Digital Commons Network^™

Super-Adiabatic Combustion In Porous Media With Catalytic Enhancement For Thermoelectric Power Conversion, Kyle Thomas Mueller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The combustion of ultra-lean fuel to air mixtures provides an efficient way to convert the chemical energy of hydrocarbons into useful power. Conventional burning techniques of a mixture have defined flammability limits beyond which a flame cannot self-propagate due to heat losses. Matrix stabilized porous medium combustion is an advanced technique in which a solid porous matrix within the combustion chamber accumulates heat from the hot gaseous products and preheats incoming reactants. This heat recirculation extends the standard flammability limits and allows the burning of ultra-lean fuel mixtures, conserving energy resources, or the burning of gases of low calorific value, …

A Novel Experimental Approach Using A Reconfigurable Test Setup For Complex Nonlinear Dynamic Systems, Aaron Rank

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Experimental nonlinear dynamics is an important area of study in the modern engineering field, with engineering applications in structural dynamics, structural control, and structural health monitoring. As a result, the discipline has experienced a great influx of research efforts to develop a versatile and reliable experimental methodology. A technical challenge in many experimental studies is the procurement of a device that exhibits the desired nonlinear behavior. As a result, many researchers have longed for a versatile, but accurate, testing methodology that has complete freedom to simulate a wide range of nonlinearities and stochastic behaviors. The objective of this study is …

Effect Of Rib Aspect Ratio On Heat Transfer And Friction In Rectangular Channels, Lucky Vo Tran

HIM 1990-2015

The heat transfer and friction augmentation in the fully developed portion of a 2:1 aspect ratio rectangular channel with orthogonal ribs at channel Reynolds numbers of 20,000, 30,000, and 40,000 is studied both experimentally and computationally. Ribs are applied to the two opposite wide walls. The rib aspect ratio is varied systematically at 1, 3, and 5, with a constant rib height and constant rib pitch (rib-pitch-to-rib-height ratio of 10). The purpose of the study is to extend the knowledge of the performance of rectangular channels with ribs to include high aspect ratio ribs. The experimental investigation is performed using …

The Effects Of Medication On Memory In Children Diagnosed With Adhd, Benjamin J. Dunagan

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of The Relationship Between The Level Of Educational Computer Game Use And Milken Exemplar Teacher Instructional Strategies, Yaela Dahan Marks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the nature and level of educational computer-based game techniques adoption by Milken Educator Award winning teachers in achieving success in their classrooms. The focus of the research is on their level of acceptance of educational computer-based games and the nature of game usage to increase student performance in the classroom. With Davis' (1985) Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1985) as the conceptual framework, the research also examines how teachers' perceptions of educational computer-based games influence their willingness to incorporate these teaching methods in their classroom. The approach utilizes a descriptive survey to develop and evaluate responses from exemplar …

Corporate Business: Comparative Analysis Of The Argentine Cooperation Consortium And The New Colombian Corporation Law, Raul Etcheverry

Penn State International Law Review (1982 - 2011)

No abstract provided.

Real-Time Beamforming Using High-Speed Fpgas At The Allen Telescope Array, William C. Barott, Oren Milgrome, Melvyn Wright, David Macmahon, Tom Kilsdonk, Peter Backus, Matt Dexter

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - Daytona Beach

The Allen Telescope Array (ATA) at the Hat Creek Radio Observatory (HCRO) is a wide‐field panchromatic radio telescope currently consisting of 42 offset‐Gregorian antennas each with a 6 m aperture, with plans to expand the array to 350 antennas. Through unique back‐end hardware, the ATA performs real‐time wideband beamforming with independent subarray capabilities and customizable beam shaping. The beamformers enable science observations requiring the full gain of the array, time domain (nonintegrated) output, and interference excision or orthogonal beamsets. In this paper we report on the design of this beamformer, including architecture and experimental results. Furthermore, we address some practical …

Personal And Professional Numeracy: A Unit For Pre-Service Teachers At The University Of Tasmania, Jane M. Watson

Numeracy

This paper addresses issues associated with the development of a unit preparing pre-service teachers to be quantitatively literate in three respects. These issues surround (i) the need to be aware of numeracy demands across the curriculum, (ii) the need to model numerate behavior in all interactions of teachers, and (iii) the need to be able to interpret and use system data provided from local and national testing programs. The context for the unit described is Australia, where a national testing program for literacy and numeracy requires teachers to analyze extensive data on their students, a national curriculum requires teachers of …

Experimental Analysis Of Tools Used For Estimating Risk Associated With Industrial Machines, Yuvin Chinniah, François Gauthier, Serge Lambert, Florence Moulet

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Cliquez ici pour la version française de ce rapport

Dans cette étude, 31 outils qualitatifs servant à estimer le risque en lien avec les machines industrielles et conformes aux directives de l'ISO 14121-1:2007 ont été analysés i) en comparant leurs paramètres d'estimation du risque, et ii) en utilisant les différents outils pour estimer les risques inhérents à 20 situations dangereuses (scénarios de risque). L'étude visait à procéder à une comparaison théorique de la capacité des outils à estimer le risque et à déterminer la mesure dans laquelle ils estiment le risque de façon uniforme. Les niveaux de risque obtenus par …

Intellectual Property Rights In Sub-Saharan Africa, Sope Adegoke

CMC Senior Theses

Globalization of the world economy has made knowledge a critical element of effectiveness in the world economy. Current economic and trade conditions change rapidly and require constant improvement to ensure economic development. These conditions stimulate innovation and improvements in technology, designs, and other tangible and intangible assets. Most Sub-Saharan African countries have not exploited the benefits that intellectual property rights offer to its users, despite considerable improvements to existing knowledge and options for protecting knowledge. Strong intellectual property laws are important for effective incentives to invent continuously. It is important to provide some form of compensation and guarantee that their …

How Other Drivers’ Vehicle Characteristics Influence Your Driving Speed, Russell Brockett

CMC Senior Theses

An analysis of the effect of passing vehicles’ characteristics and their impact on other drivers’ velocities was investigated.  Three experimental studies were proposed and likely outcomes were discussed.  Experiment 1 focused on the effect of passing vehicle type (SUV, sedan or truck) on driver speed.  Drivers were hypothesized as going faster when the same vehicle type as they were driving passed them versus when no vehicle or a different vehicle passed them.  Experiment 2 focused on the effect of passing SUV age on driver’s speed.  Evidence suggests passing older SUVs will increase the driver’s speed more than new SUVs.  Experiment …

Teachers Unions: What Makes Them Unique And Are They The Gatekeepers To Education Excellence?, Angela Marie Estrella-Lemus

CMC Senior Theses

It has been ingrained into the American consciousness that our public schools are failing and our students are underachieving. This is something we all know. What is less clear is why American schools are failing. Time and time again, we come back to teachers, who have been identified as the single greatest factor in determining the success of the student. Teachers can make the difference in the lives of students and help secure our economic future. Teachers unions speak for these teachers, thus, in our search for a scapegoat, teachers unions often rank at the top. Right or wrong, it …

Ethics In Accounting: Sustainability As A Predictor Of Financial Statement Usefulness, Kyle L. Shipley

CMC Senior Theses

This paper examines the impact of ethics on financial statement usefulness in 120 publicly traded companies. Because ethics are difficult, if not impossible, to quantify, Corporate Social Responsibility ratings are used as a proxy. The potential implications of this study are vast, though the main idea is that investors would be able to make better financial decisions should the hypothesis come to fruition. Contrarily, investors will also be able to avoid potentially bad investments if they can ascertain certain companies that lack ethical values. In this paper, I will discuss several facets of corporate ethics such as creative accounting in …

Performance Under Pressure: The Effect Of Explanatory Style On Sensory-Motor Performance Under Stereotype Threat, William R. Macphail

CMC Senior Theses

Do participants with external attribution styles outperform participants with internal explanatory styles in pressure-filled situations? Explicit-monitoring theory suggests that performance becomes impaired when conscious attention is devoted to performing a task normally carried out by automatic processes. Attributing potential failure to an external source (e.g., blaming a sudden gust of wind for a poor golf shot) can decrease the negative effects of stereotype threat, a social-psychological predicament known to engender feelings of stress similar to those experienced in pressure-filled situations, by preventing explicit monitoring from taking place. The current study examined whether individual differences in attribution style, as measured by …

Ganas And The Swan: American Materialism In Mathematics Education, Taylor Berliant

CMC Senior Theses

Math is a unique subject. It is a different type of thinking for many people. Even though topics in math are separate, math is seen as a whole unlike many other subjects. Science, literature, history, art, languages, and physical education, the subjects, in addition to math, that make up the typical high school curriculum, are hardly ever referred to without additional labeling. Many of the subjects even contain topics with nearly incomparable material. The idea of math as a whole, at least in high school, is not completely untrue. A lot of the topics rely on the knowledge of previous …

Twisted Virtual Biracks, Jessica Ceniceros

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis will take a look at a branch of topology called knot theory. We will first look at what started the study of this field, classical knot theory. Knot invariants such as the Bracket polynomial and the Jones polynomial will be introduced and studied. We will then explore racks and biracks along with the axioms obtained from the Reidemeister moves. We will then move on to generalize classical knot theory to what is now known as virtual knot theory which was first introduced by Louis Kauffman. Finally, we take a look at a newer aspect of knot theory, twisted …

Confirming The Stereotype: How Stereotype Threat, Performance Feedback, And Academic Identification Affect Identity And Future Performance, Tessa L. Dover

CMC Senior Theses

This study investigates the post-performance effects of stereotype threat. Undergraduate students (N = 130) classified as either strongly- or weakly- identified with academics were told a diagnostic anagram task either typically shows poorer performance for their gender (stereotype threat) or no gender differences (no stereotype threat), and received arbitrary positive or negative feedback on an initial task. They later performed a second anagram task. Results indicate a 2-way interaction between stereotype threat and academic identification among those who received negative feedback. Negative feedback under stereotype threat did not harm performance for participants strongly-identified with academics, but did harm performance …

Neural Responses To Vibration During Wobble Board Balancing, Michael Nguyentat

CMC Senior Theses

Falling, an epidemic most prevalently seen in the elderly population, accounts for the majority of injury-related cases seen by emergency departments across the United States. Unfortunately, with no large-scale institutionalization of a solution, the problem is only expected to exacerbate as our planet’s population approaches the 7 billion mark. In the wake of the recent surge of falls among the elderly, Japan has implemented a program to include unicycling in the physical education curriculum for elementary schools across the country. The goal for this program is to encourage children to establish strong fundamental balancing skills, which could potentially alleviate the …

Overcoming The Obstacles To Sustainability In Ghana, Ashley M. Scott

CMC Senior Theses

For several decades following its independence from Great Britain, Ghana’s policies continued to promote over-extraction of natural resources to the detriment of its economy and rural communities.  Agricultural and forestry policy has gradually evolved to foster more sustainable and equitable practices, as in building partnerships with the private sector to fund infrastructure improvements.  Policy has recently recognized the dire need to adopt agricultural practices and means of forest resource extraction that are compatible with ecological stewardship.  However, many shortcomings are still apparent.  Large logging operations completely disregard forestry regulations with impunity, whereas rural sustenance extractors are severely punished in the …

Applying Localized Realized Volatility Modeling To Futures Indices, Luella Fu

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis extends the application of the localized realized volatility model created by Ying Chen, Wolfgang Karl Härdle, and Uta Pigorsch to other futures markets, particularly the CAC 40 and the NI 225. The research attempted to replicate results though ultimately, those results were invalidated by procedural difficulties.

Does The Provision Of Healthcare Vary With Race? Evidence From Health Shocks To Patients Far From Home, Ajay Sridhar

CMC Senior Theses

A vast literature acknowledges that minority groups, particularly African-Americans, receive less, and lower-quality treatment than Caucasians in U.S. health facilities. It remains an open question as to how much of this disparity is a result of poverty, and how much, a result of more overt discrimination. Former empirical studies are far from conclusive given the endogeneity of hospital quality, as minorities are overrepresented in areas served by poor health facilities. To remedy this endogeneity issue, we observe visitors to the state of Florida, as well as travelers within Florida. When an individual experiences a health shock far from home, her …

The Stable American Mind: Understanding Attitudes Towards Government And Taxes, 1990-2011, Christopher P. Eldred

CMC Senior Theses

As the federal government seeks ways to stimulate our economy and reduce our national debt, understanding public attitudes on the role and size of government and the taxes that support it is important. This thesis evaluates how US public opinion towards government and taxes has changed from 1990 to the present, and analyzes several potential causes for changes that have occurred. It is intended to be an update of William G. Mayer’s 1992 book entitled The Changing American Mind, which analyzed changing public opinion from 1960-1988. In following his analysis, the causes I have analyzed are generational replacement, fiscal …

Energy Storage: Technology For A More Efficient Grid, Noah Proser

CMC Senior Theses

Energy storage technologies have the potential to revolutionize the electric grid by allowing for the integration of renewable generation while increasing the utilization and efficiency of current grid assets. These technologies include pumped hydroelectric storage, compressed air energy storage (CAES), flywheels, batteries, thermal energy storage (TES), super capacitors, and superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES). While energy storage has been implemented in some areas, its benefits are greatly undervalued by current regulatory frameworks leading to suboptimal outcomes for grid operators, utilities, and ratepayers. Large-scale adoption of storage technologies will require regulatory frameworks that recognize the benefits of grid-scale storage across generation, …

Exploring The Flynn Effect: A Comprehensive Review Of The Causal Debate, Abby J. Trimble

CMC Senior Theses

Since its discovery in 1984, psychological investigators have continued to explore the Flynn Effect, the phenomenon of consistent and secular IQ gains within industrialized nations approximating 0.3 points per year. The most contentious debate within this field of research surrounds the purported cause of the Effect, and yet the research literature lacks a synthesis of the leading causal theories and the evidence supporting them. The principal hypothesized causal mechanisms – psychometric artifact, educational intervention, environmental changes, nutrition, genetics, gene-environment interaction model, medical improvements, and the multiplicity hypothesis – are reviewed and analyzed within the larger breadth of Flynn Effect scholarly …

Sustainability Reporting Of Eighteen Fortune 500 General Merchandising Companies: How These Companies Address World Environmental And Social Issues, Jaclyn D'Arcy

CMC Senior Theses

Climate change affects the health of people and the environment.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published research that explains the danger of greenhouse gas emissions on humans, wildlife, and the planet.  Initiatives and policies are enacted every day to counter the harm that is done to the environment.  Many companies now publish environmental impact reports or Corporate Sustainability Reports (CSR) to promote industry transparency.  Participating in environmental and social initiatives is also a competitive advantage for these Fortune 500 companies.  Customers can support a company based on their environmental friendliness or social responsibility.  Companies are then encouraged to …

The Mathematical Landscape, Antonio Collazo

CMC Senior Theses

The intent of this paper is to present the reader will enough information to spark a curiosity in to the subject.  By no means is the following a complete formulation of any of the topics covered.  I want to give the reader a tour of the mathematical landscape.  There are plenty of further details to explore in each section, I have just touched the tip the iceberg.  The work is basically in four sections: Numbers, Geometry, Functions, Sets and Logic, which are the basic building blocks of Math.  The first sections are a exposition into the mathematical objects and their …

An Analysis Of Managing Waste And Decreasing Lead Time In A Medium Sized Manufacturing Company, Tahir Murgic

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The importance of managing waste and reducing lead time in manufacturing cannot be denied. This study provides knowledge about both topics in a medium sized manufacturing company. The methodology that is used in this research is mixed methodology. Interviews were done with managers, and they were analyzed qualitatively. The next part is the quantitative research part that is done by asking employees via questionnaire. This study provided the close concepts of JIT (Just in Time) and waste management. Management must be committed to change, to train everyone to the new culture, to ensure that the organization's culture fosters employee participation, …

Examining The Use Of Collocations In Natural Language Processing, Patrick Anthony Burke

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Studies in Natural Language Processing are often dedicated to defining the lexicon and grammar rules of individual languages. It is a common understanding that virtually all statements that a language user encounters are unique constructions that have never been seen before. Because of this, there has been very little modem research regarding the use of repeated language when attempting to provide computers with language processing functionality. It seems reasonable that most statements we use on a daily basis are completely new when they are evaluated in their entirely. However, it is possible that smaller portions of these statements are reused. …

Virtual Prototype Modeling And Simulation Of Pipe Wagon Articulating System, Y. Li, Samuel Frimpong, W. Y. Liu

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Virtual prototype of pipe wagon articulating (PWA) system has been developed and simulated based on the kinematics and dynamics of machinery and Automatic Dynamic Analysis of Mechanical Systems (ADAMS) software. It has been integrated with real-time three dimensional (3-D) system simulations for detailed and responsive interaction with dynamic virtual environments. By using this virtual model, the conceptual design examination and performance analysis of the PWA system have been realized dynamically in virtual laboratory. System dynamic force, displacement and tension of pipe have been measured through verifying this 3- D virtual prototype. By comparing the static tension and dynamic tension of …

Stability Analysis Of Anchored Rock Slopes Against Plane Failure Subjected To Surcharge And Seismic Loads, Md M. Hossain

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The stability analysis of rock slopes has been a challenging task for engineers

because the rock mass constituting the slope often has discontinuities in various

forms, resulting in different types of slope failures. The plane failure is one of the

rock slope failures observed in field situations when the discontinuity is in the form

of joint planes. There are several parameters including surcharge and seismic loads

that govern the stability of the rock slope against plane failure in field projects. The

limit equilibrium approach for the estimation of the factor of safety of the rock slope

against plane failure has …