Digital Commons Network^™

Design, Implementation, And Testing Of A Control System For Heat Treatment Furnaces Crane System Based On A Single Chip Microcontroller, Ameera Ali Salman

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

Design, implementation, testing, and installation of a control system for a Heat Treatment furnaces crane system are carried out. A simple structure for the control system is defined as to meet the hardware functional requirements of sensing the input variables, commanding actuators. The basic hardware parts of the control system are based on the single chip microcontroller unit and the associated logic circuit. Micro controllers are found in small, minimum-component designs performing control- oriented activities; these designs were often implemented in the past, using dozens or even hundreds of digital ICs. So micro controllers are suited to "control" of I/O …

Cybergnosticism? A Study Of Contemporary Christian Faith Communities In Cyberspace, Graham Hill

Theses

This dissertation explores the research question 'What gnostic-like elements are present within Christian faith communities?' The research methodology is qualitative. It involves the examination of Gnostic documents and secondary scholarly sources on Gnosticism, and the detailed analysis of primary source with texts presented at the seventeen designated online contemporary Christian faith communities.

Parameter Selection In Genetic Algorithms, Onur Boyabatli, Ihsan Sabuncuoglu

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In this study, we provide a new taxonomy of parameters of genetic algorithms (GA), structural and numerical parameters, and analyze the effect of numerical parameters on the performance of GA based simulation optimization applications with experimental design techniques. Appropriate levels of each parameter are proposed for a particular problem domain. Controversial to existing literature on GA, our computational results reveal that in the case of a dominant set of decision variable the crossover operator does not have a significant impact on the performance measures, whereas high mutation rates are more suitable for GA applications.

Resource-Based Theory And Its Link To The Global Strategy, Structure And Performance Relationship: An Integrative Framework, Olivier Furrer, Jeffrey A. Krug, D. Sudharshan, Howard Thomas

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The global strategy literature provides a basis for examining strategy, structure, and performance relationships in multinational firms. We develop a framework that examines these relationships and their linkages to the firm's intangible asset portfolio. Drawing on resource-based theory, this framework suggests that an on-going multinational firm's worldwide performance is dependent on the fit between its intangible asset portfolio, foreign market entry strategies, partner relationships, and worldwide organisational structure. Each of these dimensions can be linked back to the firm's worldwide strategy and the characteristics of its industry. Implications for research are discussed.

Development Of A Low Jitter Multiplying Delay Locked Loop, Ian Kennedy

Theses

The clock generator is a critical component in high-speed wireline communication systems. The clocks in these systems mark time at precise regular intervals. Any deviation of the clock edges from these ideal time points is called jitter and it degrades the overall integrity of the communication system. This thesis looks at both phase locked loops (PLLs) and delay locked loops (DLLs) and their ability to provide these precise clocks. Expressions for the thermal noise-induced jitter in both the PLL and DLL are compared. From this, the DLL is shown to possess the potential for better jitter performance. However, to realise …

Integrating Experiments And Simulators Into A Distributed E-Learning Environment, Frank Koehler

Theses

New information and communication technologies have emerged in the last few years which have made an impact on learning at all levels. At universities, the spectrum of learning support ranges from enriching traditional lectures and courses with multi- media elements to complete web-based interactive learning environments. A special aspect based on the new media technologies is learning within model worlds by use of simulations or real-life experiments. There are normally no links between these applications and the learning content, so it is impossible to tap the full potential of these applications. Research activities in the area of e-learning underline the …

A Sip Based Multimedia Messaging Service, Donna Griffin

Theses

The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is the protocol of choice for establishing multimedia sessions in Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) networks as stated by 3GPP. SIP is a protocol that will merge together the cellular and Internet worlds and is also scalable, highly available and extensible. It enables mobile carriers to extend operations, administration, maintenance and provisioning (OAMP) in one application to all applications. In addition, while SIP permits presence. Instant Messaging, File Sharing etc., its ultimate value lies in seamlessly aggregating these applications in more powerful offerings, such as Multimedia Messaging, Push to Talk and Voice over IP.

Multimedia …

The Convergence Of Traditional Higher Education And E-Learning: Organisational, Societal, Technological And Pedagogical Trends, Gearóid Ó Súilleabháin

Theses

The thesis is about the coming together of two traditions and how they are both changing dynamically in relation to each other, giving rise to a number of discernable organisational, societal, technological and pedagogical trends. Each tradition is examined in turn in the first two chapters, which deal with issues such as what the definitional characteristics of each tradition are and what factors have determined them. Organisational and societal trends in the convergence of traditional higher education and e-learning, as described in chapter three, highlight the tensions between the two traditions, as evidenced in the specific challenges e- learning represents …

Enhancement Of Linear Prediction Coefficient Quantisation In The 3g Adaptive Multi Rate Speech Coder, John Raymond Mccarthy

Theses

Most speech coding algorithms in use today utilise the source-filter model of human speech production in which speech is modelled as the response of a time varying, linear, all-pole, synthesis filter to an input excitation. In mobile communications, it is the coefficients of this filter and details of the excitation that are transmitted. The filter coefficients are first quantised using a limited number of bits. Due to coefficient sensitivity, direct quantisation of the filter coefficients may lead to an unstable filter during speech synthesis at the receiver and hence an alternative representation is needed. Line Spectral Frequencies (LSFs) have evolved …

Effects Of Irrigation Water Salinity On Forage Growth And Qualities Of Some Salt Tolerant Species Under Uae Conditions, Mahmood Abdul Razaq Belselah

Theses

Experiments were conducted at the International Center for Bio saline Agriculture (ICBA) in Dubai to evaluate the growth and productivity of some locally grown grass species; Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana L.) var. Katambora, Pioneer, and Callide; and Panicum grass (Panicum maximum) var. Green, and Gatton over a range of irrigation levels (1 gal/hr and 1.3 gal/hr), and water salinity (5 dS/m, 10 dS/m and 15 dS/m). The effect of different quality of water in respect to the salinity levels would provide information about water use efficiencies and soil salinity over a period. Growth and biomass productivity of …

Singapore's Regionalization Blueprint: A Case Of Strategic Management, State Enterprise Network And Selective Intervention, Caroline Yeoh, Chee Sin Koh, Charmaine Cai

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

No abstract provided.

Laboratory Investigation Of Transport And Treatment Of Chromium In Groundwater At Liwa District, Abu Dhabi, Wali-Ur-Rahman Din Badshah

Theses

Groundwater quality is a critical aspect affecting utilization of this source for certain purposes. In the UAE, utilization of groundwater for domestic purposes is well practiced. While the quality of groundwater at some locations does not permit direct utilization of this source, groundwater, in many cases, is mixed with desalinated water at certain proportion before being disinfected and then distributed to customers.

Groundwater of Liwa aquifer contains high level of Cr(VI) which is believed to originate from natural sources. However, little has been done to investigate the fate of this contaminant. Spreading of chromium to nearby aquifers may render the …

Material Selection For A Composite Hip Joint, Ahmed Abdullah Ali Al-Hosani

Theses

The use of biomaterials in orthopedic surgery has been successfully acceptable in the current medical practice. Total hip joint replacement (THR) is one of the most popular and successful operations in orthopedics. Total hip replacement (THR) has been using metal prosthesis for many years. However, the use of metal implants has two major disadvantages. The first disadvantage is that the stiffness of the metallic prosthesis is relatively high compared to the surrounding, load carrying bone. The elastic moduli of titanium and cobalt-chromium alloy are 110 and 210 GPa, respectively. Whereas the elastic modulus of cortical bone ranges from 15 to …

The Role Of Environmental Impact Assessment In The Urban Development Process Case Study: Dubai, Uae, Abdulrahman Mohammed Al Sharid

Theses

With no doubt the Urban & Economic Development should persist in Dubai with same current rates to sustain prosperous living conditions for the inhabitants of the Emirate. These rates have exceeded the International rates in some aspects specially those related to Urban Sprawl and Power Consumption, Telecommunication Services, etc.

To insure the continuity of this economic growth, a balance should be established between consumption rates and natural component depletion. To achieve this balance, certain criteria and regulations should occur focusing on Environmental Balance and Environmental Impact Assessment which consider all permutable aspects. So as to avoid multiple negative effects in …

Investigation Of Implementation Techniques For Backpropagation Neural Networks., John Culloty

Theses

Artificial neural networks are biologically inspired computational methods that have the ability to approximate discrete, real and vector valued target functions. For some problem domains this ability makes neural networks a more appealing solution than traditional computational techniques. Such problem domains typically contain a large number of parameters that are interrelated in a complex and often unknown manner. This makes rule based solutions all but impossible. However another feature of such problem domains is the presence of large volumes of real world data that can be used to tram a neural network until it learns the solution.

One of the …

Modelling And System Identification For Real Systems, Karolyn Murphy

Theses

The field of system identification and process parameter estimation is an area that has developed rapidly during the past few decades. The approach to the system identification problem can be influenced by many different aspects which include the specific purpose of the identification. In this thesis, system identification for the purpose of controller design is the central theme.

Initially, the work will focus on a number of approaches to real system identification. Particular attention will be made to the classical non-parametric techniques and the more modern parametric estimation techniques using both open- and closed-loop real-time data. A voltage controlled dc …

A Proposal To Meet The Biofuels Directive In Ireland, Karl Mccarthy

Theses

In 1990 the transport sector accounted for 9,5% of all Irish emissions. By 2010 it is predicted that transport emissions will have increased by 179%, accounting for 18.8% of all emissions. It is predicted that transport emissions will therefore be around 14,000 kt in 2010. This equates to around €370 million pa in carbon taxes if and when the taxation regime is introduced. This €370 million may be used to facilitate a biofuel industry (for example, by reducing excise duty on biofuels).

The proposed carbon tax along with the EU Biofuels Directive aims to encourage the use of renewable transport …

Metaheuristics With Local Search Techniques For Retail Shelf-Space Optimization, Andrew Lim, Brian Rodrigues, Xingwen Zhang

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Efficient shelf-space allocation can provide retailers with a competitive edge. While there has been little study on this subject, there is great interest in improving product allocation in the retail industry. This paper examines a practicable linear allocation model for optimizing shelf-space allocation. It extends the model to address other requirements such as product groupings and nonlinear profit functions. Besides providing a network flow solution, we put forward a strategy that combines a strong local search with a metaheuristic approach to space allocation. This strategy is flexible and efficient, as it can address both linear and nonlinear problems of realistic …

Delivery Of Wireless Ad Hoc Services Using Jini, Sinead Cummins

Theses

Traditionally, networks were planned infrastructures consisting mainly ot desktop machines and servers. As a result of the careful planning carried out prior to their construction, these networks were easily managed and controlled by network administrators. Today these networks are joined by cell phones, PDAs and other handheld devices as well as a host of sensors. This has led to a migration from traditional networks to ad hoc networks.

One way to envisage what this new environment will be like is to imagine what life will be like at the edge of the network. Today the edge mostly consists ot clients …

Evaluation Of The Host Range Of Polyvalent Staphylococcal Bacteriophages To Control Mrsa (Staphylococcus Aureus) From Irish Hospitals, Mohamed Farag M. Elbreki

Theses

This study describes firstly, the assembly of a collection of a varied spectrum of staphylococci which can be used to test the efficacy of bacteriophages for the biocontrol of problematic members of this genus. The collection assembled includes a variety of multi-antibiotic resistant MRSA (methicillin resistant S. aureus) strains, hVRSA (hetero vancomycin resistant S. aureus), VRSA and also teicoplenin resistant isolates. It also included a broad range of species of coagulase-negative {non-aureus) staphylococci including S. caprea, S. haemolyticus, S. saprophyticus, S. epidermidis, S. chromogenes, S. capitis, S. hominins and S. hyicus. All strains were characterized by morphology on Baird Parker, …

Closed Material Cycles And Organic Solvent Recovery, Tim De Jong

Theses

A survey was conducted of the pharmaceutical sector in Ireland to establish organic solvent usage, recovery and treatment practices. The eleven companies covered by the survey, which included several of the worlds largest multinational companies, consumed in the region of 122,000 tonnes of organic solvent in 2002. Approximately 53,000 tonnes was recovered on-site while 69,000 tonnes of virgin solvent was brought on-site to replace that which was lost through wastewater treatment, incineration, fugitive emissions and off-site treatment or reuse. The total quantity of virgin solvent consumed by the eleven companies accounted for 75.4 % of organic solvent imports to Ireland. …

An Evaluation Of The Business Value Gained Through The Use Of Customer Relationship Management And Related Ebusiness Solutions Deployed Within An Irish Enterprise, Catherina Kelly

Theses

The company at the centre of this case study is the Irish registered company Hewlett Packard (HP) European Software Centre (ESC) based in the Ballybrit Industrial Estate in Galway, Ireland. The core operation of the ESC is customer services distribution. For HP ESC, effective customer support and service had become a major strategic focus resulting in the strategic requirement for a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) eBusiness solution.

This case study evaluated the business value associated with HP’s CRM implementation focusing primarily on intangible elements of business value as opposed to the more traditional financial measures of IS/IT evaluations. The research …

Evaluation Of The Et2000 Guardrail End Treatment, Kenneth R. Agent

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The objective of this study was to report the results of the monitoring of the performance of the ET2000 guardrail end treatment in traffic crashes. This end treatment has an energy absorbing design in which a vehicle will push a guardrail extruder back as posts designed to breakaway are broken. The W-beam guardrail is flattened as it goes through the extruder and exits a slot away from traffic.

Data for a total of 135 collisions involving the ET 2000 were identified. A crash report was obtained in the majority of crashes and the damaged guardrail was inspected in almost all …

Evaluation Of Learning Disabled Facilities At College Of Aeronautics And Comprehensive Development Plan Bringing The College Into Compliance With American With Disabilities Act Mandates, Vincent Driscoll

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The nature of the problem in this applied dissertation is that the College of Aeronautics (COA) is not disabled student friendly. The purpose of the study was to do an evaluation of the disabled facilities and a Development Plan at the COA, compare the facilities with the Americans With Disabilities Act (1990), and develop a campus-wide plan to implement the necessary changes.

The evaluation and developmental research methodologies were appropriate for this study. The procedures followed in included the establishment of criteria based on the ADA. Formative and summative committees were organized with experts to review and validate the criteria. …

A Technology-Assisted Constructivist Instructional Model: Improving The Math Achievement Of Seventh-Grade, At-Risk Students, Emma L. Blankenship

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

During the fall semester of 2002, 30% of the students at Henderson Middle School (HMS) in Jackson, Georgia were identified as being at risk of school failure. This identification was made based on the fact that these 270 students had failed 2 or more subjects. Also, 82% of these students had failed math. HMS leaders and educators, despite years of HMS being reported as a low-performing school on the Georgia Public Report Card, had failed to give adequate attention to the development of instructional strategies that promoted academic success for at-risk students.

In April 2003, 20 6th-grade students were selected …

The Effect Of Pediculosis On Student Attendance And Performance, Gwendolyn Jarvis

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to improve attendance and achievement by combating the pediculosis problem at an urban public school in Ohio. The study involved 37 students who were absent an abnormal amount of time due to the impact of pediculosis on their health. Of these 37 students, all were excluded from school at least once, and 14 of the students mis sed 2 or more days. One student missed 47 days and another missed 70 days of instruction due to pediculosis. During the 2001-2002 school year, approximately 5 to 10 students were excluded every day due to pediculosis …

The Fuel Tax Compliance Unit: An Evaluation And Analysis Of Results, Suzanne Perkins Sapp

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The construction and maintenance of our nation's system of roads and highways is a major financial challenge. A majority of the responsibility for financing public roads and highways lies with state governments. Almost all states have special funds called Road Funds into which user fees and taxes associated with highway use are deposited. Unfortunately, Road Fund revenue growth has been slow due to the relative inelasticity of its revenue sources. At the same time, states face resistance to tax increases designed to enhance Road Fund revenues. One method of increasing such revenues, without increasing taxes, is to reduce evasion. Increased …

Measurement Of Beam-Spin Asymmetries For Π⁺ Electroproduction Above The Baryon Resonance Region, K. V. Dharmawardane, G. E. Dodge, C. E. Hyde-Wright, S. E. Kuhn, L. M. Qin, F. Sabatié, L. B. Weinstein, J. Yun, Et Al., Clas Collaboration

Physics Faculty Publications

We report the first evidence for a nonzero beam-spin azimuthal asymmetry in the electroproduction of positive pions in the deep-inelastic kinematic region. Data for the reaction e^→pe'π⁺X have been obtained using a polarized electron beam of 4.3 GeV with the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The amplitude of the sin ᵠ modulation increases with the momentum of the pion relative to the virtual photon, z. In the range z = 0.5-0.8 the average amplitude is 0.038 ± 0.005 ± 0.003 for a missing mass M_x > 1.1 GeV and 0.037 …

Implementation Of Lean Method And Value Analysis In The Sandblasting Production Shop At Intersign Corporation, Elbert Zeth Nassey

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Intersign Corporation is a small signage manufacturing company in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which employs fewer than one hundred workers. The company produces variety of signage products and customized applications including room signs, room IDs, signs, suite IDs, nameplates, safety signs, menus, activity boards, traffic control signs, and many more. One of the company's main products, and the main subject in this study, is sandblasting products. Sandblasting production is a job shop operation which is placed in a 55 x 100 ft building (building B). In the near future, the company will expand this production by moving several workstations into the new …

The Role Of The Holy Spirit In Enabling Believers For Ministry: An Adventist Perspective, Marcos De Benedicto

Doctor of Ministry Projects

No abstract provided.