Digital Commons Network^™

The Case For Ehearsay, Jeffrey Bellin

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

On April 4, 2014, the Advisory Committee for the Federal Rules of Evidence convened the Symposium on the Challenges of Electronic Evidence. The purpose of the symposium was "to consider the intersection of the evidence rules and emerging technologies" and explore what rule changes, if any, might be warranted in light of sweeping changes in the way people communicate.1 As an unapologetic advocate for changes to the hearsay rules, I thought it a happy coincidence that the symposium coincided with Seventh Circuit Judge Richard Posner's call for sweeping hearsay reform. In a 2013 article, eHearsay, I proposed a hearsay exception …

Retrieval Of Spectral Reflectance Of High Resolution Multispectral Imagery Acquired With An Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle: Aggieair™, Bushra Zaman, Austin Jensen, Shannon R. Clemens, Mac Mckee

AggieAir Publications

This research presents a new semi-automatic model for converting raw AggieAir™ footprints in visible and near-infrared (NIR) bands into reflectance images. AggieAir, a new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform, is flown autonomously using pre-programmed flight plans at low altitudes to limit atmospheric effects. The UAV acquires high-resolution, multispectral images and has a flight duration of about 30 minutes. The sensors on board are twin cameras with duplicate settings and automatic mode disabled. A white Barium Sulfate (BaSO4) panel is used for reflectance calibration and in situ irradiance measurements. The spatial resolution of the imagery is 25 cm; the radiometric resolution …

Unusually Low Thermal Conductivity In The Argyrodite Ag8gete6 Attributed To Strong Anharmonicity, Dale Hitchcock

All Dissertations

Arguably the main focus of thermoelectric materials research over the last decade has been the reduction of lattice thermal conductivity through nanostructuring. This approach has proved quite effective in many instances, but has several inherent drawbacks including not only the metastability of many of the nanostructures used, but also difficulty decoupling the effects on the thermal properties of materials from the effects on their electrical properties. Some more recent research has focused on reduced thermal conductivity in materials with strong anharmonicity. In these systems anharmonicty in the crystal structure, whose strength can be gauged by the so-called Gruneissen parameter leads …

Steps Toward A Net-Zero Campus With Renewable Energy Resources, Andrew Clarke

All Dissertations

With the increasing attention and support behind plug in hybrid electric vehicles, research must be conducted to examine the impacts of vehicles on electric distribution and transmission systems. This research aims first to model the behavior of vehicle battery chargers during system disturbances and mitigate any impacts. A distribution test system example is modeled and several different vehicle charger topologies are added. Faults are applied to the distribution system with vehicle chargers connected and the results are examined. Based on these results, a control strategy to mitigate their negative impacts is suggested. Photovoltaic panels are then added to the system …

Serious Toys: Teaching Computer Science Concepts To Pre-Collegiate Students, Yvon Feaster

All Dissertations

Advancements in science and engineering have driven innovation in the United States for more than two centuries. The last several decades have brought to the forefront the importance of such innovation to our domestic and global economies. To continue to succeed in this information-based, technologically advanced society, we must ensure that the next generation of students are developing computational thinking skills beyond what was acceptable in past years. Computational thinking represents a collection of structured problem solving skills that cross-cut educational disciplines. There is significant future value in introducing these skills as early as practical in students' academic careers. Over …

Nonequilibrium Transport Of Ionic Liquids In Electrified Nanosystems, Xikai Jiang

All Dissertations

Room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) are a promising class of electrolyte that are composed entirely of ions but are liquid at room temperature. Their remarkable properties such as wide electrochemical window make them ideal electrolytes in many electrochemical systems. Because the non-equilibrium transport of RTILs often determines the performance of these systems, a fundamental understanding of such transport is needed. Here, using molecular dynamic (MD) and continuum simulations, we investigated the non-equilibrium transport of RTILs in three scenarios relevant to the application of RTILs in electrochemical systems: the electroosmotic flow (EOF) of RTILs through nanochannels, the electrokinetic transport of RTILs through …

Design With Emotion: Improving Web Search Experience For Older Adults, Tamirat Abegaz

All Dissertations

Research indicates that older adults search for information all together about 15% less than younger adults prior to making decisions. Prior research findings associated such behavior mainly with age-related cognitive difficulties. However, recent studies indicate that emotion is linked to influence search decision quality. This research approaches questions about why older adults search less and how this search behavior could be improved. The research is motivated by the broader issues of older users' search behavior, while focusing on the emotional usability of search engine user interfaces. Therefore, this research attempts to accomplish the following three objectives: a) to explore the …

Autonomous Control And Automotive Simulator Based Driver Training Methodologies For Vehicle Run-Off-Road And Recovery Events, Paul Freeman

All Dissertations

Traffic fatalities and injuries continue to demand the attention of researchers and governments across the world as they remain significant factors in public health and safety. Enhanced legislature along with vehicle and roadway technology has helped to reduce the impact of traffic crashes in many scenarios. However, one specifically troublesome area of traffic safety, which persists, is run-off-road (ROR) where a vehicle's wheels leave the paved portion of the roadway and begin traveling on the shoulder or side of the road. Large percentages of fatal and injury traffic crashes are attributable to ROR. One of the most critical reasons why …

Development And Application Of Scalable Two-Dimensional High Performance Liquid Chromatography For Aromatic Selective Separations Of Biologically Active Phytochemicals From Oplopanax Horridus, Gregory Jones

All Dissertations

The high demand for more efficient purification processes with increased automation and throughput pushes the development of more advanced preparative, pilot, and process scale HPLC instrumentation that is capable of achieving higher purities in a shorter amount of time than are currently achieved using one dimensional separations. A preparative scale 2D HPLC system was designed and reduced to practice in order to demonstrate the capacity for scalability of on-line comprehensive 2D HPLC separations of basic compounds from a challenging natural product extract of Oplopanax horridus. The methodology and instrumentation design herein permits direct method transfer from analytical to preparative scale …

Particle Scavenging By Water Drops In An Ultrasonic Standing Wave Field, Weiyu Ran

All Dissertations

Currently the backbone of the world's energy supply is composed of fossil fuels. However, the combustion of fossil fuels results in the production of enormous quantities of particulate pollutants. The smog resulting from these particulate pollutants causes significant health problem for city dwellers. Wet scrubbers, which use a water spray to scavenge airborne particles, is one of the most widely used devices to control particulate pollutants. Typical wet scrubbers can scavenge particles with diameters bigger than 10 um, but it is inefficient in scavenging particles with diameters on the order of 1 um. Unfortunately these fine particles are more dangerous …

Studies Of Imbalance Difference Theory In Modeling Conversion Between Differential Mode And Common Mode Signals, Li Niu

All Dissertations

This dissertation describes three related studies regarding the imbalance difference theory in modeling the conversion between differential mode and common mode/antenna mode signals. The topics covered are: rigorous derivation of imbalance difference theory for modeling radiated emission problems, modeling the conversion between differential mode and common mode propagation in transmission lines, and modeling the loading impedance on differential mode signals due to radiated emissions. The imbalance difference theory describes a method for calculating the coupling between differential mode signals and common mode signals due to changes in electrical balance on a transmission line. It provides both physical insight and a …

The Development And Characterization Of Tannic Acid Cross-Linked Collagen Scaffolds For The Prevention Of Breast Cancer Recurrence In Lumpectomy Patients, Beau Inskeep

All Dissertations

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer amongst women, second only to lung cancer. In 2014, it was estimated that there were approximately 295,000 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed in women, with approximately 40,000 deaths caused by breast cancer in the United States. It has been reported that a woman has a 12% chance of developing breast cancer in her lifetime and a 3% chance of dying from breast cancer. There are several treatment options available for breast cancer, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, as well as two different forms of surgery, mastectomy and lumpectomy. However, none of these …

Thermo-Mechanical Characterization Of Glass And Its Effect On Predictions Of Stress State, Birefringence And Fracture In Precision Glass Molded Lenses, Dhananjay Joshi

All Dissertations

The Precision Glass Molding (PGM) process was established as an economical and sustainable option for the production of aspherical glass optics to satisfy the increased industrial demand. Applications of precision molded aspherical lenses range from consumer electronics products such as cell phone cameras to defense and medical systems. An aspherical lens can eliminate the spherical and optical aberrations as compared to a spherical lens thus making the lens system more compact and lighter. In spite of being a clean and environmentally friendly process, the lens molding operation suffers from a few drawbacks such as lens profile deviation, stress birefringence/refractive index …

Assimilation Of Foreigners In Germany, Jan Schiebler

All Dissertations

The first chapter of this dissertation is using data from the German SOEP panel, and I analyze the assimilation of immigrants in terms of initial wage gap and assimilation rate. The analysis consists of a basic assimilation model, a cohort model, and a source country specific model. The source country specific model allows us to distinguish assimilation rates for different groups of immigrants. I find that despite having the highest education of all immigrants, East European immigrants have the largest wage gap. Secondly individuals immigrating from former East Germany have a larger wage gap than immigrants from Italy and Turkey. …

Modeling Sustainability In Renewable Energy Supply Chain Systems, Fei Xie

All Dissertations

This dissertation aims at modeling sustainability of renewable fuel supply chain systems against emerging challenges. In particular, the dissertation focuses on the biofuel supply chain system design, and manages to develop advanced modeling framework and corresponding solution methods in tackling challenges in sustaining biofuel supply chain systems. These challenges include: (1) to integrate 'environmental thinking' into the long-term biofuel supply chain planning; (2) to adopt multimodal transportation to mitigate seasonality in biofuel supply chain operations; (3) to provide strategies in hedging against uncertainty from conversion technology; and (4) to develop methodologies in long-term sequential planning of the biofuel supply chain …

Contributions Of The Human Ssb Complex And Mei5-Swi5 Complex To Homologous Recombination, Leanna L. Ledford

All Dissertations

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are the most threatening type of DNA damage in a cell. Homologous recombination (HR) is the most accurate repair mechanism for DSBs, and if HR fails, the integrity of the genome can be compromised. Two recombinases, RAD51 and DMC1, are vital for HR but require assistance for HR to proceed efficiently and accurately. Several proteins, including mediators, single-strand binding proteins, and accessory proteins, have been shown to function in the HR with the recombinases. Mediators are responsible for overcoming inhibition caused by the single-strand binding protein, Replication protein A (RPA). Accessory proteins assist the recombinases through …

Composite Films With Magnetic Nanorods: Fundamentals, Processing And Applications, Yu Gu

All Dissertations

This Dissertation is centered on studying the composite films with magnetic nanorods. In recent years, one-dimensional magnetic nanostructures, such as magnetic nanorods, chains of magnetic nanoparticles, and nanotubes filled with magnetic nanoparticles have caught great attentions due to the breadth of applications. Their unique magnetic and geometrical features open new avenues of studies in medicine, sensors, optofluidics, magnetic swimming, and microrheology. In particular, they offered great opportunities for design of multifunctional devices and for manufacturing of anisotropic nano- and microstructures with unprecedented magnetic and mechanical properties. However, the strategy for nanorod alignment in both Newtonian and complex fluids has not …

Advanced Network Inference Techniques Based On Network Protocol Stack Information Leaks, Roya Ensafi

Computer Science ETDs

Side channels are channels of implicit information flow that can be used to find out information that is not allowed to flow through explicit channels. This thesis focuses on network side channels, where information flow occurs in the TCP/IP network stack implementations of operating systems. I will describe three new types of idle scans: a SYN backlog idle scan, a RST rate-limit idle scan, and a hybrid idle scan. Idle scans are special types of side channels that are designed to help someone performing a network measurement (typically an attacker or a researcher) to infer something about the network that …

Consumer Acceptance And Willingness To Pay For Genetically Modified Rice In China: A Double Bounded Dichotomous Choic Contingent Valuation Survey Calibrated By Cheap Talk, Jing Jin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Considering population growth, limitations on land and water resources, and contamination to the ecosystem due to agricultural activities, current rice production in China is facing pressure to fulfill national demand. Self-sufficiency of rice has been a long-held political objective of the Chinese government and it is national goal to maintain the equilibrium between the national production and consumption or even achieve a supply surplus in rice. With the developing bio-technology of genetic modification (GM), scientists believe that using genetically modified cultivars may ease the pressure mentioned above. However, both the government and the people are very cautious about large-scale cultivation …

Regulation Of Phialide Morphogenesis In Aspergillus Nidulans, Hu Yin

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Filamentous fungi have two distinctive life cycles, vegetative growth and development for sexual or asexual spore formation. The asexual reproduction in development as conidiation in Aspergillus nidulans is the dominant form of producing spores effectively. A complex conidiophore structure is developed during asexual reproduction process. The conidiophore is formed from hyphal cell and consists of stalk, vesicle, metulae, phialide and conidial spores. Phialides are essential sporogenous cells in the conidiophore structure. The growth pattern is switched from acropetal to basipetal between phialide and spores, which makes phialide a unique cell type in A. nidulans and other phialide producing fungi. …

Nexus Of Exchange Rate Deregulation And Agricultural Share Of Gross Domestic Product In Nigeria, Oyakhilomen Oyinbo, Falola Abraham, Grace Z. Rekwot

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

The kernel of this study was to examine the causal relationship between exchange rate deregulation and the agricultural share of gross domestic product in Nigeria from an econometric perspective using time series data spanning a period of 26 years (1986 – 2011). Data on exchange rate and gross domestic product were analysed using augmented dickey fuller unit root test, unrestricted vector autoregression, pairwise granger causality and vector error correction model. The results showed the existence of unidirectional causality from exchange rate to agricultural share of gross domestic production and also, exchange rate deregulation had negative influence on agricultural share of …

Relationship Between Money Supply And Government Revenues In Nigeria, Yakubu Musa, Umar Usman, Aminu B. Zoramawa

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

The insights on the long run relationship amongst money supply and government revenues are of significant importance for monetary-fiscal policy formulation in a developing country like Nigeria. Taking into account the vital importance of these two variables, we empirically analyzed the long-run relationships and dynamic interactions between the money supply (broad money M2) and government revenues in Nigeria using an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach. The study spans the period 1970 to 2010. From the results, it is evident that there is the existence of a long run relationship between money supply and revenues when money supply is …

Cointegration Analysis Of Public Expenditure On Tertiary Education And Economic Growth In Nigeria, Japheth T. Torruam, Moses A. Chiawa, Cyprian C. Abur

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

The paper investigates the Impact of public expenditure on tertiary education and economic growth in Nigeria using time series data for the period 1990- 2011.The econometric methodology employed was cointegration and error correction technique. The study concludes that public expenditure on tertiary education has positive impact on economic growth in Nigeria. The study recommended that government and private sectors should partner by mobilizing resources to furnish tertiary institutions and equip them with adequate facilities in order to enhance tertiary education development for sustainable economic growth.

Determinants Of Economic Growth In Nigeria, Kazeem B. Ajide

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This paper investigates the role of Frazer Economic Freedom Index on FDI-growth relationship over the period spanning 1980 through 2010 using annual time series data. A Multivariate Regression approach was employed to estimate augmented growth models. Quite intriguingly, the impact of disaggregated economic freedom over aggregated composite index was found profoundly revealing. Emanated results show that the same set of variables like labour, life expectancy, degree of openness and economic freedom are factors affecting the level of economic growth in both but at different levels of significance. However, the estimates of disaggregated components of economic freedom data show that the …

The Children Of Lehi And The Jews Of Sepharad, Shon D. Hopkins, D. Chad Richardson

BYU Studies

The Book of Mormon strongly asserts a gathering, not only of Lehi's scattered seed but also of the "Jews." Both Lehi (quoting Joseph of Egypt) and the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel prophesied of a running together of the children of Joseph and the children of Judah. This paper proposes one way in which this prophesied unification of Joseph and Judah into "one nation" may have been in part fulfilled, namely in a joining of the Jews of Sepharad (Sephardic Jews) with the children of Lehi. This occurred when the Sephardic Jews (coming primarily from Spain and Portugal) intermarried with the …

Full Issue, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Modeling And Tracking Relative Movement Of Object Parts, Praneeth Talluri

Student Work

Video surveillance systems play an important role in many civilian and military applications, for the purposes of security and surveillance. Object detection is an important component in a video surveillance system, used to identify possible objects of interest and to generate data for tracking and analysis purposes. Not much exploration has been done to track the moving parts of the object which is being tracked. Some of the promising techniques like Kalman Filter, Mean-shift algorithm, Matching Eigen Space, Discrete Wavelet Transform, Curvelet Transform, Distance Metric Learning have shown good performance for keeping track of moving object.

Most of this work …

Analyzing Shakespeare’S Plays In A Network Perspective, Vikas Thotakuri

Student Work

Networks are popular models for representing interactions between entities in systems, such as in sociology, bioinformatics, and epidemiology. The entities in the networks are represented as vertices and their pair-wise interactions are represented as edges [1]. Many network metrics such as degree centrality (number of connections of an entity) and betweenness centrality (number of shortest paths passing through the entity) have been developed to rank the entities according to their importance [7] [10].Social networks are generally modeled on only one type of relation. Groups are open-ended, which means the number of participants and the time frame are not finite. Time …

Shared Responsibility: Time For Illinois To Adopt The Income Shares Model Of Child Support, J. David Sanders

Southern Illinois University Law Journal

Illinois child support laws are outdated and inconsistent with the majority of child support laws in other states.  Adopted by forty states and territories, the leading child support guideline is the Income Shares Model.  The design of the Income Shares Model is to level the financial playing field for both parents by considering both parents’ incomes as well as the financial and non-financial contributions of both parents.  Unlike the Income Shares Model, Illinois’ current child support model fails to recognize the existing societal change of both parents earning an income due to the subjective focus on the non-custodial parent’s net …

Qualified Immunity Not Accident-Proof, Official Discretion Advised: The Need To Clearly Establish The Right To Raise Qualified Immunity In Civil Rights Claims Under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, Jessica R. Sarff

Southern Illinois University Law Journal

The qualified immunity defense has been available to police officers defending civil rights lawsuits under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 since the landmark Supreme Court case of Pierson v. Ray in 1967.  However, since that time, the defense has evolved, and recent Supreme Court decisions have hinted that it may not be available to officers who make routine mistakes in the course of duty.  As a result, the lower circuits have split with regard to whether government officials are able to raise the defense as of right or whether they must first show an exercise of discretion before getting to the …