Digital Commons Network^™

Technology Capacity Development Through Oss Implementation: The Case Of Public Higher Education Institutions In Ethiopia, Nigussie Tadesse Mengesha

The African Journal of Information Systems

The Open Source Software (OSS) literature gives little attention to the study and practice of domain specific end-user OSS implementation in general and in the public sector of developing countries (DCs) in particular. This paper, however, investigates the trajectories of two OSS-based information systems (IS) implementation projects in a developing country (DC) context with the aim to uncover the practice-based learning and resource sharing evident among locally situated and globally dispersed developers and users. The result of the interpretative case study research shows that the OSS philosophy and practice of software development, implementation and ownership, facilitates for the emergence of …

On The Perfection Of Broccoli: Talking To Ed Brush, Lee Torda

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

A Decision Model For E-Commerce-Enabled Partial Market Exit, Siddhartha Syam, Amit Bhatnagar

Management Faculty Research and Publications

Struggling retail chains often try to recover profitability by closing some of their stores. The challenge in this strategy lies in determining how many stores to close, as store exit has implications for both the customers and the supply chain. After a store closes, its customers are lost forever to the competition, unless there is a surviving open store nearby or an electronic alternative such as an e-store. From the supply chain perspective, after a store closes, its supporting regional distribution center is left with less business, and thus reduced viability. This paper develops a decision support model to study …

On The Use Of Natural-Mode Basis Functions For Electromagnetic Analysis Of Arbitrary Conducting Surfaces, Joshua Lawrence

All Theses

The natural modes defined in the singularity expansion method (SEM) are used as basis functions for the frequency- and time-domain current responses of arbitrary perfect electrically conducting (PEC) surfaces in this work. First, a method of determining the natural frequencies and corresponding modes which employs the electric field integral equation is presented. These quantities are then calculated for several geometries and the currents induced due to an incident plane wave in the frequency and time domains are approximated by a weighted sum of the natural modes. Additionally, the modal weights prescribed by SEM are compared to a set of weights …

A Genetic Algorithm For Multiobjective Hard Scheduling Optimization, Elías Niño, Carlos Ardila, Alfredo J. Perez, Yexid Donoso

Computer Science Faculty Publications

This paper proposes a genetic algorithm for multiobjective scheduling optimization based in the object oriented design with constrains on delivery times, process precedence and resource availability. Initially, the programming algorithm (PA) was designed and implemented, taking into account all constraints mentioned. This algorithm’s main objective is, given a sequence of production orders, products and processes, calculate its total programming cost and time.
Once the programming algorithm was defined, the genetic algorithm (GA) was developed for minimizing two objectives: delivery times and total programming cost. The stages defined for this algorithm were: selection, crossover and mutation. During the first stage, the …

Examples Of Non-Unique Maximum Likelihood Estimates, Salim Ismail Algharabi

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

This paper explores the complexities and limitations of Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) when the uniqueness of the estimator cannot be guaranteed. While standard statistical theory often assumes that MLE provides a single, optimal point estimate, this research demonstrates scenarios where multiple values or intervals can maximize the likelihood function. Drawing on foundational works by Bickel, Doksum, Hogg, and Craig, the author provides a detailed analysis of distributions—such as the uniform distribution and the Cauchy distribution with a location parameter—where the MLE is inherently non-unique. The study highlights that even with a small sample size, such as n=2, the likelihood function …

Notes From The Director, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Mcnair Scholars Program, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Friends Of The Library Mcnair Scholarship Awards, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Gravity Couplings In The Standard-Model Extension, Quentin G. Bailey

Publications

The Standard-Model Extension (SME) is an action-based expansion describing general Lorentz violation for known matter and fields, including gravity. In this talk, I will discuss the Lorentz-violating gravity couplings in the SME. Toy models that match the SME expansion, including vector and two-tensor models, are reviewed. Finally I discuss the status of experiments and observations probing gravity coefficients for Lorentz violation.

Biochemical Characterization Of Theromin, A Novel Leech Inhibitor, And The Interaction Between The Fourth Metalbinding Domain Of Wilson Disease Protein And Its Copper(I) Chaperone Hah1, Brian A. Zeider

Dissertations

Theromin, a novel thrombin inhibitor from the leech Theromyzon tessulatum, has been shown to be the strongest inhibitor to date. There has been a lot of attention on direct thrombin inhibitors as a much more efficient drug for anticoagulation therapy. One main reason for the need of strong direct thrombin inhibitors is that the current therapy, heparin, causes alternative clotting events in some patients where antibodies are made to the heparin/thrombin complex and causes clots to occur by different methods. Recently there has been a strong inhibitor from a leech used, hirudin, that can inhibit with a K_{i …}

Toward Automated Detection And Diagnosis Of Mammographic Microcalcifications, Imad Mohammad Zyout

Dissertations

Mammographie diagnosis is the most effective technique to detect breast cancer in its infancy when it is most responsive to treatment. An early and a significant indicator of breast cancer is the presence of clustered microcalcifications (MCs). Mammographie MCs greatly vary in their appearance and shape, and become indistinguishable when surrounded by dense breast tissue. This makes radiologist's interpretation of mammograms a tedious and an error prone task.

Although computer aided diagnosis (CAD) methods are being developed to aid radiologist in detecting and analyzing the malignancy of MCs, existing systems have not achieved a satisfactory performance. The specificity of existing …

Experimentally Reducing Preset And Hysteresis Effects In Creating A Non-Linear Model For Brake Hoses, Jai Thomas

Dissertations

This research investigates a brake hose simulation model that includes the effect of nonlinear torsional stiffness in addition to the usually considered bending stiffness on brake hose shape. A simulation model consisting of beams and torsion springs is presented in this research to predict brake hose shape when it is twisted through different angles. This knowledge can help reduce the possibility of a significant source of failure related to brake hose abrasion on nearby structures, thus eliminating the safety hazard of a premature failure of hoses. This would also eliminate the need for polymer bumpers at the rub points since …

Ensemble-Based Method For Task 2: Predicting Traffic Jam, Jingrui He, Qing He, Grzegorz Swirszcz, Yiannis Kamarianakis, Rick Lawrence, Wei Shen, Laura Wynter

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In this paper, we describe our solution for ICDM 2010 Contest Task 2 (Jams), where the task is to predict future where the next traffic jams will occur in morning rush hour, given data gathered during the initial phase of this peak period. Our solution, which is based on an ensemble approach, finished Second in the final evaluation.

Jerome Frank And The Modern Mind, Charles L. Barzun

Buffalo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Geochemical, Isotopic, And U-Pb Geochronologic Investigations Of Intrusive Basement Rocks From The Wallowa And Olds Ferry Arc Terranes, Blue Mountains Province, Oregon-Idaho, Gene Alan Kurz

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Late Paleozoic to Mesozoic arc terranes comprising the Blue Mountains Province of northeastern Oregon and western Idaho are poorly understood in terms of the timing and duration of recorded magmatism and deformation. Intrusive basement rocks of the Wallowa and Olds Ferry arc terranes are investigated using a combination of highprecision U-Pb geochronology, radiogenic isotope and trace element geochemistry, and structural geology to help constrain their tectonomagmatic evolution and to provide a better understanding for the accretionary history of the Blue Mountains Province.

The Cougar Creek Complex is a compositionally diverse intrusive complex interpreted as the mid-crustal portion of the Wallowa …

Inner-Shell Photodetachment Of Transition Metal Negative Ions, Ileana Dumitriu

Dissertations

This thesis focuses on the study of inner-shell photodetachment of transition metal negative ions, specifically Fe¯ and Ru¯. Experimental investigations have been performed with the aim of gaining new insights into the physics of negative atomic ions and providing valuable absolute cross section data for astrophysics. The experiments were performed using the X-ray radiation from the Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the merged-beam technique for photoion spectroscopy.

Negative ions are a special class of atomic systems very different from neutral atoms and positive ions. The fundamental physics of the interaction of transition metal negative ions with photons …

Computational Analysis For Improved Design Of An Sae Baja Frame Structure, Nagurbabu Noorbhasha

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Baja SAE is an intercollegiate competition to design, fabricate, and race a small, single passenger, off-road vehicle powered by a 10 HP Briggs & Stratton 4-Stroke gasoline engine. All Baja SAE vehicles for the competition are powered by a small engine, thus large part of vehicle performance depends on the acceleration and maneuverability of the vehicle which is proportional to the weight of the chassis and rollcage. As weight is critical to achieve the greater performance of the vehicle, a balance must be found between the strength and weight of the rollcage to ensure the safety of the driver.

The …

Design Standards Within Constructed Wetlands For The Reduction Of Mosquito Populations In Clark County, Nevada, Phillip C. Bondurant

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Wetlands are considered one of the most productive ecosystems in the world and provide many benefits to the environment. However, the slow moving and sometimes stagnant water created by the vegetation in the wetland creates an ideal environment for the proliferation of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are the most important insect disease vector worldwide. The presence of mosquitoes within wetlands increases the risk of disease transmission among workers and visitors creating a public health concern. Effective design standards aimed at reducing mosquito breeding habitat should be implemented during the construction and planning phase of wetland development to effectively reduce the mosquito populations. …

Protocol Variation Analysis Of Whole Brain Ct Perfusion In Acute Ischemic Stroke, Peter T. Heiberger

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Computed tomography perfusion (CTP) analysis is a rapidly advancing imaging modality that is improving diagnosis of brain abnormalities in patients suffering from hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke, traumatic brain injury, vascular occlusion and numerous other conditions. Through the advancements of computed tomography (CT) imaging, including the introduction of the 320-detector row CT with a 16 centimeter range in the z-axis enabling whole brain CTP, perfusion analysis now has a significantly increased clinical utility that is useful for both diagnosis and treatment of central nervous system (CNS) conditions. This study focuses on the procedural and analytical approach to the diagnostic evaluation of …

Pattern Extraction From The World Wide Web, Praveena Mettu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The World Wide Web is a source of huge amount of unlabeled information spread across different sources in varied formats. This presents us with both opportunities and challenges in leveraging such large amount of unstructured data to build knowledge bases and to extract relevant information.

As part of this thesis, a semi-supervised logistic regression model called “Dual Iterative Pattern Relation Extraction” proposed by Sergey Brin is selected for further investigation. DIPRE presents a technique which exploits the duality between sets of patterns and relations to grow the target relation starting from a small sample.

This project built in JAVA using …

Verbal Cues: Producing The Same Results In Stereotype Threat Research?, Tarryn E. Mcghie

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examined the notion that stereotype threat experiments can be influenced through linguistic manipulation. The cueing of a phrase (whether stereotypical or non-stereotypical) can produce performance differences between groups, rather than cueing of a stereotype, as used in previous research. Participants (n=95) mostly Caucasian females (68%) ranging in age from 18-45 (M=22.7). The design involved three groups and participants were randomly assigned in order to control for consequential affects. The control group received no verbal cues. The stereotypical group received a stereotypical cue (i.e. men tend to do better on this test than women). The counter-stereotypical group received a …

Evaluation Of Video Based Pedestrian And Vehicle Detection Algorithms, Varun Bandarupalli

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Video based detection systems rely on the ability to detect moving objects in video streams. Video based detection systems have applications in many fields like, intelligent transportation, automated surveillance etc. There are many approaches adopted for video based detection. Evaluation and selecting a suitable approach for pedestrian and vehicle detection is a challenging task. While evaluating the object detection algorithms, many factors should be considered in order to cope with unconstrained environments, non stationary background, different object motion patterns and the variation in types of object being detected.

In this thesis, we implement and evaluate different video based detection algorithms …

Dynamic Indexing, Viswada Sripathi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In this thesis, we report on index constructions for large document collections to facilitate the task of search and retrieval. We first report on classical static index construction methods and their shortcomings. We then report on dynamic index construction techniques and their effectiveness.

Predictors Of Recall And Reading Time For Seductive And Nonseductive Text Segments, Ivan V. Ivanov

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This correlational study explored how concreteness, relevance, importance, and interestingness related to the recall of seductive details and base text, while controlling for text coherence, and student background knowledge. Previous research has provided evidence for the significant relationship between these variables and the seductive details effect in particular and text recall in general. However, this is the first study to consider all these variables simultaneously. A group of 68 undergraduates read an expository text on lightning formation, performed an immediate test on free recall, and rated each text sentence for concreteness, relevance, importance, and interestingness. A simple regression analysis revealed …

Interclonal Variation Of Primary And Secondary Chemistry In Western Quaking Aspen And Its Influence On Ungulate Selection, Damon A. Winter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) clones within close proximity to one another can exhibit drastically different levels of browsing by ungulates. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine interclonal differences in plant chemistry between adjacent clones exhibiting different degrees of herbivory which may influence the browsing behavior and patterns of ungulates, and (2) determine if correlation exists in the levels of salicortin and tremulacin between current year's suckers and current year's growth on older trees. This second objective was meant to indicate a protocol for land managers for identifying clones meriting increased protection from herbivory after treatment …

A Front-Fixing Finite Element Method For The Valuation Of American Options, Anthony D. Holmes

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

American options are the most commonly traded options in the market. They are used to mitigate risk, speculate about the future, and are the key components of complex trading strategies. In this dissertation, we propose a new front-fixing finite element method for the valuation of American options. One of the attractive qualities of our front-fixing finite element method is that the early exercise boundaries and the option prices can be computed simultaneously with very high accuracy.

We study in detail our front-fixing finite element method for the valuation of American options on stocks, American options on zero-coupon bonds under a …

Poisson Process Monitoring, Test And Comparison, Qing Chen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The task of determining whether a sudden change occurred in the generative parameters of a time series generates application in many areas. In this thesis, we aim at monitoring the change-point of a Poisson process by method, which is characterized by a forward-backward testing algorithm and several overall error control mechanisms. With the application of this proposed method, we declare that Mount Etna is not a simple Poissonian volcano, because two different regimes divided by the change point, January 30th 1974, are identified. The validation procedures, used in a complementary fashion, by the formal hypothesis tests and graphical method will …

Chemical And Electronic Structure Of Surfaces And Interfaces In Compound Semiconductors, Sujitra Pookpanratana

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The interface formation between two different materials is important in applications for optoelectronic devices. Often, the success or performance of these devices is dependent on the formation of these heterojunctions. In this work, the surface and interfaces in such materials for optoelectronic devices are investigated by a suite of X-ray analytical techniques including X-ray photoelectron (XPS), X-ray excited Auger electron (XAES), and X-ray emission (XES) spectroscopies to provide novel insight.

For the group III-nitrides (e.g., AlxGa1-xN) used in many light emitting devices, a significant challenge exists to form an Ohmic contact. The electron affinities and band gaps of GaN and …

Sequence And Chemostratigraphy Of The Middle Cambrian Succession In Nevada And Utah, Robyn A. Howley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The House Range Embayment of western Utah and eastern Nevada was a prominent topographic feature on the passive margin of western North America during the middle and late Cambrian. In this study, detailed documentation of sequence boundaries, and their intervening sequences across a platform-to-basin transect of the House Range Embayment was used to establish a sequence-stratigraphic framework from which the depositional history of the embayment was deciphered. This framework was then used to test the hypothesis that the House Range Embayment formed by tectonic subsidence. In addition, the chemostratigraphic (δ13Ccarb) record across the embayment was analyzed within this framework to …