Digital Commons Network^™

Motivations Of Jewish Adolescents In A British Hebrew School : Identity, Socialization, And Language Learning, Vikki Lynn Atkinson

Doctoral Dissertations

unavailable

African Heritage In Cuban Literature For Children And Young Adults : A Participatory Study With Nersys Felipe And Teresa Cã¡Rdenas, Dulce Maria Perez Castillo

Doctoral Dissertations

unavailable

Success Factors In Mergers And Acquisitions : Complexity Theory And Content Analysis Perspectives, Lena Petsa-Papanicolaou

Doctoral Dissertations

unavailable

Espoused Curriculum And Philosophy And Curriculum And Philosophy-In-Use In A K-12 Public Charter School System, Elizabeth G. Polito

Doctoral Dissertations

unavailable

Synthesis And Characterization Of Platinum-Based Multi-Component Catalysts For Direct Methanol Fuel Cells, Li Ren

Masters Theses

"In the thesis work, Pt-based binary, ternary, quaternary alloy anode catalysts supported on sonochemically treated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were synthesized with ethylene glycol reduction of corresponding metal chloride salts. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used for catalyst characterization. Cyclic voltammetry for methanol oxidation and CO stripping were used to evaluate the performance of the catalysts.

PtRu nanoparticles supported on CNTs (PtRu/CNT) were prepared under a series of pHs. It was found that the PtRu particle size, composition, and catalytic activity were all sensitive to the deposition …

Manufacturing And Characterization Of Soy-Based Pultruded Polyurethane Composites, Rama Bhadra Raju Vuppalapati

Masters Theses

"In the recent past, composites have been finding various applications in civil infrastructure, marine, transportation, automotive and non-automotive applications by replacing metals in structural components. Pultrusion is considered to be a cost effective method for manufacturing composite materials.

Polyurethane resin systems form a good alternative to the conventional styrene based systems in pultrusion due to their better physical, chemical and mechanical properties. Polyols derived from soybean oil along with isocyanates produce polyurethanes that can match in many aspects with one derived from the petrochemical polyols. Even though, polyurethanes have good properties there are lots of challenges like designing unique material …

A Guide To The Establishment Of A University Satellite Program, Abbie Marie Stewart

Masters Theses

"The UMR SAT team was formed at the University of Missouri-Rolla to design and build microsatellites. The team competed against ten other universities in the Nanosat 4 competition hosted by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. This document, written by the Chief Engineer, is a description of the process used by the UMR SAT team to develop a successful satellite program. Included in the document are methods based on systems engineering for developing a mission, a discussion of team organization and recruitment, and lessons learned during …

Towards A Methodology For Integrated Freeform Manufacturing Systems Development With A Control Systems Emphasis, Jacquelyn K. Stroble

Masters Theses

"A variety of fully integrated Freeform Fabrication (FFF) systems have been developed, a selected group for research and several for commercialization. The design methodology behind most of them is not documented, standardized, or rational. It is important to understand that the final product from any integrated system is affected not only by the unit manufacturing processes themselves, but also by the extent the individual units are assimilated into an integrated process. Thus, a scheme consisting of eight steps and the salient five elements necessary to create or retrofit an existing system to achieve an Integrated Freeform Manufacturing System (FFMS) is …

Age Strengthening Of Gray Cast Iron: Alloying Effects And Kinetics Study, Thottathil Viswanathan Anish

Masters Theses

"Age strengthening of gray cast iron has become a critical issue with metal casters trying to optimize their process for the closest conformance to properties. This necessitated more robust and precise methods to predict age strengthening. Most foundries use age strengthening behavior to cast at hight carbon equivalents to facilitate smaller gating systems. Also, it is well known in the casting industry that the tool life improves with aging. Hence these foundries require a model to predict aging behavior and accelerate the mechanism from days to hours. This research focuses on the methods of composition adjustments to control aging properties, …

Mechanical Properties And Microstructure Study For Direct Metal Deposition Of Titanium Alloy And Tool Steel, Yaxin Bao

Masters Theses

"This thesis is focused on the research about DMD (Direct Metal Deposition) which is an additive manufacturing process and used in various engineering applications such as producing fully dense and net shape productions in difficult-to-machine materials. In this study, the microstructure was analyzed through optical microscopy and some mechanical properties were tested with different equipments such as SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) and micro-hardness tester...In summary, this thesis validated that DMD process can be improved through surface treatments and is capable of repairing molds for die casting industry"--Introduction, page 1.

Generic Algorithms And Null Convention Logic Hardware Implementation For Unsigned And Signed Quad-Rail Multiplication, Samarsen Reddy Mallepalli

Masters Theses

"This thesis focuses on designing generic quad-rail arithmetic circuits, such as signed and unsigned multipliers and Multiply and Accumulate (MAC) units, using the asynchronous delay-insensitive NULL Convention Logic (NCL) paradigm. This work helps to build a library of reusable components to be used for automated NCL circuit synthesis, which will aid in the integration of asynchronous design paradigms into the semiconductor industry"--Abstract, page iii.

Delay-Insensitive Ternary Logic (Ditl), Ravi Sankar Parameswaran Nair

Masters Theses

"This thesis focuses on development of a Single Rail Ternary Voltage Delay-Insensitive paradigm called Delay-Insensitive Ternary Logic (DITL), which is based on NULL Convention Logic (NCL). Single rail asynchronous logic has potential advantages over Dual-Rail logic such as reduction of Power and Interconnect as well as Logic Area. The DITL concept is developed in steps of individual circuit components. These components are designed at the transistor level and are connected together to form a registered pipeline system. Some variations in pipeline design are also investigated"--Abstract, page iii.

Interactive And Dialogue Based Learning In Engineering Education, Siddartha Thummuri

Masters Theses

"This thesis focuses on a class room architecture that provides high levels of interactivity which enhances the students' learning environment both in distance and on-campus contexts and forms a basis for practical learning. Two analyses are presented in this thesis, the first one being a simple measure of levels of interactivity in this course architecture, based on rubric and the second one, a comparative analysis, to demonstrate the effectiveness of interactive (multi-directional information flow) classrooms as opposed to conventional (unidirectional information flow) classrooms and that this course architecture is ideal for enhancement of distance learning and an excellent route to …

Executable System Architecting Using Systems Modeling Language In Conjunction With Colored Petri Nets - A Demonstration Using The Geoss Network Centric System, Renzhong Wang

Masters Theses

"Models and simulation furnish abstractions to manage complexities allowing engineers to visualize the proposed system and to analyze and validate system behavior before constructing it. Unified Modeling Language (UML) and its systems engineering extension, Systems Modeling Language (SysML), provide a rich set of diagrams for systems specification. However, the lack of executable semantics of such notations limits the capability of analyzing and verifying defined specifications. This research has developed an executable system architecting framework based on SysML-CPN transformation, which introduces dynamic model analysis into SysML modeling by mapping SysML notations to Colored Petri Net (CPN), a graphical language for system …

A Quantitative Study Of Gene Identification Techniques Based On Evolutionary Rationales, Cyriac Kandoth

Masters Theses

"Current gene identification (GI) techniques typically rely on matching biological or chemical properties of specific genes, specific species, specific ecotypes, etc...In this thesis, a new automated GI technique is proposed, and compared against another computer-based technique proposed earlier. Both methods utilize EST data available from NCBI databases to discover previously unknown genes. The newly proposed method identifies one gene family at a time and is based on a distinctive negative selection pattern (NSP) of differences, which is seen between the coding regions of gene family members. The other technique, called ESTminer, attempts genome-wide gene family identification for any organism, by …

A Network Infrastructure For Real-Time Monitoring Of Campus Energy Consumption, Sandeep Kunchum

Masters Theses

"Pressing environmental concerns and rising energy costs have led many organizations to carefully review their energy consumption. Conservation requires that energy use be monitored accurately and continuously, to identify areas with higher energy consumption. Lighting has repeatedly been identified as such an area. A simple, yet effective method for reducing lighting energy consumption is retrofitting existing light fixtures with modern energy-efficient versions. The University of Missouri-Rolla is currently carrying out a lighting retrofit of all fixtures on campus. The pilot building for this project is McNutt Hall, as it has the single highest consumption of lighting energy. The results of …

Microfluidic Biosensors For Intelligent Metabolite Monitoring, Nitin Radhakrishnan

Masters Theses

"Baseline (zero-value) drift and sensitivity degradation are two common problems related with biosensors. In order to overcome these problems, there is a great need for integrating an on-demand, in situ self-diagnosis and self-calibration unit along with the sensor. Utilizing the microfluidic technology, it is possible to explore the feasibility of implementing this function without any externally coupled bulky apparatus. A microsystem including a microfluidic channel and calibration electrodes are prepared by microfabrication techniques"--Abstract, page iv.

Cognitive Biases In Risk Management, William Thomas Siefert

Masters Theses

"This thesis contends that most Risk Management/Mitigation programs fail to be as effective as they could be due to a number of mostly overlooked drivers, such as motivation and cognitive biases. The issue of cognitive biases is very seldom addressed. When questioned, most engineers purport to not have any biases. They insist that they use only logic, reasoning, and math to make decisions. A set of data was collected and reviewed for this thesis. The data presented shows that cognitive biases do affect the risk management/mitigation process. Knowledge of these biases and their potential impact on a project will lead …

A Software Defined Radio For Research Into Cognitive Radio, Jason Michael Pratt

Masters Theses

Software defined radios are capable of transmitting and receiving signals over a broad range of frequencies, and can alter their carrier frequency, modulation scheme, and power level by changing the software controlling the radio. Because of these capabilities, a software defined radio is the necessary platform for research into cognitive radio. The aim of cognitive radio is to more fully utilize the RF spectrum by allowing wireless communication systems to scan the spectrum for unused frequency bands and dynamically establish communication over one of those unused bands. This thesis gives a brief introduction into cognitive radio, and currently existing software …

Security Analysis Of A Cyber-Physical System, Han Tang

Masters Theses

"Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) are an integration of computing and physical processes. Information flow is an inherent property of CPSs and is of particular interest at their cyber-physical boundaries. This thesis focuses on discovering information flow properties and proposes a process to model the information flow in CPSs. A Cooperating FACTS Power System serves as a tangible example to illustrate modeling information flow using the proposed process. The proposed process can be used to model the information flow security, help analyze current information flow security requirements, and aid in the design of further security policies in CPS"--Abstract, page iii.

Magnetohydrodynamic Power Generation In A Scramjet Using A Post Combustor Generator, Nathan Lee Mundis

Masters Theses

"A scramjet with a post combustor MHD generator is examined. A quasi-one-dimensional model is developed to calculate the flow path from tip to tail. The model includes losses due to combustion irreversibility, incomplete combustion, chemically reacting flow, friction, MHD losses, and nozzle plume modeling. Flight Mach number, magnetic field strength, gas conductivity, MHD load factor, and MHD generator expansion angle are all varied in order to assess their effects on MHD power generated and thrust lost in the engine. The trends produced through the above variations are summarized in a set of model-fit equations. It is concluded that a post …

Cfd Simulation Of Contact Planarization, Shanti Vusirikala

Masters Theses

"Semiconductor devices form the essential components of most electronic devices. The fabrication of circuit elements to manufacture these devices is done by a process known as photolithography, using photoresist layer deposition, optical masks, and etching. As feature sizes become smaller, higher optical precision is required, necessitating an optically flat surface on the photoresist layer. The surface of the photoresist layer can become uneven because of conformation to the topography of the layers underneath or a change in shape of the layer after evaporation of solvent. To combat this, Brewer Science, Inc. has developed a contact planarization process (CON-TACT®) in which …

Device Signal Detection Methods And Time Frequency Analysis, Narayana Ravirala

Masters Theses

"In this thesis the application of independent component analysis (ICA) to a multiple-source detection problem is studied. Specifically, a detection problem that is somewhat of a blend of the classical "signals with unknown parameters in noise" and "random signals in noise" problems is investigated. The idea is to detect the presence of a class of devices from their unintended radio frequency (RF) radiation. Because the signal is not an intended radiation, each device will emit a slightly different pattern. Moreover, these patterns may change under varying conditions such as battery voltage and ambient temperature. In addition, there may be several …

Application Of Hybrid Arq To Controller Area Networks, Krishna Chaitanya Emani

Masters Theses

"This thesis proposes two types of Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) schemes for the Controller Area Network (CAN) to combat Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI) and improve network efficiency. The proposed HARQ schemes encode the original CAN data frames by a Reed-Solomon (R-S) code so that burst errors due to EMI may be corrected at the receive nodes. Therefore, the probability of error frames is reduced, thereby reducing the probability of retransmission. Hence, the network efficiency of the system is improved"--Abstract, page iii.

Modeling And Performance Estimation For Airborne Minefield Detection System, Saurabh Agarwal

Masters Theses

"Many programs aimed at airborne mine and minefield detection are being pursued and different algorithms are being developed and evaluated to achieve performance specifications. Thus far, no single algorithm or detection architecture has been able to fulfill the performance specifications for different mine and minefield detection scenarios...a need exists for a simulation based approach. One such simulation system is developed and evaluated in this thesis. The factors affecting the performance of an airborne detection system include physical parameters (type of background, time of day), data collection parameters (swath width, number of steps, in-step and in-flight overlap), and minefield scenarios. Data …

Selective Laser Sintering Of Stearic Acid-Coated Alumina Ceramic, Jason J. Nolte

Masters Theses

"The purpose of this research is to develop a process that will enable a Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) machine to create geometrically complex green parts of various sizes that become strong, dense ceramic parts after sintering. This will be applicable to SLS systems already operational in industry, and may offer a more cost-effective, more time-efficient method for producing high-temperature ceramic rapid prototype parts. Alumina was the chosen ceramic for the developmental stage of this research. Fine alumina powder (average particle size of 0.4 µm) was coated with stearic acid, which served as a binder. Green parts were made from this …

Detection Of Flash In Dermoscopy Skin Lesion Images, Radhika Nagane

Masters Theses

"Dermoscopy images of skin lesions are often acquired by covering the skin with mineral oil, alcohol, another liquid or a gel and illuminating the area at a low angle of incidence from all directions before taking the photograph. Deeper pigment patterns are more visible in this type of image than in a clinical image because the liquid immersion and structured light effectively make the upper layers of the skin more transparent. Flash regions are the small, high reflectance areas in the image where direct reflections of the illumination source(s) cause undesirable bright spots in the image. These flash regions may …

The Dynamics Of Daily Retail Gasoline Prices, Michael C. Davis

Economics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Previous research has analyzed the behavior of retail gasoline stations in how they adjust their prices. In this paper we analyze the daily movements in prices of four retail gasoline stations located in Newburgh, New York. We find some evidence to support the notion that the behavior is explained by menu costs. There is substantial evidence that the firms adjust their prices asymmetrically, being more inclined to increase than to decrease prices. We conclude that the pricing behavior is being determined by a combination of search costs for the consumers and menu costs for the producers. Copyright © 2007 John …

Data Fusion Techniques For Health Monitoring Of Aging Aircraft And Skin Cancer Detection, Kapil Gupta

Doctoral Dissertations

"Data fusion is generally practiced to enhance decision or inference making capability. Sensor and information source data may often be corrupted by noise or other factors. Data fusion can be used to improve sensor and/or information source data quality and reliability and improve detection accuracy. There are several types of data fusion, including raw data level, feature level, and decision level.

This work presents the investigation and development of image and signal processing, computational intelligence, fuzzy logic, and statistical techniques for different types of data fusion for a varied range of applications. Raw data and decision level fusion approaches are …

Development Of A Geographic Information System-Based Virtual Geotechnical Database And Assessment Of Liquefaction Potential For The St. Louis Metropolitan Area, Jae-Won Chung

Doctoral Dissertations

"The St. Louis Metropolitan area is the focus the U.S. Geological Survey's Earthquake Hazard Program's plan for assessing and reducing the likely risks of an earthquake likely emanating from New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ), which is the most active seismic zone in the Midwestern United States. The St. Louis Metropolitan area consists of three counties in Missouri and four in Illinois, which are divided by the state boundary along the Mississippi River. Both of the state's respective geological surveys have produced their own geologic maps and datasets, employing dissimilar geodata information and systems, with differing map units, map scales, and …