Digital Commons Network^™

Cal Poly Alumni Association Announces 2008 Honored Alumni, Public Affairs Office

Press Releases

No abstract provided.

Computer Science Students Showcase Problem-Solving Skills At Collegiate Programming Contest, Winthrop University

Winthrop News 2008

• Winthrop entered two teams in a computer science programming contest sponsored by IBM.
• The teams worked to solve complex, real-world problems over five hours.

Communiqué, November 3, 2008, Lindenwood University

Communiqué

The Communiqué was the faculty/staff newsletter for Lindenwood University/College from 1982 to 2016.

The Statesman, V. 52, I. 17, Stony Brook University

Stony Brook Statesman-Sucolian

v. 52, i. 17

Monitor Newsletter November 03, 2008, Bowling Green State University

Monitor

Official Publication of Bowling Green State University for Faculty and Staff

Fault-Tolerant Adaptive Model Predictive Control Using Joint Kalman Filter For Small-Scale Helicopter, Carlos L. Castillo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A novel application is presented for a fault-tolerant adaptive model predictive control system for small-scale helicopters. The use of a joint Extended Kalman Filter, (EKF), for the estimation of the states and parameters of the UAV, provided the advantage of implementation simplicity and accuracy. A linear model of a small-scale helicopter was utilized for testing the proposed control system. The results, obtained through the simulation of different fault scenarios, demonstrated that the proposed scheme was able to handle different types of actuator and system faults effectively. The types of faults considered were represented in the parameters of the mathematical representation …

Coherent Control Of Nanomagnet Dynamics Via Ultrafast Spin Torque Pulses, Samir Garzon, Longfei Ye, Richard A. Webb, Thomas M. Crawford, Mark Covington, Shehzaad Kaka

Faculty Publications

We demonstrate reliable manipulation of the magnetization dynamics of a precessing nanomagnet by precisely controlling the spin transfer torque on the subnanosecond time scale. Using a simple pulse shaping scheme consisting of two ultrafast spin torque pulses with variable amplitudes and delay, we demonstrate coherent control over the precessional orbits and the ability to tune the switching probability of a nanomagnet at room temperature and 77 K. Our measurements suggest that appropriately shaped spin transfer can be used to efficiently manipulate the orientation of a free layer nanomagnet, thus providing an alternative for spin torque driven spintronic devices.

The Strength Of Statistical Evidence For Composite Hypotheses With An Application To Multiple Comparisons, David R. Bickel

COBRA Preprint Series

The strength of the statistical evidence in a sample of data that favors one composite hypothesis over another may be quantified by the likelihood ratio using the parameter value consistent with each hypothesis that maximizes the likelihood function. Unlike the p-value and the Bayes factor, this measure of evidence is coherent in the sense that it cannot support a hypothesis over any hypothesis that it entails. Further, when comparing the hypothesis that the parameter lies outside a non-trivial interval to the hypotheses that it lies within the interval, the proposed measure of evidence almost always asymptotically favors the correct hypothesis …

Motion-Logger: An Attitude And Motion Sensing System, Andres Felipe Marquez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis proposes a motion sensing system for wheelchairs with the main objective of determining tips, falls and risky situations. The system relies on measurements from an Inertial Measurement Unit, (IMU), consisting of a 3-axis accelerometer and a 2-axis gyroscope as the source of information. The IMU was embedded in a portable device, the "Motion Logger", which collects motion data in a Secure Digital memory card after running a real time preprocessing algorithm. The algorithm was designed to reduce energy consumption and memory usage. Actual signal analysis and attitude estimation is carried out offline.

The motion sensing system was developed …

The Free Press Vol. 40, Issue No. 7,11-03 -2008, Matt Dodge

Free Press, The

Vote--A house divided: Police push for new rules at Bayside Village - residents push back--Muskie contracts face reviews--Break down the (laboratory) walls--WeVote brings some life to the parties

Discrete Linear Constrained Multivariate Optimization For Power Sources Of Mobile Systems, Stelios G. Ioannou

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned ground and aerial vehicles (UGVs and UAVs) have strict payload limitations, limited free space affecting on board power availability resulting in limited endurance and operational range. This limitation is exacerbated by the addition of sensors, actuators and other related equipment needed to accomplish mission objectives in diverse applications.

Two energy sources are mainly available for mobile applications; batteries and fuel cells. Batteries are a relatively cheap, tested technology with good performance under varying loads. On the other hand, fuel cells offer fast and easy refueling solutions. Furthermore, preliminary studies have shown that a hybrid system can combine the advantages …

The Virtual Landscape Of Geological Information Topics, Methods, And Rhetoric In Modern Geology, Sarah Elizabeth Fratesi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Geology is undergoing changes that could influence its knowledge claims, reportedly becoming more laboratory-based, technology-driven, quantitative, and physics- and chemistry-rich over time. This dissertation uses techniques from information science and linguistics to examine the geologic literature of 1945-2005. It consists of two studies: an examination of the geological literature as an expanding network of related subdisciplines, and an investigation of the linguistic and graphical argumentation strategies within geological journal articles.

The first investigation is a large-scale study of topics within articles from 67 geologic journals. Clustering of subdiscipline journals based on titles and keywords reveals six major areas of geology: …

Analysis Of Water Seepage Through Earthen Structures Using The Particulate Approach, Kalyani Jeyisanker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A particulate model is developed to analyze the effects of steady state and transient seepage of water through a randomly-packed coarse-grained soil as an improvement to conventional seepage analysis based on continuum models. In the new model the soil skeleton and pore water are volumetrically coupled. In the first phase of the study, the concept of relative density has been used to define different compaction levels of the soil layers of a completely saturated pavement filter system and observe the seepage response to compaction. First, Monte-Carlo simulation is used to randomly pack discrete spherical particles from a specified Particle Size …

Wolfcampian Development Of The Nose Of The Eastern Shelf Of The Midland Basin, Glasscock, Sterling, And Reagan Counties, Texas, Douglas S. Flamm

Theses and Dissertations

The nose of the Eastern shelf of the Midland Basin is a prominent structural and depositional feature present in Glasscock, Sterling, and Howard counties, Texas. This feature has been expressed in many regional maps and mentioned in some literature, but has not otherwise been studied significantly. This study looks at the viability of using an acoustic impedance seismic inversion to interpret the 2nd and 3rd order sequence stratigraphy of the southern portion of the nose of the Eastern shelf along with its shelf to basin transition in Glasscock, Sterling, and Reagan counties during the Wolfcampian (Asselian-Sakmarian) time (Early Permian). The …

A Matlab Package For Markov Chain Monte Carlo With A Multi-Unidimensional Irt Model, Yanyan Sheng

Publications

Unidimensional item response theory (IRT) models are useful when each item is designed to measure some facet of a unified latent trait. In practical applications, items are not necessarily measuring the same underlying trait, and hence the more general multi-unidimensional model should be considered. This paper provides the requisite information and description of software that implements the Gibbs sampler for such models with two item parameters and a normal ogive form. The software developed is written in the MATLAB package IRTmu2no. The package is flexible enough to allow a user the choice to simulate binary response data with multiple dimensions, …

The Effect Of Clustering On The Uncertainty Of Differential Reflectivity Measurements, A. R. Jameson, A. B. Kostinski

Department of Physics Publications

One of the most important avenues of recent meteorological radar research is the application of polarization techniques to improve radar rainfall estimation. A keystone in many of these methods is the so-called differential reflectivity Z_DR, the ratio of the reflectivity factor Z_H at horizontal polarization backscattered from a horizontally polarized transmission to that corresponding to a vertically polarized transmission Z_V. For such quantitative applications, it is important to understand the statistical accuracy of observations of Z_DR. The underlying assumption of all past estimations of meteorological radar uncertainties is that the signals obey Rayleigh …

State Of Polarization Of A Stochastic Electromagnetic Beam In An Optical Resonator, Olga Korotkova, Min Yao, Yangjian Cai, Halil T. Eyyuboglu, Yahya Baykal

Physics Articles and Papers

On the basis of the unified theory of coherence and polarization, we investigate the behavior of the state of polarization of a stochastic electromagnetic beam in a Gaussian cavity. Formulations both in terms of Stokes parameters and in terms of polarization ellipse are given. We show that the state of polarization stabilizes, except in the case of a lossless cavity, after several passages between the mirrors, exhibiting monotonic or oscillatory behavior depending on the parameters of the resonator. We also find that an initially (spatially) uniformly polarized beam remains nonuniformly polarized even for a large number of passages between the …

Mapping Unknown Regions, Richard Klavans, Kevin W. Boyack

Research Trends

Maps of science help us visualize and conceptualize how different scientific disciplines relate to each other. Although many maps assume a hierarchy of disciplines, Richard Klavans and Kevin Boyack believe the structure should be circular.

Grouping & Regrouping Using Mixintools: An Exploratory Study, Richard G. Berlach, Keith Mcnaught

Education Conference Papers

On a regular basis, teachers find it necessary to place children into groups for instruction. Random assignment is typically the norm when group composition is immaterial to the task. When member-sensitive groups need to be created, teachers might associate specific assignment with colours, numbers or other coding systems. Mixintools offers the teacher a strategy for creating groups in an enjoyable, expedient and variable fashion. Or does it? The purpose of this research was to determine whether the resource had any value from the perspective of both the teacher and the student. Data were sourced from three primary schools and one …

Sfa Weather Station-November 2008, Arthur Temple College Of Forestry And Agriculture, Stephen F. Austin State University

Weather Station Data

No information on when the report was closed was found.

Prey Behavior, Age-Dependent Vulnerability, And Predation Rates, Susan Lingle, Alex Feldman, Mark S. Boyce, W. Finbarr Wilson

Mathematics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Variation in the temporal pattern of vulnerability can provide important insights into predator-prey relationships and the evolution of antipredator behavior. We illustrate these points with a system that has coyotes (Canis latrans) as a predator and two species of congeneric deer (Odocoileus spp.) as prey. The deer employ different antipredator tactics (aggressive defense vs. flight) that result in contrasting patterns of age-dependent vulnerability in their probability of being captured when encountered by coyotes.We use longterm survival data and a simple mathematical model to show that (1) species differences in age-dependent vulnerability are reflected in seasonal predation rates …

An Aspect-Based Approach To Checking Design Constraints At Run-Time, Yoonsik Cheon, Carmen Avila, Steve Roach, Cuauhtemoc Munoz, Neith Estrada, Valeria Fierro, Jessica Romo

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

Design decisions and constraints of a software system can be specified precisely using a formal notation such as the Object Constraint Language (OCL). However, they are not executable, and assuring the conformance of an implementation to its design is hard. The inability of expressing design constraints in an implementation and checking them at runtime invites, among others, the problem of design drift and corrosion. We propose runtime checks as a solution to mitigate this problem. The key idea of our approach is to translate design constraints written in a formal notation such as OCL into aspects that, when applied to …

On Chromatic Numbers Of Space-Times: Open Problems, Olga Kosheleva, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

No abstract provided.

Bibliometrics: From "Bean Counting" To Academic Accountability, Ruth A. Pagell

Research Collection Library

No abstract provided.

A Window On The Fifth Dimension, Frank A. Farris

Mathematics and Computer Science

Is there enough mathematics in your home? What visual aids do you keep on hand for that inevitable moment when guests want to know why you spend your life on mathematics? Feeling a lack in this area, I commissioned glass artist Hans Schepker to produce a window - from the fifth dimension? - based on an image that came up in my research. It turned out splendidly, and you can see it on the cover of this issue of MAA FOCUS.

Final Report: Section 1. Introduction, Horsley Witten Group, Inc.

Phase I Final Report

No abstract provided.

Final Report: Watershed Database, Horsley Witten Group, Inc.

Phase I Final Report

No abstract provided.

Final Report: Section 8. Phase Ii Scope Of Services, Horsley Witten Group, Inc.

Phase I Final Report

No abstract provided.

Final Report: Section 7. Conclusions And Additional Comments, Horsley Witten Group, Inc.

Phase I Final Report

No abstract provided.

Final Report: Appendix A. Water Balance Analysis Assumptions, Horsley Witten Group, Inc.

Phase I Final Report

No abstract provided.