Digital Commons Network^™

A Method For Enhancing The Snapshot Performance In San Volume Manager, Chang-Soo Kim, Dong-Jae Kang, Young-Ho Kim, Hag-Young Kim, Myoung-Jun Kim, Yu-Hyeon Bak

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

A New Estimative Current Mode Control Technique For Dc-Dc Converters Operating In Discontinuous Conduction Mode, Mehdi Ferdowsi, Zhong Nie, Ali Emadi

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A new digital control technique for power converters operating in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) is introduced and applied to a boost converter. In contrast to the conventional analogue control methods, the principal idea of this new control scheme is to use real-time analysis and estimate the required on-time of the switch based on the dynamic of the system. The proposed control algorithm can easily be programmed in a digital signal processor (DSP). This novel technique is applicable to any converter operating in DCM including power factor correctors (PFC). However, this work mainly focuses on the boost topology. In this paper, …

Teaching, Learning And Research: Linking High School Teachers To Information Literacy, Stephanie Davis-Kahl

Scholarly Publications

The Compton Teacher Information Literacy Institute (CTILI) is a teacher professional development program funded by the Compton (CA) Unified School District and delivered by the University of California at Irvine Libraries’ Department of Education and Outreach. Teacher professional development, university and library outreach activities and influences are discussed to give background on CTILI curriculum development. Institute goals and objectives are outlined, as is our curriculum remodeling effort after a mid-year assessment. Plans for future institutes are included.

Creation Of A Faculty Task List For Teaching In A Televised Distance Learning Environment, John E. Turner, Philip A. Reed

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to develop a task list from which a self-check readiness evaluation tool could be developed to assist faculty who were unfamiliar with televised distance instruction. The study's results should provide guidance to new faculty in identifying both self-directed and assisted staff development activities in preparation for implementing distance education. A survey of experienced distance learning faculty at a major eastern university was utilized for data collection. Initial survey items came from distance learning literature, as well as interviews and feedback from six faculty members experienced in televised instruction. At the request of the researchers, …

The Social Effects Of Psychism: Spiritual Experience And The Construction Of Privatized Religion, Marty Laubach

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Research

What is the relationship between spiritual experiences and privatized religion? This study defines spiritual experiences in terms of “psychism,” or psychic intrusions in the stream of consciousness that are not perceived by the actor as originating within the “self.” Intrusions interpreted as psychism are regarded by the actor as having the same facticity as empirical experience and are regarded as “proof” of an esoteric belief system. Psychism originated beliefs are therefore resistant to refutation or change, and support spiritual autonomy. Psychism theory is tested using 1988 GSS data on religious beliefs, where psychism is measured using GSS questions on “paranormal” …

Rationalising The Construction Materials Purchasing Process, Alan V. Hore

Conference papers

This paper is concerned with the process used in locating and removing inefficiency in the construction materials purchasing process. In the first part, a case study is presented showing the build-up of costs involved in purchasing materials. Potential for substantial savings is revealed. The second part of the paper gives a status report on a rationalisation pilot project currently being undertaken by the Construction Information Technology Alliance (CITA). This project aims to show how greater effectiveness and efficiency can be applied to the administration of the construction materials purchasing process by the application of information technology already used widely in …

A Proposal For Re-Engineering The Procurement Of Building Materials By Effective Use Of Ict, Alan V. Hore, Roger West

Conference papers

This paper seeks to establish the case for re-engineering the procurement of materials in the Irish construction industry. The authors make their observations from witnessing, first-hand, the operation of a purchasing function in a large contracting organisation in the Republic of Ireland. The authors identify the core problems that exist in the current mainly paper-based process and present a strong case for the re-engineering of the process by the adoption of a fully integrated Information Communications Technology (ICT) solution

Child Sexual Abuse In Sub-Saharan Africa: A Literature Review, Kevin Lalor

Articles

Objective. This article reviews the English-language literature on child sexual abuse in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The focus is on the sexual abuse of children in the home/community, as opposed to the commercial sexual exploitation of children. Method. English language, peer-reviewed papers cited in the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) are examined. Reports from international and local NGOs and UN agencies are also examined. Results. Few published studies on the sexual abuse of children have been conducted in the region, with the exception of South Africa. Samples are predominantly clinical or University based. A number of studies report that approximately five …

Matt Christopher Papers - Accession 1092, Matthew Frederick Christopher, Fredric Martin

Manuscript Collection

The Matt Christopher Papers consist of published manuscripts, published short stories (1943-1994) (drafts, synopses, plot outlines, and magazines, comics, and newspapers with articles and short stories), galleys (1954-1990s), leather bound author’s editions (1954-1991), and publisher’s editions of Matt Christopher’s children’s books (1954-2004). The collection contains many unpublished manuscripts and drafts outside the children’s book field (1954-1997), unpublished poems (1938-1993), unpublished screenplays (1940-1997), and unpublished short stories (1954-1997). Also included are taped (audio and video) interviews of Matt Christopher, as well as, puzzles for children (1988-1992), research materials and notes (1954-1997), sports rule-books (1954-1995), and writing guides (1909-1995), personal (1949-1997) and …

Time-Scale Modification Of Music Using A Synchronized Subband/Time-Domain Approach, David Dorran, Robert Lawlor

Conference papers

Time-domain audio time-scaling algorithms are efficient in comparison to their frequency-domain counterparts, but they rely upon the existence of a quasi-periodic signal to produce a high quality output. This requirement makes them unsuitable for direct application to complex multi-pitched signals such as polyphonic music. However, it has been shown that applying time-domain algorithms on a subband basis can resolve this issue. Existing subband/time domain approaches result in a reverberant/phasy artifact being introduced into the output due to poor synchronization between time-scaled subbands. This paper presents a number of synchronization schemes that greatly reduce the amount of reverberation/phasiness introduced into the …

Ergodic Capacity Of Mimo Triply Selective Rayleigh Fading Channels, Chengshan Xiao, Y. Rosa Zheng

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

New results are presented for the ergodic capacity of spatially-correlated, time-varying and frequency-selective (i.e., triply selective) MIMO Rayleigh fading channels. Simplified capacity formulas are also derived for special cases such as SIMO and MISO triply selective fading channels. A closed form formula is proposed that quantifies the effect of the frequency-selective fading on the ergodic capacity into an intersymbol interference (ISI) degradation factor. It is discovered that, in general frequency-selective MIMO channels, the ISI inter-tap correlations reduce the ergodic capacity compared to the frequency flat fading channel. Only in the special case when the fading does not have ISI inter-tap …

Experimental Evaluation Of A Nested Microphone Array With Adaptive Noise Cancellers, Y. Rosa Zheng, M. El-Tanany, R. A. Goubran

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper proposes a near-field broadband adaptive beamforming scheme for intelligent computer telephony and teleconferencing applications, namely the nested microphone array with adaptive noise canceller (NMA-ANC). The NMA-ANC scheme incorporates an harmonically nested array with a nonuniformly subbanded multirate filter bank. Each subband array employs several near-field delay-filter-and-sum beamformers and an adaptive noise canceller (ANC). The proposed NMA-ANC is evaluated via a noise rejection experiment and dereverberation experiment performed in an anechoic chamber and a real conference room, respectively. The experiment data are recorded by a multichannel digital recording system developed using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipments. A perceptual analysis/measurement system …

Mas-Mom Hybrid Method With Wire's Image Using In Excitation Problems, D. G. Kakulia, David Pommerenke, Kai Xiao, D. D. Karkashadze, K. N. Tavzarashvili, G. N. Ghvedashvili, R. S. Zaridze

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

An important class of problems is the interaction of an antenna with the cavity of a semi-open metallic structure. In a working environment, an antenna may change its performance due to interactions with its surroundings. This is especially true in automotive applications. Therefore, it is important to consider the interaction of an antenna with possible resonating parts, and to solve these complex electrodynamics problems together. The development of methods for modeling and studying electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) problems has practical value. The method of auxiliary sources (MAS) with the method of moments (MoM) is applied to solve the excitation problem where …

Optimal Pso For Collective Robotic Search Applications, Ganesh K. Venayagamoorthy, Venu Gopal Gudise, Sheetal Doctor

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Unmanned vehicles/mobile robots are of particular interest in target tracing applications since there are many areas where a human cannot explore. Different means of control have been investigated for unmanned vehicles with various algorithms like genetic algorithms, evolutionary computations, neural networks etc. This work presents the application of particle swarm optimization (PSO) for collective robotic search. The performance of the PSO algorithm depends on various parameters called quality factors and these parameters are determined using a secondary PSO. Results are presented to show that the performance of PSO algorithm and search is improved for a single and multiple target searches.

Micro Spies, Georae W. Zobrist

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Learning To Learn-Concepts In A First Power Engineering Course, Badrul H. Chowdhury

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Three well-known and widely accepted concepts in educational psychology are revisited. These are "inventory of learning styles," "taxonomy of educational objectives," and "metacognition." Relationships among these concepts are highlighted. Often, a student can develop his (or her) own learning style by the process of metacognition. Ideas are borrowed from these concepts for use in a first-level power systems course. It is beyond a doubt that both cognitive and metacognitive skills are necessary for students to succeed in any course. While a semester-long power systems course leaves little time for critical thinking and passive reflection for students, certain activities may very …

Navigation Of Mobile Sensors Using Pso And Embedded Pso In A Fuzzy Logic Controller, Ganesh K. Venayagamoorthy, Sheetal Doctor

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents novel structures for optimization and communication of a swarm of mobile sensors or robots for maximizing local and global tasks such as firefighting, landmine detection, radioactivity detection, etc. The navigation of the sensors is carried out using two strategies. The first strategy is based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) and the second strategy is based on a swarm of fuzzy logic based controllers. In addition, the membership functions and the rules of the fuzzy logic controller (FLC) are optimized using the PSO algorithm. Navigation of mobile sensors is considered in this paper to locate desirable target sources …

Neural Network Controller For Manipulation Of Micro-Scale Objects, Vijayakumar Janardhan, Pingan He, Jagannathan Sarangapani

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A novel reinforcement learning-based neural network (RLNN) controller is presented for the manipulation and handling of micro-scale objects in a microelectromechanical system (MEMS). In MEMS, adhesive, surface tension, friction and van der Waals forces are dominant. Moreover, these forces are typically unknown. The RLNN controller consists of an action NN for compensating the unkoown system dynamics, and a critic NN to tune the weights of the action NN. Using the Lyapunov approach, the uniformly ultimate houndedness (UUB) of the closed-loop tracking error and weight estimates are shown by using a novel weight updates. Simulation results are presented to substantiate the …

High Gradient Multilayer Insulator Technology, Harlan U. Anderson, Stephen E. Sampayan, G. J. Caporaso, W. C. Nunnally, D. M. Sanders, J. A. Watson, Mike L. Krogh

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We are investigating a novel insulator concept that involves the use of alternating layers of conductors and insulators with periods less than 1 mm. These structures perform 1.5 to 4 times better than conventional insulators in long pulse, short pulse, and alternating polarity applications. We have surveyed our ongoing studies by investigating the performance under long pulse electron beam, short pulse, and full reversing conditions.

Optimal Diversity Combining Based On Noisy Channel Estimation, Jingxian Wu, Chengshan Xiao, N. C. Beaulieu

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The performances of coherent diversity receivers with noisy channel estimation are examined. Fading channel gain estimates are modeled as sums of the true fading channel gain values plus independent Gaussian distributed estimation errors. The optimal diversity receiver for coherent reception with noisy channel state information and independent and identically distributed fading channels is derived. Exact expressions for the average error probability of optimal diversity MPSK with noisy channel estimation are derived for Rayleigh and Ricean fading channels; closed-form expressions are obtained for some special cases. Some interesting observations regarding practical diversity receiver design for higher-order modulation formats are drawn.

Comprehensive Evaluation Of Animated Instructional Software For Mechanics Of Materials, Timothy A. Philpot, Richard H. Hall

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

During the past three years, the Basic Engineering Department at the University of Missouri--Rolla has been developing a second-generation suite of instructional software called MecMovies for the mechanics of materials course. In the Fall 2003 semester, MecMovies was integrated into assignments throughout the entire semester for one of the six UMR mechanics of materials sections. This paper presents a comparison of student performance in the experimental section with student performance in five control sections along with discussion of student qualitative ratings and comments.

Decentralized Neural Network Control Of A Class Of Large-Scale Systems With Unknown Interconnection, Wenxin Liu, Jagannathan Sarangapani, Donald C. Wunsch, Mariesa Crow

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A novel decentralized neural network (DNN) controller is proposed for a class of large-scale nonlinear systems with unknown interconnections. The objective is to design a DNN for a class of large-scale systems which do not satisfy the matching condition requirement. The NNs are used to approximate the unknown subsystem dynamics and the interconnections. The DNN is designed using the back stepping methodology with only local signals for feedback. All of the signals in the closed loop (system states and weights estimation errors) are guaranteed to be uniformly ultimately bounded and eventually converge to a compact set.

Space-Time Fading Correlation Functions Of A 3-D Mimo Channel Model, Sang-Yick Leong, Y. Rosa Zheng, Chengshan Xiao

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Space-time correlation functions between the links of MIMO Rayleigh fading channels are derived using a new three-dimensional (3-D) cylinder scattering model. Closed form, mathematically tractable formulas are obtained for the space-time correlation functions for general MIMO systems where the base station and mobile station antennas may be arranged in 3-D space. It is shown that the correlation functions computed by the 3-D cylinder model are of significant difference than those of the conventional 2-D Clarke''s isotropic scattering model for vertically placed antennas. The general formulas of the correlation functions includes the 2-D Clarke''s model and the 3-D SIMO, MISO models …

Application Of Case Study Methodology In The Context Of Undergraduate Critical Care Nursing Education, James A. Hauschildt

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study represented an initial effort to investigate how a case study methodology could be used in the context of critical care nursing education. The study hoped to improve students' content specific knowledge of critical care nursing and facilitate critical thinking processes vital to clinical decision making. The study describes the transformation of a critical care-nursing course from a traditional lecture-based approach to a case study approach.

The traditional approach addressed the content through abundant teacher centered lecture, but did not require students to actively engage in discourse or apply critical thinking skills to real nursing problems. The case study …

Mapping Wetlands And Potential Wetland Restoration Areas In Black Hawk County, Iowa Using Object-Oriented Classification And A Gis-Based Model, James Harken

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Wetlands are transitional lands between terrestrial and aquatic systems that provide many benefits, including: floodwater retention, non-point pollution treatment, wildlife habitat, and soil-erosion control. Wetlands in Iowa have decreased over 95% in the last 200 years. Therefore, there is a need to map and monitor these resources, as well as to determine potential sites for wetland restoration. In Black Hawk County, wetland maps are outdated, and ground surveys have proved to be too time-consuming and expensive. Traditional pixel-based automated classifiers of remotely-sensed imagery have also proven to be inaccurate in classifying wetlands because of spectral confusion. This study tests multispectral …

Dastar Corp. V. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp., Carrie Jones

Computer Law Review and Technology Journal

The Trademark Act of 19461 codified select portions of the common law on trademark and unfair competition. Section 43(a) of the Lanham Act, as it is more commonly known, protects consumers and competitors from the "reverse passing off' of one's work as another's. In Dastar v. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp., the United States Supreme Court recently considered whether section 43(a) prohibits the unattributed copying of works available in the public domain. The Ninth Circuit had found that Fox could bring a claim against Dastar (which had copied and repackaged without attribution a Fox video series) under the Lanham …

Recent Trademark Challenges In Cyberspace And The Growth Of The Initial Interest Confusion And Nominative Fair Use Doctrines, Jeffrey M. Becker, Purvi J. Patel

Computer Law Review and Technology Journal

The relatively recent legal doctrines of "initial interest confusion" and "nominative fair use" have become the dominant buzz words for defining the scope of permissible trademark use on the Internet, especially in the on-line advertising context. The prevalence of recent trademark cases applying these doctrines stems from the difficulty involved in assessing trademark liability in cyberspace, particularly when the trademark is not used as visible expression, but is instead used as an invisible tool, such as a metatag or keyword. For example, in its well-publicized opinion of Brookfield Communications, Inc. v. W. Coast Entm 't Corp., the Ninth Circuit adopted …

Trademark Challenges, John M. Cone

Computer Law Review and Technology Journal

The proponent of a product design trade dress must show that the trade dress is non-functional. In 2001, the Supreme Court considered functionality in the context of a patented, dual-spring mechanism for temporary road signs, which were designed to withstand strong gusts of wind. In reversing the lower court's summary judgment, the Sixth Circuit held that the availability of spring mechanisms, functionally equivalent but with a different appearance, rendered the dual-spring mechanism non-functional.The Supreme Court reversed, finding instead that the TrafFix dual-spring design was functional as a matter of law. The Court thus held that the availability of functionally equivalent, …

A Softer Side To Men, Michael J. Lenney

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

“I am on time. It’s the afternoon of my medical for life-insurance suitability. The AMP building in Sydney is my destination. I arrive with about twenty minutes to spare. I don’t remember the receptionist. I don’t remember the faces of the doctors who attended me that day. All I can remember is that I could see the clouds passing over the glass ceiling as my blood pressure was taken several times. The first doctor took my blood pressure three times before seeking another opinion. The second doctor confirmed his fears. I was in the “too high” risk category. At the …

Using Interactive Multimedia (Imm) To Help Year Four And Five Students Identified As Experiencing Reading Difficulties: A Formative Approach, Grace Oakley

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study involved four formative experiments, each of which investigated ways in which IMM (Interactive Multimedia) could be used to help children who experienced reading difficulties. In each of the four contexts, classroom teachers identified a number of students with reading difficulties, selected pedagogical goals for them and worked with the researcher to plan IMM-based activities that targeted the selected goals. The implementations were evaluated formatively and modifications were made accordingly, with the intention of 'fine-tuning' them to facilitate achievement of the pedagogical goals. Facilitative and inhibitive factors were identified during and after each formative experiment, as were unplanned outcomes. …