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Fault Tolerance In Distributed Systems Using Self-Stabilization, Yihua Ding

All Dissertations

Self-stabilization is an optimistic paradigm to provide autonomous resilience against an un-limited number of transient faults in distributed systems. A self-stabilizing system guarantees an eventual return to a legitimate operating state beginning with an unknown initial state, including a state that arises as the result of an unanticipated transient fault (e.g., node failure, state corruption, or node mobility in mobile systems). This thesis focuses on the fault tolerance in distributed sys-tems using self-stabilization, and presents a collection of self-stabilizing algorithms for well-known problems in distributed systems.

Two variants of dominating set (i.e., weakly connected dominating set and positive influence dominating …

Geographic Determinants Of Rural Land Covers And The Agricultural Margin In The Central United States, Timothy J. Stoebner, Christopher L. Lant

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Geographic research on the Corn Belt and other regional landscapes of the central U.S. has not to date identified quantitatively the climatic, edaphic, topographic, and economic characteristics that determine rural land cover, and that therefore govern land cover change. Using the USDA/NASS Cropland Data Layer, this study identifies these characteristics by employing Multivariable Fractional Polynomials within a logistic regression framework. It maps the suitability distribution for corn, soybeans, spring and winter wheat, cotton, grassland, and forest, which collectively dominate the central U.S., at a 56 m resolution across 16 central U.S. states. The non-linear logistic regression models are successful in …

Lanthorn, Vol. 49, No. 29, December 1, 2014, Grand Valley State University

Volume 49, July 7, 2014 - June 1, 2015

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State's student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present.

Government Dependency Theory: Public Services, Banking Crisis, And The Likelihood Of Protests, Titus Bickel

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to determine what causes certain countries to experience mass protests during economic crises while other governments weather the same events and emerge unscathed. Further research on this topic could predict the likelihood of protests that lead to state collapse in countries like Ukraine. I argue that high gross domestic product expenditure on social services creates a dependent society that will protest when those goods and services are threatened by banking crises. I originated this theory and titled it the Government Dependency Theory. My theory uses data from 147 banking crises occurring in 115 countries …

Using Earned Value Method In Project Control Applied Research, Abdulsalam Lafta Saeed, Khaled Sabih Farhan

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

There is no doubt that the project control function is very important for administration, so the project Management depends on to monitor and control the project. The project control integrated to the planning which is the base of the administration functions; planning, organizing, directing, and controlling. Without project control cannot be insure to fulfill the plan of the project by the budget and specified time. The project management apply many methods of control to achieve the goals of project which are cost, time, and required specifications. Earned Value Management one of control methods that used in the project by international …

Hadrian's Wall: A Study In Function, Mylinh Van Pham

Master's Theses

Earlier studies on Hadrian's Wall have focused on its defensive function to protect the Roman Empire by foreign invasions, but the determination is Hadrian's Wall most likely did not have one single purpose, but rather multiple purposes. This makes the Wall more complex and interesting than a simple structure to keep out foreign intruders. Collective research on other frontier walls' functions and characteristics around the empire during the reign of Hadrian are used to compare and determine the possible function or functions of the Wall. The Wall not only served political purposes, but also had economic and social uses as …

Well Clear: General Aviation And Commercial Pilots' Perception Of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles In The National Airspace System, Joseph Taylor Ott

Master's Theses

The purpose of this research was to determine how different pilot types perceived the subjective concept of the Well Clear Boundary (WCB) and to observe if that boundary changed when dealing with manned versus unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) as well as the effects of other variables. Pilots' perceptions of the WCB were collected objectively through simulator recordings and subjectively through questionnaires. Together, these metrics provided quantitative and qualitative data about pilot WCB perception. The objective results of this study showed significant differences in WCB perception between two different pilot types, as well as WCB significant differences when comparing two different …

The Role Of Lithology In Glacial Valley Cross-Sectional Shape In Sierra Nevada, California, Kaai Jensen

Master's Theses

It is commonly inferred that alpine glaciers transform fluvial valleys from V to U-shaped. It has been suggested that, under certain circumstances, glaciers are unable to modify V-shaped valleys and that lithology may play an important role in a glacier's ability to effectively erode bedrock. To test this hypothesis, six glaciated valleys with both U and V-shaped cross sections were chosen in the Sierra Nevada (CA) to examine how lithological properties might affect patterns of glacial erosion: Tenaya Canyon, Tuolumne River, Little Yosemite Valley, the San Joaquin River, the north fork of the King River, and Deadman Canyon. Valley profiles …

Hildegard Of Bingen: Mystic Of The Rhine, Zachary Jordan Young

Master's Theses

Hildegard of Bingen has a storied past and, as such, has been called many things. Among these are Sybil of the Rhine, Doctor of the Church, and mystic. This last title has given some pause, most notably Caroline Walker Bynum and Barbara Newman, who deny her the title in their preface and introduction to Hildegard's flagship work, Scivias. Scholars such as these fail to analyze Hildegard and her works on their own merits, instead comparing her to other female mystics rather than mystics in general. Although Hildegard does not experience the physical union that is the hallmark of the false …

Stereotype Threat, Self-Affirmation, And Women's Statistics Performance, Blanca Tapia

Master's Theses

Stereotype threat (fear of confirming a negative group stereotype that in turn can inhibit academic performance) has been implicated in the gender gap observed in the field of mathematics. Even though stereotype threat depresses women's performance, there has been much research reporting various interventions that ameliorate its negative effects. The current study investigated stereotype threat specifically in statistics--an unexplored area in the research literature --and the alleviating effects of self-affirmation. Participants in three conditions (control, stereotype threat, stereotype threat + affirmation) completed a statistics test. In both stereotype threat conditions participants were given a verbal prime to induce stereotype threat, …

Assessment And Treatment Of Elopement In Young Children With Autism, Ivette Andrade

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Elopement, leaving a caregivers side without permission or supervision, is a behavior that is more prevalent among children with autism as compared to their typically developing peers. With potentially fatal consequences (e.g., drowning, being run over, abducted), it is reported to cause high levels of stress for caregivers. In the present study, we evaluate the assessment and treatment of elopement using a multicomponent treatment package to address the multiple functions of elopement. The treatment consisted of an antecedent treatment procedure, blocking and differential reinforcement of other behaviors with extinction (DRO w/ EXT). An ABAB reversal design was utilized to assess …

A Preventive Maintenance Framework In Dairy Production Operations, Maria F. Vargas

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Dairy operations suffer frequent stops. Product shrinkage is a consequence of downtime, which includes losses of packaging material, scraped finish product and capacity. This work proposes a troubleshooting methodology to identify causes of downtime, estimation of waste cost, and minimization of operation disruptions by applying a combination of a cost function to assess waste, and performance measurements. The drinkable yogurt process is evaluated to find the principal areas for wasted bottles and yogurt. In order to make a decision about which of those sources to address, a General Cost Function is used to estimate waste cost which include measurements that …

The Italian Press And The Church: Italian Newspaper Coverage Of Lds-Related News And The Media Strategies Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints In Italy 2010-2012, Giulia Vibilio Matthews

Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between media and religion has been influenced by many factors in history. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has received a great deal of media attention throughout the world in the past five years. In Italy, the Church National Council of Public Relations worked to provide the media with the necessary information to report accurate news about the Church. This thesis collected the information provided to the Italian media by the Church National Council and analyzed the main topic and the level of accuracy reported by the Italian media on Church-related news. The results show that …

Influence Of Pile Shape On Resistance To Lateral Loading, Guillermo Bustamante

Theses and Dissertations

The lateral resistance of pile foundations has typically been based on the resistance of circular pipe piles. In addition, most instrumented lateral load tests and cases history have involved circular piles. However, piles used in engineering practice may also be non-circular cross-section piles such as square and H piles. Some researchers have theorized that the lateral resistance of square piles will be higher than that of circular piles (Reese and Van Impe, 2001; Briaud et al, 1983; Smith, 1987) for various reasons, but there is not test data to support this claims. To provide basic comparative performance data, lateral load …

Fabrication, Characterization, Optimization And Application Development Of Novel Thin-Layer Chromatography Plates, Supriya Singh Kanyal

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation describes advances in the microfabrication of thin layer chromatography (TLC) plates. These plates are prepared by the patterning of carbon nanotube (CNT) forests on substrates, followed by their infiltration with an inorganic material. This document is divided into ten sections or chapters. Chapter 1 reviews the basics of conventional TLC technology. This technology has not changed substantially in decades. This chapter also mentions some of the downsides of the conventional approach, which include unwanted interactions of the binder in the plates with the analytes, relatively slow development times, and only moderately high efficiencies. Chapter 2 focuses primarily on …

Role Of Epistasis In Alzheimer's Disease Genetics, Mark T. Ebbert

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer's disease is a complex neurodegenerative disease whose basic etiology and genetic structure remains elusive, despite decades of intensive investigation. To date, the significant genetic markers identified have no obvious functional effects, and are unlikely to play a role in Alzheimer's disease etiology, themselves. These markers are likely linked to other genetic variations, rare or common. Regardless of what causal mutations are found, research has demonstrated that no single gene determines Alzheimer's disease development and progression. It is clear that Alzheimer's disease development and progression are based on a set of interactions between genes and environmental variables. This dissertation focuses …

A Model For Meeting And Event Venues To Implement Green Practices, Justine Clewer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In 2007 green meetings were ranked as the third most anticipated trend by Event Solutions magazine’s survey of 1,350 event professionals, however by 2011 it was an emerging trend (Goldblatt, 2012). Today, meeting and event planners are increasingly including clauses in their contracts with venues pertaining to green practices, and are willing to look elsewhere if a venue does not agree to partake in the green initiatives. For venues the failure to “go green” can mean a substantial loss of revenue. Nonetheless, many businesses are hesitant to engage in green (sustainable) practices, because they are not properly educated on the …

Microglia In The Healthy And Diseased Central Nervous System, Luisa Torres

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in the death of neurons, disruption of neuronal connections, demyelination, and inflammation. There are three phases of SCI: Acute (from the time of impact to the first few days post-injury), secondary (hours to weeks), and chronic (months to years). Currently, little can be done to modify the acute phase. Efforts to intervene have focused on the subsequent phases to both promote healing and prevent further damage. In this study I show that the small molecule inhibitor Pifithrin-μ (PFT-μ significantly reduced lesion volume and decreased the presence of inflammatory cells (microglia and macrophages) in the lesion …

Modeling The Effect Of Sequencing Error, Ruiqi Zhang

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Genotype misclassification errors are known to reduce the power to detect genetic association, but the size of the effect is not known in next generation sequencing (NGS). The non-centrality parameter (NCP) and hence power of the association test allowing for errors for a specified error model at a base pair was found. This NCP was compared to the NCP for the usual chi-square test. The asymptotic power was compared to simulated power for specific settings of the true genotype and phenotype frequencies in the case and control populations, genotype misclassification rates, and total sample size. An R script was provided …

Identification Of Sporulation-Defective Genes And A Rab-Cascade Model For The Formation Of The Forespore Membrane In Schizosaccharomyces Pombe, Esma Ucisik-Akkaya

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

In the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, environmental stress conditions such as nitrogen starvation induce mating of two haploid cells. The newly formed diploid cells immediately undergo meiosis and form spores, which are equivalent to gametes in higher organisms. The packaging of the haploid nuclei, which are formed after two rounds of meiosis, is achieved by the de novo formation of double membranes called forespore membranes, which form adjacent to the meiotic spindle pole bodies (SPBs). This work focuses on the initiation of the forespore membrane at the SPB and the genes that are required for the proper formation of the …

The Mechanisms Of Nmda Receptor Activation, Rashek Kazi

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Glutamate-gated ion channels embedded within the neuronal membrane are the primary mediators of fast excitatory synaptic transmission in the central nervous system. The ion channel of these glutamate receptors contains a pore-lining transmembrane M3 helix surrounded by peripheral M1 and M4 helices. In the NMDA receptor (NMDAR), opening of the ion channel pore requires rearrangements of these helical elements, but there is currently no functional model for how this occurs. To address how agonist binding is transduced into pore opening in NMDARs, we manipulated the coupling between the ligand binding domain (LBD) and the M3 helix of the ion channel …

Rhetoric And The Way To Philosophy: Plato, Aristotle, Heidegger, Nanda Golden

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

By developing Martin Heidegger's interpretation of Plato, Aristotle, and the Greek rhetorical tradition, this dissertation argues that rhetoric, understood as the discipline that best knows how to lead others with everyday speech, is crucial for rousing the desire to choose the philosophical life. This work focuses primarily on three texts: Plato's Phaedrus, Aristotle's Rhetoric, and Heidegger's 1924 lecture Basic Concepts of Aristotelian Philosophy. It fleshes out Heidegger's concept of rhetoric by mapping it on to the development of Greek rhetorical theory, showing how rhetoric's philosophical potential comes to be realized and why Plato and Aristotle's philosophical investigation of rhetoric must …

Propaedeutic To Philosophy: Dialogue And Truth In Philosophical Practice, Lauren Nelson Hesse

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

This dissertation advocates a model of dialogue as an approach to education and to philosophical discourse itself that is capable of acknowledging and accommodating the manifold possibilities for human thought. Contemporary philosophy is permeated by a loss of certainty and the increasingly problematic nature of the concept of truth, and the complication of these concepts exposes significant limitations in the ways we conceptualize thought itself. Working in this vein, Gilles Deleuze identifies what he calls an " image of thought," which characterizes the forms we have traditionally allowed thinking to take. His critique of this image, along with its subsequent …

Integrability And Non-Integrability In The Ising Model, Michael Assis

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

The Ising model at magnetic field H=0 is one of the most important exactly solved models in statistical mechanics, solved on the square lattice in 1944 by Onsager, and later by others on the triangular lattice; its magnetic susceptibility at H=0 continues to be an unsolved aspect of the model, however. The susceptibility can either be viewed as a sum over all correlation functions of the integrable model at H=0, or else as a second derivative of the free energy of the non-integrable Ising model in a field. Therefore, its analytic properties, though derived from the non-integrable model, can be …

Systematic Studies Of Soft Direct Photon Production In Au+Au Collisions At Sqrt(S_Nn) = 200 Gev, Benjamin Bannier

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Direct photons are produced during all stages of a heavy-ion collision. Due to their very small interaction cross section with the dense hadronic medium, they can escape the collision almost undisturbed and transport information about their production environment to a detector making them an excellent probe in heavy-ion physics. The observation of both a large yield and strong elliptical flow $v_2$ of soft direct photons in heavy ion collisions at RHIC has sparked a lot of interest. While a large yield seems to point towards abundant production from the early, hot stages of the interaction, large elliptical flow can be …

Towards Single Photon Nonlinearities Using Cavity Eit, Zakary Burkley

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

In third order nonlinear mediums, the intensity of one optical field can modify the phase of another optical field. This is known as cross-phase modulation (XPM) and is important for Quantum Information Processing (QIP) as phase shifts of single-photons that exceed π rad can be used to implement two-qubit quantum logic gates. For a conventional XPM scheme, the Kerr nonlinearity responsible for XPM is too small for appreciable phase shifts to be achieved with low intensity optical fields. However, Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) can increase this nonlinearity by several orders of magnitude. This thesis discusses the experimental construction of a …

Quantum Field Theory In Coordinate Space, Ahmet Ozan Erdogan

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

In order to provide a new coordinate-space perspective applicable to scattering amplitudes, in the first part of this dissertation, the structure of singularities in perturbative massless gauge theories is investigated in coordinate space. The pinch singularities in coordinate-space integrals occur at configurations of vertices which have a direct interpretation in terms of physical scattering of particles in real space-time in the same way as for the loop momenta in the case of momentum-space singularities. In the analysis of vertex functions in coordinate space, the well-known factorization into hard, soft, and jet functions is found. By power-counting arguments, it is found …

Measuring The Anti-Quark Contribution To The Proton Spin Using Parity Violating W Production In Polarized Proton Proton Collisions, Ciprian Gal

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Since the 1980s the spin puzzle has been at the heart of many experimental measurements. The initial discovery that only ~30% of the spin of the proton comes from quarks and anti-quarks has been refined and cross checked by several other deep inelastic scattering (DIS) and semi inclusive DIS (SIDIS) experiments. Through measurements of polarized parton distribution functions (PDFs) the individual contributions of the u, d, \bar{u}, \bar{d}, quarks have been measured. The flavor separation done in SIDIS experiments requires knowledge of fragmentation functions (FFs). However, due to the higher uncertainty of the anti-quark FFs compared to the quark FFs, …

Neutral Current Pi-Zero Production Rate Measurement On-Water Using The Pi-Zero Detector In The Near Detector Of The T2k Experiment, Karin Elisabeth Gilje

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

The T2K Experiment is a long-baseline neutrino experiment that stretches 295 km from the east to the west coast of Japan (Tokai-Mura to Kamioka). One of the major goals of the experiment is a measurement of theta_{13} and (if theta_{13} is non-zero) potentially CP violation in the lepton sector. This is performed by searching for nu_e appearance in a nu_mu beam from the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC). The far detector, Super Kamiokande (SK), is a water Cherenkov detector. One of the dominant background for SK in the oscillation measurement is the uncertainty on the cross section of the …

Observation Of $\Nu_E$ Appearance From An Off-Axis $\Nu_{\Mu}$ Beam Utilizing The Neutrino Energy Spectrum, Joshua Michael Hignight

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

T2K (Tokai to Kamiokande) is a long baseline neutrino experiment located in Japan. It uses a 30 GeV proton beam at the J-PARC accelerator in Tokai to produce an intense off-axis muon neutrino beam that travels 295 km through the Earth to Super-Kamiokande. One of its primary goals is to measure neutrino oscillation parameters by directly detecting $\nu_e$ at Super-Kamiokande that have oscillated from the $\nu_{\mu}$ beam. The measurement of $\nu_{\mu} \rightarrow \nu_{e}$ oscillations are of a particular interest because this mode is sensitive to both mixing angle $\theta_{13}$ and CP phase $\delta_{CP}$ of the PMNS matrix. Precise measurement of …