Digital Commons Network^™

Volatility Spillovers Between Equity And Currency Markets: Evidence From Major Latin American Countries, Lucia Morales

Articles

This paper investigates the nature of volatility spillovers between stock returns and a number of exchange rates in six Latin American countries and one European economy in the 1998-2006 period. We divide our sample into sub periods, prior to and after the introduction of the Euro and we apply the EGARCH methodology to model volatility. Our results show that the volatility of stock returns affects the volatility of exchange rates; however, we do not find evidence of volatility transmission in the opposite direction.

In Situ Measurements Of Building Materials Using A Thermal Probe, Brian Pilkington

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

This work concerns the in situ measurement of thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of building materials, so as to provide improved data for the estimation and prediction of energy efficiency in buildings. Thermal data sources and measurement methods currently used by industry to inform building design were found to give flawed values for the thermal properties of materials as found in situ. A transient measurement technique, carried out by means of a thermal probe, and used in various other industries, was investigated as an alternative, relatively non-destructive, rapid and economic means of obtaining representative results. An analysis of the literature …

Equalisation Techniques For Multi-Level Digital Magnetic Recording, Purav Shah

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

A large amount of research has been put into areas of signal processing, medium design, head and servo-mechanism design and coding for conventional longitudinal as well as perpendicular magnetic recording. This work presents some further investigation in the signal processing and coding aspects of longitudinal and perpendicular digital magnetic recording. The work presented in this thesis is based upon numerical analysis using various simulation methods. The environment used for implementation of simulation models is C/C + + programming. Important results based upon bit error rate calculations have been documented in this thesis. This work presents the new designed Asymmetric Decoder …

Enhancement Of Perceived Quality Of Service For Voice Over Internet Protocol Systems, Zizhi Qiao

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Voice over Internet Protocol (WIP) applications are becoming more and more popular in the telecommunication market. Packet switched V61P systems have many technical advantages over conventional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), including its efficient and flexible use of the bandwidth, lower cost and enhanced security. However, due to the IP network's "Best Effort" nature, voice quality are not naturally guaranteed in the VoIP services. In fact, most current Vol]P services can not provide as good a voice quality as PSTN. IP Network impairments such as packet loss, delay and jitter affect perceived speech quality as do application layer impairment factors, …

Multi-Modal Task Instructions To Robots By Naive Users, Joerg Christian Wolf

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

This thesis presents a theoretical framework for the design of user-programmable robots. The objective of the work is to investigate multi-modal unconstrained natural instructions given to robots in order to design a learning robot. A corpus-centred approach is used to design an agent that can reason, learn and interact with a human in a natural unconstrained way. The corpus-centred design approach is formalised and developed in detail. It requires the developer to record a human during interaction and analyse the recordings to find instruction primitives. These are then implemented into a robot. The focus of this work has been on …

Engineering: An Inherently Philosophical Enterprise, William Grimson

Level 3

This chapter first sets out the arguments for considering engineering from a philosophical point of view with specific reference to the main branches of Philosophy. Additionally within the single branch of Epistemology, the relevance of Empiricism, Rationalism, Existentialism, Logical Positivist, and Post-Modernism to engineering is briefly outlined. The general proposition advanced is that Engineering is itself fundamentally philosophical in nature, attempting in its own way to make sense of the world in which we live.

Activity Systems Within Blended Problem-Based Learning In Academic Professional Development, Roisin Donnelly

Journal Articles

Blending face-to-face and online problem-based learning environments presents opportunities for both learners and lecturers to take part in collaborative knowledge construction. Activity theory is a suitable framework to investigate such environments and the learning processes that both sets of participants experience when engaging in these complementary environments. This paper attempts to map out the potential for activity systems using a blended problem-based learning approach through the exploration of an accredited academic staff development programme in Ireland. Firstly, an analysis of tool use and the discourse that participants and tutors engage in is presented. Secondly, tutor reflections about the evolution of …

Encouraging Student Creativity In Higher Education, Roisin Donnelly, Terry Barrett

Journal Articles

This chapter focuses on how teachers encourage the development of creative states of flow in their students and in themselves. The chapter aims to stimulate educators in higher education to think freshly about creativity and to widen their range of strategies for encouraging student creativity.

Communication Of Medical Information Using Agents, John Mcgrory, Jane Grimson, Frank Clarke, Peter Gaffney

Conference Papers

Agents are self-contained software entities which act faithfully and autonomously on behalf of a body of knowledge. They can operate in a standalone capacity, or as part of a social group collaborating and

coordinating activities with other software agents. To access their knowledge, agents are interfaced with

using message passing communication. The principle behind medical communications is to provide a means

for exchanging information and knowledge from one computerised location to another, whilst preserving its

true meaning and understanding between the listener and sender. Agent communication is similar to medical

communications, but must provide an additional framework element to allow …

Optimisation Of Steamer Jet-Injection To Extend The Shelf Life Of Fresh-Cut Lettuce, Daniel Rico, Ana Belen Martin-Diana, Catherine Barry-Ryan, Gary Henehan, J. Barat, Jesus Maria Frias

Articles

Optimisation of short time blanching (steaming) was investigated using response surface methodology by analysing quality and microbial and nutritional markers over the shelflife of packaged fresh-cut lettuce. Steamer treatment time (5–10 s) and storage (1–10 days) were used as independent factors in order to optimise the process. Longer treatments (>10 s) were not feasible because of extensive damage caused to lettuce tissue. Significantly (p < 0.05) higher values of luminosity (L*), greenness (−a*) and sensory panel scores (fresh appearance, general acceptability and absence of browning) were obtained with samples treated for longer times with the steamer. Activity of browning-related enzymes present in photosynthetic tissue decreased in all the cases, however, longer treatment time (7.5–10 s) was needed with vascular tissues to reduce to similar activity values. These differences could be explained by the variation in tissue thickness. The longest steam treatment (10 s) reduced and maintained significantly (p < 0.05) lower mesophilic load than shorter treatments (5–8.5 s). However, significant (p < 0.05) decreases in vitamin C and carotenoids were observed in samples treated with longer treatments. Steamer treatment of 10 s could be considered the optimum time for maintaining the shelflife (mainly texture and browning) of fresh-cut lettuce for 7–10 days in optimum conditions.

Use Of Neutral Electrolysed Water (Ew) For Quality Maintenance And Shelf-Life Extension Of Minimally Processed Lettuce, Daniel Rico, Ana Belen Martin-Diana, Catherine Barry-Ryan, Jesus Maria Frias, Gary Henehan, José Barat

Articles

Experiments were conducted to determine the effectiveness of different treatments based on the use of neutral electrolysed water (EW) on fresh-cut lettuce. EW was diluted to obtain different free chlorine concentrations (120, 60 and 12 ppm) and compared with standard washing treatment of 120 ppm chlorine solution. Shelf-life quality and safety markers were studied at the beginning and at the end of the 7-day storage at 4 ºC. The use of EW decreased the respiration rate of the samples which might be related with the observed reduction in microbial spoilage. The use of EW also increased the activity of a …

Revenue Maximisation; An Examination Of The Influences Of Heuristics And Biases On The Yield Management Decision Process In Dublin Hotels, Tony Kiely

Conference papers

Yield management in hotels has been described as a method of profitably managing fixed room capacity. A critical element of yield management is the decision strategy employed, as this determines the degree to which optimum financial solutions are generated. Recent research has indicated that the use of technology assisted decision optimising models, specifically the management science model of decision making, would greatly improve decision optimisation, by minimising the need to employ guesswork in achieving financial goals. However, despite this assurance, yield management remains couched in uncertainty through being inextricably associated with forecasting future demand for a perishable product in an …

A Translation Mechanism For Recommendations, Pierpaolo Dondio, Luca Longo, Stephen Barrett

Conference papers

An important class of distributed Trust-based solutions is based on the information sharing. A basic requirement of such systems is the ability of participating agents to effectively communicate, receiving and sending messages that can be interpreted correctly. Unfortunately, in open systems it is not possible to postulate a common agreement about the representation of a rating, its semantic meaning and cognitive and computational mechanisms behind a trust-rating formation. Social scientists agree to consider unqualified trust values not transferable, but a more pragmatic approach would conclude that qualified trust judgments are worth being transferred as far as decisions taken considering others’ …

Building Organisationally Sensitive Technological Solutions For Knowledge Management In It Support Services, David Tonade

Dissertations

With the advent of the internet, information and communications technology has changed the way organisations operate and do business. There now exist an extremely dynamic and competitive business landscape, where information and knowledge are continuously created, used and distributed across business units. People have become more involved with the use of technology to aid them in their business tasks. In the course of generating and transmitting information comes the realization that knowledge is a vital asset of the company. Thus, most firms embark on various initiatives to enable Knowledge Management (KM). This study revolves around the IT tools involved in …

Searching For Chefs, Waiters And Restaurateurs In Edwardian Dublin: A Culinary Historian's Experience Of The 1911 Dublin Census Online, Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire

Articles

No abstract provided.

Composition And Decomposition In Bimanual Dynamic Learning, Ian S. Howard, James N. Ingram, Daniel M. Wolpert

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Development And Validation Of A Movement And Activity In Physical Space (Maps) Score As A Functional Outcome Measure, Stephen Duane Herrmann

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Assessing function is an important outcome measure in establishing evidence based practice. Currently, there are no well-accepted functional measures that encompass both physical activity and environment interaction. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a quantifiable functional measure that incorporates physical activity and environmental factors. Sixteen volunteer participants (age [mean± SD] = 28.9 ± 12.0 years; height= 171.9 ± 8.4 cm; weight= 80.9 ± 16.6 kg} were assigned to two groups; post-surgical knee (n = 8; < 7 days after surgery= 4.1 ± 2.8 days} and control (n = 8). Two physical activity measures, step count (volume} and activity count (intensity}, were obtained using minute-by-minute accelerometry. Participants' locations and travel were recorded using GPS. Participants, under free living conditions, wore the accelerometers and GPS receivers on their waist for three days one week after surgery and 2 months later. The step count and GPS data were combined to produce a MAPSv (volume} score and the activity count and GPS data were combined to produce a MAPSi (intensity} score. The reliability for MAPSv and MAPSi scores over three days was acceptable (ICC[l, 1] = .84 - .89). Validity evidence was demonstrated by a significant correlation with a self-report functional knee scale. MAPSv was correlated with all of the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) subscales. MAPSi was correlated with all of the KOOS subscales except pain (r = .484; p = 0.058). There were significant differences between the post-surgical and control groups for both MAPSv (t,9.9 = -3.60; p = .007; post-surgical= 14.16 ± 9.71, control= 57.34 ± 32.48) and MAPSi (t10.B = -3.22; p = .013; post-surgical = 480.58 ± 344.01, control= 2143.30 ± 1419.66) immediately following surgery. The ANOVA results for MAPSv indicated that there was a significant time-group interaction, F (1, 12) = 4.60, p = .05. However, for MAPSi there was not a statistically significant time-group interaction, F (1, 12) = 3.42, p = .09. The results provide known-group difference and convergent validity evidence for the use of MAPSv as a functional outcome measure. It also shows evidence that MAPSv is sensitive to the changes in function over time.

Composition Dependence Of The In-Plane Cu-O Bond-Stretching Lo Phonon Mode In Y⁢Ba2⁢Cu3⁢O6+X, Ferenc Stercel, Takeshi Egami, Herbert A. Mook, Mohana Yethiraj, J-H Chung, M. Arai, C. Frost, Fatih Dogan

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

An inelastic pulsed neutron scattering study was performed on the dependence of the dispersion and spectral intensity of the in-plane Cu-O bond-stretching LO phonon mode on doped charge density. The measurements were made in the time-of-flight mode with the multiangle position sensitive spectrometer of the ISIS facility on single crystals of Y⁢Ba₂⁢Cu₃⁢O_6+x (x=0.15, 0.35, 0.6, 0.7, and 0.95). The focus of the study is the in-plane Cu-O bond-stretching LO phonon mode, which is known for strong electron-phonon coupling and unusual dependence on composition and temperature. It is shown that the dispersions for the samples with …

Evaluating Earth Science Misconceptions In One School Districts: A Case Study, Katherine Marie Schafer

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This research was a case study in common Earth science misconceptions revealed among students in one rural Iowa school district known as "Ruraltown." Students in grades 5, 8 and 10 participated in this study. Evaluation of misconceptions was done through the administration of the Misconceptions-Oriented Standards-Based Assessment Resources For Teachers (MOSART). MOSART is designed to test for students' understanding of content contained within the K-12 Earth science National Science Education Standards and also to reveal misunderstandings held by students. Three questions guided this research study. One, how do students in this school district compare with students who participated in the …

Fit Numerical Modeling For Emi Discovery And "Design", James L. Drewniak

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

The Class Of 2008, Florence Soyinka

The Park Place Economist

No abstract provided.

When You Have To Dump It, M. Thulasidas

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

It makes sense to cut further losses and such containment efforts are routine events in most establishments.

Forecasting Model For Air Taxi, Commercial Airline, And Automobile Demand In The United States, Hojong Baik, Antonio A. Trani, Nicolas Hinze, Howard Swingle, Senanu Ashiabor, Anand Seshadri

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A nationwide model predicts the annual county-to-county person roundtrips for air taxi, commercial airline, and automobile at 1-year intervals through 2030. the transportation systems analysis model (TSAM) uses the four-step transportation systems modeling process to calculate trip generation, trip distribution, and mode choice for each county origin-destination pair. Network assignment is formulated for commercial airline and air taxi demand. TSAM classifies trip rates by trip purpose, household income group, and type of metropolitan statistical area from which the round-trip started. a graphical user interface with geographic information systems capability is included in the model. Potential applications of the model are …

Projectile Angular-Differential Cross Sections For Transfer And Transfer Excitation In Proton Collisions With Helium, M. Zapukhlyak, T. Kirchner, Ahmad Hasan, B. Tooke, Michael Schulz

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Projectile angular-differential cross sections for single-transfer and transfer excitation have been calculated with the two-center extension of the nonperturbative basis generator method for 5-200 keV proton-helium collisions. The calculations are based on the independent electron model, and the eikonal approximation has been used to extract angular-differential cross sections from impact-parameter-dependent transition amplitudes. The present results are compared with experimental and previous theoretical data where available. In particular, we consider the ratio of transfer excitation to single capture versus double excitation to single excitation at intermediate energies. An experimentally observed structure in this ratio at a scattering angle about 0.5 mrad …

Progress In Effect Of Jominy End Quench On The Microstructure And Mechanical Properties Of Cast Aluminum Alloys, Qingcai Liu, C. Lu, Joseph William Newkirk

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this review, the current knowledge related to the relationship between the heat treatment process and the microstructure and mechanical properties of A356 aluminum alloys are summarized. The review also examines the use of the Jominy end quench (JEQ) specimen and its application to the examination of the effects of quench rate and subsequent processing. Using the design of experimental methods combined with the Jominy end quench technique, desired changes in microstructure and mechanical properties of alloys can be obtained. So, the experimental technique of the Jominy end quench was concerned in this work.

Phantom For Evaluating Accuracy Of Image Registration Software, B. Y. Choe, H. S. Jin, R. H. Juh, Hyoung-Koo Lee, J. Y. Song, T. S. Suh

Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Provided is a phantom for evaluating the accuracy of image registration software based on a result of matching tomograms of a predetermined position of the phantom, taken using two or more imaging apparatuses. Accordingly, it is possible to more efficiently evaluate the accuracy of the image registration software by comparing the tomograms with one another using a three-dimensional analysis. In addition, it is possible to facilitate the comparison of the tomograms with one another by installing a plurality of indicating bars in the phantom so that their cross sections can appear on each of the tomograms.

Efficient Mrf Approach To Document Image Enhancement, Tayo Obafemi-Ajayi, Gady Agam, Ophir Frieder

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Markov random field (MRF) based approaches have been shown to perform well in a wide range of applications. Due to the iterative nature of the algorithm, the computational cost of such applications is normally high. In the context of document image analysis, where numerous documents have to be processed, this computational cost may become prohibitive. We describe a novel approach to document image enhancement using MRF. We show that by using domain specific knowledge, we are able to substantially improve computational performance by an order of magnitude. Moreover, in contrast to known techniques where patch initialization is arbitrary, in the …

Wavelength Selection Using The Measure Of Topological Relevance On The Self-Organizing Map, Francesco Corona, Satu Pia Reinikainen, Kari Aaljoki, Annikki Perkiö, Elia Liitiäinen, Roberto Baratti, Olli Simula, Amaury Lendasse

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In This Work, We Investigated the Possibility to Perform Wavelength Selection by Exploiting the Metric Structure of the Spectrophotoscopic Measurements. the Topologically Preserving Representation of the Data is Performed using the Self-Organizing Map (Som) Where the Inputs' Significance to the Output is Computed with the Measure of Topological Relevance (MTR) on Som. the MTR on Som is a Metric Measuring the Similarity between Local Distance Matrices and We Found that Spectral Inputs with a Topology, Which Is, Close to the Outputs Are Also Associated to the Wavelengths that Chemically Explain the Influence of the Spectra to the Property of Interest. …

Asia Pacific Perspectives Vol. 8 No. 1, June 2008, University Of San Francisco, University Of San Francisco

Asia Pacific Perspectives

Contents:

Jack London Reporting from Tokyo and Manchuria: The Forgotten Role of an Influential Observer of Early Modern Asia by Daniel A. Métraux

ack London is regarded as one of America’s most popular writers for his novels and short stories. Less known today is the fact that he was also a first-rate observer of East Asian politics, societies, and peoples. Working as a journalist for several newspapers and magazines, he filed numerous articles and essays covering the Russo-Japanese war and even foresaw the rise of Japan and China as world powers. This paper provides an overview of his journalistic and …

Validation Of An Nsp-Based (Negative Selection Pattern) Gene Family Identification Strategy, Ronald L. Frank, Cyriac Kandoth, Fikret Erçal

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Background: Gene family identification from ESTs can be a valuable resource for analysis of genome evolution but presents unique challenges in organisms for which the entire genome is not yet sequenced. We have developed a novel gene family identification method based on negative selection patterns (NSP) between family members to screen EST-generated contigs. This strategy was tested on five known gene families in Arabidopsis to see if individual paralogs could be identified with accuracy from EST data alone when compared to the actual gene sequences in this fully sequenced genome. Results: The NSP method uniquely identified family members in all …