Digital Commons Network^™

Application Of Stiffness/Strength Corrector And Cellular Automata In Predicting Response Of Laterally Loaded Masonry Panels, Guang Chun Zhou

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

This research has introduced a new concept, "stiffness/strength corrector", which more accurately models variation in masonry properties at various locations (zones) within a masonry wall panel. Derivation of these correctors was based on a closer mapping of the laboratory experimental results to those obtained from a non-linear finite element analysis of full-scale masonry panels subjected to a uniformly distributed lateral load. In this research only one panel, which was tested in a previous research, was used as the "base panel" and correctors for new panels with and without openings with various boundary conditions were derived by matching similar regions and …

A Generic Network And System Management Framework, Martin Hans Knahl

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Networks and distributed systems have formed the basis of an ongoing communications revolution that has led to the genesis of a wide variety of services. The constantly increasing size and complexity of these systems does not come without problems. In some organisations, the deployment of Information Technology has reached a state where the benefits from downsizing and rightsizing by adding new services are undermined by the effort required to keep the system running. Management of networks and distributed systems in general has a straightforward goal: to provide a productive environment in which work can be performed effectively. The work required …

Evaluation Of Lntelligent Medical Systems, Julian Bernard Tilbury

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

This thesis presents novel, robust, analytic and algorithmic methods for calculating Bayesian posterior intervals of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and confusion matrices used for the evaluation of intelligent medical systems tested with small amounts of data. Intelligent medical systems are potentially important in encapsulating rare and valuable medical expertise and making it more widely available. The evaluation of intelligent medical systems must make sure that such systems are safe and cost effective. To ensure systems are safe and perform at expert level they must be tested against human experts. Human experts are rare and busy which often severely restricts …

The Development Of A Novel Suspension Arm With 2-Dimensional Actuation, For Use In Advanced Hard Disk Drives, Chibesa Chilumbu

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

As magnetic computer disks are developed to ever-greater data storage densities, the accuracy required for head positioning is moving beyond the accuracy provided by present technology using single-stage voice-coil motors in hard disk drives. This thesis details work to develop a novel active suspension arm with 2-dimensional actuation for use in advanced hard disk drives. The arm developed is capable of high-bandwidth data tracking as well as precision head flying height control motion. High-bandwidth data tracking is facilitated by the use of piezoelectric stack actuator, positioned closer to the head. The suspension arm is also capable of motion in the …

The Process Of Design Is Almost Like Writing An Essay, Susan Orr, Margo Blythman

The Writing Center Journal

No abstract provided.

Addressing Racial Diversity In A Writing Center: Stories And Lessons From Two Beginners, Nancy Barron, Nancy Grimm

The Writing Center Journal

No abstract provided.

Guilt-Free Tutoring: Rethinking How We Tutor Non-Native-English-Speaking Students, Susan Blau, John Hall, Sarah Sparks

The Writing Center Journal

No abstract provided.

Writing Center Users Procrastinate Less: The Relationship Between Individual Differences In Procrastination, Peer Feedback, And Student Writing Success, Beth Rapp Young, Barbara A. Fritzsche

The Writing Center Journal

No abstract provided.

The Development Of A Novel Electro-Magnetic Force Microscope, James Frederick Charles Windmill

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

This thesis describes the development of a new type of Magnetic Force Microscope (MFM) probe based on a unique electromagnetic design. In addition the design, construction and testing of a new MFM system, complete in both hardware and software, is also described. The MFM allowed initial tests on prototypes of the new probe, and is to provide a base for future new probe integration. The microscope uses standard MFM micro-cantilever probes in static modes of imaging. A new computer hosted DSP control system, software, and its various interfaces with the MFM have been integrated into the system. The system has …

Development Of Improved Head-Disk Spacing Measurement Methods For Magnetic Disk Drives, Xinqun Liu

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

A detailed review of existing flying height or head disk spacing testing techniques has been made, and in-depth analyses of the working principles of the currently popular optical interferometry flying height testing methods are presented with simulation results. A new dual-beam normal incidence polarisation inteferometry method is then proposed. One advantage of this dual-beam polarisation interferometry is that it can be used for both the direct spacing measurement (DSM) method and relative displacement measuring (RDM) method. The RDM method is a good way to measure the head-disk spacing and the slider pitch or roll when a real magnetic disk is …

Spread Spectrum-Based Video Watermarking Algorithms For Copyright Protection, Cristian Vasile Serdean

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Digital technologies know an unprecedented expansion in the last years. The consumer can now benefit from hardware and software which was considered state-of-the-art several years ago. The advantages offered by the digital technologies are major but the same digital technology opens the door for unlimited piracy. Copying an analogue VCR tape was certainly possible and relatively easy, in spite of various forms of protection, but due to the analogue environment, the subsequent copies had an inherent loss in quality. This was a natural way of limiting the multiple copying of a video material. With digital technology, this barrier disappears, being …

Linking Performance Requirements With Process Improvement Actions For Business Process Re-Design, Cita Lorraine Wood

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

This thesis presents research that extends current knowledge in the area of business process re-design, with a specific focus on the 'Make Product' process within manufacturing organisations. Current business process re-design approaches offer only limited guidance on the specific changes that can be made to a process when re-designing it to achieve the desired performance improvements and often overlook any strategically derived performance requirements when re-designing the process. Case experience suggests that practitioners do not consider the performance requirements of their business processes when re-designing them and that the actions they take to achieve performance improvements are not selected with …

An Antidote For Testosterone Poisoning: Ya Books Girls—And Boys—Should Read, Chris Crowe

Faculty Publications

Today's world is loaded with dangers and dangerous people; it's a place where kids-good and bad, naive and worldly, cautious and reckless-are at risk. The sources of these risks are sometimes masked in the mixed messages children learn from society-messages about gender roles, about behavior, about what's right and what's not.

Some of the fuzzy messages that concern me most are the ones that influence the behavior of young adult males. All teachers know that teenage boys can be some of the most obnoxious creatures on earth. I know this from personal experience as a former obnoxious boy and as …

Ya Boundary Breakers And Makers, Chris Crowe

Faculty Publications

Vincent van Gogh. Pablo Picasso. Georgia O'Keefe. Jackson Pollock. Andy Warhol. These painters, all incredibly famous now, were at one time on the fringe of the art world, creating their own kind of art, work that pushed back the boundaries of artistic conventions, broke traditional rules, and produced paintings that redefined "art." Their paintings are so well known now that it's easy to take for granted the impact these artists had on the art world, but their challenges to existing standards and forms have had a lasting impact on modem art.

Young adult literature has also had its share of …

On-Road Remote Sensing Of Automobile Emissions In The Denver Area: Year 3, Sajal S. Pokharel, Gary A. Bishop, Donald H. Stedman

Fuel Efficiency Automobile Test Publications

No abstract provided.

2002 : Part - Time Courses, Dublin Institute Of Technology

DIT Publications

Book containing information and full list of part - time courses for 2002 entry.

2002/2003 academic calendar.

Faculty structure and key contacts at DIT.

Misinformation [1], Hollis P. Leighly

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Childcare Facilities On Vigorous Physical Activity In Preschool Aged Children, Nicole Kelly-Goreham

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of childcare centers with differences in outdoor space and play equipment upon the amount of time spent at vigorous physical activity by children. The research questions guiding this research were:

1. Is there a difference among childcare centers in the amount of time spent in vigorous physical activity by preschool age children?

2. Is there any relationship between the amount of time spent in vigorous physical activity at the childcare center and the child's BMI, the time spent outdoors time spent in vigorous physical activity outside the center, parental BMI, …

Urban Traffic Externalities And Housing Value, Michael Owen Carpenter

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study explores the relationship between high-capacity urban roadways and housing value. The traffic on high-capacity urban roadways is expected to generate negative externalities, depressing the value of nearby housing. These same roads also provide accessibility, which is expected to capitalize into housing value as a bonus. The hypothesis underlying this research is that houses near high-traffic, high-speed roads suffer a penalty to their value as the negative externalities generated by the road are capitalized. However, as distance from these roads increases and the presence of negative externalities decreases, houses will capitalize a net benefit due to the accessibility gained …

The Student Worry Questionnaire-30: Further Examination Of Gender Differences, Janet A. Carter

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The construct of worry has captured the attention of researchers in recent years and has been implicated in several psychological disorders. Initially, the lack of validated instruments hampered the study of the worry construct. Several such instruments have been developed in recent years, but two instruments have predominated in the literature concerning the construct of worry-the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (Meyer, Miller, Metzger, & Borkovec, 1990) and the Worry Domains Questionnaire (Tallis, Eysenck, & Mathews, 1992). While both appear psychometrically sound, these instruments focused on different and distinct aspects of the worry construct. Some researchers (Davey, 1993; Starcevic, 1995; Tallis …

Particle Size Dependent Response Of Aerosol Counters, A. Ankilov, A. Baklanov, M. Colhoun, K. H. Enderle, J. Gras, Yu Julanov, D. Kaller, A. Lindner, A. A. Lushnikov, R. Mavliev, F. Mcgovern, T. C. O'Connor, Josef Podzimek, O. Preining

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

During an international workshop at the Institute for Experimental Physics of the University of Vienna, Austria, which was coordinated within the Committee on Nucleation and Atmospheric Aerosols (IAMAS-IUGG), 10 instruments for aerosol number concentration measurement were studied, covering a wide range of methods based on various different measuring principles. In order to investigate the detection limits of the instruments considered with respect to particle size, simultaneous number concentration measurements were performed for monodispersed aerosols with particle sizes ranging from 1.5 to 50 nm diameter and various compositions. The instruments considered show quite different response characteristics, apparently related to the different …

Graduate Recital In Conducting, Julie Marie Feld

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In partial fulfillment of the Master of Music degree requirements for conducting, I prepared, rehearsed, and conducted Musi ca Vitale, a group of University of Northern Iowa graduate and undergraduate vocalists and instrumentalists. The recital took place March 7, 2002, in Davis Hall at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center. The contents of the recital included Johann Sebastian Bach's Cantata 140, Wachet auf. ruft uns die Stimme, and Morten Lauridsen's song cycle Les Chansons des Roses. Musi ca Vitale consisted of nineteen vocalists, five sopranos, five altos, five tenors, and four basses. All vocalists were students in the School of Music …

Comparison Of Mlp And Rbf Neural Networks Using Deviation Signals For On-Line Identification Of A Synchronous Generator, Jung-Wook Park, Ganesh K. Venayagamoorthy, Ronald G. Harley

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper compares the performances of a multilayer perceptron network (MLPN) and a radial basis function network (RBFN) for the online identification of the nonlinear dynamics of a synchronous generator. Deviations of signals from their steady state values are used. The computational complexity required to process the data for online training, generalization and online global minimum testing are investigated by time-domain simulations. The simulation results show that, compared to the MLPN, the RBFN is simpler to implement, needs less computational memory, converges faster and global minimum convergence is achieved even when operating conditions change.

Adaptive Information Filtering: Concepts And Algorithms, Daniel R. Tauritz

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Adaptive information filtering is concerned with filtering information streams in dynamic (changing) environments. The changes may occur both on the transmission side — the nature of the streams can change — and on the reception side — the interests of the user (or group of users) can change. While information filtering and information retrieval have a lot in common, this dissertation’s primary concern is with the differences. The temporal nature of information filtering necessitates more flexible document representation methods than does information retrieval where all the occurring terms are known in advance. Also, information filtering typically maintains user interest profiles …

Tissue Classification Through Analysis Of Gene Expression Data Using A New Family Of Art Architectures, Rui Xu, Georgios C. Anagnostopoulos, Donald C. Wunsch

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Correct classification is crucial to cancer diagnosis and treatment. We demonstrate that a new family of neural network architectures-Ellipsoid ART and ARTMAP (EA/EAM)-can cluster and classify tissues successfully through analysis of gene expression data generated by DNA microarray experiments

A Diode-Clamped Multi-Level Inverter For The Statcom/Bess, Cheng Ying, Mariesa Crow

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Flexible AC transmission systems (FACTS) are potentially becoming more flexible and more economical local controllers in the power system. The integration of traditional FACTS devices with energy storage system (ESS) will increase FACTS device functionality. The voltage-sourced inverter is an important part of many FACTS devices, such as the StatCom and SSSC. Considerable research has been done on 2-level inverter usage in FACTS. Multilevel inverters, however, can improve the voltage quality and reduce the voltage stress on the power electronic devices. This paper uses a diode-clamped multilevel inverter in the StatCom/BESS. The multilevel inverter switching strategy and output voltage model …

Asia Pacific Perspectives Vol. 2 No. 2, May 2002, University Of San Francisco, University Of San Francisco

Asia Pacific Perspectives

Contents:

The Changed World of South Asia: Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India after September 11 by Richard J. Kozicki

The unprecedented attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001 dramatically reoriented American policy interests in South Asia. Before the attacks, the George W. Bush administration had nearly relegated Pakistan to the category of a ‘rogue state’ because of its coup against a democratically elected government, its support for the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, its involvement in terrorist insurgency in the Indian-controlled Kashmir, and its involvement in nuclear and ballistic missiles deals with China and North Korea. In the immediate aftermath …

Dictionary Of 1913 Baseball And Other Lingo, Vol. Ii (G-P), Gerald Leonard Cohen

Arts, Languages and Philosophy Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Reading Well: Notes On The Prayersand Tears Of Jacques Derrida, Margret Grebowicz

Arts, Languages and Philosophy Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

A Place For Children? Children In Families Living In Emergency Accommodation: The Perspectives Of Children, Parents And Professionals, Ann Marie Halpenny, Anna Fiona Keogh, Robbie Gilligan

Reports

Homelessness affects the lives of an increasing number of children in Dublin. Research by Focus Ireland indicated that 1,262 children were living with their parent(s) in Bed and Breakfast (B&B) emergency accommodation in 1999 (Houghton & Hickey, 2000). More recent figures from the Northern Area Health Board (NAHB) Homeless Service show that 20% of first time referrals to emergency accommodation in the past year were families with 827 children. Much of the available information on these children’s well-being comes from studies on the health care needs and access to health care services of families living in emergency accommodation (Smith, McGee, …