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Austin Rau Honors Portfolio, Austin Thomas Rau

Honors Capstone Portfolios

Austin Rau's honors portfolio captured in December 2015.

Overcoming The Learning Curve: The Use Of Facebook By Members Of Congress, Lucas J. Lothamer

Political Science Theses - Archive

This study examines the use of Facebook by members of Congress as a tool for reelection. Specifically, the study looks at the various types of posts congressional members use, such as campaign advertisements or policy positions, and looks for explanatory variables to explain the usage of the social media by members of Congress. To conduct this research the Facebook pages of a sample of Representatives and Senators were examined with a bivariate and multivariate analysis. Overall congressional members employed a distinct strategy in using their campaign pages. Senators up for reelection and in competitive races were more likely to use …

Distributed Algorithms For Electric Vehicle Charging, Akshay Malhotra

Electrical Engineering Theses - Archive

Coordinated charging of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) can effectively mitigate the negative effects imposed on the power distribution grid by uncoordinated charging. Simultaneously, coordinated charging algorithms can accommodate the PEV user’s needs in terms of desired state-of-charge and charging time. In this work, the problem of tracking an arbitrary power profile, by coordinated charging of PEVs, is formulated as a discrete scheduling process, while accounting for the heterogeneity in charging rates and restricting the charging to only the maximum rated power. Then, a novel distributed algorithm is proposed to coordinate the PEV charging and eliminate the need for a central …

Reducing Encoder Complexity Of Intra-Mode Decision Using Cu Early Termination Algorithm, Nishit Samirbhai Samirbhai Shah

Electrical Engineering Theses - Archive

In this thesis an intra prediction algorithm is proposed that terminates complete full search prediction for the CU and is replaced by CU early termination algorithm which determines the complexity of the CU block and then decision is made to further split or non-split the CU. When the CU texture is complex the CU is split into smaller sub units to find the best size and when the CU texture is flat, the CU is not divided further into sub – units. Down sampling is done first after which complexity is calculated by which a threshold value is set. This …

H.265 (Hevc) Bitstream To H.264 (Mpeg 4 Avc) Bitstream Transcoder, Deepak Hingole

Electrical Engineering Theses - Archive

With every new video coding standard the general rule of thumb has been to maintain same video quality at a reduced bit rate of about 50% as compared to the previous standard. H.265 is the latest video coding standard with support for encoding videos with wide range of resolutions, starting from low resolution to beyond High Definition i.e. 4k or 8k. H.265 also known as HEVC was preceded by H.264 which is very well established and widely used standard in industry and finds its applications in broadcast, storage, multimedia telephony. Currently almost all devices including low power handheld mobile devices …

A High Frequency Memristor Emulator Circuit, Manu Chilukuri

Electrical Engineering Theses - Archive

In this thesis, a low power, high frequency memristor emulator has been designed. The purpose of emulator circuit is to mimic the behavior of a memristor. The circuit consists of a summing amplifier, an integrator and a multiplier. The circuit has been implemented using commercial off the shelf (COTS) components in Keysight ADS simulation tool. For CMOS implementation, the emulator circuit has been designed using IBM 0.18um technology. The design of each circuit has been explained in this work. The Opamp designed achieves a gain of 89 dB, output swing of 1.584V and a bandwidth of 3.67 MHz. The circuit …

Multi-Stage Prediction Scheme For Screen Content Based On Hevc, Nagashree Mundgemane Nagaraj

Electrical Engineering Theses - Archive

Screen content is a computer generated content which contains text, graphics and animations and the coding of such content is different from coding a photographic content. This thesis emphasizes on coding the screen content keeping the present video coding standard High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) as the base. An extension to HEVC to support screen content coding (SCC) is currently under development by the Joint Collaborative Team on Video Coding (JCT- VC) and the main goal of the extension is to provide improved compression performance of text, graphics and animation in addition to photographic content. This thesis focuses on a …

Reducing The Encoding Time Of Motion Estimation In Hevc Using Parallel Programming, Vasavee Vijayaraghavan

Electrical Engineering Theses - Archive

High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) is the current state-of-art video codec which is widely being adopted by lot of users. It has close to 50% reduction in encoding time compared to its predecessor, H.264 or AVC (Advanced Video Coding) at the cost of increased complexity. Lot of research is going towards reducing the complexity of this codec, at the same time, maintaining the visual quality that it produces and maintaining the reduced encoding time from its predecessor. As an effort to decrease the encoding time further, there can be several approaches. Parallel processing is taking a dominant role in many …

Presidential Speech And The Framing Of Poverty: From The War On Poverty To The War On The Poor, Jamaica Kennedy

Sociology & Anthropology Theses - Archive

Presidential narratives are influential components of the national conversation about social issues. In order to gain a better understanding of how the Presidents framed and discussed poverty and the poor State of the Union addresses between the years 1964 and 2014 were analyzed. The focus of this research was to identify the narratives the Presidents crafted about the war on poverty. Narrative analysis was utilized to unpack and these narratives and identify the different narrative forms they took while the Presidents presented and discussed the war on poverty. Initially the war on poverty was presented as a romantic quest to …

Volume 99, Number 3 (2015)

Judicature

No abstract provided.

Siguria E Rrjetave Kompjuterike, Blinera Ahmeti

Theses and Dissertations

Shpërndarja e internetit në përmasa më të mëdha filloi në fillim të viteve 1980. Qysh në këtë fillim lindi edhe nevoja për sigurinë e rrjetave kompjuterike, menjëherë pas shfaqjes së sulmeve të para që shkaktuan dëme në informacionet dhe sistemet kompjuterike. Ndryshimet shumë të shpejta në botën e kompjuterikës, aplikacioneve mobile dhe rrjetave pa kabllo kanë ndryshuar plotësisht tiparet e sigurisë së rrjetave. Qysh nga ajo kohë, sado që ka pasur zhvillime tepër të mëdha në botën e internetit, ende ka shumë ngecje në zhvillimin e metodave të sigurisë së rrjetave.

Problemet me sigurinë më së lehti dhe më së …

Implementimi Dhe Adaptimi I E-Commerce Në Kompanitë E Vogla Në Zvicër, Drilon Tahiri

Theses and Dissertations

Qëllimi i këtij hulumtimi është të shqyrtojë implementimin dhe adaptimin e e-commerce në kompanitë e vogla në Zvicër . Ky hulumtim përshkruan të gjitha përfitimet dhe pengesat me të cilat ballafaqohen kompanitë e vogla gjatë procesit të implementimit të e-commerce. Një hulumtim cilësor është kryer. Po ashtu është kryer edhe një intervistë me një menaxher të një kompanie të vogël në Zvicër.

Ky studim tregon se kompanitë e vogla në Zvicër kanë përparësi në implementimin dhe adaptimin e e-commerce në krahasim me vendet e tjera të Evropës, por ende ka pengesa të cilat mund të përmirësohen në të ardhmen.

Përfitimet …

Zgjidhja E Problemeve Të Transportit Në Rrjetat Telekomunikuese Duke Kaluar Në Ran-In E Bazuar Në Ip, Meriton Ahmeti

Theses and Dissertations

Operimi i Radio paisjeve (Antenat) të operatorëve të ndryshëm të telefonisë mobile dhe ndërlidhja e tyre me Rrjetën Bërthamë (Core Network) mundësohet nga RAN (Radio Access Network) i cili jo domosdoshmërisht është i njejtë për operator të ndryshëm mobil.

Përgjatë viteve të zhvillimit të Telekomunikacionit në përgjithesi dhe të Komunikimeve mobile në veçanti, janë zhvilluar teknologji të reja për ta tejkalur problemin e diversitetit në mes të teknologjive të aplikuara në rrjetën e një operatori të telefonisë mobile por edhe për të tejkaluar kufizimet e ndryshme teknike.

Në aspektin e dizajnimit të rrjetës së operatorëve të telefonisë mobile gjithmonë kalimi …

Local Government Law, Ken E. Jarrard

Mercer Law Review

No abstract provided.

Legal Ethics, Patrick Emery Longan

Mercer Law Review

This survey covers a two-year period from June 1, 2013 to May 31, 2015. The Article discusses noteworthy Georgia appellate cases concerning attorney discipline, disqualification, ineffective assistance of counsel, judicial ethics, and legal malpractice. The Article also discusses two significant opinions from the Formal Advisory Opinion Board, amendments to the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct, and several recent miscellaneous cases involving legal ethics in Georgia.

Real Property, Linda S. Finley

Mercer Law Review

A review of the survey of real property law for the last several years shows an evolution of topics. One year the creation of the Georgia Fair Lending Act, and the duties that new legislation placed upon attorneys and lenders was a critical topic; the following year (and the next), the topic of interest was how title to church property is determined when a congregation splits. For the last few years, the downturn in the Georgia and national economy, and the protection of consumers under foreclosure laws and from the unauthorized practice of law, have seen both judicial and legislative …

Skills, Division Of Labor, And Economies Of Scale Among Amazonian Hunters And South Indian Honey Collectors, Paul L. Hooper, Kathryn Demps, Michael Gurven, Drew Gerkey, Hillard S. Kaplan

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

In foraging and other productive activities, individuals make choices regarding whether and with whom to cooperate, and in what capacities. The size and composition of cooperative groups can be understood as a self-organized outcome of these choices, which are made under local ecological and social constraints. This article describes a theoretical framework for explaining the size and composition of foraging groups based on three principles: (1) the sexual division of labor; (2) the intergenerational division of labor; and (3) economies of scale in production. We test predictions from the theory with data from two field contexts: Tsimane' game hunters of …

Neuro Lie Detection And Mental Privacy, Madison Kilbride, Jason Iuliano

Maryland Law Review

New technologies inevitably raise novel legal questions. This is particularly true of technologies, such as neuro lie detection, that offer new ways to investigate crime. Recently, a number of scholars have asked whether neuro lie detection testing is constitutional. So far, the debate has focused on the Fifth Amendment—specifically whether evidence gathered through neuro lie detection is constitutionally admissible because it is “physical” in nature or inadmissible because it is “testimonial” in nature. Under current Supreme Court doctrine, this Fifth Amendment debate is intractable. However, the more fundamental question of whether the government can compel individuals to undergo a neuro …

Can, Do, And Should Legal Entities Have Dignity?: The Case Of The State, Maxwell O. Chibundu

Maryland Law Review

No abstract provided.

In Praise Of Bill Reynolds And Paul Blair, William M. Richman

Maryland Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Legal Framework Of Contracting: Gender Equality, The Provision Of Services, And European Public Procurement Law, E.K. Sarter

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

The article examines the legal framework of public contracting in the EU. It argues that while European public procurement law explicitly allows for measures to foster gender equality be taken into account in public tendering, European legislation and jurisdiction also impose limits to the range of these measures.

Emerging Procurement Laws And Women Empowerment: Assessing The Costs And Benefits Of Privatization Of The Telecommunications Sector In Kenya, Henry Amadi

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

Drawing mainly from secondary data, this study seeks to find out how far Kenyan women have benefited from the restructuring of Kenya’s telecommunications sector since the onset of privatization. Kenyan women who benefit from privatization opportunities are largely those that are perceived to be “politically correct”.

Graduates List - December 2015, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Commencement Lists

No abstract provided.

Carbon Articulating Backpack Spine, Salvatore Monforte Iii, Darci Lawrence, Savan Patel

Mechanical Engineering

In the field, firefighters and Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) personnel need to transport variable loads efficiently, safely, and comfortably while simultaneously performing certain physical tasks. Current models of external and internal framed backpacks distribute the load of a pack efficiently, but do not allow for the natural movement of the wearer. Wolfpack Gear, Inc. proposed the need for a system which both effectively carries a load and allows for the unhindered natural movement of the user. The goal of this project was to design, build, and test an articulating backpack support system. The first stage of the project comprised …

Squirting Balloon Toy, Rachael Schelley, Elizabeth Wilhelm

Mechanical Engineering

The main goal of the Squirting Balloon Toy project was to create a new toy that combined both a helium balloon and a squirting water component near the base of the balloon. The toy will be sold at theme parks, fairs, and to other retailers such as toy stores with the target audience of primarily children and their parents, or any individuals seeking a good laugh when they spray their unsuspecting target. As a result, the toy was designed to be both visually appealing and to have an element of surprise. After testing and analyzing four different conceptual designs, two …

Evaluation Of Provider-Directed Communication Strategies Regarding Complementary And Alternative Health: An Integrative Review, Emily Garhart

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

Aim Identify health care provider-directed facilitators and barriers to successful patientprovider communication regarding complementary and alternative medicine, and synthesize the research evidence into succinct best-evidence strategies to generate optimum patient-provider dialogue. Background Complementary and alternative medicine use is prevalent among U.S. consumers. However, consumers infrequently disclose their use, and providers inconsistently inquire about it. Currently, there is little guidance for a method on facilitating communication. In addition, no studies have synthesized the variety of factors that influence communication of this topic as a means to help identify potentially effective strategies for improving it. Method. An integrative review of publications from …

Evaluation Of A Public Health Nursing Expedited Partner Therapy Program, Colleen Mcnulty

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT) is an important strategy in reducing reinfection for clients with a positive chlamydia or gonorrhea lab test. It also reduces the time it takes to treat partners, therefore decreasing the rapid spread of these diseases. In 2012, the Alaska Section of Public Health Nursing began to establish an EPT process. The purpose of this program evaluation was to determine uptake in EPT clinical services and to identify barriers both in the process and in staff knowledge and support of EPT practice. Several methods of data collection were used including historical data review, focus group discussion and …

Project Management Methodology Applied To Dall's Sheep Herd Heath Assessments, Jeffrey Johnson

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

Assessing Dali's sheep herd health is the first step to monitoring and management. Currently Alaska does not have a baseline disease presence and prevalence data set; therefore, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game will conduct health testing to develop a baseline of wildlife diseases within south-central Alaska. This project consists of three to seven years of work where 30-40 sheep are sampled annually. These samples will be analyzed to determine what types of disease, bacterial and viral, currently exist in the population. This knowledge base will build a foundation for study of Alaska's Dali’s sheep population. If there is …

Alaska Majestic Lodge Project, Kelvin Goode

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

The Alaska Majestic Lodge Project proposed to deliver a remote wilderness fishing lodge business plan. The project proposal was derived from a business opportunity that entailed capitalizing on a niche in a sport fishing market in the Becharof National Wildlife Refuge. When in operation, the business is expected to be the only 100% Alaskan Native owned lodge in the region and shall provide services for up to two hundred people seasonally from May to October. The significance of the project can be demonstrated in reviewing the summer visitor year of 2011. Nearly 1.2 million Alaskan tourists spent an estimated $1.5 …

The Copper Mountain Project: Financial Analysis And Sustainability Plan For The Copper Mountain Foundation A 501(C), Angela Totemoff

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

The Copper Mountain Foundation (herein referred to as CMF) is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit that is fully funded, fully operated, and established by The Tatitlek Corporation (herein referred to as TTC). CMF currently has a program that provides scholarships and career grants for original enrollees and descendants of original enrollees of TTC. To be eligible to receive funding, a student must be an original enrollee of TTC or a lineal descendant of an original enrollee (by birth or adoption). Original enrollees of TTC either resided in the Native Village of Tatitlek or their families resided in Tatitlek at the …