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2013

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Processing Geographic Information Systems Data For Data Mining, Sarthak Ahuja Jan 2013

Processing Geographic Information Systems Data For Data Mining, Sarthak Ahuja

Computer Science

Spatial data, including image data, are typically downloaded into GIS systems for processing purposes. The GIS data are optimized for establishing spatial relationships among objects. Spatial data can be produced rapidly from a variety of sources and the use of spatial data to improve agricultural management has become common [1]. However, most GIS systems are limited in their data mining capabilities. Data mining software provides advanced prediction capabilities for record-based data. The research goal of this project is to create a tool that would allow input of images and metadata, then process them using geospatial software to convert it to …

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Evaluation Of Software Testing Coverage Tools: An Empirical Study, Khalid Ali Alemerien Jan 2013

Evaluation Of Software Testing Coverage Tools: An Empirical Study, Khalid Ali Alemerien

Computer Science

Code coverage is one of the most important aspects of software testing, which helps software engineers to understand which portion of code has been executed using test suite throughout the software testing process. Automatic testing tools are widely used to provide testing coverage metrics in order to gauge the quality of software, but these tools may suffer from some shortcomings such as the difference among the values of code coverage metric of a given program using different code coverage tools. Therefore, we designed and performed a controlled experiment to investigate whether these tools have a significant difference among the measured …

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Real Parameter Optimization Using Differential Evolution, Deepak Dawar Jan 2013

Real Parameter Optimization Using Differential Evolution, Deepak Dawar

Computer Science

Over recent years, Evolutionary Algorithms (EA) have emerged as a practical approach to solve hard optimization problems presented in real life. The inherent advantage of EA over other types of numerical optimization methods lies in the fact that they require very little or no prior knowledge of the objective function. Information like differentiability or continuity is not necessary. The inspiration to learn from evolutionary processes and emulate them on a computer comes from varied directions, the most pertinent of which is the field of optimization. This paper presents one such Evolutionary Algorithm known as Differential Evolution (DE) and tests its …

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Iso Analyzer And Reporting System, Vishnu Vardhanna Reddy Yarram Jan 2013

Iso Analyzer And Reporting System, Vishnu Vardhanna Reddy Yarram

Computer Science

This paper describes the development of a GUI-based application program called the ISO Analyzer and Reporting System. The Independent System Operator (ISO) Analyzer and Reporting System facilitates the study of electricity markets by empowering its users with the ability to query and to generate reports from market and operational data by allowing them to analyze data over a period of time, which is helpful to draw useful conclusions. The system downloads publicly available files on energy load and pricing data from an independent system operator’s website and stores data from the files in the form of SQL server database tables …

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Noise Removal From Attribute-Groups For Classification, Angshu Kar Jan 2013

Noise Removal From Attribute-Groups For Classification, Angshu Kar

Computer Science

In this work, we present a novel algorithm that considers attributes from different experimental sources as separate groups for the purpose of classification. We remove noise from each of these groups, combine them, and then run the classifier on the grouped data. Examples are considered to be noise if they do not contribute to the prediction but, rather, degrade the quality of the classification result. As part of this work, we identify a measure that appropriately labels noise without knowledge of the class labels. Our method shows that the classification result is better when run on such filtered, grouped data …

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Job Scheduling With Genetic Algorithm, Debarshi Barat Jan 2013

Job Scheduling With Genetic Algorithm, Debarshi Barat

Computer Science

In this paper, we have used a Genetic Algorithm (GA) approach for providing a solution to the Job Scheduling Problem (JSP) of placing 5000 jobs on 806 machines. The GA starts off with a randomly generated population of 100 chromosomes, each of which represents a random placement of jobs on machines. The population then goes through the process of reproduction, crossover and mutation to create a new population for the next generation until a predefined number of generations are reached. Since the performance of a GA depends on the parameters like population size, crossover rate and mutation rate, a series …

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Parallelization Of Generic Pso Java Code Using Mpjexpress, Manoj Babu Madamanchi Jan 2013

Parallelization Of Generic Pso Java Code Using Mpjexpress, Manoj Babu Madamanchi

Computer Science

Many scientific, engineering and economic problems involve the optimization of a set of parameters. The Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is one of the new techniques that have been empirically shown to perform well. The PSO algorithm is a population-based search algorithm based on simulating the social behavior of birds within a flock. Large-scale engineering optimization problems impose large computational demands, resulting in long solution times even on modern high-end processors. To obtain enhanced computational throughput and global search capability parallel algorithms and parallel architectures have drawn lots of attention. Parallelization of PSO has proved to enhance computational throughput and global …

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Adaptive Regression Testing Strategies For Cost-Effective Regression Testing, Amanda Jo Schwartz Jan 2013

Adaptive Regression Testing Strategies For Cost-Effective Regression Testing, Amanda Jo Schwartz

Computer Science

Regression testing is an important but expensive part of the software development life-cycle. Many different techniques have been proposed for reducing the cost of regression testing. To date, much research has been performed comparing regression testing techniques, but very little research has been performed to aid practitioners and researchers in choosing the most cost-effective technique for a particular regression testing session. One recent study investigated this problem and proposed Adaptive Regression Testing (ART) strategies to aid practitioners in choosing the most cost-effective technique for a specific version of a software system. The results of this study showed that the techniques …

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A Distributed Linear Programming Model In A Smart Grid, Prakash Ranganathan Jan 2013

A Distributed Linear Programming Model In A Smart Grid, Prakash Ranganathan

Computer Science

Advances in computing and communication have resulted in large-scale distributed environments in recent years. They are capable of storing large volumes of data and, often, have multiple compute nodes. However, the inherent heterogeneity of data components, the dynamic nature of distributed systems, the need for information synchronization and data fusion over a network, and security and access-control issues makes the problem of resource management and monitoring a tremendous challenge in the context of a Smart grid. Unfortunately, the concept of cloud computing and the deployment of distributed algorithms have been overlooked in the electric grid sector. In particular, centralized methods …

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Heuristic Clustering With Secured Routing In Two Tier Sensor Networks, Kanwalinderjit Kaur Gagneja Jan 2013

Heuristic Clustering With Secured Routing In Two Tier Sensor Networks, Kanwalinderjit Kaur Gagneja

Computer Science

This study addresses the management of Heterogeneous Sensor Networks (HSNs) in an area of interest. The use of sensors in our day-to-day life has increased dramatically, and in ten to fifteen years the sensor nodes may cover the whole world, and could be accessed through the Internet. Currently, sensors are in use for such things as vehicular movement tracking, nuclear power plant monitoring, fire incident reporting, traffic controlling, and environmental monitoring. There is vast potential for various applications, such as entertainment, drug trafficking, border surveillance, crisis management, under water environment monitoring, and smart spaces. So this research area has a …

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Graph Visualization Using The Nosql Database, Kailash Raj Joshi Jan 2013

Graph Visualization Using The Nosql Database, Kailash Raj Joshi

Computer Science

The relational database has been a dominant approach for organizing data into formally organized tables for years. Recently, with massive amounts of data being generated, a new type of database called NoSQL has emerged. NoSQL seeks to overcome the drawbacks of SQL, such as fixed schemas, JOIN operations and addresses the scalability problems. In this paper we have reviewed emerging technology called NoSQL and compared it with the traditional relational database. In the first part of the paper, we review the pros and cons of both the technologies and in the second, we tried to address issues involving data visualization. …

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Effective Doctoral Education: Interpreting Factors And Outcomes Of Success Through A New Framework, Autoethnography, And Quantitative Study Of Passion, Nathan Charles Anderson Jan 2013

Effective Doctoral Education: Interpreting Factors And Outcomes Of Success Through A New Framework, Autoethnography, And Quantitative Study Of Passion, Nathan Charles Anderson

Education

The purpose of this disquisition is to increase knowledge about the factors and outcomes of success in doctoral education. Enhanced understanding about the factors and outcomes of success could help optimize effectiveness of the complex systems that educate doctoral students. To achieve the purpose of this disquisition, three manuscripts were prepared. The first manuscript presents a new conceptual framework, the P Model of Doctoral Success, through which outcomes and factors of success could be interpreted. Outcomes of success are presented in terms of personal and professional outcomes. Personal outcomes include personal satisfaction; professional outcomes include measures of program completion, job …

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Determining Factors That Serve As Barriers To Integrative Stem Methodology Implementation In K-12 Schools, Knut Peder Gjøvik Jan 2013

Determining Factors That Serve As Barriers To Integrative Stem Methodology Implementation In K-12 Schools, Knut Peder Gjøvik

Education

The purpose of the correlational study was to determine factors that served as barriers to integrative science, technology, engineering and mathematics (iSTEM) implementation in K-12 schools. The sample studied (N = 153) was drawn from classroom teachers and administrators with training in iSTEM methodology or experience in iSTEM methods and subsequent experience regarding implementation barriers. The researcher developed the Integrative STEM Implementation Barriers Instrument (iSTEMIBI). The iSTEMIBI included a six-point Likert scale measuring levels of agreement to statements regarding implementation barriers. The research utilized the Embedded Design correlational model as detailed by Creswell and Plano Clark (2007). Likert items were …

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Comparing Project-Based Learning To Direct Instruction On Students' Attitude To Learn Science, Marlen Ingvard Haugen Jan 2013

Comparing Project-Based Learning To Direct Instruction On Students' Attitude To Learn Science, Marlen Ingvard Haugen

Education

Students' attitude towards learning science transform during their middle school years. Research provides data showing the affect of different teaching methods on students' attitude. Two teaching methods compared were project-based learning and direct instruction. Project-based learning uses inquiry to promote student attitude by engaging them and increasing their curiosity in the natural world. Direct instruction uses lecture, worksheets, tests, and labs. The Test of Science Related Attitudes (TOSRA) survey was used to measure student's attitude. The TOSRA has seven subscales labeled as Social Implications of Science, Normality of Scientists, Attitude to Scientific Inquiry, Adaptation to Scientific Attitudes, Enjoyment of Science …

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Mastery Learning Instruction Versus Traditional Instructional Methods In Eighth Grade Language Arts, Kelly Sue Mogen Jan 2013

Mastery Learning Instruction Versus Traditional Instructional Methods In Eighth Grade Language Arts, Kelly Sue Mogen

Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of mastery learning on eighth grade language arts students primarily in terms of academic gains, but subsidiary research questions also focused on the impact of mastery learning on student sense of self-efficacy in language arts, student attitudes towards learning language arts, and on student learning styles. This study focused on the grammar portions of language arts; it did not address the reading, writing, and speaking aspects. Results from this quasi-experimental study involved 43 eighth grade language arts students from a rural, relatively homogenous school in the Midwest. Over a four …

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Women In Transition: Implications For Career Counseling, Amanda Jo Weston Jan 2013

Women In Transition: Implications For Career Counseling, Amanda Jo Weston

Education

This thesis paper begins with an in-depth literature review that analyzes the career counseling process with two specific populations: women who are transitioning from welfare-reliance to self-sufficiency, and women who are transitioning out of relationships that are characterized by intimate partner violence (IPV). The analysis includes a historical look at theories that have influenced the creation of models and best practices used in the career counseling field today, and highlights popular and effective techniques that can be used in community-based and private practices. The paper highlights the importance that laws, legislations, children, resources and support systems have on a woman's …

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A Study About The Level Of A Teacher’S Content Knowledge, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Instructional Practices, And Demographics And Their Effects On Students’ Literacy Achievement, Sue Luann Brunsberg Jan 2013

A Study About The Level Of A Teacher’S Content Knowledge, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Instructional Practices, And Demographics And Their Effects On Students’ Literacy Achievement, Sue Luann Brunsberg

Education

It might be assumed that teachers’ content and pedagogical content knowledge affect student learning. However, most studies do not include observations of actual classroom instruction. This study provides empirical evidence that illustrates the significance of a teacher’s content knowledge; a teacher’s pedagogical content knowledge; instructional methods; a teacher’s demographic background; and what, if any, effects they have on students’ literacy achievement. This study was important because at this point in time, there was not any research that could be located that incorporated all these five areas. Teachers’ content knowledge, teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge, and teachers’ demographic data were obtained from …

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Supply Chain Management And Lean Six Sigma In A Retail Environment, Brittain Cliff Ladd Jan 2013

Supply Chain Management And Lean Six Sigma In A Retail Environment, Brittain Cliff Ladd

Apparel Design and Hospitality Management

This qualitative research evaluated the as-is supply chain management and logistics retail processes of Dell, a manufacturing company that also has retail operations globally. Dell has an online channel capable of serving millions of customers annually. This research focused on Dell’s retail operations in Canada and the United States and the challenges of managing the supply chain requirements of meeting customer demand. The goal was to identify issues with process execution leading to decreased service to customers and increased costs to the manufacturer. A literature review provided information regarding best practices in supply chain management and the leading process-improvement methodology. …

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Intermarket Trading Strategies And Risk, Kristopher Douglas Skadberg Jan 2013

Intermarket Trading Strategies And Risk, Kristopher Douglas Skadberg

Agribusiness and Applied Economics

The purpose of this thesis is to research methods that will be used to discover the profitability and risk of spatially arbitraging soybeans. A portfolio is used to analyze trading strategies, and the dependence measures is critical when simulating all of the variables. The dependence measures will aid in selecting the appropriate assets for the portfolio. The profits and risks for each asset will be analyzed and an optimization procedure will weigh the assets appropriately in bushels. Strategizing has become very important for merchandisers, because of the added risk associated with trading commodities. The results indicate that spatial arbitrage profits …

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Spatial Statistical And Multivariate Regression Approach To Earthwork Shrinkage-Factor Calculation, Benedict Shamo Jan 2013

Spatial Statistical And Multivariate Regression Approach To Earthwork Shrinkage-Factor Calculation, Benedict Shamo

Construction Management and Engineering

In this research, a linear shrinkage factor model, which is the result of spatial and statistical modeling, was developed for the state of North Dakota. The input variables for the developed shrinkage factor models were derived from spatially modeled soil data which makes the function responsive to soil variability across the state. The current approach for selecting the shrinkage correction factor in earthwork contracts across the state of North Dakota is through a trial-and-error system. This deterministic system employs the judgment of experienced engineers in selecting a shrinkage factor value for earthwork contracts. The current approach assumes shrinkage factor uniformity …

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Filling In Missing Values In The North Dakota Land Valuation Model, Laura Beth Laufmann Jan 2013

Filling In Missing Values In The North Dakota Land Valuation Model, Laura Beth Laufmann

Agribusiness and Applied Economics

The North Dakota Land Valuation Model relies on a crop yield data set published by the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Over the years this data set, due to the way in which the data is collected, has developed a growing problem with missing values. This research utilizes a secondary data set and the spatial nature of the crop yield data to develop a new methodology for interpolating the missing values in the NASS data set. This methodology uses the secondary data set to establish the spatial nature of the yield data and to build spatial weights matrices. These spatial …

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Reclaiming Justice And Eliminating Inequality Through Compassionate Migration: The Relentless Struggle Of Migrants Living In The Shadows, William F. Arrocha Jan 2013

Reclaiming Justice And Eliminating Inequality Through Compassionate Migration: The Relentless Struggle Of Migrants Living In The Shadows, William F. Arrocha

Journal of Hate Studies

This article elaborates on the emerging concept of “compassionate migration” as a counter-hegemonic response to the institutions and systems that criminalize unauthorized immigration, including the assistance provided by those who aid such migrants out of a sense of compassion. In the name of human dignity, it is imperative that those who live in the shadows of United States immigration law and its enforcement system sense that social justice is a tangible possibility, and that they indeed may be able to free themselves from the structures that criminalize them and render them vulnerable to various forms of discrimination and other human …

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Novel Conducting Polymer Containing Composite Coatings For The Corrosion Protection Of Metal Alloys, Niteen Jadhav Jan 2013

Novel Conducting Polymer Containing Composite Coatings For The Corrosion Protection Of Metal Alloys, Niteen Jadhav

Coatings and Polymeric Materials

Corrosion is a persistent problem faced by manmade structures made up of metal alloys. Aluminum 2024-T3 is high strength, light weight alloy used in aerospace applications. It suffers from the problem of corrosion due to its composition. Cold rolled steel is employed in structural applications but undergoes severe corrosion when exposed to corrosive conditions. Coatings are one of the best avenues to protect metal alloys from the corrosion. Traditional coating systems such as barrier type coatings, metal rich coatings, and inhibitor containing coatings have their own drawbacks. Conducting polymers (CPs), such as polypyrrole (PPy) can be used for the corrosion …

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Organic Coatings To Protect Ferrous Structures, Yaping Huang Jan 2013

Organic Coatings To Protect Ferrous Structures, Yaping Huang

Coatings and Polymeric Materials

Corrosion induces damages that can result in enormous costs and safety issues. Steels are the most commonly used metallic structural materials but they can corrode rapidly when exposed to corrosive environments and need to be protected. The thesis research focuses on two aspects of steel protection. The first aspect is using barrier protection mechanism to protect steel pipeline structures in the presence of Super-Critical CO2. The second aspect is improving cathodic protection of steels by metal rich coatings in ground vehicles, bridges, water tanks, and other structures. In part one, coatings for protection of steel pipeline used for carbon transportation …

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Multiscale Modeling Of Electromagnetic Radiation Transport, Erik David Sapper Jan 2013

Multiscale Modeling Of Electromagnetic Radiation Transport, Erik David Sapper

Coatings and Polymeric Materials

The transport of electromagnetic radiation is a critical factor in determining many of the advanced features of novel materials, composites, and coatings systems. The radiation interaction with a material's surface, as well as its transport and interaction within the material, both combine to produce the overall electromagnetic signature of that object, which is the root cause of the color and appearance of these materials. Historically, approaches to light scattering behavior prediction focus on either the surface interactions or the bulk interactions, and the models most used today are valid only for certain compatible size and length scales of radiation. As …

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A Conversation On Judicial Decision Making, Robin Cooper Feldman Jan 2013

A Conversation On Judicial Decision Making, Robin Cooper Feldman

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

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Determining The Essential Components Of State And Institution Dual Credit Program Policy In New Mexico: A Delphi Study With High School And College Experts, Gregory Dean Carlson Jan 2013

Determining The Essential Components Of State And Institution Dual Credit Program Policy In New Mexico: A Delphi Study With High School And College Experts, Gregory Dean Carlson

Education

The purpose of this Delphi study was to determine the essential components of dual credit in New Mexico. Dual credit experts from colleges and high schools in New Mexico were asked to participate in a three-round Delphi study to determine what the future policy of dual credit should be, and why it should be that way. Definitions of dual credit may vary significantly from one state or program to another. For the purpose of this study, dual credit program will be defined as “a program that allows high school students to enroll in college-level courses offered by a postsecondary institution …

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Counting Coup With Western Education In A Post-Assimilated Paradigm: A Qualitative Research Study On American Indian Success, Lane Alan Azure Jan 2013

Counting Coup With Western Education In A Post-Assimilated Paradigm: A Qualitative Research Study On American Indian Success, Lane Alan Azure

Education

“The beaver doesn’t try to be like the bear or the buffalo, he knows who he is . . . and he is proud of who he is” (Big Dog, 2012). The aforementioned quote depicts how this author interpreted the identities of his sample of ten purposefully selected Native Americans and exemplified their wish to remain who they are. These contemporary warriors illustrated the ability to transculturate in a non-Indigenous world and to accomplish what had been forced upon their ancestor’s centuries earlier. Despite the invasion on North American soil and the near extinction of the Indigenous American through attempted …

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Carl Sagan's Cosmos: The Rhetorical Construction Of Popular Science Mythology, Karen Jane Sorensen Jan 2013

Carl Sagan's Cosmos: The Rhetorical Construction Of Popular Science Mythology, Karen Jane Sorensen

English

Using Carl Sagan's Cosmos as a case study, this dissertation explores the intersection of science with popular culture and builds a new framework for rhetorically analyzing popular science programming. The arguments and research focus on the ways in which popularizing scientific information for the masses can create a type of science fiction rather than merely being a transferal of information. This metamorphosis of fact into fiction occurs as a result of the convergence of three rhetorical concepts, kairos, ethos, and aethos. Kairos is the placement of Cosmos in time. Historical and political elements (including education and entertainment) contribute to a …

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Analysis Of Power Line Communication Channel Model Using Communication Techniques, Varinder Pal Singh Jan 2013

Analysis Of Power Line Communication Channel Model Using Communication Techniques, Varinder Pal Singh

Electrical and Computer Engineering

With the advent of technology, human dependency on power (electricity) and communication has grown beyond leaps and bounds. Many efforts have been made to continuously improve and increase the efficiency in both areas. Power Line Communication (PLC) is a technology where power lines or transmission lines are being used for communication purposes along with transmitting electrical energy. Because the power grid is already in place, the PLC has the obvious advantage of reducing communication infrastructure cost. However, the power grid is designed optimally for power delivery (not the data). The power transmission line generally appears as a harsh environment for …

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