Digital Commons Network^™

System And Ic Level Analysis Of Electrostatic Discharge (Esd) And Electrical Fast Transient (Eft) Immunity And Associated Coupling Mechanisms, Jayong Koo

Doctoral Dissertations

"The exposure of electronic circuits to lightning, electrostatic discharge (ESD), electrical fast transients (EFT) or sine wave signals can reveal RF immunity problems. Typical problems include temporary malfunctions or permanent damage of integrated circuits (ICs). In an effort to reproduce those disturbances, a series of electromagnetic compatibility standards has been developed. However, a complete understanding of the root cause of the immunity problems has yet to be established. This dissertation discusses immunity problems in three papers, starting at the system level, via the coupling path into the IC"--Abstract, page iv.

Mechanics Of Dump Truck Vibrations In High-Impact Shovel Loading Operations, Nassib Aouad

Doctoral Dissertations

"The deployment of large machinery for low cost, bulk surface mine production operations has resulted in high-impact shovel loading operations (HISLO). In extreme cases, shovels load large dump trucks with 100-ton (or more) passes generating high-impact forces under gravity. HISLO generates high-frequency shockwaves that cause severe truck vibrations exposing operators to whole body vibrations (WBV). This WBV levels may exceed the recommended International Standards Organization (ISO) limits resulting in longterm lower-back disorders and other health problems. There is a need for fundamental and applied research to determine HISLO vibration levels for heavy mining machinery, their comparisons to ISO 2631 limits …

Probabilistic Analysis Of Defect Tolerance In Asynchronous Nano Crossbar Architecture, Shikha Chaudhary

Masters Theses

"Among recent advancements in technology, nanotechnology is particularly promising. Most researchers have begun to focus their efforts on developing nano scale circuits. Nano scale devices such as carbon nano tubes (CNT) and silicon nano wires (SiNW) form the primitive building blocks of many nano scale logic devices and recently developed computing architecture. One of the most promising nanotechnologies is crossbar-based architecture, a two-dimensional nanoarray, formed by the intersection of two orthogonal sets of parallel and uniformly-spaced CNTs or SiNWs. Nanowire crossbars offer the potential for ultra-high density, which has never been achieved by photolithography. In an effort to improve these …

Predicting Performance On The Pennsylvania System Of School Assessment Using The Developmental Reading Assessment And The 4sight Predictive Benchmark Assessment, Todd B. Stoltz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA), the 4Sight Reading Benchmark Assessment (4Sight), and the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) reading assessment for fifth grade students in one urban school district in Pennsylvania. A goal was to determine how well each assessment, the DRA and the 4Sight, predicted student performance on the PSSA, and specifically to investigate whether the DRA, the 4Sight, or both are significant predictors of student performance on the PSSA. An additional goal was to determine whether there was any added benefit to the prediction by using …

A Contemporary Consideration Of The Role Of Metaphysics In Systematic Theology: The Contributions Of Pope John Paul Ii And Claude Tresmontant, Daniel M. Strudwick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It has been traditionally held that Catholic theology has notable metaphysical threads deeply connected with the fabric of its faith and its systematic presentation. This dissertation focuses upon those "metaphysical threads" in order to explore their past, present and possible future status within theology. In each section the goal is to investigate the contributions of John Paul II and Claude Tresmontant and the role they believe metaphysics has within Catholic Systematic theology. This work attempts to present and assess whether, which, and why components of metaphysics, according to John Paul II and Tresmontant, should be retained even in light of …

Emulsification And Dispersant Properties Of Sugar Ester Glycolipid In Water In Oil And Oil In Water Emulsion., Azrah Abdul Aziz

Student Works (2010-2019)

The influence of different dispersing agent on the rheological behaviors of paraffin oil-water emulsion with addition of TiO2 for uv-protect and moisturizing active ingredient was studied. While making creams with minimal structural defects and longer storage stability, it is important that preparation conditions be optimized. Settle volume properties, Zeta potential, effective diameter and settle volume of TiO2 suspension were studied in the presence of glycolipid (DDM and Carrageenan), nonionic (PEG 10,000 and Brij 35P) as well as anionic surfactants (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS). In the experiments, the higher concentration of dispersing agents shows higher settle volume percentage, higher zeta potential …

Converging Voice, Video And Data In Wlan With Qos Support, Hushairi Zen, Daryoush Habibi, Justin Wyatt, Iftekhar Ahmad

Research outputs pre 2011

Providing quality of service (QoS) for converging traffic in wireless local area network (WLAN) is still a major issue for the researchers and industries. Due to the limited bandwidth and exposure to unpredictable interferences in a wireless environment, efficient management and optimization of the access protocols are essential to provide acceptable QoS for real-time traffic and fairness to best-effort traffic. In this paper, we investigate the throughput and delay performance of the legacy IEEE 802.11 and the 802.11e when carrying converging data in WLAN. We evaluate our recently proposed protocol known as wireless token network protocol (WTN) and show that …

Realized Volatility Uncertainty, David E. Allen, Michael Mcaleer, Marcel Scharth

Research outputs pre 2011

The presence of high and time-varying volatility of volatility and leverage effects bring additional uncertainty in the tails of the distribution of asset returns, even though returns standardized by (ex-post) quadratic variation measures are nearly gaussian. We argue that in this setting modeling shocks to volatility is more relevant for applications than extracting more precise predictions of the variable, as point forecasts differences are swamped by the size of the volatility of volatility and rendered less informative by the nongaussianity in the ex-ante distribution of returns. Using S&P 500 data, we document that this volatility of volatility is subject to …

Bots Trained To Play Like A Human Are More Fun, Bhuman Soni, Philip Hingston

Research outputs pre 2011

Computational intelligence methods are well-suited for use in computer controlled opponents for video games. In many other applications of these methods, the aim is to simulate near-optimal intelligent behaviour. But in video games, the aim is to provide interesting opponents for human players, not optimal ones. In this study, we trained neural network-based computer controlled opponents to play like a human in a popular first-person shooter. We then had gamers play-test these opponents as well as a hand-coded opponent, and surveyed them to find out which opponents they enjoyed more. Our results show that the neural network-based opponents were clearly …

Fast Evaluation Of The Square Root And Other Nonlinear Functions In Fpga, Stefan Lachowicz, Hans-Joerg Pfleiderer

Research outputs pre 2011

The paper presents a novel method of evaluating the square root function in FPGA. The method uses a linear approximation subsystem with a reduced size of a look-up table. The reduction in the size of the lookup table is twofold. Firstly, a simple linear approximation subsystem uses the lookup table only for the node points. Secondly, a concept of a variable step look-up table is introduced, where the node points are not uniformly spaced, but the spacing is determined by how close to the linear function the approximated function is. The proposed method of evaluating nonlinear function and specifically the …

Supporting Component Selection With A Suite Of Classifiers, Valerie Maxville, Chiou Peng Lam, J Armarego

Research outputs pre 2011

Software selection involves the assimilation of information and results for each candidate to enable a comparison for decisions to be made. The processes and tools developed assist with software selection to enhance quality, documentation and repeatability. The CdCE process aims to retain and document the information used in selection to assist decisions and to document them for reference as the system evolves. This paper describes the CdCE process and our approach to assist the shortlisting of candidates through a suite of classifiers. The application of the suite is illustrated using a selection and evaluation case study. Applying this approach helps …

You've Got Mail: Accountability And End User Attitudes To Email Management, Mark Brogan, Susan Vreugdenburg

Research outputs pre 2011

In a pioneering ethnographic study of end user responses to the problem of ‘information overload’ Whittaker and Sidner (1996) found that the design of systems primarily as methods of asynchronous communication, posed significant information management problems for users. In another contemporaneous study, David Bearman (1993) extended understanding of the implications of end user email management behavior by identifying significant accountability implications for organizations arising from the use of email. Recent case studies in the United States and Australia (Leopold, 2008; Raleigh Chronicle, 2008; Strutt, and Taylor, 2007) have once again focused attention on the accountability consequences for Government of email …

Non-Linearities, Regime Shifts And Recovery: The Recent Influence Of Climate On Black Sea Chlorophyll, Abigail Mcquatters-Gollop, Laurence D. Mee, Dionysios E. Raitsos, Georgy I. Shapiro

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

An Efficient Method For Maximum Likelihood Estimation Of A Stochastic Volatility Model, Junying, Shirley Huang, Jun Yu

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In this paper an efficient, simulation-based, maximumlikelihood (ML) method is proposed for estimating Taylor’sstochastic volatility (SV) model. The new method isbased on the second order Taylor approximation to the integrand.The approximation enables us to transfer the numericalproblem in the Laplace approximation and that inimportance sampling into the problem of inverting two highdimensional symmetric tri-diagonal matrices. A result recentlydeveloped in the linear algebra literature shows thatsuch an inversion has an analytic form, greatly facilitatingthe computations of the likelihood function of the SVmodel. In addition to provide parameter estimation, the newmethod offers an efficient way to filter, smooth, and forecastlatent log-volatility. The …

Computerized Adaptive Testing In Mathematics For Primary Schools In Thailand, Chaowprapha Chuesathuchon

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

A new system-wide educational change has been introduced in Thailand requiring, amongst other things, that technologies for education be utilized in all levels of education. This study focuses on Mathematics Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) designed to provide Thai primary school teachers with an innovative method of assessment, one of the effective tools of new technology to be used in Thai primary schools. This study aims to: (1) construct multiple-choice test items for a Mathematics course on the topic of Equations for Year 6 (Prathom Suksa 6) students in Thailand; (2) calibrate the test items using a Rasch Measurement Model, investigate …

Improving Community Water Conservation Behavior In Chachoengsao, Thailand, Kuakul Sathapornvajana

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The issue of water supply throughout the world is of concern for many reasons. It is projected that by the year 2025 two-thirds of the world's population will encounter moderate to severe water shortages. As a result of unsustainable development over the past decade, Thailand has faced pollution problems as well as the depletion of many natural resources. These problems have impacted on the country's main rivers (Chaopraya River, Thachine River, and the Bangpakong River), that are crucial to a sustainable economy, society, and culture. There needs to be a concentrated effort at all levels (individual to community) to address …

The β-Tubulin Gene As A Means To Discriminate Species And Verify Evolutionary Patterns Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi., Zola Msiska

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) associating with 80% of vascular plant families increase uptake of nutrients and water in plants, help to stabilize soil aggregates and improve soil aeration, water percolation and carbon storage. Phylogeny of AMF based on rDNA sequences is in conflict with morphology-based phylogeny. The aim of the present study was to examine a protein encoding gene, β-tubulin, in order to test conclusions drawn from rDNA sequences and morphological data. Inverse-PCR was used to amplify full-length β-tubulin genes of Gigaspora gigantea and Glomus clarum. The gene in both species is organized into five exons and four introns encoding …

Instructors And Their Students: The Relationship Between Out -Of -Class Communication, Student Communication Motives, Student Motivation, And Instructor Job Satisfaction And Motivation., Jennifer L. Knapp

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The bulk of instructional communication research is concerned with the impact of instructors on students, leaving very few studies that focus on the affects of students on instructors. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to identify the impact students have on instructor out-of-class communication (OCC), job satisfaction, and motivation. Student relational, functional, participatory, excuse-making and sycophancy motives for communicating, along with perceived student motivation were examined in order to learn more about the influence of students on instructors. Participants (college instructors, N = 268) completed an online questionnaire about their OCC, job satisfaction, and motivation, as well as perceived …

Characterization Of Changes In Muscle Performance In Vivo During A Chronic Exposure Of Stretch-Shortening Cycles: Age Effects., Kenneth B. Geronilla

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this research was to investigate the skeletal muscle response to a chronic administration of stretch-shortening cycles (SSCs) in young and old rats. Dorsiflexor muscles of old and young rats were exposed 3 times per week for 4.5 weeks to a protocol of 80 maximal stretch-shortening cycles per exposure in vivo. Skeletal muscle response was characterized by force and work parameters of the stretch-shortening contraction at each exposure interval. The performance of the young and old groups was not statistically different at the start of the exposure, but increased significantly by 25%-30% in the young animals and decreased …

The Role Of The Epikarst In Karst And Cave Hydrogeology: A Review, Paul W. Williams

International Journal of Speleology

The epikarst (also known as the subcutaneous zone) comprises highly weathered carbonate bedrock immediately beneath the surface or beneath the soil (when present) or exposed at the surface. Porosity and permeability are higher near the surface than at depth, consequently after recharge percolating rainwater is detained near the base of the epikarst, the detention ponding producing an epikarstic aquifer. Such an aquifer is found only where the uppermost part of the vadose zone is very weathered compared to the bedrock at depth. Sometimes this contrast in porosity and permeability does not occur either because the epikarst has been scraped off …

The Formal Structure Of Patent Law And The Limits Of Enablement, Jeffrey A. Lefstin

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Formation Control Of Car-Like Mobile Robots, Shweta Annapurani Panimadai Ramaswamy

Masters Theses

"A traditional tracking and control design approach already available in literature is derived and discussed for a car-like mobile robot. It involves a decoupled design involving two separate algorithms, one for velocity control design and another for torque control design. Weak interactions among the algorithms and separate designs make the robot performance optimization and the formation stability difficult to achieve. So, a new tracking and control architecture wherein the conventional elements are replaced by a single component that performs all the functions and hence called the integrated tracking and control scheme is used"--Abstract, page iii.

Individual-Based Artificial Ecosystems For Design And Optimization, Shivakar Vulli

Masters Theses

"Individual-based modeling has gained popularity over the last decade, mainly due to the paradigm's proven ability to address a variety of problems seen in many disciplines, including modeling complex systems from bottom-up, providing relationship between component level and system level parameters, and discovering the emergence of system-level behaviors from simple component level interactions. Availability of computational power to run simulation models with thousands to millions of agents is another driving force in the widespread adoption of individual-based modeling. This thesis proposes an individual-based modeling approach for solving engineering design and optimization problems using artificial ecosystems"--Abstract, page iii.

Development Of A Gis-Based Seismic Hazard Screening Tool, Andrew J. Wilding

Masters Theses

"Geotechnical earthquake engineering hazards have consequences that are difficult to mitigate, especially for infrastructure systems with multiple and distributed components. In the last few decades significant progress has been made to provide more accurate and useful methods to evaluate hazards for complex systems. One of these advances involves the application of spatial analysis and geographic information systems (GIS), for not only presenting data as maps, but also providing more practical and usable solutions, such as calculating the hazard potential with spatial distribution. This thesis studies the evaluation of geotechnical earthquake engineering hazards within a GIS environment, using borehole-specific data and …

High School Siblings Of Children With Disabilities: Five Case Studies, Casey Cuttill

Masters Theses

How mothers' level of education and attitudes toward education related to their children's academic achievement was investigated in the present study. One hundred fifteen mothers of high school students participated in this study by completing a questio1maire that evaluated their level of education and their attitudes regarding the importance of education. Their children's grade point averages were also collected. Results indicated that when the mothers had less positive attitudes toward education, mothers' level of education was not related to their children's academic achievement. When mothers reported more positive attitudes toward education and had a high level of education themselves, however, …

The Virtues Of Prosocialness, Wisdom, And Hope As Predictors Of Academic Achievement In Adolescents, Michael P. Maier

Masters Theses

Currently, there is a strong emphasis on children scoring well on academic achievement tests. While the skills needed to do well on these tests are important, positive character is another factor that may be related to academic achievement. The purpose of the present study was to examine if positive character is relevant to academic achievement. Can prosocialness, hope, and wisdom predict academic achievement? Which of these virtues is most predictive? Can these virtues predict academic achievement above and beyond academic skill levels?

Illinois Standards Achievement Test scores and GP A were collected for 105 students who also completed self-report measures …

Development Of Face Recognition System Using Verilook Software Development Kit, Paras Pradhan

Masters Theses

With built-in libraries and functions, VeriLook Software Development Kit (SDK) provides interfaces for biometric face recognition systems. This research was conducted to gain experience in the development of face recognition system using VeriLook SDK. A prototype named FRECPROJ was developed using the SDK. Major functions were implemented in the prototype, including face enrollment and match using still image files, live streaming with a web camera, or video files.

Through this research, it was realized that a typical face recognition system performs enrollment, verification and identification functions. A single image consisting of a single face is enrolled and the enrolled template …

Comparative Study Between Wild Rice (Oryza Rufipogon) And Domesticated Rice (Oryza Sativa Ssp Japonica) Chromosome 8 Centromere, Soham Aso

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Rice has one of the simplest of the monocotyledonous genomes analyzed to date. The Oryza sativa genome is made of 12 chromosomes and has a total length of 430 MB. It is highly syntenic amongst other cereals. Therefore, genetic distances of these organisms are surprisingly very similar, meaning that genomic recombinations in each cereal occur at much the same frequency despite the differences in their genome size. The reason for this synchrony in recombinations may be due to similar lengths of gene-rich and gene-rare regions. This study focuses on the gene-rare repetitive centromeric region of rice chromosome 8. Although the …

Studies Of Breakdown In A Pressurized Rf Cavity, M. Bastaninejad, A. A. Elmustafa, C. M. Ankenbrandt, A. Moretti, M. Popovic, K. Yonehara, D. M. Kaplan, M. Alsharo'a, P. M. Hanlet, R. P. Johnson, M. Kuchnir, D. Newsham, D. V. Rose, C. Thoma, D. R. Welch

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Microscopic images of the surfaces of metallic electrodes used in high-pressure gas-filled 805 MHz RF cavity experiments [1] have been used to investigate the mechanism of RF breakdown [2]. The images show evidence for melting and boiling in small regions of ∼10 micron diameter on tungsten, molybdenum, and beryllium electrode surfaces. In these experiments, the dense hydrogen gas in the cavity prevents electrons or ions from being accelerated to high enough energy to participate in the breakdown process so that the only important variables are the fields and the metallic surfaces. The distributions of breakdown remnants on the electrode surfaces …

Naturally Present Fatty Acids As Internal Calibrants For Fourier Transform Mass Spectra Of Dissolved Organic Matter, Rachel L. Sleighter, Georgina A. Mckee, Zhanfei Liu, Patrick G. Hatcher

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The analysis of dissolved organic matter ( DOM) by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry ( FTICR- MS) has gained wide interest recently, driven primarily by its ultrahigh resolving power and mass accuracy. Accurate calibration of mass spectra is a key step to successfully decipher the DOM components. We propose a simple and accurate method to internally calibrate the peaks in the complex spectra without the need to add a calibrant. Mass spectra of DOM samples from the Dismal Swamp, Virginia, and the lower Chesapeake Bay display the presence of naturally occurring fatty acids which can be readily recognized …