Digital Commons Network^™

Optimization Of Composite Structures Subject To Local Stress Constraints, Robert Lipton, Michael Stuebner

Faculty Publications

An extension of current methodologies is introduced for optimization of graded microstructure subject to local stress criteria. The method is based on new multiscale stress criteria given by macrostress modulation functions. The modulation functions quantify the intensity of local stress fluctuations at the scale of the microstructure due to the imposed macroscopic stress. The methodology is illustrated for long cylindrical shafts reinforced with stiff cylindrical elastic fibers with generators parallel to the shaft. Examples are presented for shaft cross sections that possess reentrant corners typically seen in lap joints and junctions of struts. It is shown that the computational methodology …

Use Of Remote Sensing Applications And Its Implications To The Society, Stefan Robila

Department of Computer Science Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Remote sensing, i.e. the technology that allows measuring object's properties from a distance, is currently undergoing tremendous advances in both precision and areas of applicability. Our study provides an overview of the recent developments in RS applications and their implications to the society. This was approached from three distinct directions, all with significant influence on the human's perception of the technology. First, we discuss how disaster prevention, reaction, and recovery can be supported by remote sensing. Next, we look at the popular view of remote sensing, as illustrated by media and commercial applications. Finally, we discuss legal implication of sensing …

Validation Of A 5k Age And Weight Run Handicap Model, Paul M. Vanderburgh, Lloyd L. Laubach

Health and Sport Science Faculty Publications

Though increasing age and body weight (BW) have been widely known to be associated with slower distance run times, the common convention in 5K road races is to categorize competitors by age and, sometimes, BW. This has the disadvantage of assigning only small numbers of competitors to age categories and giving advantage to runners close to the minimum age or BW values allowable. Using recent advances in the modeling of distance run performance by BW combined with empirical evidence quantifying the independent effect of age on cardiovascular endurance, we previously published the derivation of the 5K Handicap (5KH), an age …

The Legal Status Of Spyware, Daniel B. Garrie, Alan F. Blakley, Mathew J. Armstrong

Federal Communications Law Journal

This Article examines the legal status of Spyware under federal and common law in the United States of America. The Authors begin with a technical overview of Spyware technology, which covers Spyware's functionality, methods of dispersion, and classification. The Authors then analyze the treatment of Spyware under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, the Stored Communications Act, the Wiretap Act, and under general tort claims of trespass to chattels, invasion of privacy, and intrusion upon seclusion. The Authors conclude that none of the aformentioned causes of action provide an adequate remedy at law for Spyware victims. Moreover, the Authors note …

Dialogue: December 2006, Staff And Writers Of Dialogue

Dialogue

Editorial

03 Books and the Stories of our Lives, Robert Zandstra

Essay

14 Persuasion, Anna M. F angers

Non-Fiction

15 Telling the Truth, Amy Lewis

Graphic Poetry

18 Excerpt, Thomas J. Mazanec, Kyle J. Schultz, and Gabriel J. Kruis

Poetry

06 More or Less: A Villanelle, Tom Mazanec; 07 Things to Expect, Amy Lewis; 09 Psalm 139: B Text, annreilly; 10 In Motion In Moment, Kaitlyn C. Bohlin; 11 bitter s w e e t, anonymous; 11 Hedge Trimmings, Meredith C. Mele; 12 Obituary, Debra Rienstra; 12 Advice to …

Spin-Lattice Relaxation Of Heavy Spin-1/2 Nuclei In Diamagnetic Solids: A Raman Process Mediated By Spin-Rotation Interaction, Alexander J. Vega, Peter A. Beckmann, Shi Bai, Cecil Dybowski

Physics Faculty Research and Scholarship

We present a theory for the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation of heavy spin-1/2 nuclei in solids, which explains within an order of magnitude the unexpectedly effective lead and thallium nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rates observed in the ionic solids lead molybdate, lead chloride, lead nitrate, thallium nitrate, thallium nitrite, and thallium perchlorate. The observed rates are proportional to the square of the temperature and are independent of magnetic field. This rules out all known mechanisms usually employed to model nuclear spin relaxation in lighter spin-1/2 nuclei. The relaxation is caused by a Raman process involving the interactions between nuclear spins and lattice …

(207)Pb Spin-Lattice Relaxation In Solid Pbmoo(4) And Pbcl(2), Peter A. Beckmann, Shi Bai, Alexander J. Vega, Cecil Dybowski

Physics Faculty Research and Scholarship

We have measured the (207)Pb nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate R as a function of temperature T at two nuclear magnetic resonance frequencies omega(0) in the ionic solids lead molybdate (PbMoO(4)) and lead chloride (PbCl(2)). R is unexpectedly large, proportional to T(2), and independent of omega(0). Taken together with previous work in lead nitrate [Pb(NO(3))(2)], these results show that the relaxation does not depend on the nature or rotational motion of the counterion, particularly since the counterion in lead chloride is a single chlorine atom. The theory that explains the observed relaxation rate is reviewed. A second-order Raman process dominates the …

Explicit Symmetries Of Strict Feedforward Control Systems, Issa Amadou Tall, Witold Respondek

Miscellaneous (presentations, translations, interviews, etc)

We show that any symmetry of a smooth strict feedforward system is conjugated to a scaling translation and any 1-parameter family of symmetries to a family of scaling translations along the first variable. We compute explicitly those symmetries by finding the conjugating diffeomorphism. We deduce, in accordance with our previous work, that a smooth system is feedback equivalent to a strict feedforward form if and only if it gives rise to a sequence of systems, such that each element of the sequence, firstly, possesses an infinitesimal symmetry whose flow is conjugated to a 1- parameter families of scaling translations and, …

Iron In Hot Da White Dwarfs, Stéphane Vennes, Pierre Chayer, Jean François Dupuis, Thierry M. Lanz

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

We present a study of the iron abundance pattern in hot, hydrogen-rich (DA) white dwarfs. The study is based on new and archival far-ultraviolet spectroscopy of a sample of white dwarfs in the temperature range 30,000 K ≲ Teff ≲ 64,000 K. The spectra obtained with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer, along with spectra obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph and the International Ultraviolet Explorer, sample Fe III-Fe VI absorption lines, enabling a detailed iron abundance analysis over a wider range of effective temperatures than previously afforded. The measurements reveal abundance variations in excess of 2 orders of …

A Linear Modulation Osl Study Of The Unstable Ultrafast Component In Samples From Glacial Lake Hitchcock, Massachusetts, Usa, R. J. Goble, Tammy M. Rittenour

Geosciences Faculty Publications

Optical ages were determined for samples from delta and sand dune deposits associated with Glacial Lake Hitchcock near Amherst, Massachusetts using the single aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) technique. However, a strong unstable ultrafast component caused initial rejection of data from a large proportion of aliquots. A linearly modulated blue OSL (LM-OSL) study was undertaken on the sample with the strongest ultrafast component, with the data modelled using the equation of Bulur et al. (2000) as 5 fast, medium and slow components, and 1 ultrafast component.

The ultrafast component dominates the LM–OSL, almost completely obscuring the fast component. …

Boffin's Books And Darwin's Finches: Victorian Cultures Of Collecting, Michael W. Hancock '89

Doctoral Dissertations

Although wealthy continental virtuosos had passionately and selectively accumulated a variety of natural and artificial objects from the Renaissance onwards, not until the nineteenth century did collecting become a conspicuous national pastime among all classes in Britain. As industry and empire made available many new and exotic goods for acquisition and display, the collection as a cultural form offered the Victorians a popular strategy of self-fashioning that was often represented in the literature of the age as a source of prestige and social legitimation. Through interdisciplinary readings of Victorian fiction, narrative nonfiction, and poetry, my study examines how textual representations …

Contingency Management Techniques And Smoking Cessation In College Students, Laurie Athey

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine smoking cessation using different criteria for delivery of monetary reinforcement for college students from Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ. Participants participated in a 4 week study using a single subject reversal design (ABAC) in which baseline phases were alternated with either fixed criterion or shaping using an escalating schedule of reinforcement. The order of administration of intervention phases was determined randomly. Each intervention phase lasted 5 days (Monday-Friday). Results showed that contingent reinforcement for reduced carbon monoxide levels was effective in reducing smoking. However, additional studies need to be completed for longer periods …

New Tests Of Univariate Symmetry Based On The Gini Mean Difference, Hend Ouda

Dissertations

Gini mean difference (GMD) was proposed as a measure of income inequality by Corrado Gini in 1912. Since then it has been widely applied - mostly in theeconomics, but also in statistical and social science research.

Four statistical tests of univariate symmetry are being proposed---all based on the comparison of variation below and above the median (known or estimated) measured by the GMD. These tests are applicable to the data from populations with median known and unknown, and each of them has its rank-basedcounterpart, so they can also be used for ordinal data.

A Monte Carlo simulation study was performed …

Prediction Of Student Achievement In Georgia High Schools Based On Principal Competency As Defined By The Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium Standards, Amy Teague Loskoski

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The researcher conducted a study of the prediction of student achievement in Georgia high schools based on principal competencies as defined by the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) Standards for School Leaders to determine to what extent principal competency, as determined by the ISLLC standards, predict student achievement. The poverty level of the school and the principal's years of experience in a school were additional variables in the analyses. Quantitative and qualitative research was conducted using a survey based on the ISLLC Standards for School Leaders and an interview questionnaire to answer the research questions. A Principal Competency rating …

A Handheld Neutron-Detection Sensor System Utilizing A New Class Of Boron Carbide Diode, Kevin Osberg, Nathan Schemm, M. Susan Hallbeck, Sina Balkir, Peter A. Dowben, Jennifer I. Brand, Michael W. Hoffman

Peter Dowben Publications

A handheld neutron-detection sensor application is described in this paper. The sensor system utilizes a new class of boron carbide diode that interacts with incoming neutrons. To interface with the boron carbide diode, an integrated front end is designed in a 1.5-μm standard CMOS technology. With the diode and front-end microchip, a handheld neutron-detection system was realized with an embedded microcontroller for real-time processing. The handheld detector operation was then tested with a plutonium–beryllium neutron source. Test and measurement results confirm the validity of the approach and the functionality of the design.

Linear Conditions Imposed On Flag Varieties, Julianna S. Tymoczko

Mathematics Sciences: Faculty Publications

We study subvarieties of the flag variety called Hessenberg varieties, defined by certain linear conditions. These subvarieties arise naturally in applications including geometric representation theory, number theory, and numerical analysis. We describe completely the homology of Hessenberg varieties over GLn(ℂ) and show that they have no odd-dimensional homology. We provide an explicit geometric construction which partitions each Hessenberg variety into pieces homeomorphic to affine space. We characterize these affine pieces by fillings of Young tableaux and show that the dimension of the affine piece can be computed by combinatorial rules generalizing the Eulerian numbers. We give an equivalent formulation of …

Ahlfors Type Estimates For Perimeter Measures In Carnot-Carathéodory Spaces, Luca Capogna, Nicola Garofalo

Mathematics Sciences: Faculty Publications

We study the relationship between the geometry of hypersurfaces in a Carnot-Carathéodory (CC) space and the Ahlfors regularity of the corresponding perimeter measure. To this end we establish comparison theorems for perimeter estimates between an hypersurface and its tangent space, and between a CC geometry and its "tangent" Carnot group structure.

Local Energy Decay For Solutions Of Multi-Dimensional Isotropic Symmetric Hyperbolic Systems, Thomas C. Sideris, Becca Thomases

Mathematics Sciences: Faculty Publications

The local decay of energy is established for solutions to certain linear, multidimensional symmetric hyperbolic systems, with constraints. The key assumptions are isotropy and nondegeneracy of the associated symbols. Examples are given, including Maxwell's equations and linearized elasticity. Such estimates prove useful in treating nonlinear perturbations.

Theory Of Cavity-Polariton Self-Trapping And Optical Strain In Polymer Chains, M. V. Katkov, Yuriy V. Pershin Dr, C. Piermarocchi

Faculty Publications

We consider a semiconductor polymer chain coupled to a single electromagnetic mode in a cavity. The excitations of the chain have a mixed exciton-photon character and are described as polaritons. Polaritons are coupled to the lattice by the deformation potential interaction and can propagate in the chain. We find that the presence of optical excitation in the polymer induces strain on the lattice. We use a BCS variational wave function to calculate the chemical potential of the polaritons as a function of their density. We analyze first the case of a short chain with only two unit cells in order …

Thermodynamics Of Metals Adsorption Onto Uranium Dioxide, Koi Ling Lim

Masters Theses

Wastes and pollution containing uranium are released to the environment through mining, ore processing, industrial manufacture of nuclear fuel and weapons materials, and the disposal of spent nuclear fuel. There are a wide variety of processes that can affect UO₂ stability. This research focuses on the surface reactivity of UO₂ in reducing aqueous solutions, with an emphasis on assessment of the pH-dependent surface charge, reactive surface area, and the adsorption of dissolved lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), lanthanum (La) onto UO₂ particles. A surface complexation model was used to explain the adsorption and titration phenomena of UO_{2 …}

Mindful Teachers: Case Studies Of Intermediate Teachers And Their Mindful Teaching Practices, Christine Edwards Sherretz

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

For generations, educational philosophers, parents, business people, and practitioners have argued that public schools promote mindless standardization that stifles creativity, curiosity, and enthusiasm for learning. The case has been made that instead of mindlessness, schools should be a place where mindful individuals can flourish. Langer (1989, 1997) described mindful individuals as displaying the following characteristics: (a) openness to novelty, (b) alertness to distinction, (c) sensitivity to different contexts, (d) awareness of multiple perspectives, and (e) orientation in the present. Langer (2000) states that mindlessness might be described as a lack of these attributes. The purpose of this research was to …

Embracing Chance: Post-Modern Meditations On Punishment, Bernard E. Harcourt

Public Law and Legal Theory Working Papers

No abstract provided.

Reliability-Based Optimization Of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composite Bridge Deck Panels, Michel D. Thompson, Christopher D. Eamon, Masoud Rais-Rohani

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research Publications

A reliability-based optimization (RBO) procedure is developed and applied to minimize the weight of eight fiber-reinforced polymer composite bridge deck panel configurations. The method utilizes interlinked finite element, optimization, and reliability analysis procedures to solve the weight minimization problem with a deterministic strength constraint and two probabilistic deflection constraints. Panels are composed of an upper face plate, lower face plate, and a grid of interior stiffeners. Different panel depths and stiffener layouts are considered. Sensitivity analyses are conducted to identify significant design and random variables. Optimization design variables are panel component ply thicknesses while random variables include load and material …

Epi-Convergent Discretization Of The Generalizaed Bolza Problem In Dynamic Optimization, Boris S. Mordukhovich, Teemu Pennanen

Mathematics Research Reports

The paper is devoted to well-posed discrete approximations of the so-called generalized Bolza problem of minimizing variational functionals defined via extended-real-valued functions. This problem covers more conventional Bolza-type problems in the calculus of variations and optimal control of differential inclusions as well of parameterized differential equations. Our main goal is find efficient conditions ensuring an appropriate epi-convergence of discrete approximations, which plays a significant role in both the qualitative theory and numerical algorithms of optimization and optimal control. The paper seems to be the first attempt to study epi-convergent discretizations of the generalized Bolza problem; it establishes several rather general …

Calix[4]Arene-Based Synthetic Nanotubes, Voltaire Guanlao Organo

Chemistry & Biochemistry Dissertations - Archive

Nanoscale science and technology represents a tremendous opportunity to gain unprecedented insight into the unique phenomena that exists at the nanometer scale, and to use that knowledge to develop materials and devices with novel characteristics. This dissertation explores the unique properties of calix[4]arene-based synthetic nanotubes, the process of filling and characteristics of materials confined in one dimension. Chapter 1 provides an overview of recently developed nanoscale materials, particularly single-walled carbon nanotubes and their ability to encapsulate materials in a one-dimensional configuration. Molecules inside carbon nanotubes are reported to exhibit structural and dynamic properties that are not observed in the bulk. …

Managing Agricultural Risk: Examining Information Sources Preferred By Limited Resource Farmers, Ingrid Nya Ngathou, James O. Bukenya, Duncan M. Chembezi

Journal of Extension

The study reported here explored limited resource farmers' perceptions of the usefulness of selected sources of risk management information using survey data collected among small and limited resource farmers in north Alabama. The rationale is to understand the information needs of this group of farmers and to customize outreach programs to address their needs. The results suggest that farmers' characteristics are correlated with their perceptions of the sources of information they consider valuable. Another key finding was that sources such as computerized systems and marketing clubs are the less preferred information sources.

The Proteomics Of N-Terminal Methionine Cleavage, Frédéric Frottin, Aude Martinez, Philippe Peynot, Sanghamitra Mitra, Richard C. Holz, Carmela Giglione, Thierry Meinnel

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

Methionine aminopeptidase (MAP) is a ubiquitous, essential enzyme involved in protein N-terminal methionine excision. According to the generally accepted cleavage rules for MAP, this enzyme cleaves all proteins with small side chains on the residue in the second position (P1′), but many exceptions are known. The substrate specificity of Escherichia coli MAP1 was studied in vitro with a large (>120) coherent array of peptides mimicking the natural substrates and kinetically analyzed in detail. Peptides with Val or Thr at P1′ were much less efficiently cleaved than those with Ala, Cys, Gly, Pro, or Ser in this position. Certain residues …

Vision-Based Target Geo-Location Using A Fixed-Wing Miniature Air Vehicle, D. Blake Barber, Joshua D. Redding, Timothy W. Mclain, Randal W. Beard, Clark N. Taylor

Faculty Publications

This paper presents a method for determining the GPS location of a ground-based object when imaged from a fixed-wing miniature air vehicle (MAV). Using the pixel location of the target in an image, with measurements of MAV position and attitude, and camera pose angles, the target is localized in world coordinates. The main contribution of this paper is to present four techniques for reducing the localization error. In particular, we discuss RLS filtering, bias estimation, flight path selection, and wind estimation. The localization method has been implemented and flight tested on BYU’s MAV testbed and experimental results are presented demonstrating …

Correlation Of Numerical Ability And Quality Technician Best Performers In Manufacturing Quality Control Applications, Charles Wesley Shelton

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The occupation of Quality Technician has many duties requiring numerical operations. Business and industry place considerable emphasis on numerical ability when evaluating the performance of a Quality Technician. In this study, the numerical ability and performance classification of Quality Technicians were analyzed using a correlation analysis. lll A single case study was used to investigate this relationship. A modified Delphi Method was used to determine characteristics of a Quality Technician. Quality Technicians were evaluated by their direct supervisor and completed a standardized numerical ability test. The evaluations by the supervisor were used to classify each technician based on their performance. …

An Analysis Of Waves With Applications To Music, Kristen Creech

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.