Digital Commons Network^™

Cooperative Power Control Approaches Towards Fair Radio Resource Allocation For Wireless Network, Liuju Wu

Masters Theses

"Performance optimization in wireless networks is a complex problem due to variability and dynamics in network topology and density, traffic patterns, mutual interference, channel uncertainties, etc. Opportunistic or selfish approaches may result in unbalanced allocation of channel capacity where particular links are overshadowed. This degrades overall network fairness and hinders a multi-hop communication by creating bottlenecks. A desired approach should allocate channel capacity proportionally to traffic priority in a cooperative manner. This work consists of two chapters that address the fairness share problem in wireless ad hoc, peer-to-peer networks and resource allocation within Cognitive Radio network. In the first paper, …

Parametric Moment Closure For Non-Linear State Dependent Stochastic Systems, Ritesh Arora

Masters Theses

"This research highlights the use of moment closure approximation techniques to provide analytical approximations to nonlinear state dependent systems. Nonlinear systems are often difficult to solve and often approximated through the use of simulation. However, Moment Closure has the capability to derive an approximate solution by making a closed form solution out of open set of differential equations representing nonlinear system behavior in both transient and equilibrium state. It is this capability of approximating the closed form solution to complex systems that draws interest in the use of this method within systems engineering. This research further extends to the stability …

Generic Kinematic Simulation For Verification Of Laser Deposition Tool Paths, Sweta Dhaveji Chakravadhanula

Masters Theses

"The development of 3D visual simulation tool for machine simulation is a key approach in saving time and reducing cost. It is an important step before a manufacturing operation is performed on a part, as a tool to detect collision and validate the operation results. There are several kinds of manufacturing equipment being used and hence there is a need for the development of a generalized method to visually simulate a variety of machines. This paper presents the research conducted on describing machine configuration in a generic format which not only gives useful information, but can also be used as …

Making The Most Of Marriage Therapy, Jana Darrington, Naomi Brower, Eric Walker

All Current Publications

While meeting with a skilled marriage therapist can be helpful in strengthening a marriage, the couple greatly influences the effectiveness of the marriage therapy experience. This fact sheet concludes that aAn effective therapist can provide a framework to help couples work on their relationship, but the couple is ultimately in charge and has great influence in the goals, changes and outcomes based on their level of commitment and effort. By recognizing their own influence and importance, couples can take the lead in creating a satisfying and rewarding relationship that can last a lifetime.

From The Oppressed To The Terrorist: Muslim-American Women In The Crosshairs Of Intersectionality, Sahar F. Aziz

Faculty Scholarship

In the post-9/11 era, Muslim women donning a headscarf in America find themselves caught at the intersection of bias against Islam, the racialized Muslim, and women. In contrast to their male counterparts, Muslim women face unique forms of discrimination not adequately addressed by Muslim civil rights advocacy organizations, women's rights organizations, or civil liberties advocates.

This paper examines how the September 11th attacks adversely impacted the lives of headscarved Muslim women in ways different than Muslim men. Ten years after 9/11, there is a plethora of literature about what has become known as "post-9/11 discrimination." Most of the discussion focuses …

Reading Ricci And Pyett To Provide Racial Justice Through Union Arbitration, Michael Z. Green

Faculty Scholarship

With the current political climate regarding racial issues, any positive gains in resolving race discrimination claims in the workplace cannot come from new legislation through the Obama administration. Instead, those gains will have to come from within the workplace. Unions and their employee members must work together and with employers to resolve those disputes. Specifically, in this Article, two high-profile employment discrimination cases decided by the Supreme Court during President Obama's first year in office--Ricci v. DeStefano and Penn Plaza LLC v. Pyett--help identify a framework whereby employees with racial discrimination claims against their employers may work with …

Comparative Study Of Ot Equator Profile Attachment Versus Gps Attachment In Implant Retained Mandibular Overdenture Cases, Fardos N. Rizk

Dentistry

Aim: This study was carried out to evaluate whether OT Equator Profi le attachment or GPS attachment is less destructive to crestal bone around implants and to bone in distal aspect of the ridge in implant retained mandibular overdenture cases. Materials and Methods: Following two stage surgical protocol twelve completely edentulous patients received two implants placed bilaterally in the canine region (24 implants) to retain mandibular overdentures. Four months following the surgery patients were randomly divided into two equal groups; Group-I received OT Equator Profi le attachment while Group-II received GPS attachment upon which mandibular overdentures were retained. Once patients …

The Diagnostic And Prognostic Value Of Salivary Scd44 Level Determination In Oral Malignant And Potentially Premalignant Lesions, Dalia Ghalwash, Fatheya Zahran, Khaled Gaaly, Olfat Shaker, Hossam Elfoll

Dentistry

A key factor in the lack of improvement in prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) lesions over the years is the fact that a significant proportion are not diagnosed or treated until they reach an advanced stage. A molecular marker for malignant transformation in innocent looking oral lesions and a monitor for the aggressiveness of malignant lesions might be of help. The present study included 40 subjects: 10 healthy control subjects, 10 patients with potentially premalignant oral lesions with dysplastic changes and 10 others without, in addition to 10 patients suffering from OSCC. Levels of soluble CD44 (sCD44) were …

Student Peer-Group Focusing In Psychology Training: A Phenomemological Study, Amanda Burleigh Lowe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study is an empirical phenomenological investigation of the influence of peer group Focusing practice (Gendlin, 1981) on doctoral psychology students' senses of their developing clinical expertise. Focusing, a therapeutic bodily awareness and symbolization practice, was proposed as a method that would support the development of student self-reflection, self-assessment, and self-care. The present study investigates the experiences of three female doctoral students who participated in a peer-initiated and peer-run Focusing group for five semesters. The methodological procedures for a reflective empirical phenomenological study as articulated by Giorgi and Giorgi (2003), Robbins (2006), and Wertz (1984) were followed. Procedures adapted …

Computational Techniques To Illuminate Secrets Of The Monoamine Transporters, Bonnie A. Merchant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The solute carrier family regulates the flow of various substances such as drugs, amino acids, sugars and inorganic ions across the cell membrane. In particular, the monoamine transporters (MATs) are responsible for the regulation of synaptic neurotransmitter levels. Their structures and conformational rearrangements associated with transport remain unsolved. We employed novel computational techniques to identify the binding pocket of cocaine in the dopamine transporter (DAT) and two intracellular pathways for substrate egress in LeuT and DAT. We review possible coarse grained molecular dynamics techniques to extend the temporal scale accessible in simulations of the MATs. Finally, we present the first …

A Phenomenological-Hermeneutic Study Of Adept Practitioners' Experiences Of Focusing, Sarah Nokes-Malach

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study presents a qualitative analysis of six accounts of focusing, a method of embodied reflection. Six expert practitioners were interviewed, and each participant`s account was brought under two rounds of analysis. First, a modified descriptive phenomenological analysis was performed on a portion of the interview in which the participant described a particular focusing experience. This was followed by an interpretive phenomenological analysis of the participant`s interview as a whole. Analyses resulted in the identification of explicit and implicit themes that were constitutive of focusing experiences across participants. Several themes that were identified include: the importance of social support and …

Decolonizing Psychic Space: Remembering The Indigenous Psychology Movement In Taiwan, Rong-Bang Peng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project is part of the historical struggle of the indigenous psychology movement in Taiwan. It turns a critical gaze back upon the movement itself in order to decolonize it from colonial cultural imaginary. The contribution of this project is two-fold. First, on the theoretical level, it introduces a critical perspective into the growing body of indigenous psychological research. The indigenous psychology movement risks repeating the vicious cycle of colonization and re-colonization without critically looking back at its own historical trajectory. Second, on the level of intervention, writing the history of the indigenous psychology movement will make this project a …

Embodying Technology: A Hermeneutic Inquiry Into Corporeality And Identity As Manifested In A Case Of Strap-On Dildo Use, Amy Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation takes a deep look at a first-person narrative from a man who develops complete impotence following androgen-deprivation treatment for prostate cancer. After feeling depressed for some time about what he imagined to be the permanent loss of his sexual life, the man, pseudonymously called Michael in this dissertation, tried using a strap-on dildo. Michael was surprised and pleased to find that using the dildo for sex brings him sexual satisfaction including orgasm. The dildo transforms "from object to organ" as Michael gradually comes to experience the dildo as a part of his own body. He also experiences a …

The Efficiency Of The Common Law: The Puzzle Of Mixed Legal Families, Nuno Garoupa, Carlos Gomez Liguerre

Faculty Scholarship

Many legal economists have suggested that the common law system is more conducive to economic growth than the civil law system. Such literature has been popularized within the legal origins movement. From the perspective of such literature, the existence of hybrid, pluralist or mixed legal jurisdictions is a puzzle. Why has civil law persisted while common law is more efficient?

This paper discusses the efficiency of the common law hypothesis from the perspective of hybrid jurisdictions. We argue that the complexities of legal systems require a more nuanced analysis. The consequence is that there is no single efficient outcome, thus …

Tackling Gravity Wave Confusion Noise With Template Optimizers, A. S. Stroeer, Matthew Benacquista

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

The Mock LISA Data Challenge 4.0 simulated the joint two-year recording of gravitational wave signals from mergers of spinning black holes, extreme mass ratio inspirals, Galactic white dwarf binaries, bursts from cosmic strings, and a stochastic background—all over LISA instrument noise. We analysed this data using a global multi-start box and bound optimization scheme, incorporating multi-dimensional Nelder Mead simplex 2 optimization. Our scheme identified 2658 binaries. Of these, 2246 were found to systematically decompose the power in a strong spinning black hole merger into a "white dwarf binary transform". The remaining 416 binaries were identified with a false alarm rate …

Controlling Calibration Errors In Gravitational-Wave Detectors By Precise Location Of Calibration Forces, Hernan P. Daveloza, M Afrin Badhan, Mario C. Diaz, K. Kawabe, P. N. Konverski, M. Landry, R. L. Savage

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

We present results of finite element analysis simulations which could lead to more accurate calibration of interferometric gravitational wave detectors. Calibration and actuation forces applied to the interferometer test masses cause elastic deformation, inducing errors in the calibration. These errors increase with actuation frequency, and can be greater than 50% at frequencies above a few kilohertz. We show that they can be reduced significantly by optimizing the position at which the forces are applied. The Advanced LIGO [1] photon calibrators use a two-beam configuration to reduce the impact of local deformations of the test mass surface. The position of the …

The Evolution Of The Common Law And Efficiency, Nuno Garoupa, Carlos Liguerre

Faculty Scholarship

The efficiency of the common law hypothesis has generated a large bulk of literature in the last decades. The main argument is that there is an implicit economic logic to the common law; the doctrines in common law provide a coherent and consistent system of incentives which induce efficient behavior.

We start by observing that if the common law is overall evolutionarily efficient, we are left with no explanation for the important doctrinal differences across common law jurisdictions. The observation is more striking if we keep in mind that presumably the de jure initial condition was the same, namely English …

On The Synthesis And Physical Properties Of Iron Doped Sno2 Nanoparticles, X. Wei, R. Georgescu, N. Ali, I. Morjan, T. A. George, F. Dumitrache, R. Birjega, Mircea Chipara

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

The synthesis of iron doped tin oxide by pulsed laser pyrolysis is reported. The as obtained nanoparticles have a dominant SnO2 phase (as revealed by Wide Angle X-ray Scattering), with particles of the order of 10 nm. The doping with iron or iron oxide triggers magnetic properties as confirmed by SQUID experiments. EDX measurements supported the presence of Fe while Wide Angle X-ray Scattering failed to sense any iron or iron-oxide phase. It is concluded that Fe is well dispersed within the tin-oxide nanoparticles. The coercitive field has a complex dependence on the Fe/Sn content suggesting that the magnetization is …

Varying Treatment Intensity In A Home-Based Parent And Child Therapy Program For Families Living In Poverty: A Randomized Clinic Trial, Robert A. Fox, Jennifer Carrasco

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

This study addressed the question of whether increasing the intensity of a parent and child therapy program would improve results for young children with significant behavior problems from families living in poverty. Children were randomly assigned to either a standard condition or an intensity condition that provided 50% more treatment over a standard 8-week treatment period. Based on multiple parent-report, direct observation, and clinician-report measures of the children and their caregivers, both groups improved on all measures from pretest to posttest and from pretest to follow-up. No differences in outcomes were found between the standard and intensity groups at posttest …

Publish And Flourish, Stephen K. Taylor

Faculty Publications

At primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs), teaching is usually the primary responsibility, and many PUI professors do not regularly produce publications, even if they were hired to include research as an important responsibility. Most instructors at these schools are busy enough with just teaching and other academic responsibilities. It can seem intimidating to think of doing research, writing a research proposal, then a publication, and so on. Perhaps the sum of these duties may seem like a daunting set of tasks, and a "fear factor," consciously or subconsciously, may slow or even stop the research initiative. But at PUIs, it is …

Entering Student Affairs: A Comparative Study Of Graduate School Choice, Norma Mertz, Ellen Eckman, Terrell Strayhorn

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

This article describes the college choice process of graduate students in College Student Personnel programs at a public university and a private religiously affiliated university. Despite differences in size, mission, and location of the two institutions studied, the research findings show that respondent populations were similar demographically and in the factors important to their choice of college, their reasons for choosing the field of student affairs, and the processes they used to select a graduate school.

Using Self Organizing Maps To Analyze Demographics And Swing State Voting In The 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, Paul T. Pearson, Cameron I. Cooper

Faculty Publications

Emergent self-organizing maps (ESOMs) and k-means clustering are used to cluster counties in each of the states of Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio by demographic data from the 2010 United States census. The counties in these clusters are then analyzed for how they voted in the 2008 U.S. Presidential election, and political strategies are discussed that target demographically similar geographical regions based on ESOM results. The ESOM and k-means clusterings are compared and found to be dissimilar by the variation of information distance function.

Examining The Molluscan Biostratigraphy Of The Upper Cretaceous Judith River Formation, Montana, Julie Amundsen

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

The "Judith River beds" were discovered by F.V. Hayden in 1855. F.B. Meek helped classified the specimens that Hayden had collected. In the documentations Meek and Hayden, the specimens were collected from the “Judith River Badlands.”' There was no documentation on where in the Judith River Formation the specimens were collected by Hayden. Subsequently, Stanton and Hatcher (1905) collected specimens from the Judith River Formation and documented where in the formation the specimens were located. Correlating the distribution of the species identified by Stanton and Hatcher could lead to a hypothesis of where in the Judith River Formation Hayden had …

The Effects Of 17Α-Ethynylestradiol (Ee2) On Gonadal Development And Differentiation In The Estuarine Killifish, Fundulus Heteroclitus, Ibrahim Chehade

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Endocrine disrupting substances (EDSs) comprise a wide variety of chemicals that perturb normal endocrine function including developmental and reproductive processes in vertebrates. The synthetic estrogen 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE₂) is a commonly-used model EDS because of its environmental relevance and its effects on the reproductive endocrine system. Early life-stage exposure of fish to estrogenic EDSs causes effects such as intersex (ovotestes in males) and feminization. This study aims to confirm the period of gonadal differentiation in the estuarine killifish or mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) and to determine the sensitivity of gonadal development to EE₂. Artificially-regressed mummichog were spawned, and …

Studies On Waterborne Cadmium Exposure To Lymnaea Stagnalis In Varying Water Qualities And The Development Of A Novel Tissue Residue Approach, Nish M. Pais

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Recent studies have shown that the use of bioaccumulation (tissue residues) as a predictor for toxic effects for metals is a flawed concept.Adams et al. (2010) suggested a novel tissue residue approach (TRA) in which bioaccumulation in resistant organismsis related to toxic effects in sensitive organisms. The goal of this thesis was to test these assumptions in relation to Cd exposure using the great pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis by developing and improving the understanding of Cd accumulationin aquatic invertebrates.

The relationship between Cd bioaccumulation and its toxicity was studied in L. stagnalisusing acute (96h) and chronic (one month) …

Examining Associations Between Classroom Environment And Processes And Early Mathematics Performance From Pre-Kindergarten To Kindergarten., Victoria J. Molfese, Todd Brown, Jill L. Adelson, Jennifer Beswick, Jill Jacobi-Vessels, Lana Thomas, Melissa Ferguson, Brittany Culver

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

One benefit of the No Child Left Behind legislation (2001) has been the increasing attention on the importance of the skills learned in the pre-kindergarten period for later academic achievement. There is a growing awareness that mathematics skills in kindergarten and beyond are influenced by the formal and informal mathematics skills acquired in the pre-kindergarten classroom. In recent years, a body of research has emerged pointing to the contributions to children’s learning from pre-kindergarten program quality as indexed by structure and process elements in the classroom. Results from this study point to three major findings. First, the growth of mathematics …

The Ethics Of Amos In Light Of Its Ancient Near Eastern Context, Mark D. Arnold

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The book of Amos, in a fashion almost preternaturally relevant to contemporary conditions, discusses issues of war and welfare. Amos condemns several foreign nations for various war crimes and then turns to Israel, excoriating it for its mistreatment of the poor. Specifically he indicts the wealthy for enacting policies that created new poor while preventing the old poor from regaining their rightful positions in society. Israel’s elite used economic and judicial methods to enrich themselves at the expense of the vast majority of the population. As a result, Amos predicts the destruction of Israel just as he predicted the destruction …

The Meaning Of Mcintyre, Adam N. Steinman

Faculty Scholarship

When certiorari was granted in J. McIntyre Machinery, Ltd. v. Nicastro, 131 S. Ct. 2780 (2011), many hoped that the Supreme Court would provide much-needed clarification to the area of personal jurisdiction. It didn’t. The Court failed to generate a majority opinion, splitting into Justice Kennedy’s four-Justice plurality, Justice Breyer’s two-Justice concurrence, and Justice Ginsburg’s three-Justice dissent.

This essay – for the Southwestern Journal of International Law’s 2012 symposium “Our Courts and the World: Transnational Litigation and Procedure” – examines how state and federal courts have been using the McIntyre decision. Some lower court opinions have mistakenly interpreted McIntyre as …

A Note On India’S Attempt To Reconcile Diversity And Intellectual Property Issues, Srividhya Ragavan

Faculty Scholarship

For developing countries, the concept of diversity holds great promises not least because of the protection it promises for the fast depleting natural resources leading to catastrophic effect on the environment. The concept of diversity also holds great promises from a trade perspective. In reality, appropriate protection of diversity can be the solution to balance the effects of the trade regime to achieve sustainable development. The term sustainable development, as opposed to rapid pockets of development, embodies great promises for the socio-political framework in poorer nations, apart from the obvious benefit of sustainability. In fact, sustainable development, if it ensues, …

The Confucian Challenge To Intellectual Property Reforms, Peter K. Yu

Faculty Scholarship

Written for a special issue on intellectual property and culture, this essay examines the longstanding claim that culture presents a major barrier to intellectual property reforms. In the context of Asia -- China, in particular -- that claim invokes Confucianism, a non-Western culture, to account for the region's -- or the country's -- continued struggle with massive piracy and counterfeiting problems. The claim draws on a century-old tradition of condemning Confucianism for being antithetical to Western modernity.

The first half of this essay focuses on the Confucian challenge to intellectual property reforms in China. Drawing on the important distinction between …