Digital Commons Network^™

Modified Network Simplex Method To Solve A Sheltering Network Planning And Management Problem, Lingfeng Li

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation considers sheltering network planning and operations for natural disaster preparedness and responses with a two-stage stochastic program. The first phase of the network design decides the locations, capacities and held resources of new permanent shelters. Both fixed costs for building a new permanent shelter and variable costs based on capacity are considered. Under each disaster scenario featured by the evacuee demand and transportation network condition, the flows of evacuees and resources to shelters, including permanent and temporary ones, are determined in the second stage to minimize the transportation and shortage/surplus costs. Typically, a large number of scenarios are …

Multi-Agent Cooperative Control Via A Unified Optimal Control Approach, Jianan Wang

Theses and Dissertations

Recent rapid advances in computing, communication, sensing, and actuation, together with miniaturization technologies, have offered unprecedented opportunities to employ large numbers of autonomous vehicles (air, ground, and water) working cooperatively to accomplish a mission. Cooperative control of such multi-agent dynamical systems has potential impact on numerous civilian, homeland security, and military applications. Compared with single-agent control problems, new theoretical and practical challenges emerge and need to be addressed in cooperative control of multiagent dynamical systems, including but not limited to problem size, task coupling, limited computational resources at individual agent level, communication constraints, and the need for real-time obstacle/collision avoidance. …

Numerical Analysis Of Aberdeen Pool Sedimentation, Nathan Dwayne Clifton

Theses and Dissertations

The main objective of this research was to create a two dimensional and three dimensional Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC) model using Aberdeen Pool of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway for the purpose of determining the differences in their ability to address sediment transport. These objectives were reached in the results with comparisons of water levels, sediment concentrations, shear stress, and bed change. The models produced very similar results for the majority of the sediment transport throughout both models with the overall trend being deposition except in the upper limits of the Tombigbee River. The main differences between the two models are …

Optimal Operation Of Multi-Terminal Vsc Based Mvdc Shipboard Power System, Sandeep Yeleti

Theses and Dissertations

The Medium Voltage DC (MVDC) architecture of shipboard power system (SPS) with higher power density and enhanced power control is seen as a future prospect in warships by US Navy. Optimal operation of SPS is essential to enable efficient power and energy usage in the tightly coupled and power limited systems. It helps in obtaining adequate and reliable power supply by rescheduling generator output and energy storage devices for different operating scenarios and can also ensure power supply to critical loads during fault conditions. The self-commutated Voltage Source Converters (VSCs) with high dynamic performance and independent control over the real …

Pedestrian Dynamics: Modeling And Analyzing Cognitive Processes And Traffic Flows To Evaluate Facility Service Level, Hohyun Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Walking is the oldest and foremost mode of transportation through history and the prevalence of walking has increased. Effective pedestrian model is crucial to evaluate pedestrian facility service level and to enhance pedestrian safety, performance, and satisfaction. The objectives of this study were to: (1) validate the efficacy of utilizing queueing network model, which predicts cognitive information processing time and task performance; (2) develop a generalized queueing network based cognitive information processing model that can be utilized and applied to construct pedestrian cognitive structure and estimate the reaction time with the first moment of service time distribution; (3) investigate pedestrian …

Integrated Optimal And Robust Control Of Spacecraft In Proximity Operations, Hejia Pan

Theses and Dissertations

With the rapid growth of space activities and advancement of aerospace science and technology, many autonomous space missions have been proliferating in recent decades. Control of spacecraft in proximity operations is of great importance to accomplish these missions. The research in this dissertation aims to provide a precise, efficient, optimal, and robust controller to ensure successful spacecraft proximity operations. This is a challenging control task since the problem involves highly nonlinear dynamics including translational motion, rotational motion, and flexible structure deformation and vibration. In addition, uncertainties in the system modeling parameters and disturbances make the precise control more difficult. Four …

Static And Free Vibration Analyses Of Composite Shells Based On Different Shell Theories, Ebrahim Asadi

Theses and Dissertations

Equations of motion with required boundary conditions for doubly curved deep and thick composite shells are shown using two formulations. The first is based upon the formulation that was presented initially by Rath and Das (1973, J. Sound and Vib.) and followed by Reddy (1984, J. Engng. Mech. ASCE). In this formulation, plate stiffness parameters are used for thick shells, which reduced the equations to those applicable for shallow shells. This formulation is widely used but its accuracy has not been completely tested. The second formulation is based upon that of Qatu (1995, Compos. Press. Vessl. Indust.; 1999, Int. J. …

Static And Vibration Analysis Of Thick Generally Laminated Composite Deep Curved Beams, Mehdi Hajianmaleki

Theses and Dissertations

A rigorous first order shear deformation theory (FSDT) is employed along with modified ABD parameters to analyze static and free vibration behavior of generally laminated beams and shafts. Different approaches for calculating composite beam stiffness parameters have been considered and the most accurate one that accounts for material couplings have been used to analyze static and free vibration behaviors of straight beams with different laminates and boundary conditions. In order to analyze curved beams, the term (1+z/R) is exactly integrated into ABD parameters formulation and an equivalent modulus of elasticity is used instead of traditional stiffness terms to account for …

Lifetime Characteristics Of Magnet Wire Mw 16-C Under Ac, Dc Voltages, And High Temperatures, Manasi Pramod Gadre

Theses and Dissertations

Polyimide is one of the most heat resistant polymers with high electric breakdown strength, good mechanical properties, and chemical resistance. Polyimide is used in severe environmental condition. Polyimide is commonly applied as electrical insulation in a fine gauge of invertered motor windings and in high voltage coils of encapsulated fly-back transformers. The wire insulation may be exposed to multi-stresses like ac, dc high voltages, temperatures etc. In this thesis, magnet wire insulation properties under multiple stresses are studied under ac, dc voltages and high temperatures. Accelerated degradation test is used to do study of Life -time characteristics of Magnetic wire …

Machine Learning Driven Model Inversion Methodology To Detect Reniform Nematodes In Cotton, Pavan Kumar Palacharla

Theses and Dissertations

Rotylenchulus reniformis is a nematode species affecting the cotton crop and quickly spreading throughout the southeastern United States. Effective use of nematicides at a variable rate is the only economic counter measure. It requires the intraield variable nematode population, which in turn depends on the collection of soil samples from the field and analyzing them in the laboratory. This process is economically prohibitive. Hence estimating the nematode infestation on the cotton crop using remote sensing and machine learning techniques which are cost and time effective is the motivation for this study. In the current research, the concept of multi-temporal remote …

Juvenile Hormone Regulates Vitellogenin Gene Expression Through Insulin-Like Peptide Signaling Pathway In The Red Flour Beetle, Tribolium Castaneum, Zhentao Sheng, Jingjing Xu, Hua Bai, Fang Zhu, Subba R. Palli

Entomology Faculty Publications

Our recent studies identified juvenile hormone (JH) and nutrition as the two key signals that regulate vitellogenin (Vg) gene expression in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. Juvenile hormone regulation of Vg synthesis has been known for a long time in several insects, but the mechanism of JH action is not known. Experiments were conducted to determine the mechanism of action of these two signals in regulation of Vg gene expression. Injection of bovine insulin or FOXO double-stranded RNA into the previtellogenic, starved, or JH-deficient female adults increased Vg mRNA and protein levels, thereby implicating the pivotal role for …

Crusader, December, 9, 2011, College Of The Holy Cross

Student Newspapers

The student newspaper for the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. Articles include coverage of campus events and issues, sports, editorials and special features.

State V. Worthington Respondent's Brief Dckt. 38907

Not Reported

No abstract provided.

Peripheral Visual Cues And Their Effect On The Perception Of Egocentric Depth In Virtual And Augmented Environments, James Adam Jones

Theses and Dissertations

The underestimation of depth in virtual environments at mediumield distances is a well studied phenomenon. However, the degree by which underestimation occurs varies widely from one study to the next, with some studies reporting as much as 68% underestimation in distance and others with as little as 6% (Thompson et al. [38] and Jones et al. [14]). In particular, the study detailed in Jones et al. [14] found a surprisingly small underestimation effect in a virtual environment (VE) and no effect in an augmented environment (AE). These are highly unusual results when compared to the large body of existing work …

The Beacon - Vol 10 No. 7 - December 9, 2011, Merrimack College

The Beacon

The Beacon - the student newspaper of Merrimack College. Volume 10, Number 7 - December 9, 2011. 12 pages

Chile’S Fishing Industry, Greens Square Off On South American Sea Lions, Benjamin Witte-Lebhar

NotiSur

No abstract provided.

Water Resources Assessment Of The Rito Peñas Negras, Bruce Thomson, Abdul-Mehdi Ali

Water Resources Field Methods Reports

During the summer of 2011 students and faculty from the UNM Water Resources Program conducted an investigation of the Rito Peñas Negras in the Cuba District of the Santa Fe National Forest. The objective was to conduct an assessment of the stream and determine its characteristics, quality, and ability to meet its designated use of supporting high quality coldwater aquatic life. The Rito Peñas Negras is a small first order stream with a total length of 7.9 miles. It has one tributary, the Rito Café, which adds another 4 miles to its length. The watershed consists of 10,850 acres and …

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (Pcbs) In Stormwater From The Pajarito Plateau, Northern New Mexico., Marwin Shendo

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are distributed throughout the globe and represent an environmental threat to wildlife and human health. The New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission has established surface water standards for Wildlife Habitat and the Human Health of 14,000 and 640 pg/L respectively. Preliminary studies identified elevated levels of PCBs in stormwater samples collected from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) watersheds draining the Pajarito Plateau in northern New Mexico, including the Los Alamos County town site. PCB samples were collected at 59 stormwater runoff Site Monitoring Areas (SMAs) from 1996 to 2008 at LANL. PCB Aroclor concentrations ranged from 218,070 …

Voice Class I Recital, Amber Wynn, Zhu Sun

Chamber Music Programs

Program listing performers and works performed

Risk Factors Of Gallbladder Cancer In Karachi-A Case-Control Study, A. Rehman Alvi, Nadeem Ahmed Siddiqui, Hasnain Zafar

Department of Surgery Docs

Background:Gallbladder carcinoma (GC) is a relatively rare malignancy worldwide but is the second commonest gastrointestinal cancer in Pakistani women. Gallstones have a positive association with GC but other factors also influence in causation.

Methods:

This is a retrospective case control study over a period of 19 years. The cases (Group A) were Patients with histopathological proven carcinoma gallbladder (N = 60) and controls were Patients with cholelithiasis but no carcinoma gallbladder on histopathology (N = 120). Multivariate regression analysis was done to calculate the odds ratio, 95% confidence interval and P-Value. A positive relationship was found between size of …

Geochemical Analysis Of Ancient Activities At Two Plazas In Cobá, Mexico, Eric G. Coronel

Theses and Dissertations

Two plazas at Cobá, Mexico, may have been the place of market activity during the classic Maya period. The intense decomposition in the warm, moist soils of the Yucatan Peninsula precludes the identification of organic artifacts in archaeological contexts, but phosphorus and trace elements accumulation in soils may provide evidence of marketing activities. The spatial patterns of P and trace element concentrations were used to elucidate the types of ancient Maya activities that took place in those plazas. Phosphorus concentrations are highly correlated (p-value <0.01) with Fe, Mn, and Zn levels in both Plaza B and D. Although the soil geochemistry of Plaza B does not show a marketplace pattern in comparison with previous studies, the elemental concentrations and distributions within Plaza D join other lines of evidence to support the premise that marketplace activities took place at that location. Soil samples were analyzed using DTPA extraction, Mehlich II, Olsen, and Portable X-Ray Fluorescence (PXRF). Experiments were performed to study the suitability of PXRF for field studies. Aspects that were studied include granule size, soil moisture content, protective plastic films that could interfere with the X-Ray signal when placing the samples on top of the analyzer, and a comparison of certified soil standards to the PXRF elemental concentration readings. The results suggest that a field laboratory could be set up to air-dry and sieve soil samples to a minimum mesh size of #10 (> 2 mm).

The Effect Of Material And Processing On The Impact Strength Of Vapor-Grown Carbon Nanofiber/Vinyl Ester Composites, Glenn William Torres

Theses and Dissertations

A design of experiments methodology was used to investigate the effect of vaporgrown carbon nanofiber (VGCNF) weight fraction, high-shear mixing time, and ultrasonication time on the Izod impact strength of vinyl ester (VE) based nanocomposites. A response surface model (RSM) was developed for predicting impact strengths using a regression analysis approach. The RSM predicts a maximum increase in impact strength of 18% at a VGCNF weight fraction of 0.17 parts per hundred parts resin (phr) (a volume percent of ~0.1) and 100 min high-shear mixing when compared to that of neat VE. The impact strength predictions show an initial increase …

The Bg News December 9, 2011, Bowling Green State University

BG News (Student Newspaper)

The BGSU campus student newspaper. December 9, 2011. Volume 102-Issue 50.

Neuromechanical Alterations Due To Induced Knee Pain And Effusion During Functional Movements, Jihong Park

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Examine neuromechanical alterations due to isolated and/or combined knee pain and effusion in functional movements. Methods: A 4X3 randomised controlled laboratory study with repeated measures was used. Nineteen, healthy volunteers (age: 22.4 ± 2.4 years) underwent four different treatments (control, effusion, pain, and pain/effusion) with a week wash out period. Ten near-infrared cameras with 43 reflective markers, 12 surface EMG electrodes, and two ground-embedded force platforms were used to record neuromechanical changes during functional movements (walking and drop landing). To induce pain, 5% sodium chloride (1 ml) was injected into the infrapatellar fat pad. To induce effusion, 0.9% sodium …

The Effects Of Whole Body Vibration On Dorsiflexion In Chronic Ankle Instability, Lesley Abigail Thalman

Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Whole body vibration (WBV) platforms are currently used as adjunctive training devices for exercise programs, and have been shown to facilitate flexibility. One of the biggest contributing factors to chronic ankle instability (CAI) is the lack of dorsiflexion after lateral ankle sprains and WBV may be an effective way to increase range of motion in this population. PURPOSE: Determine if WBV done concurrently with static stretching (SS) is more effective then SS alone in improving dorsiflexion ROM in subjects with CAI. METHODS: Subjects were divided into 3 groups (control, static stretch, and static stretch and vibrate). Subjects stretched 4 …

A Framework For Studying The Physical Degradation Characteristics Of Dvds And Their Relationship To Digital Errors, Brian K. Saville

Theses and Dissertations

The methods used to store data on DVD-R discs have been proven to work over the last 15 years. However, there has been a growing concern that these discs will be outlasted by the paper records they were meant to replace. The data on a DVD-R is stored as optical contrasts which have the potential to be misread and even damaged. This damage may occur either on the surface or internally to the disc, especially on the recording layer itself. The literature is saturated with studies attempting to determine the time period in which discs may fail and what the …

Practice Resurrection: A Conversation On Growing Up In Christ - Part 2, Eugene H. Peterson

ATS Chapel Services

No abstract provided.

Intelligent Methods For Smart Microgrids, Joydeep Mitra, Niannian Cai, Mo Yuen Chow, Sukumar Kamalasadan, Wenxin Liu, Wei Qiao, Sri Niwas Singh, Anurag K. Srivastava, Sanjeev K. Srivastava, Ganesh K. Venayagamoorthy, Ziang Zhang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper summarizes ongoing research in the application of intelligent methods to the design, modeling, simulation and control of microgrids including optimal design of microgrids, and centralized and decentralized control. © 2011 IEEE.

Wnt Signaling Exerts An Antiproliferative Effect On Adult Cardiac Progenitor Cells Through Igfbp3., Angelos Oikonomopoulos, Konstantina-Ioanna Sereti, Frank Conyers, Michael Bauer, Annette Liao, Jian Guan, Dylan Crapps, Jung-Kyu Han, Hanhua Dong, Ahmad F Bayomy, Gabriel C Fine, Karen Westerman, Travis L Biechele, Randall T Moon, Thomas Force, Ronglih Liao

Center for Translational Medicine Faculty Papers

RATIONALE: Recent work in animal models and humans has demonstrated the presence of organ-specific progenitor cells required for the regenerative capacity of the adult heart. In response to tissue injury, progenitor cells differentiate into specialized cells, while their numbers are maintained through mechanisms of self-renewal. The molecular cues that dictate the self-renewal of adult progenitor cells in the heart, however, remain unclear.

OBJECTIVE: We investigate the role of canonical Wnt signaling on adult cardiac side population (CSP) cells under physiological and disease conditions.

METHODS AND RESULTS: CSP cells isolated from C57BL/6J mice were used to study the effects of canonical …

Stenting In The Treatment Of Acute Ischemic Stroke: Literature Review, E.A. Samaniego, Guilherme Dabus, Italo Linfante

All Publications

No abstract provided.