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Design And Implementation Of Real-Time Executive (Rtdm) For Multitask System, Dhuha Basheer Abdullh, Basil Shukur Mohammed

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

The purpose of this paper is to design an efficient, reliable, fast, easy to extend, and small size experimental real-time operating system kernel for uniprocessor multitask system. It is a kernel with an underlying formal model based on periodic and sporadic tasks with guaranteed response time requirements to tasks and shared software resources. It is distinguished by the programming model it supports and its use of a new processor scheduling and resource allocation.The kernel represents a nucleus of supervisory software to perform the required real–time functions. It logically runs and coordinates concurrent and physically asynchronous activities. It offers appropriate synchronization …

Design And Implementation Of A Single Layer Feed Forward Neural Network Using Stand-Alone Architecture Fpgas-Based Platform, Waleed A. Mahmood, Monther H., Mothana H.

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

A single layer feed-forward neural network are proposed and implemented using the schematic editor of the Xilinx foundation series 2.1i. First the mathematical model of the data set (weights and inputs) is presented in a matrix multiplication format. Secondly the five design stages are presented and implemented without using the finite state machine, which control the processes of the forward propagation phase, error calculation, and the training algorithm. Finally the design can be optimized to decrease the total execution time and to minimize the cost, which eventually will increase the performance and improve the function density.

Implementation Of Link Quality Evaluation Unit For Hf Modems, Siddeq Y. Ameen, Muhaned I. Al-Farras, Wial Abdulhassan

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

Link quality evaluation unit is very essential in recent digital data receiver especially in time vary channel such as HF and mobile radio. It provides the adaptive detector with the required information or parameters optimize its performance from the power and rate points of views. These information parameters include the signal-tonoise ratio, Doppler spread, channel severity and the estimate of the sampled impulse response of the channel. Efficient schemes for the estimation of HF channel were presented. The chosen parameters are the Doppler spread, channel severity and the signal-to-noise ratio which are the dominant ionosheric propagation parameters. Computer simulation tests …

Robust Pre-Processing Techniques For Non-Ideal Iris Images, Purva M. Barve

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The human iris has been demonstrated to be a very accurate, non-invasive and easy-to-use biometric for personal identification. Most of the current state-of-the-art iris recognition systems require the iris acquisition to be ideal. A lot of constraints are hence put on the user and the acquisition process.;Our aim in this research is to relax these conditions and to develop a pre-processing algorithm, which can be used in conjunction with any matching algorithm to handle the so-called non-ideal iris images. In this thesis we present a few robust techniques to process the non-ideal iris images so as to give a segmented …

Small Particle Separation In A Circulating Fluidized Bed Riser System, Robert R. Almond

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Particle separation is an important area of interest in many fields, such as the coal and mineral processing industries. A circulating fluidized bed riser system has been built to investigate the separation processes. The system separated the particles into three streams which lead to the dense bin, the product bin, and the filter chamber. Promising results have been obtained which may lead to a system which is viable for commercial separation. The following categories of separation were investigated: separation based on size difference of the particles, separation based on density difference of the particles, and the practicality of separating mineral …

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy As A Diagnostic Tool For Coal Fines, I. Andrew Aurelio

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is a technique that uses a laser, to focus down and atomize a sample of desired material. Focusing of the laser onto the material causes a plasma formation, which the material is broken down into excited ionic and atomic states. The atoms then emit characteristic optical radiation. Collection of the emitted light can be used to provide information on the elemental composition of the material. This research investigates a fundamental study of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) applied to coal samples, coal fines, and fly ash. During this research, apparatus and methodology were developed to quantify …

Actin Nanokinematics Under The Influence Of Dc Electric Fields, Raghu Chilakamarri

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Molecular shuttles are nanometer-sized machines capable of transporting single molecules over small distances under user control. Actin-myosin system is a motor protein system, which naturally evolved within the cell for the nanoscale transport. The Acto-Myosin system is fuelled by ATP, converting chemical energy into linear motion. The gliding geometry movement of actin wherein the tails of the motors are adsorbed to the surface and the heads of the motors move the actin filaments across the surface can be exploited to achieve the directional control. The motion of actin in a specific direction and the surface of travel can be modified …

Investigation Of Moisture Sensitivity Of Hot Mix Asphalt Concrete, Anu Ganesan Viswanathan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this research project is to evaluate impact of change in AASHTO T 283 test method on Superpave mix designs in West Virginia. The Lottman test method and Tunnicliff and Root test method were combined into Modified Lottman test procedure and published as AASHTO T 283 in 1985 and revised in 1989. Research was done to establish how the Superpave compaction and conditioning method affect the test results. As a result of this research, AASHTO T 283 test method was revised in 2003. In the 2003 version, use of gyratory compactor was allowed and changes were made to …

Multiagent Autonomous Energy Management, Shilpa B. Ganesh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this thesis is to design distributed software agents for reliable operation of integrated electric power systems of modern electric warships. The automatic reconfiguration of electric shipboard power systems is an important step toward improved fight-through and self-healing capabilities of naval warships. The improvements are conceptualized by redesigning the electric power system and its controls. This research focuses on a new scheme for an energy management system in the form of distributed control/software agents. Multiagent systems provide an ideal level of abstraction for modeling complex applications where distributed and heterogeneous entities need to cooperate to achieve a common …

Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite Decks For Military Applications, Srikanth Mantri

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The U.S. Marine Corps is aiming to replace the M105 cargo trailers, M149 water tank trailers, and the M353 utility trailers with a new trailer platform known as the Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement Trailers (MTVR-T). This project focused on developing a MTVR-T type trailer using Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer composite decks. Systems & Electronics Inc. (SEI) provided the initial design for the prototype trailer. Prodeck 4 was chosen as the decking material for the prototype trailer.;A detailed FE model of the FRP deck and steel support assembly was built. Four operational and transportation load conditions as identified by SEI were …

Development Of A Vehicle Road Load Model For Ecu Broadcast Power Verification In On-Road Emissions Testing, Nathan A. Moynahan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

West Virginia University (WVU) has become an industry leader in heavy-duty emissions testing and is continuously improving and updating their testing goals, procedures, and quality. As emissions testing is conducted at WVU in a real-world, on-road environment, engine parameter values are read through the test vehicle's electronic control unit (ECU) and recorded for use in data reductions. One significant value that is recorded by the WVU emissions measurement system is the ECU engine power output. Theses values are recorded and used to report vehicle's brake specific emissions values over a prescribed open-road test route. Because of the fact that the …

Evaluating Medication Utilization Patterns And Healthcare Outcomes In Patients Receiving Antipsychotics, Mariam K. Hassan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Several atypical antipsychotics have entered the market since the last decade. Evaluating the utilization patterns and overall cost savings generated by these expensive agents is becoming more important as their use continues to expand. Phase 1 of this study describes the patterns of antipsychotic utilization and its impact on total and mental health-related costs for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients in a state Medicaid program. Phase 2 of this study compares typical antipsychotics, risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine in terms of direct costs and utilization of healthcare services such as hospitalizations, emergency room visits, outpatient visits, psychiatric prescription use and antipsychotic …

Properties Of Chain Programs Over Difference Constraints, John E. Argentieri

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Chain Programming is a restricted form of linear programming in which there exists a total ordering over the program variables. In other words, the constraints x1 ≤ x 2 ≤ ... ≤ xn are either implicitly or explicitly part of the constraint system. At the present juncture, it is not clear whether an arbitrary Chain Program is easier to solve than a linear program, either asymptotically or computationally. This thesis presents a variety of interesting properties pertaining to the case in which a Chain Program is constituted entirely of difference constraints. Deciding the feasibility of a system of difference constraints …

Automated Dental Identification: A Micro-Macro Decision-Making Approach, Diaa Eldin M. Nassar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Identification of deceased individuals based on dental characteristics is receiving increased attention, especially with the large volume of victims encountered in mass disasters. In this work we consider three important problems in automated dental identification beyond the basic approach of tooth-to-tooth matching.;The first problem is on automatic classification of teeth into incisors, canines, premolars and molars as part of creating a data structure that guides tooth-to-tooth matching, thus avoiding illogical comparisons that inefficiently consume the limited computational resources and may also mislead the decision-making. We tackle this problem using principal component analysis and string matching techniques. We reconstruct the segmented …

Degree Of Sedentarization Affects Risks And Conflicts For The Waso Boran In Northern Kenya, D. Layne Coppock, Abdullahi D. Jillo, Mark N. Mutinda, Abdilla A. Aboud

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

The Waso Borana have lived for over a century in northern Kenya. In the last few decades, however, their ability to maintain their traditions has been severely challenged. Here we report survey results from 540 households in Isiolo District, stratified among three groups differing in terms of lifestyle: sedentary, semi-sedentary, and mobile. In some cases these groups vary with respect to important perceived risks, causes of natural-resource related conflict, and possible solutions to conflict. For example, sedentary respondents often noted concerns over land tenure problems, human diseases, and political incitement. Mobile respondents, in contrast, often noted primary concerns over drought, …

Human Error And General Aviation Accidents: A Comprehensive, Fine-Grained Analysis Using Hfacs, Douglas Wiegmann, Troy Faaborg, Albert Boquet, Cristy Detwiler, Kali Holcomb, Scott Shappell

Publications

The Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) is a theoretically based tool for investigating and analyzing human error associated with accidents and incidents. Previous research performed at both the University of Illinois and the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute has successfully shown that HFACS can be reliably used to analyze the underlying human causes of both commercial and general aviation (GA) accidents. These analyses have helped identify general trends in the types of human factors issues and aircrew errors that have contributed to civil aviation accidents. The next step was to identify the exact nature of the human errors identified. …

Research Paradigms And Meaning Making: A Primer, Steven Eric Krauss

The Qualitative Report

An introduction and explanation of the epistemological differences of quantitative and qualitative research paradigms is first provided, followed by an overview of the realist philosophical paradigm, which attempts to accommodate the two. From this foundational discussion, the paper then introduces the concept of meaning ma king in research methods and looks at how meaning is generated from qualitative data analysis specifically. Finally, some examples from the literature of how meaning can be constructed and organized using a qualitative data analysis approach are provided. The paper aims to provide an introduction to research methodologies, coupled with a discussion on how meaning …

Do Research Thesis Examiners Need Training?: Practitioner Stories, Shankar Sankaran, Pam Swepson, Geof Hill

The Qualitative Report

We are thesis examiners within the Australian academic system who formed a “community of practice” to try to resolve some of the issues we were facing. Stories of examiners reflecting on and examining their own practice are a notable silence in the higher degree research literature. In this study we have adopted a storytelling inquiry method that involved telling our practitioner stories, firstly to each other and then to a wider audience through this paper. We then identified issues that we believe are relevant to other thesis examiners. We have also found that engaging in a “community of practice” is …

An Investigation Of Employee Satisfaction And Employee Empowerment Specific To On-Site Supervisors In The Residential Construction Industry, David Lars Halvorsen

Theses and Dissertations

Employee satisfaction and empowerment are vital elements to businesses in most industries. The construction industry has various types of employees, ranging from managers and executives to on-site supervisors and laborers. This study was conducted to obtain a greater understanding about the elements and levels of satisfaction and empowerment of on-site supervisors in the residential construction industry. An on-site supervisor in the residential construction industry is responsible for coordinating and managing employees, materials, equipment, budgets, schedules, contracts, and the safety of employees and the general public. They are also the employees most frequently perceived as accountable for the success or failure …

The Grizzly, December 1, 2005, Ali Wagner, Bart Brooks, Allison Emery, Adam Longino, Sarah Keck, Jonathan Pometto, Lindsay Givens, Lane Taylor, Shawntee Rudd, Alex Ernst, Jay Repko, Kate Prahlad, Dave Marcheskie, Eric Sulock

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

Memorial for Professor McLennan • Fate of "The Egg" • Jazz Legend Performs at Ursinus • Myrin Renovations • Murderball is Coming to Ursinus • Hot Discounts Warm up the Ski Season • Am I Pregnant? • What's Hot and What's Not This Gift-Giving Season • Wanted: Greek Presidents • Opinions: The Bigger Headache with PA Liquor Laws; How to Avoid Disastrous Holiday Parties; Addicted to Games, Are We? • Bears Ground Flying Dutchmen • Bears Fall Short of NCAA Title

History, Collective Memory, And The Appropriation Of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Reagan's Rhetorical Legacy, Denise M. Bostdorff, Steven R. Goldzwig

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

This article argues that President Ronald Reagan appropriated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s words and memory to suggest equal opportunity in the United States had been largely achieved. Individuals—rather than the government—now had to take responsibility for any additional progress. By arguing that the dismantling of federal civil rights laws and social programs was actually consistent with Dr. King's words, President Reagan advanced his own agenda for civil rights in direct violation of Dr. King's intentions, while narrowing the purview of civil rights to eliminate government intervention in employment, education, and other arenas.

Wind Tunnel Study Of Interference Effects Relating To Aft Supersonic Ejection Of A Store, Timothy P. Jung

Theses and Dissertations

An investigation into the issues surrounding the release of a store into a supersonic wake was conducted. A 10-degree half-angle cone was used to model the carrier vehicle as well as the store. The store was 42% than the vehicle. The experiments were conducted at a freestream Mach number of 2.93 and at zero degrees angle of attack. This study analyzed the effects of a support or strut mounted under the wind tunnel model. Research was conducted on the effects of a store at various positions in the wake, as well as the effects of a rear cavity in the …

Spectrum, Volume 24, Issue 10, Sacred Heart University

Newspapers (Obelisk & Spectrum)

Highlights include: The reality of eating disorders -- Religion dominates new SHU poll -- What's the Rush? -- Acclaimed Author Maureen Howard to Speak in UC -- Facebook Me: The new way to make friends -- New Changes in Washington D.C. -- Premier issue of "Pioneer" magazine due out next Thursday -- Two Illustration students receive national recognition for extraordinary talent -- First year students concerned about the environment -- He Said... She Said... -- Virgil's Wedding: vows of laughter and success -- Move Review: 525,600 thumbs up for "Rent" -- New on the download: Podcasting -- Nick and Jessica: …

Dec. 2005

NASIG Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Culture Of Obesity, Bridget Frugoli Melton

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation sought to critically analyze the university environment by examining how the representation practices of corporations articulate with the growing obesity epidemic. For this study, existing data from one southeastern university was collected to describe the articulation between the university and obesity. The analysis examined the collected information and used the cultural studies concept of representation to expose the articulation between obesity and the university setting, including the three major theoretical works of Martin Nestle, Henry Giroux, Michel Foucault, and Paulo Freire. Physical fitness and dietary risk behaviors in students were described using the instrument of the 1995 National …

An Efficient And Robust Computational Framework For Studying Lifetime And Information Capacity In Sensor Networks, Enrique J. Duarte-Melo, Mingyan Liu, Archan Misra

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In this paper we investigate the expected lifetime and information capacity, defined as the maximum amount of data (bits) transferred before the first sensor node death due to energy depletion, of a data-gathering wireless sensor network. We develop a fluid-flow based computational framework that extends the existing approach, which requires precise knowledge of the layout/deployment of the network, i.e., exact sensor positions. Our method, on the other hand, views a specific network deployment as a particular instance (sample path) from an underlying distribution of sensor node layouts and sensor data rates. To compute the expected information capacity under this distribution-based …

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E-Government Capabilities And Crisis Management: Lessons From Combating Sars In Singapore, Shan Ling Pan, Gary Pan, Paul R. Devadoss

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

The city-state of Singapore has been highly ranked for its e-government services. Over the past two decades, it has leveraged its IT infrastructure for economic development and transformed its public services. The SARS outbreak in 2004 turned into a national health crisis because it spread rapidly and the medical community had little knowledge of how to treat the new mutation of the corona virus. Yet, several Singaporean government agencies utilized the e-Government infrastructure and related resources to quickly bring the outbreak under control. In particular, the government?s IT infrastructure streamlined communications, information exchange, and data flow, and significantly eased collaboration …

Cultural Crossings Against Ethnocentric Currents: Toward A Confucian Ethics Of Communicative Virtues, Sor-Hoon Tan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Despite contemporary Confucianism's aspirations to be a world philosophy, there is an ethnocentric strand within the Confucian tradition, most glaringly exemplified in Han Yu's attacks on Buddhism. This paper re-assesses Confucian ethnocentrism in the context of contrary practices that indicate a more pragmatic attitude among Confucians toward cross-cultural interactions. It argues that while the ethnocentric tendency serves as constant reminder of the need for vigilance, and recognition of the difficulties of crossing cultural boundaries, there are nevertheless resources within Confucianism for constructing an ethics of communication that is urgently needed to deal with the moral problems of cultural pluralism. The …

Georgia Technical College Administrators' Perceptions Of The Future Vocational And Academic Roles Of Georgia's Technical Colleges, Thomas Ennis Bragg

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In 2000 the Georgia General Assembly passed House Bill 1187 giving the Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education (DTAE) schools the right to change their names from technical institutes to technical colleges. This event could have led to a change in the type and method of delivery of course offerings at the technical colleges in Georgia. This study was designed to examine the technical college administrators' perceptions of the future vocational or academic roles of Georgia's technical colleges. A 21-question survey was designed to assess the administrators' perceptions of the future vocational and academic role of the 35 technical …