Digital Commons Network^™

The Use Of Virtual Reality To Demonstrate Trajectory Planning And Control Of A 3-Dof Underactuated Robot In A Horizontal Plane In Real-Time, Waladin K., Mohammed Y. Algailany

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

Real-Time 3D animation and Real-Time Simulation results are reported for a 3R underactuated robot moving in a horizontal plane using Virtual Reality Toolbox™, Real-Time Windows Target™,Real-Time Workshop®, and interfaced to Simulink® under the MATLAB® environment. The reason behind Real-time 3D animation and Real-Time simulation is to provide animated real-time tools in a realistic fashion to demonstrate the effectiveness of the controllers in tracking the desired trajectory and to provide a tool for researchers to test their proposed controllers and observe their behavior using 3-DOF underactuated manipulator in real-time.

Hardware Implementation Of An Ann Trained By Ga And Pso Based On Fpga, Hanan A. R., Sundus Dhamad Hasan

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

In this paper, Particle Swarm Optimization-feedforward Neural Network (PSONN) and Genetic Algorithm-Neural Network (GANN) are proposed to enhance the learning process of ANN in term of convergence rate and classification accuracy. They have been tested and compared and the results applied in pattern classification. The experiments show that both algorithms produce feasible results in terms of convergence time and classification percentage. At the end of the eVolutionary process of GANN for optimal structure, not only the best network structure for a particular application but also the trained network with few numbers of epochs is provided. A Hardware Design of ANN …

Analog Signal Processing Elements For Energy-Constrained Platforms, Kyle Robert Mcmillan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Energy constrained processing poses a number of challenges that have resulted in tremendous innovations over the past decade. Shrinking supply voltages and limited clock speeds have placed an emphasis on processing efficiency over the raw throughput of a processor. One of the approaches to increase processing efficiency is to use parallel processing with slower, lower resolution processing elements. By utilizing this parallel approach, power consumption can be decreased while maintaining data throughput relative to other more power-hungry architectures.;This low resolution / parallel architecture has direct application in the analog as well as the digital domain. Indeed, research shows that as …

Aquatic Plant Surveys In The Bureau Of Land Management, Medford District, 2010-2011, Mark D. Sytsma, Rich Miller, Vanessa Morgan

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

The introduction of invasive aquatic plant species (IAPS) can cause significant ecological and economic harm. IAPS can displace native aquatic plant species, impair recreation, and degrade water quality. Early detection of new invasions can improve chances for successful eradication or containment to reduce the risk of IAPS spread. The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) lists the most egregious offenders as “Noxious Weeds” which are defined as plants classified by the Oregon State Weed Board that are injurious to public health, agriculture, recreation, wildlife, or any public or private property (ODA 2011).

Several IAPS classified as noxious have been detected within …

Lanthorn, Vol. 46, No. 28, December 1, 2011, Grand Valley State University

Volume 46, July 14, 2011 - June 18, 2012

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State's student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present.

Thermal Conductivity Enhancement In Nanofluids -Mathematical Model, Anand Natchimuthu Chinnaraj

Theses

The study on developing a mathematical model for thermal conductivity enhancement in nanofluids was based on formation of nanoparticles into nanoclusters, nanolayer thickness, Brownian motion and volume fraction of nanoclusters. An equation for the thermal conductivity of nanofluids was developed. The expression developed successfully explained the enhanced thermal conductivity of nanofluids and led to some important conclusions. It was found that in this study the nanoparticles tend to form nanoclusters and the volume fraction of the nanoclusters and the trapped fluid in the nanocluster was contributing to the overall thermal conductivity enhancement. Various types of cluster formation was analyzed and …

The Affect Of Organizational And Individual Learning From Disruptive Market Events On Financial Advisor Behavior, Philipp A. Hensler

Student Scholarship

The static portfolio construction process is an efficient and rational choice to allocate clients' assets in well behaved markets. However, if markets become disruptive, like in 2008, relying on historic risk/return relationships becomes challenging and active financial advisor intervention necessary. The literature is silent about how financial advisors learn from such dislocations and how it affects their asset allocation process. Semi-structured interviews with 30 US financial advisors yielded insights into what shaped their decision making process. We identified five factors that appear to have had the strongest effect on their behavior, namely their enduring belief in recurring historic patterns, continued …

On Shrunken Estimation Of Generalized Exponential Distribution, Abbas Najm Salman, Alaa Majed, Maha A. Mohammed

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

This paper deal with the estimation of the shape parameter (a) of Generalized Exponential (GE) distribution when the scale parameter (l) is known via preliminary test single stage shrinkage estimator (SSSE) when a prior knowledge (a0) a vailable about the shape parameter as initial value due past experiences as well as suitable region (R) for testing this prior knowledge. The Expression for the Bias, Mean squared error [MSE] and Relative Efficiency [R.Eff(×)] for the proposed estimator are derived. Numerical results about behavior of considered estimator are discussed via study the mentioned expressions. These numerical results displayed in annexed tables. Comparisons …

Using The Non- Homogenous Poisson Processes With Queuing Theory In The Emergency Department In Al-Tifel Teaching Central Hospital (Al-Iskan), Khalid Dhari Al-Taee, Zeina Mueen Mohammed

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

In this paper, the using of Non-Homogenous Poisson Processes, with one of the scientific and practical means in the Operations Research had been carried out, which is the Queuing Theory, as those operations are affected by time in their conduct by one function which has a cyclic behavior, called the (Sinusoidal Function). (Mt / M / S) The model was chosen, and it is Single Queue Length with multiple service Channels, and using the estimating scales (QLs, HOL, HOLr) was carried out in considering the delay occurring to the customer before his entrance to the service, with the comparison of …

First Mover: Otto Struve And The Use Of Scientific Capital In Astrophysics, 1921–1950, Erik Paul Norquest

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Otto Struve (1897-1963) came to the United States in 1921 and became one of the dominant personalities in the field of astrophysics. Struve’s career made him, in the words of sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, a “first mover” in a scientific field that was firmly engaged in the process of what Thomas Kuhn called “normal science.” Struve pulled astrophysics further away from its empirical roots in categorization and made it more like physics in its unification of theory and observation. The primary way that he accomplished this was through his administration of Yerkes and McDonald observatories, where he brought in theorists to …

The Evaluation And Analysis Of The Impact Of Variability On The Twelve Workstation Factory, Hernando Garrido

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Presently, there is theory and work examples about factory performance presented in the book ―Optimizing factory Performance‖ by James Ignizio, Ph.D. The theory explains how to determine performance using three fundamental equations by considering the impact and propagation of variability through a 12-Workstation Factory Model, and a number of its variations. The objective of developing a simulation model was to serve as a tool for instructors to illustrate the impact and propagation of variability in the manufacturing industry and to investigate phenomena (i.e., time to reach steady state, impact of variability) in the three dimensions of manufacturing. The validation of …

Surfactant Induced Reservoir Wettability Alteration: Recent Theoretical And Experimental Advances In Enhanced Oil Recovery, Yefei Wang, Huaimin Xu, Weizhao Yu, Baojun Bai, Xinwang Song, Jichao Zhang

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Reservoir wettability plays an important role in various oil recovery processes. The origin and evolution of reservoir wettability were critically reviewed to better understand the complexity of wettability due to interactions in crude oil-brine-rock system, with introduction of different wetting states and their influence on fluid distribution in pore spaces. The effect of wettability on oil recovery of waterflooding was then summarized from past and recent research to emphasize the importance of wettability in oil displacement by brine. The mechanism of wettability alteration by different surfactants in both carbonate and sandstone reservoirs was analyzed, concerning their distinct surface chemistry, and …

Assessment Of Corrosion Potential Of Coarse Backfill Aggregates For Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls, Anita Thapalia, David M. Borrok, Soheil Nazarian, Jose Garibay

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The service life of mechanically stabilized earth walls depends on the rate of corrosion of the metallic reinforcements used in their construction. The assessment of corrosion potential requires an accurate evaluation of pH, resistivity, and sulfate and chloride concentrations of aqueous solutions in contact with the surrounding aggregate. Highway agencies tend to use larger aggregates that contain only a small amount of fine material (passing the Number 40 sieve) in the backfill. Evaluation of the electrochemical parameters of coarse aggregates is challenging because traditional evaluation methods call for the use of fine material. In this study, the suitability of traditional …

Erratum: Experimental Study Of The Role Of Physicochemical Surface Processing On The In Ability Of Mineral Dust Particles (Atmospheric Chemistry And Physics (2011) 11 (11131-11144)), D. Niedermeier, S. Hartmann, T. Clauss, H. Wex, A. Kiselev, R. C. Sullivan, P. J. Demott, M. D. Petters, P. Reitz, J. Schneider, E. Mikhailov, B. Sierau, O. Stetzer, B. Reimann, U. Bundke, R. A. Shaw, A. Buchholz, T. F. Mentel, F. Stratmann

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

No abstract provided.

Design Of A Low Noise Amplifier For Wireless Sensor Networks, Ting Liu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

CMOS technology becomes important in Radio Frequency (RF) communication systems which include both a receiver and a transmitter. In a high performance radio receiver, the Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) is the first circuit, and its noise performance dominates the entire receiver. Depending upon the system in which they are used, LNAs can be designed according to various topologies and structures. The LNA needs to have matched input impedance, and at the same time it should amplify the small amplitude input signal without adding too much noise and still have the minimal power consumption. It also needs a good interface with …

Cognitive Agendas And Legal Epistemology, Danny Marrero

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The domain of legal epistemology is defined from two alternative perspectives: individual epistemology and Social epistemology. Since these perspectives have different objects of evaluation, their judgments privilege and exclude different sets of information. While methodological individualism is concerned with justified beliefs of individual knowers, the Social angle focuses on the institutional conditions of knowledge. I will show that the information that is respectively excluded by both the individual and the Social concepts of legal epistemology weaken their respective evaluations. With this in mind, I will explore one new option of defining legal epistemology. This alternative is more comprehensive, in the …

The Effects Of Scheduling On Criterion-Referenced Assessments In Arkansas High Schools, Sheila Marie Trinkle

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the differences in achievement on the end of course assessment in Geometry and the Grade 11 Literacy exam administered to students in Arkansas during the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 school years. The three main types of scheduling are the traditional schedule with seven or eight periods; the A/B, or the alternating block; and the 4 x 4, or accelerated block. The traditional was utilized by 90% of schools in Arkansas during this time frame. The A/B block and 4 x 4 block were used almost equally, each representing approximately 5% of Arkansas schools. …

A Multiple Case Study Of Principals' Instructional Leadership In "Level 5" Schools Of Excellence For Improvement, Janice V. Mccoy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

After 28 years of federal and state policy development, regional and local initiatives and various budgetary appropriations, the status of American schools continues to decline. Lyne (2001) reported that Finland, Japan and Korea had the world's highest literacy in reading, math, and science, while the United States ranked 15 in reading literacy, 19 in mathematical literacy, and 14 in scientific literacy. Many factors may contribute to the decline in America's schools. However, with the prevailing economic decline in the United States schools continue to struggle with student achievement, especially students with who are low socio-economic. In addition, to meeting the …

Studies Toward The Development Of A Microelectrode Array For Detection Of Dopamine Through Redox Cycling, Anupama Aggarwal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Redox cycling is an electrochemical technique that cycles the reversible redox species between its oxidative states repeatedly on generator and collector electrodes. Two or more individually-addressable microelectrodes located close to each other allow redox cycling to be possible. Electrochemical behavior of a biologically important molecule, dopamine is examined under redox cycling conditions. To our knowledge, this is the first report on detection of physiological concentration of dopamine in presence of up to 100 times excess ascorbate with the use of redox cycling, without the involvement of polymer coating such as Nafion®.

Microfabrication was used to produce different geometries (parallel bands …

Water Quality Trends For Section 319 Priority Watersheds In Northwest Arkansas, 1997-2010, Bryan William Bailey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Northwest Arkansas contains two Section 319 Priority Watersheds that the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (ANRC) has identified as being impacted by point and nonpoint sources of pollution (i.e., phosphorus, nitrogen, and sediment), and the Arkansas Water Resources Center (AWRC) has monitored the water quality at several sites within these watersheds. Water-quality data has been collected over the last decade within the Illinois River Watershed (HUC #11110103) and the Upper White River Basin (Beaver Reservoir HUC# 11010001), each watershed containing three sampling sites. The Illinois River Watershed sites are located on the Illinois River, Osage Creek, and Ballard Creek, and the …

2011 December, Office Of Communications & Marketing, Morehead State University.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for December of 2011.

Dynamic Partial Reconfiguration For Pipelined Digital Systems— A Case Study Using A Color Space Conversion Engine, Ryan Toukatly

Theses

In digital hardware design, reconfigurable devices such as Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) allow for a unique feature called partial reconfiguration PR). This refers to the reprogramming of a subset of the reconfigurable logic during active operation. PR allows multiple hardware blocks to be consolidated into a single partition, which can be reprogrammed at run-time as desired. This may reduce the logic circuit (and silicon area) requirements and greatly extend functionality. Furthermore, dynamic partial reconfiguration (DPR) refers to PR that does not halt the system during reprogramming. This allows for configuration to overlap with normal processing, potentially achieving better system …

Probabilistic Framework For Image Understanding Applications Using Bayesian Networks, Mustafa Jaber

Theses

Machine learning algorithms have been successfully utilized in various systems/devices. They have the ability to improve the usability/quality of such systems in terms of intelligent user interface, fast performance, and more importantly, high accuracy. In this research, machine learning techniques are used in the field of image understanding, which is a common research area between image analysis and computer vision, to involve higher processing level of a target image to "make sense" of the scene captured in it. A general probabilistic framework for image understanding where topics associated with (i) collection of images to generate a comprehensive and valid database, …

Optimal Economic Planning And Control For The Management Of Ecosystems, Kevin Macksamie

Theses

In recent years the interest on sustainable systems has increased significantly. Among the many interested problems, creating and restoring sustainable ecosystems is a challenging and complex problem. One of the fundamental problems within this area is the imbalance between species that have a predator-prey relationship. Solutions involving management have become an integral player in many environments. Management systems typically use ad hoc methods to develop harvesting policies to control the populations of species to desired numbers. In order to amalgamate intelligence and structure, ecological systems require a diverse research effort from three primary fields: ecology, economics, and control theory. In …

Production And Fate Of Transparent Exopolymer Particles In The Ocean, Oliver Wurl, Lisa Miller, Svein Vagle

OES Faculty Publications

The production and fate of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) have been investigated in various oceanic regions (tropical, temperate, and polar), from the sea surface microlayer (SML) to the deep ocean. Accumulation of TEP within the mixed layer was observed even in the absence of phytoplankton blooms, indicating abiotic processes are important in TEP production. The abiotic TEP aggregation rates measured in the tropical and temperate North Pacific and the Arctic Ocean averaged between 8 and 12 μmol C L^-1 d-¹. Depth profiles from under sea ice in the Arctic revealed the highest TEP concentrations, potentially released by …

Investigations Of The Tribological Effects Of Engine Oil Dilution By Vegetable And Animal Fat Feedstock Biodiesel On Selected Surfaces, Sultana Mahbuba Shanta

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Biodiesels have become attractive alternative fuel to replace traditional fossil fuels. Biodiesels can be used in diesel engines with no major modification, but its use leads to some degree of engine oil dilution because of biodiesel leaking and scrapping to engine oil pan. Biodiesels can be made from vegetable and animal fat feedstocks. Therefore, the fatty acid methyl ester components of biodiesel may vary upon these sources of feedstock. In this thesis work, engine oil is diluted with vegetable (canola oil, peanut oil and soybean oil biodiesel) and animal (chicken fat) feedstock biodiesels at known percentages and these mixtures are …

Detecting Outliers In Multiple Linear Regression, Ehab A. Mahmood

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

It is well-known that the existence of outliers in the data will adversely affect the efficiency of estimation and results of the current study. In this paper four methods will be studied to detect outliers for the multiple linear regression model in two cases : first, in real data; and secondly, after adding the outliers to data and the attempt to detect it. The study is conducted for samples with different sizes, and uses three measures for comparing between these methods . These three measures are : the mask, dumping and standard error of the estimate.

Four Perspectives On Architectural Strategy, C. Jason Woodard, Joel West

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

A recurring theme in the literature on technology and organizations is the concept of mirroring, which posits a duality between technological and organizational design decisions. In this paper we highlight a second, orthogonal duality between components and interfaces: designers of both products and organizations must decide what information to hide within component boundaries and what to expose to other designers. Although the component-interface duality appears in many settings, it presents especially vexing strategic challenges in the design and production of complex digital artifacts. We present a typology of four interlinked perspectives on these kinds of strategic design problems, and discuss …

An Effective Approach For Topicspecific Opinion Summarization, Binyang Li, Lanjun Zhou, Wei Gao, Kam-Fai Wong, Zhongyu Wei

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Topic-specific opinion summarization (TOS) plays an important role in helping users digest online opinions, which targets to extract a summary of opinion expressions specified by a query, i.e. topic-specific opinionated information (TOI). A fundamental problem in TOS is how to effectively represent the TOI of an opinion so that salient opinions can be summarized to meet user’s preference. Existing approaches for TOS are either limited by the mismatch between topic-specific information and its corresponding opinionated information or lack of ability to measure opinionated information associated with different topics, which in turn affect the performance seriously. In this paper, we represent …

African American Male Students' Perceptions Of Factors That Contribute To Their Academic Success, Gertrude Rolland

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study sought to understand African American high school males' perceptions of factors contributing to academic success. The researcher gathered information by interviewing students and collecting their demographic profile data. This qualitative research method enabled the researcher to learn directly from students what factors African American male students associated with academic success as well as challenges to academic success and solutions for achieving academic success. Participants were three junior and three senior African American high school male students attending a rural high school in Georgia. Data collection occurred during the spring semester of 2011. Each participant was asked 16 questions …