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2013

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Geometric Modeling Of Non-Rigid 3d Shapes : Theory And Application To Object Recognition., Mostafa Abdelrahman Dec 2013

Geometric Modeling Of Non-Rigid 3d Shapes : Theory And Application To Object Recognition., Mostafa Abdelrahman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the major goals of computer vision is the development of flexible and efficient methods for shape representation. This is true, especially for non-rigid 3D shapes where a great variety of shapes are produced as a result of deformations of a non-rigid object. Modeling these non-rigid shapes is a very challenging problem. Being able to analyze the properties of such shapes and describe their behavior is the key issue in research. Also, considering photometric features can play an important role in many shape analysis applications, such as shape matching and correspondence because it contains rich information about the visual …

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Charge Collection And Surface Recombination Effects In Organic Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells., Buddika Ka. Abeyweera 1980- Dec 2013

Charge Collection And Surface Recombination Effects In Organic Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells., Buddika Ka. Abeyweera 1980-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Charge transfer and charge extraction mechanisms are two prevalent issues in the growing field of organic solar cells. Due to their complexity in nature, new methods need to be involved in addressing the fundamental properties associated with organic polymer solar cells. This dissertation has focused on developing a new method to estimate the charge collection lengths and surface recombination lengths of organic polymer solar cells. Photocurrent spectra have been analyzed systematically to observe the dependence on thickness of the active material. A red shift of the peak of the normalized photocurrent with respect to the device thickness has been further …

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Sistahs With Voices : Influences That Affected The College Choice Of High-Achieving African American Women Who Chose To Attend A Predominantly White Institution Instead Of An Historically Black College Or University., Angela Denise Duncan Dec 2013

Sistahs With Voices : Influences That Affected The College Choice Of High-Achieving African American Women Who Chose To Attend A Predominantly White Institution Instead Of An Historically Black College Or University., Angela Denise Duncan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite a long struggle to gain access, African Americans have always highly valued education. Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) were established specifically to educate this group, but the integration of predominately White institutions (PWI) in the 1960s led to decreased HBCU enrollments and, thus, challenges to their continued relevance. The numerous options for higher education add to the complexities of college choice, especially for students who have various intersecting identities to consider (e.g., African American women). The purpose of this study was to discover what influenced eight high-achieving African American women who chose to attend a PWI instead of …

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The Sea Empress's Garden., Brandon Dyer 1980- Dec 2013

The Sea Empress's Garden., Brandon Dyer 1980-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The thesis project is projected to be a grand storybook of handmade intaglio prints in a large format. I have created an original fable telling the story of a flawed hero who must face his fears in order to not only save his love and her empire from an evil warlock but to save himself. Through these hand painted prints, the story of The Sea Empress’s Garden is told and the choices these characters must make and experience the consequences. The work is motivated by the inspiration I draw from German Expressionism, illuminated manuscripts, popular culture, and literature both modern …

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Deconstructing Saccades : Identifying The Components Of Saccades That Produce Saccade-Induced Retrieval Enhancement., James Matthew Edlin Dec 2013

Deconstructing Saccades : Identifying The Components Of Saccades That Produce Saccade-Induced Retrieval Enhancement., James Matthew Edlin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Multiple studies have found that performing repetitive saccades for 30 s improves subsequent memory retrieval. Although the effect is well established, the mechanism by which saccades affect retrieval is currently unknown. Saccade-induced retrieval enhancement (SIRE) has been hypothesized to be a product of increasing: interaction between the hemispheres, interaction within the hemispheres, or attentional control. It is currently unknown which components of the saccade activity are necessary to produce SIRE. The saccade activity in previous SIRE research is similar to an orienting activity that produces predictive saccades. Predictive saccades begin as exogenous orienting to a rhythmically alternating target. After a …

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Effect Of Slope And Paver Characteristics On Performance Of Permeable Pavement Gi., Amirhossein Ehsaei 1986- Dec 2013

Effect Of Slope And Paver Characteristics On Performance Of Permeable Pavement Gi., Amirhossein Ehsaei 1986-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an experimental study based on the findings of two Green Infrastructure (GI) stormwater control measures (SCMs) in Louisville, KY, which focused on the effects of the physical environment on the performance of GI. The GI installed in Louisville are suffering from extensive and rapid surface clogging and in order to optimize current and future GI, an understanding of the factors affecting the performance of the system is required. The study used the current literature to determine the surrounding factors and those of the permeable surface that had not been investigated enough, and used several configurations of GI …

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Site 15sp202 And The Mississippian Presence At The Falls Of The Ohio River., William Travis Fisher 1983- Dec 2013

Site 15sp202 And The Mississippian Presence At The Falls Of The Ohio River., William Travis Fisher 1983-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The following paper is an analysis of the decorated ceramics associated with site 15SP202, a Mississippi Period site in Spencer County, Kentucky. The ceramics were then used to determine whether the site had been classified correctly by its original investigator, due to the ambiguity often associated with assigning temporal and cultural affiliation to late prehistoric sites in the Falls of the Ohio River region. After the initial analysis, the author compared and contrasted 15SP202 with other known and more fully excavated Mississippian sites in the region, in an attempt to integrate the site in question into a wider regional context. …

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Generation And Detection Of Defects In Metallic Parts Fabricated By Selective Laser Melting And Electron Beam Melting And Their Effects On Mechanical Properties., Haijun Gong Dec 2013

Generation And Detection Of Defects In Metallic Parts Fabricated By Selective Laser Melting And Electron Beam Melting And Their Effects On Mechanical Properties., Haijun Gong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Application of Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology to fabricate complex three-dimensional components is one promising direction within the manufacturing industry. This approach is rapidly changing the way designers and engineers create objects with desired shape and structures. Selective Laser Melting (SLM) and Electron Beam Melting (EBM) are two common powder bed fusion processes within AM for fabricating metallic parts. In order to give designers and engineers more insights into employing AM, the quality and long-term behavior of SLM- and EBM-produced parts need to be carefully investigated. Thus, this research project aims to understand how processing parameters affect defect generation and distribution …

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The Dimerization Of Parotid Secretory Protein., Diana M. Blau Dec 2013

The Dimerization Of Parotid Secretory Protein., Diana M. Blau

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: The parotid gland plays an integral part in digestion, immunity, and oral health. Parotid Secretory Protein (PSP, BPIFA2E) is an abundant protein that is secreted into the oral cavity. To understand the unique molecular mechanisms of sorting secretory proteins, structure must be studied. Protein structure is essential in understanding the basis of function. HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesize that PSP in solution forms a dimer. METHODS: Initially, parotid secretory granules were purified from rat parotid glands by using differential centrifugation and crosslinked with formaldehyde. The products were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot for PSP. Using PCR technology our gene of …

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Cultural Interpretations Of Socratic And Confucian Education Philosophy., Wang Heng Dec 2013

Cultural Interpretations Of Socratic And Confucian Education Philosophy., Wang Heng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Socrates and Confucius constitute roots of western and eastern civilization respectively, as well as represent very different cultural values and educational traditions. Because of the very limited existing literature on the study of their educational philosophies, this paper is devoted to a comparative study of their educational philosophies, attempting to examine their historical and cultural contexts and unravel their implications on the current educational practices. The method employed in the study is hermeneutics, or interpretation of the literary texts. At the same time, the study is also cross-cultural in nature. Both of the philosophers lived around 4-5th century B.C.E., but …

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Xbp1 And Mist1 Are Not Sufficient To Induce The Regulated Secretory Pathway In Parotid Cell Lines., Ian S. Pyle 1986- Dec 2013

Xbp1 And Mist1 Are Not Sufficient To Induce The Regulated Secretory Pathway In Parotid Cell Lines., Ian S. Pyle 1986-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Xerostomia causes oral infections, tooth decay, and hindered digestion. Crucial to oral homeostasis is the salivary proteome. How these proteins are trafficked through secretory cells into secretory pathways is unknown. Abundant in the saliva is Parotid Secretory Protein (PSP), secreted through the regulated secretory pathway. HYPOTHESIS: The addition of XBP-1 and Mist1, known for differentiation marker regulation, to ParC10 cells will improve stimulated secretion of PSP. METHODS: Fusion clones were transiently or stably transfected into ParC10 cells. Media from non-stimulated and stimulated cells was harvested and luciferase activity was assayed. RESULTS: Stimulated secretion of cypridina-PSP was not significantly higher …

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Humans' Bonding With Their Companion Dogs: Cardiovascular Benefits During And After Stress, Rebecca A. Campo, Bert N. Uchino Dec 2013

Humans' Bonding With Their Companion Dogs: Cardiovascular Benefits During And After Stress, Rebecca A. Campo, Bert N. Uchino

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study examined whether having one's companion dog present during and after stress posed similar cardiovascular benefits as having a close friend present, even when the relationship quality for both the companion dog and friend was highly positive. Positive aspects of relationship quality for participants' dog and friend were not associated with one another, suggesting that these relationships exist independently. Additionally, compared to participants with a close friend present, those with their dog present had lower heart rate and diastolic blood pressure (p's < .05) while undergoing the stressors, and tended to have lower heart rate and systolic blood pressure (p's < .09) when recovering from stressors. This study indicates that even when relationship quality is similarly high for companion dogs and friends, dogs may be associated with greater reductions in owners' cardiovascular reactivity to stress, particularly if there is a potential for evaluation apprehension in the human friendships. These findings support the value of the human- companion animal relationship in promoting human welfare.

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4d Ultra-Short Te (Ute) Phase-Contrast Mri For Assessing Stenotic Flow And Hemodynamics., Mo Kadbi Dec 2013

4d Ultra-Short Te (Ute) Phase-Contrast Mri For Assessing Stenotic Flow And Hemodynamics., Mo Kadbi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phase-contrast (PC) MRI is a non-invasive technique to assess cardiovascular blood flow. However, this technique is not accurate in the case of atherosclerotic disease and vascular and valvular stenosis due to intravoxel dephasing secondary to disturbed blood flow, flow recirculation, and turbulence distal to the narrowing, resulting in flow-related artifacts. Previous studies have shown that reducing the echo time (TE) decreases the errors associated with phase incoherence due to random motions as observed in unsteady and turbulent flows. As part of this dissertation, a novel 3-D cine Ultra-Short (UTE)-PC imaging method has been developed, and implemented to measure the blood …

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Privatization And Ethical Implications For Public Managers., Eric Dennison 1979- Dec 2013

Privatization And Ethical Implications For Public Managers., Eric Dennison 1979-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Thesis is an examination of privatization and the ethical implications for public managers. It begins with a historical overview of public administration, followed by discussion of the ethical concerns. Case studies show private companies have gained an upper hand in contract negotiations, and public managers have failed to keep the public trust by offering long term contracts that result in monopolies from closed or no bid contract systems. The thesis addresses ways to improve ethical decision making through better regulations and teaching. As privatization becomes a more viable way to pay for government services, the public administrator must maintain …

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Anxiety In Children With Williams Syndrome : Association With Negative Reactivity, Self-Regulation, And Sensory Modulation., Nicole A. Crawford-Zelli Dec 2013

Anxiety In Children With Williams Syndrome : Association With Negative Reactivity, Self-Regulation, And Sensory Modulation., Nicole A. Crawford-Zelli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Williams syndrome (WS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a submicroscopic deletion of approximately 25 genes on chromosome 7q11.23 (Hillier et al., 2003). This genotype is associated with a characteristic set of phenotypic features including mild to moderate intellectual disability, a distinctive cognitive profile, facial dysmorphology, common personality traits, cardiovascular problems, and connective tissue disorders (Morris, 2010). In addition, behavioral difficulties such as anxiety symptoms (e.g., Leyfer, Woodruff-Borden, & Mervis, 2009), negative reactivity (e.g., Davies, Udwin, & Howlin, 1998), problems with self-regulation (e.g., Woodruff-Borden, Kistler, Henderson, Crawford, & Mervis, 2010), and sensory modulation difficulties (e.g., John & Mervis, 2010) are …

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Face Recognition Using Statistical Adapted Local Binary Patterns., Abdallah Abd-Elghafar Mohamed Dec 2013

Face Recognition Using Statistical Adapted Local Binary Patterns., Abdallah Abd-Elghafar Mohamed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biometrics is the study of methods of recognizing humans based on their behavioral and physical characteristics or traits. Face recognition is one of the biometric modalities that received a great amount of attention from many researchers during the past few decades because of its potential applications in a variety of security domains. Face recognition however is not only concerned with recognizing human faces, but also with recognizing faces of non-biological entities or avatars. Fortunately, the need for secure and affordable virtual worlds is attracting the attention of many researchers who seek to find fast, automatic and reliable ways to identify …

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Motor Protection Lab Experiment Using Sel-710, Ozro Corulli Dec 2013

Motor Protection Lab Experiment Using Sel-710, Ozro Corulli

Electrical Engineering

Advancements in microprocessor based relay technology for power protection applications provide quicker response times and new methods of mitigation. This project develops a lab experiment for Cal Poly class EE444 - Power Systems Laboratory based on the Schweitzer SEL-710 motor protection relay. Learning objectives for this lab include relay setup, programming, and protection schemes for the following conditions: undervoltage, loss of phase, fault, locked rotor, and thermal overload. Today, utility companies across the globe use SEL relays for primary system protection, putting engineers familiar with their operation in high demand.

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Two Channel Audio Mixer, Dylan Kinney Dec 2013

Two Channel Audio Mixer, Dylan Kinney

Electrical Engineering

No abstract provided.

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Artificial Neural Network Used For Short Term Wind Speed Prediction, Alexandra Lodge Dec 2013

Artificial Neural Network Used For Short Term Wind Speed Prediction, Alexandra Lodge

Electrical Engineering

No abstract provided.

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Comparison Of The Strength Of Harmony, Melodic Line, Rhythmic Variation, And Expressive Elements In Influencing Emotional Judgment In Music, Marilyn M. Moore Dec 2013

Comparison Of The Strength Of Harmony, Melodic Line, Rhythmic Variation, And Expressive Elements In Influencing Emotional Judgment In Music, Marilyn M. Moore

Masters Theses

Studies in the literature have been conducted that seem to establish that humans make consistent and similar emotional judgments when they are asked to describe an emotion that is being expressed musically. The present study targets four musical elements; harmony, melodic line, rhythmic variation, and expressive elements, to investigate which of these musical elements are most effective for influencing a listener to be able to recognize the composer's intended emotion of the music. There are eight original songs composed by the researcher, each song is assigned a specific intended emotional term. The eight songs are presented in five distinct conditions, …

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Performative Gender And Pop Fiction Females: "Emancipating" Byronic Heroines Through A Feminist Education, Joy Smith Dec 2013

Performative Gender And Pop Fiction Females: "Emancipating" Byronic Heroines Through A Feminist Education, Joy Smith

Masters Theses

"I can be a regular bitch. Just try me." With this phrase emblazoned across her t-shirt, Lisbeth Salander, pierced, tattooed, and bedecked in leather, waltzes from the pages of Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. This woman who subverts authority, maliciously tattoos and sodomizes a man, and intentionally distances herself from close relationships of any kind has somehow managed to capture both the attention and admiration of the American audience. This disheartening phenomenon stems from a renewed interest in the Byronic heroine, a female possessing those traits traditionally assigned to Byronic heroes and men, and the rise of …

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Are Supervisory Feedback Messages A Motivational Factor To Enhance Employee Retention?, Yang Yali Dec 2013

Are Supervisory Feedback Messages A Motivational Factor To Enhance Employee Retention?, Yang Yali

Masters Theses

Employee retention is one of most valuable resources in an organization. Feedback from supervisors provides opportunities to clarify expectations, adjust goal difficulty, improve job performance, and enhance job satisfaction. The present study is intended to investigate the role that supervisory feedback messages play in employee retention decisions. The participants took a three-session survey that aimed to examine their perception of supervisory feedback received through direction-giving messages, empathy-giving messages, and meaning-making messages, as well as the effect that each kind of message had on each participant's retention intent. The follow-up interviews were conducted to explore in-depth insights on the factors motivating …

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"This Is Exactly Why We Sweep Things Under The Rug:" A Polite Approach To Abc's Modern Family, Andrea Fasciano Dec 2013

"This Is Exactly Why We Sweep Things Under The Rug:" A Polite Approach To Abc's Modern Family, Andrea Fasciano

Masters Theses

The sitcom has remained a popular choice for television viewers since its inception. They have evolved in their methods of entertaining their audiences, often depicting unlikeable characters engaging in antisocial behaviors. This study examines one such sitcom, Modern Family, through the lens of Brown and Levinson's politeness theory, and related concepts contributed by other theorists. These theorists maintain that a primary motive behind any interaction is the presentation and maintenance of a chosen identity or "face." Those actions that fail to maintain face, for either participant are called "face-threatening acts." This study attempts to determine if the characters behave in …

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Agency Settlement Reviewability, Dustin Plotnick Dec 2013

Agency Settlement Reviewability, Dustin Plotnick

Fordham Law Review

    Administrative agency settlements have recently come under increased judicial scrutiny. Agency actions are presumptively reviewable under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), which means they are generally subject to, among other requirements, “arbitrary and capricious” review under 5 U.S.C. § 706(2) and Motor Vehicles Manufacturing Ass’n of the United States v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. In contrast, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Heckler v. Chaney that agency no–action decisions are presumptively unreviewable because they are “committed to agency discretion by law” under 5 U.S.C. § 701(a)(2). Are agency settlements also presumptively unreviewable? In other words, are they more …

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Full Issue, Vol. 67, Issue 4 Dec 2013

Full Issue, Vol. 67, Issue 4

Sci-Tech News

No abstract provided.

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Queen B: A Modern Feminist Critique Of Beyoncé, Catherine Demi Ray Dec 2013

Queen B: A Modern Feminist Critique Of Beyoncé, Catherine Demi Ray

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

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Reinterpreting City Alleys: Design Guidlelines For The City Of Vallejo, Karlo Antonio Manalang Felix Dec 2013

Reinterpreting City Alleys: Design Guidlelines For The City Of Vallejo, Karlo Antonio Manalang Felix

City and Regional Planning

No abstract provided.

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A Probabilistic Analysis Of Islanding Effects In A Modeled Distribution System With Renewable Resources, Paul Gooding Dec 2013

A Probabilistic Analysis Of Islanding Effects In A Modeled Distribution System With Renewable Resources, Paul Gooding

All Theses

For this research, an investigation was undertaken regarding the inclusion of renewable resources into the distribution system. This incorporated the increasing prevalence of solar and wind resources, as well as the development of islanding capabilities within distribution systems.

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A Guide To Testing A Proportion When There May Be Misclassifications, David L. Farnsworth, Jonathan R. Bradley Dec 2013

A Guide To Testing A Proportion When There May Be Misclassifications, David L. Farnsworth, Jonathan R. Bradley

Articles

Ignoring possible misclassifications when testing for a proportion can lead to erroneous decisions. A statistical test is described that incorporates misclassification rates into the analysis. Easily checked safeguards that ensure that the test is appropriate are given. Additionally, the test provides a procedure when the hypothesis stipulates that the proportion is zero. Applications of the test are illustrated with examples which show that it is practical. Comprehensive guidance is supplied for the practitioner.

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Wireless Localism: Beyond The Shroud Of Objectivity In Federal Spectrum Administration, Olivier Sylvain Dec 2013

Wireless Localism: Beyond The Shroud Of Objectivity In Federal Spectrum Administration, Olivier Sylvain

Michigan Telecommunications & Technology Law Review

Recent innovations in mobile wireless technology have instigated a debate between two camps of legal scholars about federal administration of the electromagnetic spectrum. The first camp argues that the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) should define spectrum use rights more clearly and give spectrum licensees broad property rights in frequencies. The second camp argues that, rather than award exclusive licenses to the highest bidder, the FCC ought to open much, if not most, of the spectrum to unlicensed use by smartphones and tablets equipped with the newest spectrum administration technology. First, this Article shows that both of these camps comprise a …

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