanding of the movement of a leachate through a composite barrier. The purpose of this investigation was to develop a computer model that simulated two-dimensional migration of leachate beneath holes in …

Damage Mechanics Of Human Cortical Bone, Gagik Parsam Parsamian

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Skeletal fragility is an important orthopedic concern including the prevention of osteoporosis, long-term stability of prosthetic implants and stress fractures. Damage in human cortical bone has been implicated as a cause of increased fragility and is thought to initiate bone remodeling. Therefore, characterization of the mechanisms of damage initiation and accumulation in bone is challenging not only from the engineering prospective but also has a potential of revealing new insights in its physiology. The main objectives of this dissertation work were to study the early stages of damage development in human cortical bone and develop a constitutive formulation describing damage …

Set-Theoretic And Algebraic Properties Of Certain Families Of Real Functions, Krzysztof Plotka

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Given two families of real functions F1 and F2 we consider the following question: can every real function f be represented as f = f 1 + f2, where f1 and f2 belong to F1 and F2 , respectively? This question leads to the definition of the cardinal function Add: Add( F1,F2 ) is the smallest cardinality of a family F of functions for which there is no function g in F1 such that g + F is contained in F2 . This work is devoted entirely to the study of the function Add for different pairs of families of …

Integrated Modulation Of Sympathetic Tone In The Microcirculation By Oxygen, Adenosine, And Nitric Oxide, Bryan Auston Sauls

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Despite a profound reduction in hemodynamic shear stress, a sustained release of endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) limits arteriolar constriction during periods of increased sympathetic nerve activity in the rat small intestine. In this project, we sought to test the hypothesis that adenosine, formed in response to a flow-dependent fall in local PO2, serves as the stimulus to preserve endothelial NO release under these conditions. Sympathetic nerve stimulation induced frequency-dependent arteriolar constrictions and a flow-dependent fall in local PO2. The arteriolar responses to nerve stimulation were enhanced after inhibition of NO synthase with NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA). Under a high (20%) O2 superfusate, …

Static And Dynamic Inventory Models Under Inflation, Time Value Of Money And Permissible Delay In Payment, Babak Khorrami

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this research a number of mathematical models were developed for static and dynamic deterministic single-item inventory systems. Economic factors such as inflation, time value of money and permissible delay in payment were considered in developing the models. Nonlinear optimization techniques were used to obtain the optimal policies for the systems.;First, a static single-item inventory model was considered in which shortages are allowed and a delay is permitted in payment. In this case, suppliers allow the customers to settle their accounts after a fixed delay period during which no interest is charged.;An extension of the model was then considered in …

Modeling And Control Of A Wind Turbine As A Distributed Resource In An Electric Power System, Bongani Malinga

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Deregulation of electric utilities has led to consideration of new distributed resources (DRs) such as wind turbines. The DR dynamics have to be studied carefully to avoid unpredictable outputs and unknown interferences as well as to make sure that consistent and efficient power is supplied according to the load requirements.;The objective of this thesis is to make a contribution to the ongoing wind turbine research in the areas of modeling, control and implementation of wind turbines as DRs in deregulated electric power systems. A model of complete open-loop wind turbine system consisting of a rotor, a gearbox and a three-phase …

Coherent Control Of Stimulated Raman Scattering Using Chirped Laser Pulses, Evan S. Dodd, Donald P. Umstadter

Donald Umstadter Publications

A novel method for the control of stimulated Raman scattering and hot electron production in short-pulse laser-plasma interactions is proposed. It relies on the use of a linear frequency chirp in nonbandwidth limited pulses. Theoretical calculations show that a 12% bandwidth will eliminate Raman forward scattering for a plasma density that is 1% of the critical density. The predicted changes to the growth rate are confirmed in two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Relevance to areas of current research is also discussed.

Measurement Of The Tt̅ Production Cross Section In Pp̅ Collisions At √S =1.8 Tev, T. Affolder, Kenneth A. Bloom, Collider Detector At Fermilab Collaboration

Kenneth Bloom Publications

We update the measurement of the tt̅ production cross section using the CDF detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. This measurement uses tt̅ decays to the final states e+ν+jets and μ+ν+jets. We search for b quarks from t decays via secondary-vertex identification or the identification of semileptonic decays of the b and cascade c quarks. The background to the tt̅ production is determined primarily through a Monte Carlo simulation. However, we calibrate the simulation and evaluate its uncertainty using several independent data samples. For a top quark mass of 175 GeV/c², we measure σ _{t t}^{¯ …}

Analysis Of A New Vehicle Scheduling And Location Problem, Ebru K. Bish, Thin Yin Leong, Chun-Lun Li, Jonathan W. C. Ng, David Simchi-Levi

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We consider a container terminal discharging containers from a ship and locating them in the terminal yard. Each container has a number of potential locations in the yard where it can be stored. Containers are moved from the ship to the yard using a fleet of vehicles, each of which can carry one container at a time. The problem is to assign each container to a yard location and dispatch vehicles to the containers so as to minimize the time it takes to download all the containers from the ship. We show that the problem is NP-hard and develop a …