Digital Commons Network^™

Thermal-Fluid Modeling Of The Missouri S&T Reactor, Susan Maria Sipaun

Doctoral Dissertations

"Thermal-fluid modeling of the Missouri University of Science and Technology Reactor (MSTR) was carried out using a computational fluid dynamics code (CFD), STAR-CCM+. First, a three-dimensional parallel-plate model was developed, and the cosine-shaped heat flux was applied to the MSTR core. Simulation results for fluid flow under natural convection condition show coolant temperature and velocity as a function of core power. A characteristic equation for the parallel-plate model was obtained based on Forchheimer's flow equation. The inertial resistance tensor and viscous resistance tensor were found to be 281005 kg/m^4 and 7121.6 kg/m^3 respectively. The MSTR core was then defined as …

Longitudinal Analysis Of Crash Frequency Data, Mojtaba Ale Mohammadi

Doctoral Dissertations

"This study comprises mainly of three papers. First, a systematic evaluation of the effects of Missouri's Strategic Highway Safety Plan between 2004 and 2007 is presented. Negative binomial regression models were developed for the before-through-change conditions for the various collision types and crash severities. The models were used to predict the expected number of crashes assuming with and without the implementation of MSHSP. This procedure estimated significant reductions of 10% in crashes frequency and a 30% reduction for fatal crashes. Reductions in the number of different collision types were estimated to be 18-37%. The results suggest that the MSHSP was …

A Generalized Optimal Power Flow Program For Distribution System Analysis And Operation With Distributed Energy Resources And Solid State Transformers, Fanjun Meng

Doctoral Dissertations

"The present distribution system is gradually trending towards a smart grid paradigm with massive development of distributed energy resources (DER), advanced power electronics interfaces, and a digitalized communication platform. Such profound changes bring challenges as well as opportunities for an entity like the distribution network operator (DNO) to optimally operate DERs and other controllable elements to achieve higher levels of energy efficiency, economic benefits, supply reliability and power quality.

The major contribution of this dissertation is in the development of a generalized three-phase optimal power flow (OPF) program in a novel control scheme for future distribution system optimization and economic …

Statutory Royalty Damages Under The Uniform Trade Secrets Act And The Federal Patent Code, Richard F. Dole Jr.

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Optional statutory royalty damages are provided for by both the version of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act that has been enacted by most of the forty seven adopting states and the federal patent code remedies for infringement of utility patents. Notwithstanding periodic recommendations that the Uniform Act follow the patent code concept of statutory royalty damages, this article takes the position that differences between the Uniform Act and the Patent Code regarding monetary remedies make it reasonable for the Uniform Act statutory royalty provisions to be construed more objectively than their federal counterpart. This will preclude statutory royalty damages acquiring …

Fracking Secrets: The Limitations Of Trade Secret Protection In Hydraulic Fracturing, John Craven

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Hydraulic fracturing is a drilling technique used to increase resource production in which specially blended liquid mixtures are pumped into oil and gas wells under high pressure causing underground rock formations to crack and open up. Oil and gas companies have traditionally protected the composition of these proprietary liquids through state-level trade secret laws. Opponents of hydraulic fracturing have argued for federal regulation of the process and claimed that trade secret protection is simply a way for oil and gas companies to withhold the identity of the chemicals used. Oil and gas companies are at risk of losing the economic …

From State Street Bank To Cls Bank And Back: Reforming Software Patents To Promote Innovation, Parker Hancock

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

For the past several decades, the Supreme Court and Federal Circuit have struggled to determine if, and under what circumstances, software is patentable. Once again, the Federal Circuit had an opportunity to provide clarity when it granted en banc review in CLS Bank. The resulting opinion contained a cursory per curiam decision and numerous concurrences and dissents, showing that the question is far from answered. Ultimately, the struggle over software patentability is not itself the problem, but a symptom of other problems in the patent system. Specifically, other substantive requirements of patentability are not weeding out overly broad patents because …

Copyright, Plagiarism, And Emerging Norms In Digital Publishing, J. D. Lipton

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Today's copyright law derives from the needs of the publishing industry in centuries past. The digital world creates even more significant concerns for authors and publishers than those that arose with the advent of the printing press. Digital technology enables easy, fast, and inexpensive global copying and distribution of digital texts. Other digitized industries--such as the music, movie, and video-game industries--have faced these challenges with a higher apparent success rate, at least in the courts, than the publishing industry. This Article considers why publishing has been less successful in protecting its online copyrights and examines the extent to which copyright …

Fool's Gold: An Illustrated Critique Of Differential Privacy, Jane Bambauer, Krishnamurty Muralidhar, Rathindra Sarathy

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Differential privacy has taken the privacy community by storm. Computer scientists developed this technique to allow researchers to submit queries to databases without being able to glean sensitive information about the individuals described in the data. Legal scholars champion differential privacy as a practical solution to the competing interests in research and confidentiality, and policymakers are poised to adopt it as the gold standard for data privacy. It would be a disastrous mistake. This Article provides an illustrated guide to the virtues and pitfalls of differential privacy. While the technique is suitable for a narrow set of research uses, the …

Trends In Global Nanotechnology Regulation: The Public-Private Interplay, Reut Snir

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Over the last decade, concerns regarding potential exposure to nano materials gave rise to substantial new regulation intended to ensure safe development of nanotechnology applications. This Article examines the resultant regulatory system through empirical analysis of trends and patterns in global development of nanotechnology regulatory initiatives. It argues that rather than a government-driven process, it was private actors who set the regulatory wheels in motion. This Article shows that under conditions of scientific uncertainty, governments lacking technical and scientific knowledge to support risk-based regulation often leave a regulatory void. Consequently, businesses apply self-risk-management strategies to fill the gap, leading the …

Got A Better Idea?: Promoting Greenhouse Gas Regulations Through Solution-Based Informal Rulemaking, Lorraine J. Baer

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

In September 2013, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a rule regulating greenhouse gas emissions from newly constructed, coal-fired power plants. Coal industry lawyers immediately began preparing for litigation. Like many industry-led arbitrary and capricious challenges, their goal is to stop the regulations from moving forward. This Note analyzes the new rule, concluding that although the EPA's rule is legally sound, it does have some potential weaknesses. Rather than merely blocking the regulations through litigation, however, this Note proposes that interest groups should instead submit their own solutions during the notice-and-comment rulemaking process, which would reduce regulatory gridlock and …

Which Design And Biomaterial Factors Affect Clinical Wear Performance Of Total Disc Replacements? A Systematic Review, Sai Y. Veruva, Marla J. Steinbeck, Jeffrey M. Toth, Dominik D. Alexander, Steven M. Kurtz

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Total disc replacement was clinically introduced to reduce pain and preserve segmental motion of the lumbar and cervical spine. Previous case studies have reported on the wear and adverse local tissue reactions around artificial prostheses, but it is unclear how design and biomaterials affect clinical outcomes.

Questions/purposes

Which design and material factors are associated with differences in clinical wear performance (implant wear and periprosthetic tissue response) of (1) lumbar and (2) cervical total disc replacements?

Methods

We performed a systematic review on the topics of implant wear and periprosthetic tissue response using an advanced search in MEDLINE and Scopus …

Winter 2014, Valparaiso University Guild

Valparaiso University Guild Bulletins

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Walkway Safety And Evaluation Of Tribological Test Equipment, Henry Thomas Baker

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A walkway tribometer measures the coefficient of friction between flooring material and a test foot. The value of the coefficient of friction is an indicator as to whether the flooring surface is slippery and has a propensity to cause slip and falls. This study determined that one style of tribometer, an XL Tribometer, mimics the heel-to-floor interaction of the human heel strike. High speed video footage revealed that the test foot strikes the surface and rotates so that full engagement occurs before sliding thus mimicking the affect of a human ankle. The test foot accelerates forward as would be expected …

Building A Professional Learning Community At The University Level: A Case Study Of An Information Fluency Initiative, Susan Bennett Slavicz

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An examination of the research regarding the problems associated with student academic writing indicated that two abilities, writing abilities and information literacy skills, intersect, and that an accepted term for this intersection is information literacy. The University of Central Florida’s Information Fluency Initiative recognized information literacy as a key component in developing students’ information fluency skills. This qualitative case study of the initiative used semi-structured interviews, study of documents, and observations to gather data in order to describe how the university planned, developed, and implemented the initiative. Study of relevant literature, narrative analysis (Tierney & Lincoln, 1997), inductive analysis (Hatch, …

Evaluation Of The Empirical Deck Design For Vehicular Bridges, Georges El-Gharib

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research evaluated the feasibility of the empirical design method for reinforced concrete bridge decks for the Florida Department of Transportation [FDOT]. There are currently three methods used for deck design: empirical method, traditional method and finite element method. This research investigated and compared the steel reinforcement ratios and the stress developed in the reinforcing steel for the three different methods of deck design. This study included analysis of 15 bridge models that met the FDOT standards. The main beams were designed and load rated using commercial software to obtain live load deflections. The bridges were checked to verify that …

E Pluribus Unum? Liberalism And The Search For Civility In America, Jeannemarie Halleck

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper explores issues of civility in liberal democracy, and in particular, how civility and civic engagement must be regenerated in order to forward the democratic ideals of equal rights, citizen equality and collective self-government in a meaningful way. Liberal democracy presupposes a level of civility in order to uphold standards of individual liberty and freedom, however as a theory it fails to compel citizens to support levels of mutual respect.

An etymological exploration of the term civility introduces the work of puritan theologian Roger Williams, whose early writings on individual liberty as well as the role of civility and …

Examining Optimal Form Of Two Scale Approximation (Tsa) For Calculating Snl Source Term, Dorukhan Ardag

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nonlinear four-wave interactions (S_nl) are critical for acquiring realistic spectra needed by operational wave models. High computational demand to calculate these interactions led to an approximation method named the Discrete Interaction Approximation (DIA) to be used broadly in the major operational wave models for a long time. However, the accuracy of the DIA has been controversial since it was first introduced and more precise approximations such as the Two Scale Approximation (TSA in short) are now available. The only issue with the initial TSA`s efficiency is performing an order of a magnitude slower than the DIA in speed. …

Enabling One-Phase Commit (1pc) Protocol For Web Service Atomic Transaction (Ws-At), Chirag N. Rana

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Business transactions (a.k.a., business conversations) are series of message exchanges that occur between software applications coordinating to achieve a business objective. Web service has been proven to be a promising technology in supporting business transactions. Business transaction can either be long-running or short-lived. A transaction whether in a database or web service paradigm consists of an “all-or-nothing” property. A transaction could either succeed or fail. Web Service Atomic Transactions (WS-AT) is a specification that currently supports Two-Phase Commit (2PC) protocol in a short-lived transaction. WS-AT is developed by OASIS–a standards development organization. However, not all business process scenarios require a …

Analysis Of A 10-Year Nearshore Wave Database And Its Implications To Littoral Processes, Luis Humberto Montoya

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The variability of the nearshore wave climate is investigated via the analysis of over 10 years of Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) data from a gauge deployed at Melbourne Beach, FL. Examples of large yearly variability in the significant wave height, peak period, mean direction and energy distribution are found in the data. Estimates of the averaged spectra for the entire record show that the average wave energy is distributed almost symmetrically with the peak being close to shore-normal. It was expected that the peak would be shifted towards the north of shore-normal considering net north to south longshore sediment …

Factors Affecting Storm Characteristics In The Battery And Vicinity, Shannon A. Kay

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Tropical cyclones (TCs) Irene and Sandy caused major damages in back to back years to the most densely populated city in the United States stunning the residents with storms linked to seemingly impossible probabilities. Such activity has raised questions about the effect of non-stationary aspects within atmospheric circulation on storm behavior and some assumptions inherent in previous hazard studies of the New York City (NYC) area. This study analyzes statistical aspects of hazard quantification for this area related to this non-stationarity and statistical characterization. In particular this study investigates the presence of multiple populations of storms, it also tests current …

Food For Thought And Thought For Food: Applying Care Ethics To The American Eater, Catherine Manners Bucolo

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This piece provides an application of care ethics to the typical American diet. In the first chapter, the problems surrounding the Standard American Diet are discussed at both the individual, familial, global, animal, and environmental levels. The second chapter provides an overview of the theoretical components of care ethics, and lays a framework for analysis. The third and final chapter demonstrates how in applying many of the core principles of care, great strides can be made in remedying the numerous problems that are a direct result of typical consumption habits in the United States.

Analysis Of Bfsa Based Anti-Collision Protocol In Lf, Hf, And Uhf Rfid Environments, Varun Bhogal

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the years, RFID (radio frequency identification) technology has gained popularity in a number of applications. The decreased cost of hardware components along with the recognition and implementation of international RFID standards have led to the rise of this technology.

One of the major factors associated with the implementation of RFID infrastructure is the cost of tags. Low frequency (LF) RFID tags are widely used because they are the least expensive. The drawbacks of LF RFID tags include low data rate and low range. Most studies that have been carried out focus on one frequency band only. This thesis presents …

A Hybrid Approach Using Rup And Scrum As A Software Development Strategy, Dalila Castilla

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

According to some researchers, a hybrid approach can help optimize the software development lifecycle by combining two or more methodologies. RUP and Scrum are two methodologies that successfully complement each other to improve the software development process. However, the literature has shown only few case studies on exactly how organizations are successfully applying this hybrid methodology and the benefits and issues found during the process. To help fill this literature gap, the main purpose of this thesis is to describe the development of the Lobbyist Registration and Tracking System for the City of Jacksonville case study where a hybrid approach, …

When Thoughts Clash: Self-Compassion And Self-Monitoring As Moderators Of Cognitive Dissonance, Jessica Lyn Sastre

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cognitive dissonance occurs when someone engages in a counter-attitudinal behavior that has negative consequences. In the present study whether moderators such as self-monitoring and self-compassion impact the experience of dissonance. Specifically, high self-monitors should experience less dissonance than low self-monitors because of their propensity to alter their opinions based on the social cues around them and not be as attached to their opinions as low self-monitors. Self-compassion may also moderate the dissonance effect in that more self-compassionate individuals may handle the experience of dissonance with more self-kindness and subsequently experience less dissonance than participants with low self-compassion. Participants (N …

Mechanical And Tribological Properties Of Carbon Nanofiber Reinforced High Density Polyethylene, Songbo Xu

Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

High density polyethylene (HDPE) is widely used as a bearing material in industrial application because of its low friction and high wear resistance. Reinforcing polymers with the appropriate nanofillers is an effective way to obtain a variety of enhanced material properties. Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) with silane coatings (two thicknesses: 2.8 nm and 46 nm) were added into high density polyethylene (HDPE) to improve the tribological properties of the nanocomposite material. The goal of the present study is to investigate how the mechanical, thermal, and wear behavior of HDPE can be altered by the addition of either pristine or silane treated …

Stress-Function Variational Method For Stress Analysis Of Adhesively Bonded Joints, Youhao Zhao

Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

Recently, adhesively bonded joints (ABJs) has found more rapidly increasing applications in aerospace and aeronautical structures, ground vehicles, and flexible electronics than mechanical fastening and welding technologies. However, outstanding issues still exist. This work was to develop a systematic semi-analytic method for accurate prediction of the interfacial shear and normal stresses of ABJs. Two unknown shear and peeling stress functions at each interface was first introduced in formulation, which satisfies all the traction boundary conditions. A set of governing ordinary differential equations (ODEs) was determined via triggering the theorem of minimum complimentary strain energy. Matlab® code was programmed to execute …

Influence Of The Biaxiality Ratio On Multiaxial Fatigue Of Metallic Materials, Charles Edward Adams

Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

The ability to model and predict multiaxial fatigue life without being too aggressive or conservative is of great interest to engineers. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of the biaxiality ratio (σ2/σ1) on the multiaxial fatigue life of ductile metals. Fatigue models may exhibit significant variations in predicting the effect of the biaxiality ratio. Two notch specimens with varying biaxiality ratios were machined and experimentally tested to check the validity of two different multiaxial fatigue models, an equivalent stress-based model (PSP) and a critical plane model (DP). The results indicated that a life benefit exists with …

Literature Review Of The Aerodynamics Of Flapping Flight In Micro Air Vehicle Applications, Joshua Morman

Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

Biological flapping wing flyers achieve flight maneuverability and efficiency in low speed flight environments that has not been replicated by man-made flyers. Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) design goals are to develop flyers that maintain flight in environments that biological flyers excel in which includes low speeds, hovering, and urban settings. This flight is characterized by flow phenomena that are not well understood such as: flow separation and vortical flow. The goal of this study is to perform a literature review about the aerodynamics of flapping flight and discuss the application to MAV design. The study will evaluate the design initiatives …

A Developmental Approach To Predicting Neuronal Connectivity From Small Biological Datasets: A Gradient-Based Neuron Growth Model., R Borisyuk, Ak Al Azad, D Conte, A Roberts, Sr Soffe

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Relating structure and function of neuronal circuits is a challenging problem. It requires demonstrating how dynamical patterns of spiking activity lead to functions like cognitive behaviour and identifying the neurons and connections that lead to appropriate activity of a circuit. We apply a "developmental approach" to define the connectome of a simple nervous system, where connections between neurons are not prescribed but appear as a result of neuron growth. A gradient based mathematical model of two-dimensional axon growth from rows of undifferentiated neurons is derived for the different types of neurons in the brainstem and spinal cord of young tadpoles …

How Do Various Maize Crop Models Vary In Their Responses To Climate Change Factors?, Simon Bassu, Nadine Brisson, Jean-Louis Durand, Kenneth J. Boote, Jon Lizaso, James Jones, Cynthia Rosenzweig, Alex Ruane, Myriam Adam, Christian Baron, Bruno Basso, Christian Biernath, Hendrick Boogaard, Sjaak Conijn, Marc Corbeels, Delphine Deryng, Giacomo De Sanctis, Sebastian Gayler, Patricio Grassini, Jerry Hatfield, Steven Hoek, Cesar Izaurralde, Raymond Jongschaap, Armen Kemanian, Christian Kersebaum, Soo-Hyung Kim, Naresh Kumar, David Makowski, Christoph Muller, Claas Nendel, Eckart Priesack, Maria Virinia Pravia, Federico Sau, Iurii Shcherbak, Fulu Tao, Edmar Teixeira, Dennis Timlin, Katharina Waha

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Potential consequences of climate change on crop production can be studied using mechanistic crop simulation models. While a broad variety of maize simulation models exist, it is not known whether different models diverge on grain yield responses to changes in climatic factors, or whether they agree in their general trends related to phenology, growth, and yield. With the goal of analyzing the sensitivity of simulated yields to changes in temperature and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations [CO2], we present the largest maize crop model intercomparison to date, including 23 different models. These models were evaluated for four locations representing a wide …