Digital Commons Network^™

Waterslide, Neil Mathison

Valparaiso Fiction Review

No abstract provided.

Commencement Convocation Program, Sarasota - Manatee Campus, December 14, 2014, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

Golden Bull Service & Outstanding Leadership Award - Mariana Barboza; Outstanding Graduate Award - Stephanie Boynton; Outstanding Professor - Fawn T. Ngo

12/14/2014 Obituary Records, Hawaii Obituaries

Obituaries

List of Obituaries for individuals who passed away on 12/14/2014. Scroll down to see the names and obituary description.

Coordinated Control And Estimation Of Multiagent Systems With Engineering Applications, Housheng Su, Michael Z.Q. Chen, Qing Hui, Wei Zhang, Fanglai Zhu

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

Recently, coordinated control and estimation problems have attracted a great deal of attention in different fields especially in biology, physics, computer science, and control engineering. Coordinated control and estimation problems have prominent characteristics of distributed control, local interaction, and self-organization. Research on multiagent coordinated control and estimation problems not only helps better understand the mechanisms of natural collective phenomena but also benefits the applications of cyberphysical systems.

This special issue focuses on theoretical and technological achievements in cooperative multiagent Systems. It contains twenty-six papers, the contents of which are summarized below.

Privacy-Preserving And Outsourced Multi-User K-Means Clustering, Bharath Samanthula, Fang-Yu Rao, Elisa Bertino, Xun Yi, Dangxi Liu

Cyber Center Publications

Many techniques for privacy-preserving data mining (PPDM) have been investigated over the past decade. Often, the entities involved in the data mining process are end-users or organizations with limited computing and storage resources. As a result, such entities may want to refrain from participating in the PPDM process. To overcome this issue and to take many other benefits of cloud computing, outsourcing PPDM tasks to the cloud environment has recently gained special attention. We consider the scenario where n entities outsource their databases (in encrypted format) to the cloud and ask the cloud to perform the clustering task on their …

Commencement Convocation Program, St. Petersburg Campus, December 14, 2014, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

Regional Chancellor's Award for Civic Leadership - Mary Anne Reilly; Outstanding Graduate - Angela Wilson; King O'Neal Scholar Award - Jesse Stuart Daw and Heather Lee

Sequential Logic Circuits Using Spatial Wavefunction Switched (Sws) Fets, Neeraja Jagadeesan

Master's Theses

In this thesis, sequential logic circuits have been implemented using spatial wavefunction-switched field-effect transistor (SWSFET). The spatial wavefunction-switched field-effect transistor (SWSFET) is one of the promising quantum well devices that transfers electrons from one quantum well channel to the other channel based on the applied gate voltage. This eliminates the use of more transistors as we have coupled channels in the same device operating at different threshold voltages. This feature can be exploited in many digital integrated circuits thus reducing the count of transistors which translates to less die area. The simulations of basic sequential circuits like SR latch, D …

The Past And Future Of Copyright Politics, Jessica Silbey

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Role Model Gender And Communality On College Women’S Math Performance And Interest In Stem, Elizabeth K. Lawner

Master's Theses

The current project examined the effect of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) role model gender and communality and communal goal endorsement on college women’s math performance and their interest in, perceived belonging in, and perceived communal goal affordance of STEM. The first study was conducted online and did not include math performance, while the second study was conducted in the laboratory and added a math assessment. It was hypothesized that exposure to a female role model would result in greater math performance and interest and perceiving belonging in STEM, exposure to a communal role model would result in increased …

The Final Whistle: An In-Depth Analysis Of How Elite Transfer Student-Athletes Adapt To Life After Intercollegiate Sport, Julianne Hubbard

Master's Theses

Since elite intercollegiate student-athletes often elect to transfer institutions for reasons of athletic dissatisfaction, it was hypothesized that members of this population have strong, exclusive athletic identities, making the transition out of sport extremely troublesome. The following research study utilized a mixed-methods approach to examine the athletic retirement experiences of elite transfer intercollegiate student-athletes. Nine former NCAA Division I women’s soccer players provided quantitative and qualitative information regarding athletic identity, transferring, and retirement from elite sport. Using the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS) developed by Brewer et al. (1993), ‘at-risk’ individuals likely to have experienced negative transitions from sport were …

Finite Element Formulation Of Phase Field Fracture, Alexandros N. Mathioudakis

Master's Theses

Numerically predicting crack growth is difficult due to the infinite stresses at the crack tip as well as the extreme change in material properties which will introduce numerical instabilities. This project encompasses the development of a Finite Element Code that implements the phase field physics theory developed in order to analyze crack propagation. Under this theory a new state variable is introduced which describes the phase as failed or virgin material. The phase is modeled as diffusion through the material and is driven by specified equations, and is especially useful in the prediction of high temperature creep rupture.

To test …

Use Of Thermally Grown Oxide Stress Measurements To Predict Remaining Life Of Thermal Barrier Coatings Under Realistic Turbine Engine Conditions, Nirav V. Patel

Master's Theses

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are important in increasing performance and extending the life of gas turbine engine hot parts. Over the course of thermal cycling and engine operation, the coatings eventually spall off exposing superalloys to extreme temperatures. In this thesis, two aspects involving thermal barrier coating life prediction were explored. The first was by making use of stress measurements in the thermally grown oxide (TGO) to predict lives of samples subjected to non-constant furnace testing. This work used data from an earlier thesis and for the first time developed specific strategies to predict remaining life in the face of …

Bioremediation And Phytoremediation Systems For Breaking Down Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (Tph) In Contaminated Sandy Soil, Patrick Mcintosh

Master's Theses

Bioremediation and Phytoremediation Systems for Breaking Down Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) in Contaminated Sandy Soil

ABSTRACT

The applications of bio- and phytoremediation systems were used to breakdown low-level total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in a contaminated sandy soil. The overall aim was to determine which soil regimes, amendments, and plant species enhance the breakdown of TPH. The first project included planted mixtures of cool and warm-season grasses with different willows, mono and intercropped with various fertilizer and carbon additions. The second project introduced different soil regimes of saturation, intermittent oxygenation, installment of aboveground covers, as well as the addition of switchgrass …

Examining Predictors Of U.S. Student Intent To Study Abroad From A Communication Perspective, Jasmine R. Phillips

Open Access Dissertations

This study of American undergraduate students explored the communication factors that contribute to their decisions regarding participation in study abroad programs. The theoretical framework proposed that several communication constructs were related to intent to study abroad. Specifically, intercultural communication competence (ICC), and social influence via face-to-face and computer-mediated communication, were proposed to affect intent to study abroad. Hypotheses generated in this research were grounded in literature on the above constructs and guided by the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA; Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980). Previous literature found that intercultural attitudes such as openness to other cultures and diversity, ethnocentrism, and intercultural …

Fall 2014 Commencement - The University Of Texas Of The Permian Basin, The University Of Texas Permian Basin

UTPB Commencement Programs

Fall 2014 Commencement - December 13, 2014

Western Michigan University Commencement Exercises-12:30pm, John M. Dunn

WMU President John Dunn

No abstract provided.

Fall Commencement Program, December 13, 2014, Coastal Carolina University

Commencement Programs

Program of Commencement Exercises at Coastal Carolina University.

Development Of An Immunodiagnostic Assay For Canine Tear Lacritin, Alison Mae Enghauser

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Purpose: Lacritin is a naturally occurring human glycoprotein secreted from the lacrimal gland as a component of tears. Preliminary studies suggest that down-regulation of lacritin is associated with various ocular diseases, such as dry eye syndrome and blepharitis. Thus, lacritin shows potential as a new topical therapeutic for the treatment of ocular diseases. Previous studies have shown that recombinant human lacritin, when topically applied to rabbit eyes, promotes basal tearing. Antibodies produced against the terminal ends of human lacritin were used to develop a clinical immunodiagnostic assay that detect and quantify lacritin in human tear samples. In order to develop …

Why Haven't Technologies Fixed Open Source Intelligence?, Timothy Sparks

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Abstract

The Intelligence Community (IC) reached consensus after 9/11/2001 on the importance of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) due to the changing nature of the global threat environment, the information explosion, and the changing intelligence requirements of the IC. Voluminous amounts of information, much of it with potential application for use in intelligence operations, continue to challenge IC intelligence analysts’ capabilities to harness, and effectively use in finished all-source intelligence production. Government reform commissions, senior IC officials, along with OSINT and technology advocates, have all espoused the growing importance of OSINT, and have outlined many ways in which the IC should …

Ua45/6 Commencement Program, Wku Registrar

WKU Administration Documents

Commencement program listing graduates.

Commencement Convocation Program, Usf, Graduate, December 13, 2014, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters - Gilbert A. King

Npr’S From The Top Live With Host Christopher O’Riley, Office Of Arts + Cultural Programming, Peak Performances At Montclair State University

2014-2015 Discover the Heartbeat of Creative Life

Concert pianist and Peak Performances favorite Christopher O’Riley returns with a live recording of NPR’s From the Top, which The Boston Globe called “an unpretentious mix of the ridiculous and the sublime…[Featuring] an entertaining, accessible and often inspirational mix of outstanding musical performances, informal interviews, skits and games, the show is a celebration of extraordinary musicians who happen to be teenagers leading fairly normal lives.” The whole family will enjoy seeing this beloved radio program come together on the stage of the Alexander Kasser Theater.

Recycling Procurement Strategies With Variable Yield Suppliers, Paul David Rowe

Theses and Dissertations

Companies are no longer judged on financial performance alone, but rather on their “Triple-Bottom Line”, which accounts for social and environmental measures as well. This leads companies to investigate the sustainability of their operations and their products. Between the increasing cost of virgin raw materials and customers demanding post-consumer product content, manufacturers have begun looking at recycled material options. This paper addresses a procurement issue facing a polystyrene packaging manufacturer considering its optimal purchasing strategies between two suppliers – one providing virgin material, the other offering recycled material. A single-period scenario is modeled where each supplier sells product with a …

Stochastic And Robust Optimal Operation Of Energy-Efficient Building With Combined Heat And Power Systems, Ping Liu

Theses and Dissertations

Energy efficiency and renewable energy become more attractive in smart grid. In order to efficiently reduce global energy usage in building energy systems and to improve local environmental sustainability, it is essential to optimize the operation and the performance of combined heat and power (CHP) systems. In addition, intermittent renewable energy and imprecisely predicted customer loads have introduced great challenges in energy-efficient buildings' optimal operation. In the deterministic optimal operation, we study the modeling of components in energy-efficient building systems, including the power grid interface, CHP and boiler units, energy storage devices, and building appliances. The mixed energy resources are …

Mississippi State University Ecocar Extended Range Electric Vehicle Thermal System Design, Integration, Optimization, And Validation, Michael Lynn Barr

Theses and Dissertations

A continued increase in government regulations for fuel economy and emissions has driven automakers and suppliers to take a large interest in hybridizing vehicles to help them achieve the new requirements. This increased vehicle electrification has resulted in unconventional vehicle cooling requirements. Electrified vehicle batteries and motors operate under different temperature regimes and cooling loads change drastically with driving styles and conditions. A variable-load cooling system was designed, implemented and tested on the Mississippi State University EcoCAR extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV). This system, utilizing variable flow pumps and variable speed fans, was shown to successfully cool the electronic components under …

Multifunctional Glazing System: Solution For Modern Smart Glazing, Aritra Ghosh, Brian Norton, Aidan Duffy

Conference papers

Multifunctional glazing combines various glazing ,that have potential to control solar heat gain by changing the window transmittance and low heat loss. In autonomous multifunctional glazing it s function will be powered by PV layer attached to the glazing. This glazing obviates the necessity for shading devices to control the glare. Glare control for such a small scale south facing vertical surface multifunctional glazing is discussed.

Identifying The Vulnerability Of Earthen Levees To Slump Slides Using Geotechnical And Geomorphological Parameters, Sona Sehat

Theses and Dissertations

The main goal of this research is to investigate vulnerability of levees to future slump slides. In the first part, polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) imagery is used as input in an automated classification system for characterizing areas on the levee having anomalies. In addition, a set of in-situ soil data is collected to provide detailed soil properties over the study area. In-situ soil properties of different classes characterized by the classifier are analyzed to determine how similarities between different areas. The second part, a database including of 34 slump slides that occurred in the lower Mississippi River levee system …

Commencement Convocation Exercises - December 2014, Prairie View A&M University

Commencement and Convocation Exercises

No abstract provided.

Assessing Code Decay By Detecting Software Architecture Violations, Ajay Bandi

Theses and Dissertations

Code decay is a gradual process that negatively impacts the quality of a software system. Developers need trusted measurement techniques to evaluate whether their systems have decayed. This dissertation aims to assess code decay by discovering software architectural violations. Our methodology uses Lightweight Sanity Check for Implemented Architectures to derive architectural constraints represented by can-use and cannot-use phrases. Our methodology also uses Lattix to discover architectural violations. We also introduce measures that indicate code decay in a software system. We conducted two case studies of proprietary systems (9 versions of System A and 14 versions of System B) to demonstrate …

System Of Systems Based Decision-Making For Power Systems Operation, Amin Kargarian Marvasti

Theses and Dissertations

A modern power system is composed of many individual entities collaborating with each other to operate the entire system in a secure and economic manner. These entities may have different owners and operators with their own operating rules and policies, and it complicates the decision-making process in the system. In this work, a system of systems (SoS) engineering framework is presented for optimally operating the modern power systems. The proposed SoS framework defines each entity as an independent system with its own regulations, and the communication and process of information exchange between the systems are discussed. Since the independent systems …