Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of An Academic Assessment Plan And Evaluation Process For Devry Institute Of Technology Curricula Delivered By Devry Online, Donna Gardner Liljegren

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

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Development Of An Aggregation Methodology For Risk Analysis In Aerospace Conceptual Vehicle Design, Trina Marsh Chytka

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The growing complexity of technical systems has emphasized a need to gather as much information as possible regarding specific systems of interest in order to make robust, sound decisions about their design and deployment. Acquiring as much data as possible requires the use of empirical statistics, historical information and expert opinion. In much of the aerospace conceptual design environment, the lack of historical information and infeasibility of gathering empirical data relegates the data collection to expert opinion.

The conceptual design of a space vehicle requires input from several disciplines (weights and sizing, operations, trajectory, etc.). In this multidisciplinary environment, the …

Natural Radioactivity Of Uae Coastal Areas, Yaqoub Abdalla Mohamed Al-Ali

Theses

Many materials that are usually found in the earth's crust contain small but measurable amount of naturally occurring radioactivity.

In the present study, the natural radioactivity due to the presence of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in beach sand along the UAE costal line has been measured. The measurements were performed using gamma-ray spectrometry with a high-purity Germanium (HPGe) detector connected to a multi-channel analyzer.

Chapter 1 includes an introduction about natural radioactivity, gamma ray spectrometry, types of detectors employed and analysis of gamma ray spectra. A literature review of the related work is also included at the …

Development Of An Expert System Tool For Environmental Impact Assessment, Raed Mohamed M. Al Marzouqi

Theses

In this study, approaches to environmental impact assessment are reviewed and discussed. An expert system tool has been developed via the use of Microsoft Access tool for data management and Visual Basic programming for decision-making. Policies and regulations included in the program are based on the Technical Guidelines # 4 of the Dubai Municipality. The salient features of the program can be summarized as follows: the program allows the EIA applicant to input all the necessary information about his/her company and its activities. All discharges to air, water and land are compared with TG # 4 and status report is …

Patent Thickets: Strategic Patenting Of Complex Technologies, James Bessen

Faculty Scholarship

Patent race models assume that an innovator wins the only patent covering a product. But when technologies are complex, this property right is defective: ownership of a product's technology is shared, not exclusive. In that case I show that if patent standards are low, firms build "thickets" of patents, especially incumbent firms in mature industries. When they assert these patents, innovators are forced to share rents under cross-licenses, making R&D incentives sub-optimal. On the other hand, when lead time advantages are significant and patent standards are high, firms pursue strategies of "mutual non-aggression." Then R&D incentives are stronger, even optimal.

A Computational Approach To Arteriolar Bifurcations: Evaluation Of Factors Influencing Predicted Wall Shear Stress, Charles Robinson

Theses

Recent studies of blood flow regulation at the microcirculatory level have linked the physical characteristics of the arteriolar bifurcations and the physiology of the flow through them to the autoregulatory mechanisms exhibited by the endothelial cell lining. Research in this area is decomposed to the following two components: understanding the biochemical activity that takes place at the cellular level as a result of flow-induced stimulation and characterizing the physical flow behavior causing the stimulation. The following study develops the currently accepted method of characterizing the physical flow behavior, in the form of wall shear stress, through computational analysis. The goal …

A Comparison Of Measurement Variations For Selected Probe Head Configurations For Coordinate Measuring Machines, Kevin George Berisso

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In coordinate measuring machine (CMM) research, there is often a need to measure the same feature repeatedly using multiple settings. However, the effects of changing the probe head configuration was previously unknown. The goal of this research was the determination of what effects the selection of the measurement plane, adaptor style, stylus length, and stylus size would have on the CMM's ability to repeatedly measure a single diameter. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) study was conducted using the Brown & Sharpe MicroVal CMM at Indiana State University (ISU). Three measurement planes (XY, XZ, and YZ), two adaptor styles (a star …

A Different Place: Student Learning In An Online Course, Susan Jane Mannan

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and describe the learning experience of students in two online courses at a multi-campus, two-year technical/community college in the Midwest. The study focused on student learning behaviors and adjustments, on the interaction between student and instructor and among students, and on students' perceptions of their experience. During the spring, 2002 semester, the researcher gathered data from students and instructors in a technical writing and a nutrition online course through online observations, face-to-face interviews, time logs, reflective e-mail journals, surveys, and analysis of archival material. The study describes the experiences of a …

Characterization Of Inflammation In Tendinitis And Application Of Electromagnetic Fields, Brittany Jayne Wetzel

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tendinitis is a disorder caused by inflammation of the tendon fibers, characterized by collagen fiber disruption and cellular infiltration. Current treatments are lacking, in that they often are associated with unwanted side effects or can even cause an increased amount of damage via scar tissue formation. Pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) have been shown to be useful in treating wounds and healing non-union fractures. The purpose of the current study was to develop a quantitative rat model of mild tendinitis and subsequently to examine the efficacy of therapeutic electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on this injury. The EMFs used in the current study …

Solid-Phase Combinatorial Synthesis: Wittig Reaction For C=C Formation In Tamoxifen Derivatives, David Yu-Chung Lee

Theses

Tamoxifen has a backbone structure of triphenylethylene and is a drug that has been used for over 20 years to treat patients with breast cancer. It has been discussed in the literature that the C=C formation would be the desired synthetic approach because of its flexibility in the introduction of suitable functional groups using readily available reagents. Solid-phase combinatorial approach is adopted for the purpose of product diversity and simplicity in product analysis. This research focused on optimization of each reaction step in the Wittig mechanism to overcome low yield caused by employing solid-state chemistry and the steric hindrance of …

Photo Binge, Colette Fu

Theses

Not Included

Thermal Optimization Of A Polyimide V-Groove Actuator For A Walking Micro-Robot, Ritesh Arun Khire

Theses

The objective of this thesis was to develop a Finite Element Model for the Polyimide V-groove actuator (fabricated by T. Ebefors, Sweden). Extensive FEM simulations for this MEMS actuator were performed using ANSYS 5.6. An optimization module was used to improve the performance of the existing design. A substantial improvement in the performance was observed for the proposed design. In short, this research established a methodology that can be extended for modeling and simulation of other MEMS devices. A computer simulated FEM model for heat and deflection analysis was validated for two configurations of the Polyimide V-groove Actuator (i.e. a …

The Relationship Between Correctional Officers' Personality And Job Satisfaction, Performance, And Turnover, Robin A. Lemmon

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined correctional officers' personality and job satisfaction, performance, and turnover. Two hundred newly hired correctional officers from 9 facilities across a Midwestern state were administered the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF). They were contacted 3 to 5 months after their date of hire and then again 6 to 8 months after their date of hire to complete the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ). At that time employment status and performance evaluations were also collected. A discriminant function analysis was used to identify which of the five global factors from the 16PF discriminated between correctional officers who stayed, those who …

Web-Based Distributed Ejb Bugstracker: An Integration Of Struts Framework At Web Server, Ejbs At Application Server, And A Relational Database, San Htun Aung

Theses

This "Web-based Distributed EJB BugsTracker" is an integration effort of the 4-tier Enterprise Java Bean -- EJB component architecture where it uses a web browser, a web server, an application sever, and a relational database server. The application is designed and built for software managers, engineers and quality assurance staffs that keep track of the software defects which are produced during the software development life cycle. It allows independent user login in multi-project environments. This project makes use of all the benefits of the J2EE technologies: maintainability, portability, and scalability. In addition, Container Managed Persistence (CMP 2.0) greatly simplifies the …

A Practical Guide To Understanding Wireless Networking Concepts, Security Protocols, Attack, And Safer Deployment Schemes, Jay Yip

Theses

With the explosion of wireless networks appearing in buildings, business and educational campuses, and even homes; security is a large concern in order to prevent attempted intrusions and malicious attacks from the retrieval of confidential data. Wireless Fidelity, Wi-Fi for short, does provide security in the form called Wired Equivalent Privacy otherwise simply known as WEP. However cases documenting WEP's security mechanism being breached in legitimate and illegitimate cases have been published and are readily available on the Internet. While wireless networks provide the freedom of mobility for users, this also allows potential hackers to eavesdrop on unsuspecting wireless users. …

Estimation Of Illuminants From Color Signals Of Illuminated Objects, Xiaoyun Jiang

Theses

Color constancy is the ability of the human visual systems to discount the effect of the illumination and to assign approximate constant color descriptions to objects. This ability has long been studied and widely applied to many areas such as color reproduction and machine vision, especially with the development of digital color processing. This thesis work makes some improvements in illuminant estimation and computational color constancy based on the study and testing of existing algorithms. During recent years, it has been noticed that illuminant estimation based on gamut comparison is efficient and simple to implement. Although numerous investigations have been …

Comparative Performance Analysis Of Texture Characterization Models In Dirsig, Neil W. Scanlan

Theses

The analysis and quantitative measurement of image texture is a complex and intriguing problem that has recently received a considerable amount of attention from the diverse fields of computer graphics, human vision, biomedical imaging, computer science, and remote sensing. In particular, textural feature quantification and extraction are crucial tasks for each of these disciplines, and as such numerous techniques have been developed in order to effectively segment or classify images based on textures, as well as for synthesizing textures. However, validation and performance analysis of these texture characterization models has been largely qualitative in nature based on conducting visual inspections …

A Gis-Based Landscape Analysis Wetland Function Model For Wetland Restoration And Mitigation Banking, Qin Li

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wetland management issues are related to regulatory compliance or planning and protection activities. A wetland evaluating system with suitable modules to address wetland function, wetland banking and wetland protection to perform wetland regulatory activities is required. This research, conducted in Prince Georges County, Maryland, provides county personnel a very useful GIS-based wetland analysis tool to perform wetland regulatory activities. This research focuses on developing a Landscape Analysis of Wetland Function (LAWF) model for use within a GIS application. Twenty-seven wetland-related variables are defined and analyzed in this research and a ranking system is established. Five different wetland functions are developed …

Exploration Of An Electroactive Polymer Actuator For Application In A Grasshopper Inspired Pneumatic Robotic Hopper, Christie Bielmeier

Theses

A Hopper was created to mimic a grasshopper's catapulting kicking action. Electroactive polymers (EAP) were investigated as actuators to simulate the grasshopper's lightweight and strong muscles. EAPs are lightweight materials that require low voltage and yield high force with short response times. This makes them a great potential source for future micro-robotic actuators. The EAP Actuator was simulated and the potential design was studied. The development of consistent and reliable actuation electrodes and nonconductive materials was considered. In addition, the current draw of the EAP Actuator was studied, current draw prediction equations were developed, and a force output study was …

Independent Review Of The Crimes (Forensic Procedures) Act 2000, Mark Findlay

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This Report focuses on the use of forensic procedures in the criminal justice system. It arises out of the requirement under section 122 of the Crimes (Forensic Procedures) Act 2000 (the Act) that the Minister (the Attorney General) review the Act to determine whether the policy objectives of the Act remain valid and whether the terms of the Act remain appropriate for securing those objectives.

A Mathematical Analysis Of The Financial And Medical Impact Of Hepatitis C Among Drug Users In Perth, Western Australia, Raelene Kirkpatrick

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The ability of public health planners continues to be hampered by uncertainties encountered with transmissible diseases. Key epidemiological factors such as, how many Western Australian injecting drug users are hepatitis C seropositive or will become infected, duration of intravenous drug use, the intensity of infection, the fraction of those infected that will develop end-stage disease and after how long a period, all combine to limit the ability of a mathematical model to predict future trends. These models can, however, provide information about certain epidemiological parameters and identify data required to predict future trends. They can be applied to make predictions …

Wavelet-Based Simulation Of Geological Variables, T. T. Tran

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis introduces a number of conditional simulation algorithms using wavelet bases. These make use of two orthogonal wavelet bases, the Haar and the Db2 bases. Firstly, two single-level algorithms are introduced, HSIM: with the Haar basis and DB2SIM with the Db2 basis. HSIM reproduces the histogram and semivariogram model of isotropic samples but not the semivariogrnm model of anisotropic samples. DB2SIM reproduces the histogram and semivariogram model in both the isotropic and anisotropic cases but, because of the conditioning method employed, is not as computationally efficient as we would wish. Because of the limitations of HSIM and Db2SIM two …

A Trinitarian Ontological Approach To The Congregational Revitalization Of Loudsville United Methodist Church, John Eugene Heckman

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Using Natural Language Parsers For Authorship Attribution, Westerly A D Magnera

Theses

The goal of authorship attribution is to find a set of unconscious writing characteristics or style features that distinguish text written by one person from text written by another. Once these features are found, they can be used to pair a text with the individual who wrote it. It is now well accepted that authors develop distinct and unconscious writing features. Over one thousand stylometric features (style markers) have been proposed in a variety of research disciplines [44] but none of that research has looked at the syntactic structure of the text. I conjectures that the distinct writing features of …

The Effects Of Multi-Channel Visible Spectrum Imaging On Perceived Spatial Image Quality And Color Reproduction Accuracy, Ellen A. Day

Theses

Two paired-comparison psychophysical experiments were performed. The stimuli consisted of six image types resultingfrom several multispectral image-capture and reconstruction techniques. A seventh image type, color-managed images from a high-end consumer camera, was also included in thefirst experiment to compare the accuracy of commercial RGB imaging. The images were evaluated under simulated daylight (6800K) and incandescent (2700K) illumination. The first experiment evaluated color reproduction accuracy. Under simulated daylight, the subjects judged all of the images to have the same color accuracy, except the consumer camera image which was significantly worse. Under incandescent illumination, all the images, including the consumer camera, had …

Decent Exposure: Evolution Of The Female Gaze, Jill Silverstein

Theses

Not Included

Multisensor Image Registration Utilizing Th Log Filter And Fwt, Karl C. Walli

Theses

This thesis examines the utility of automated image registration techniques developed by the author. The major thrusts of this research include using the Laplacian of Gaussian (LoG) filter to automatically determine ground control points (GCPs) and wavelet theory for multiresolution analysis. Additionally, advances in both composite and predictive transformations will be covered. The defense will include an overview of the processes involved in general image registration and specifically how they pertain to automation with the techniques utilized in this thesis. Use of the LoG filter to extract semi- invariant GCPs, development of automated point matching schemas, and the use of …

Leadership Formation For Building Healthier Congregations In Brazil , Helio C. Alves

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Brief History Of Author-Publisher Relations And The Outlook For The 21st Century, Maureen A. O'Rourke

Faculty Scholarship

The Fiftieth Anniversary Edition of the Journal of the Copyright Society of the U.S.A. provides a particularly appropriate forum in which to discuss the current state of the copyright system. By some accounts, U.S. copyright law has been fabulously successful, encouraging the growth of industries whose copyrighted products both enrich American culture and contribute significant value to the economy.

Ballot Boxes Behind Bars: Toward The Repeal Of Prisoner Disenfranchisement Laws, Debra Parkes

All Faculty Publications

This paper takes seriously the objection that allowing prisoners to vote may have an impact on the outcome of elections or on the development of law and policy, given the extraordinarily high incarceration rate currently a reality in the United States. The reality that prisoners may have an impact on the outcome of elections is an argument in favour of allowing them to vote rather than against it. A progressive critique or constitutional challenge of prisoner disenfranchisement should call attention to the instrumental, as well as symbolic and constitutive functions of voting, and must defend the importance of having the …