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A Particle Swarm Optimization For The Vehicle Routing Problem, Choosak Pornsing

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation is a study on the use of swarm methods for optimization, and is divided into three main parts. In the first part, two novel swarm metaheuristic algorithms -- named Survival Sub-swarms Adaptive Particle Swarm Optimization (SSS-APSO) and Survival Sub-swarms Adaptive Particle Swarm Optimization with velocity-line bouncing (SSS-APSO-vb) -- are developed. These new algorithms present self-adaptive inertia weight and time-varying adaptive swarm topology techniques. The objective of these new approaches is to avoid premature convergence by executing the exploration and exploitation stages simultaneously. Although proposed PSOs are fundamentally based on commonly modeled behaviors of swarming creatures, the novelty is …

Horizontal Violence Among Nurses: Experiences, Responses And Job Performance, Elizabeth M. Bloom

Open Access Dissertations

Horizontal violence (HV), or non-physical intergroup conflict that is expressed in overt and covert behaviors of hostility, is pervasive in nursing and has been discussed in the literature for more than two decades. It is costly and has potentially devastating effects including high nurse turnover rates, increased illness, decreased productivity, and decreased quality of patient care. Recognizing how these behaviors are established and sustained is necessary if nurses are to overcome these types of behaviors. This mixed methods study used an online survey to examine 78 hospital nurse’s experiences and responses to episodes of HV as well as its effect …

Decision-Making For Strategic Spare Parts Pricing Levels: An Evaluation Of Consumer Products Sustainability, Masoud Vaziri

Open Access Dissertations

The aftermarket business is a highly profitable activity for companies, and they can earn considerable profits from selling spare parts. Spare parts demands are more uncertain and intermittent in comparison with finished goods and associated work in progress parts. In the aftermarket, the demand uncertainty of the spare parts for the OEMs is complicated by the fact that the other competitors, known as market players or will-fitters, supply substitutable parts usually with lower cost of production and deliver them to the market at cheaper prices. This uncertainty makes spare parts management challenging, and this study develops strategic approaches for spare …

Molecular Interaction In Carboxylesterases-Based Catalysis: Ontogenic Expression And Induction Through A Novel Element, Yi-Tzai Chen

Open Access Dissertations

Carboxylesterases (CES) catalyze both hydrolytic and synthetic reactions and play important roles in drug metabolism and lipid mobilization. Many factors such as age and dietary supplements have been shown to regulate the CES expression. The expression of CES1 shows the developmental regulation and is highly induced by antioxidants. The goals of this project were to determine whether CES2, like CES1, is developmentally regulated and to investigate how antioxidants induced the expression of CES1 at the molecular level.

The ontogenic studies showed the mRNA levels of CES2 exhibited a postnatal surge (1-31 days versus 35-70 days) in both liver and duodenum. …

Evaluation Of Field Based Liquefaction Approaches For Calcareous Sands Using Shear Wave Velocity, Alesandra Cristina Morales-Velez

Open Access Dissertations

The objective of this research is to assess the applicability of current field-based liquefaction approaches for calcareous sands. This is of importance because a.) there are many coastal communities in areas of high seismicity founded on calcareous sands (e.g. Haiti, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Dubai, etc.), and b.) existing field-based approaches were developed almost entirely for case studies in silica sands. Recent earthquakes in Guam (1993), Hawaii (2006) and Haiti (2010) caused significant damage to coastal infrastructure, in part, because of liquefaction of calcareous sand deposits. Despite this field evidence, a review of existing research involving laboratory studies shows contradictory results …

Investigation Into 3d Earth Structure And Sources Using Full Seismic Waveforms, Brian M. Covellone

Open Access Dissertations

Seismograms are the result of the complex interactions between a seismic source, a propagation medium and the seismograph's response. Through the use of 3-dimensional modeling and full seismic waveform data, we quantify and minimize errors associated with the source and propagation medium within our data sets. We compile a new and unique earthquake catalog for the Middle East that is openly available to the public. We quantify the benefits of using a 3-dimensional model relative to a 1-dimensional model to minimizing error in earthquake moment tensors and identify where in the waveform 3-dimensional models outperform 1-dimensional models. Two new and …

Assessing Engagement And Satisfaction In Two Relational Agent Interventions For Physical Activity And Sun Protection, Marie Aline Sillice

Open Access Dissertations

Relational agent (RA) health interventions are slowly becoming part of the health behavior change field. The current assessed participants’ experience in a 12-month long internet and RA intervention for physical activity (PA) and sun protection, using primarily a qualitative approach. Two groups were recruited. Group 1 consisted of participants who completed the intervention. Group 2 consisted of participants who accessed the intervention only two or three times. Thirty-four participants were recruited for group1 and eight participants for group 2. A standardized semi-structured open-ended interview was used for data collection. Two interview scripts were developed and consisted of twenty-five questions (group1) …

Formation And Stability Of Emulsions: Effect Of Surfactant-Particle Interactions And Particle Shape, Hari Katepalli

Open Access Dissertations

Formation and stability of emulsions is one of the important topics in the field of colloids and interfacial science. Surfactants and colloidal particles are often used to stabilize emulsions. Surfactants are amphiphilic molecules; they minimize the energy required for the emulsion formation by reducing oil-water interfacial tension. Colloidal particles are not amphiphilic, but partially wettable particles favors the adsorption at oil-water interface with a desorption energy well above thermal energy. With sufficient coverage at the interface, they act as barriers against droplet coalescence and enhance the emulsion stability. In this work, the response of particle-stabilized (Pickering) emulsions to the addition …

Sustainability Modeling And Assessment Of Product Recovery Systems - An Engineering Approach To A Sustainable Future, Sirine A. Saleem

Open Access Dissertations

Sustainability is defined as “meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (WCED, 1987). This is a concept that was developed to counteract the negative consequences of the culture of disposability and consumption based economy on the environment. Many policy makers have the perception that pursuing policies that embrace sustainability would compromise countries economic prosperity. Therefore, this dissertation introduces the new index of sustainable prosperity. This is a novel multiattribute measure that comprehensively assesses sustainable prosperity (SPI) for systems such as countries, hospitals, and products…etc. This index ensures that …

“. . . Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace . . .” —The Influence Of Constitutional Argument On Same-Sex Marriage Legislation Debates In Australia, Neville Rochow

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Masthead

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Unnecessary And Restrictive Constitutional Amendments Concerning Religious Freedom In Mexico, Javier Saldaña Serrano

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Shinto Cases: Religion, Culture, Or Both—The Japanese Supreme Court And Establishment Of Religion Jurisprudence, Frank S. Ravitch

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Freedom Of Religion In China Under The Current Legal Framework And Foreign Religious Bodies, Ping Xiong

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Municipal Manifest Destiny: Constitutionality Of Unilateral Municipal Annexations, Dustin Cammack

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Liberal Democracy And The Right To Religious Freedom, Aldir Guedes Soriano

BYU Law Review

Foremost, this paper examines the current situation of the rights to religious freedom and democracy around the world, which deserve attention and concern. Civil liberties are currently in crossfire. This article examines the foundations of the right to religious freedom. Depending on the philosophical foundations, there are two different rationales for the right to religious freedom: liberal and anti-liberal. According to the liberal tradition, the best reason to protect religious freedom rests upon the autonomy of the individual conscience. It is clear that a constitutional democracy does not allow the establishment of any religion by the government, using either executive …

Nepa And Indirect Effects Of Foreign Activity: Limiting Principles From The Presumption Against Extraterritoriality And Transnational Lawmaking, David Heywood

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Indicateurs De Lésions Professionnelles Selon Le Genre, Patrice Duguay, Pascale Prud'homme, Alexandre Boucher

Fiches

Les tâches liées à l’emploi ainsi que la nature et les exigences de l’environnement du travail peuvent être différentes entre les hommes et les femmes, ce qui peut induire des écarts de risques au niveau de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (SST). Ce dossier présente quelques statistiques qui illustrent certaines différences et qui montrent l’importance de considérer le genre dans les études en SST.

Pour en savoir plus : consulter le site Web statistiques.irsst.qc.ca

Economic Cooperation Between Azerbaijan And Italy, Fikrat M.Pashayev

Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Since restoration of its independence in 1991 Azerbaijan has paid particular attention to development of its political and economic ties with developed market economies. One of the countries which became strategic partner for Azerbaijan is Italy. During recent years Italy and Azerbaijan have signed a number of bilateral documents related to development of economic relations thus creating solid legislative basis for bilateral cooperation. Italy and Azerbaijan made remarkable achievements in developing bilateral cooperation in oil and gas sector, including oil and gas refinery and transportation. Cooperation in this area will definitely continue due to the strategic locations both Italy and …

Ups And Downs In Foreign Policy Of Uzbekistan Towards Security Approach Of Russia, Tugce Varol Sevim, Alexander Rozanov

Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Uzbekistan is one of the significant states of Central Asia considering its relatively high population and military strength in comparison with other Central Asian states. We should not forget the fact that Uzbekistan has the most combat-ready and well-equipped armed forces in the region that have direct military experience in special operations in the mountains. Given this fact and the presence of a large Uzbek diaspora in neighboring countries, it is easy enough to understand why Tashkent pursues an independent policy and strives for leadership in Central Asia. However, the permanent President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov failed …

Postcolonial-Feminist Elements In E. M. Forster’S A Passage To India, Sarah Tavassoli, Narges Mirzapour

Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Postcolonial feminism, also labeled third-world feminism, is an innovative approach, depicting the way women of colonized countries suffer from double colonization: native patriarchies and imperial ideology. While Western feminism focuses on gender discrimination, postcolonial feminism tries to broaden the analysis of the intersection of gender and multicultural identity formation. Postcolonial feminists believe that Western feminism is inattentive to the differences pertaining to class, race, feelings, and settings of women of colonized territories; therefore, postcolonial feminism warns the third-world woman not to copy nor imitate the Western woman's style, and tries to demonstrate what feminism means to woman in a non-western …

Au Travail, Les Hommes Se Blessent-Ils Plus Que Les Femmes?, Patrice Duguay, Pascale Prud'homme, Alexandre Boucher

Fiches

Les tâches liées à l'emploi ainsi que la nature et les exigences de l'environnement du travail peuvent être différentes entre les hommes et les femmes, ce qui peut induire des écarts de risques au niveau de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (SST). Cette fiche résumée présentent quelques statistiques qui illustrent l'importance de considérer le genre dans les études en SST.

Pour en savoir plus : consulter le site Web statistiques.irsst.qc.ca

The 6th Mode Of Transportation, Robert O. Walton

Publications

The five modes of freight transportation are normally characterized as motor carriers, railroads, airlines, water carriers, and pipelines. This paper will attempt to position the Internet as the sixth mode of transportation. This paper compares the strengths and weaknesses of the traditional five modes of transportation against the proposed 6th mode of the Internet. Without including the Internet as a mode of transportation, and tracking the economic value that it adds to the economy, the economic impact of the Internet as a mode is not considered. The recommendation of this study is that the Internet should be added to the …

Svm-Based Volitional Artificial Leg Control Via Ubiquitous Small And Low Power Architectures, Robert Hernandez

Open Access Dissertations

Presented within this dissertation is the evolution of the research leading to the selection of small, low power architectural solutions to the University of Rhode Island’s (URI) Neural Machine Interface (NMI) algorithm. The NMI is designed to provide volitional control of an artificial limb for transfemoral amputees. The NMI algorithm is based on neuromuscular–mechanical fusion, gait phase dependent, nonlinear support vector machine (SVM) classification. URI’s NMI algorithm utilizes electromyography to detect direct commands from the human brain to the residual thigh muscles in conjunction with mechanical signals derived from loadcell to determine the user’s intended locomotion mode.

Of utmost importance …

Investigating The Mechanisms Of Smoking Behavior Change With Statistical Mediation Analysis, Steven Francis Babbin

Open Access Dissertations

Investigating and quantifying the mechanisms that underlie behavior change is essential to understanding what drives effective interventions. Cigarette smoking remains a critical concern for public health, and increasing basic knowledge of smoking behavior change can directly lead to improved interventions. This series of six studies represents a comprehensive evaluation of the mechanisms of smoking behavior change with statistical mediation analysis. All studies utilized combined data from five tailored interventions based on the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) for participants in Precontemplation (PC; N = 1145), Contemplation (C; N = 1243), and Preparation (PR; N = 499). Statistical mediation models under investigation were …

Childhood Maltreatment And Later Adult Functioning: An Examination Of The Roles Of Personal Resiliency And Psychological Distress, Maggie L. Gorraiz

Open Access Dissertations

Childhood maltreatment has been and continues to be a disconcerting public health concern worldwide. Over three decades of research indicates a gamut of negative long-term physical and mental health correlates of childhood maltreatment. However, there is limited knowledge on potential mediating factors in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and later adult functioning. This study examined the potential impact of childhood maltreatment on later adult functioning, specifically interpersonal functioning and protective sexual behaviors. The study also investigated the potential mediating roles of psychological distress and personal resiliency within this relationship. A college-based sample of 415 heterosexually active men and women, aged …

Early Vocabulary Assessment Within A Response To Intervention Framework, Jenlyn Furey

Open Access Dissertations

The current study examined the predictive and social validity of two weekly vocabulary assessments embedded within a Tier I Kindergarten vocabulary curriculum. Participants (N=250 Kindergarten students) received ongoing vocabulary instruction and their target word knowledge was monitored weekly over the course of 24 weeks using two target word assessments (a Yes/No assessment and Receptive Picture assessment). Data from the weekly vocabulary assessments were examined at multiple time points with various cut scores. Predictive validity was examined in terms of correct classification of student risk for poor vocabulary outcomes, and results were compared with standardized measures of general receptive and expressive …

American Woodcock Ecology And Bird Conservation In Relation To Forest Management, Roger J. Masse

Open Access Dissertations

The extent of shrubland and young forest in the Northeast, USA, has declined rapidly since the mid-1900’s. Accordingly, the abundance of wildlife that depends on young forest has also declined. For example, American woodcock (Scolopax minor), an upland shorebird species, require an appropriate spectrum and spatial configuration of young forest to thrive and their populations have declined significantly since at least 1968. Active forest management is required to conserve populations of American woodcock and other young forest wildlife, but the importance of young forest management to some aspects of the ecology of key wildlife are not fully understood. I …

The Green Eating Project: Web-Based Intervention To Promote Environmentally Conscious Eating Behaviors, Jessica T. Nash

Open Access Dissertations

The food system has been cited as unsustainable due to the reliance on natural resources and contribution to global pollution. Technological advances will play a major role in mitigating these negative consequences but consumers will also play a role through food choices. Green Eating (GE) is the concept of practicing more environmentally conscious eating behaviors and is currently defined as: eating locally grown foods, limited amounts of processed/fast foods, eating meatless meals at least one day per week, choosing organic foods as much as possible, and only taking what you plan on eating. Little research exists investigating college student perspectives’ …