Digital Commons Network^™

Dynamic Behavior Of Operational Wind Turbines Considering Aerodynamic And Seismic Load Interaction, Mohammad-Amin Asareh

Doctoral Dissertations

"With the advancements in the wind energy production industry, the demand for a cost effective and safe design of wind turbine structures is growing rapidly. The wide deployment of wind turbines in locations with high seismic hazard has lead engineers to take into account a more comprehensive seismic design of such structures. In response to the need for a computational tool that can perform coupled simulations of wind and seismic loads, a seismic module has been developed for the publicly available National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) code, FAST, at the first step of this research. This achievement allows engineers working …

We Came, We Saw, We Conferenced: Capturing And Sharing Campus Events At Georgia Southern, Debra G. Skinner, Ashley D. Lowery

University Libraries: Faculty Presentations

Your campus may be regularly hosting conferences and other events; what happens to the valuable scholarship presented over the course of the event? And do the conference organizers at your institution have an efficient and simple way to manage the submission, review, and acceptance process? At Georgia Southern University, the Zach S. Henderson Library has partnered with the Division of Continuing Education and other offices on campus to not only host 19 conferences on Digital Commons@Georgia Southern but also help the conference organizers streamline their review workflows. These successful partnerships have led to some additional, unexpected benefits, such as the …

A Sentence-Based Image Search Engine, Weizhi Meng

Masters Theses

"Nowadays people are more interested in searching the relevant images directly through search engines like Google, Yahoo or Bing, these image search engines have dedicated extensive research effort to the problem of keyword-based image retrieval. However, the most widely used keyword-based image search engine Google is reported to have a precision of only 39%. And all of these systems have limitation in creating sentence-based queries for images.

This thesis studies a practical image search scenario, where many people feel annoyed by using only keywords to find images for their ideas of speech or presentation through trial and error. This thesis …

A New Equivalent Dipole-Moment Source Reconstruction Method For Ic Radiated Emissions Based On Near-Field Scanning, Xiao Ren

Masters Theses

"In this paper, a new dipole-moment model based on near-field scanning for representing equivalent IC radiation emissions on a PCB (Print Circuit Board) is presented. One set of dipoles (both electric dipoles and magnetic dipoles) are used to characterize near-field and far-field radiation from the source. In order to build the model, tangential electric field and magnetic field on a Huygens's box enclosing the radiation source are needed. Both the phase and magnitude of these tangential fields are obtained either in simulation or in measurement by near-field scanning method. Two steps are established to reconstruct the dipole moment. Firstly, a …

A Geochemical Investigation Of Co₂ Sequestration And Site Characterization At Two Missouri Locations, Robert Allen Swain

Masters Theses

"The feasibility of sequestering CO₂ in saline aquifers of Lamotte Formation sandstone was investigated at wells located near Thomas Hill power plant, Moberly, MO and Sioux City Power Plant in Florissant, MO. Governing factors of using aquifers for CO₂ disposal include water salinity, potential for carbonic acid buffering, rate of precipitation of carbonate minerals following CO₂ introduction into the host aquifer, and the integrity of the Davis and Derby-DoeRun shale as a trap rock to prevent migration of the CO₂ phase and carbonic acid into the overlying potable Ozark Aquifer.

Both in situ and laboratory methods …

Uncertainty Quantification Of Turbulence Model Closure Coefficients For Transonic Wall-Bounded Flows, John Anthony Schaefer

Masters Theses

"The goal of this work was to quantify the uncertainty and sensitivity of commonly used turbulence models in Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes codes due to uncertainty in the values of closure coefficients for transonic, wall-bounded flows and to rank the contribution of each coefficient to uncertainty in various output flow quantities of interest. Specifically, uncertainty quantification of turbulence model closure coefficients was performed for transonic flow over an axisymmetric bump at zero degrees angle of attack and the RAE 2822 transonic airfoil at a lift coefficient of 0.744. Three turbulence models were considered: the Spalart-Allmaras Model, Wilcox (2006) k-ω Model, and the …

The Impact Of A Strong Local Supply Chain On Regional Economic Impacts Of Mining, Meiyu Xing

Masters Theses

"With growing social conflicts due to social and environmental concerns mines need to be able to create shared value for all stakeholder in their quest to promote sustainable development. Given the sensitivity of a mine's regional economy contribution to its supply chains, any improvement in supply chains strategy will be beneficial for mines and their stakeholders. The objectives of this work were to: (i) test the hypothesis that supply chain management strategy, by mines in a region, significantly affects regional economy; and (ii) develop a methodology to identify the critical backward commodities of a regional mining sector.

Valid methods have …

Methods For Checking And Enforcing Physical Quality Of Linear Electrical Network Models, Mikhail Zvonkin

Masters Theses

"Most CAD tools allow system-level simulation for signal integrity by computing and connecting models together for the various sub-parts. The success of this model derivation depends on the quality of the network parameters. Different errors may seriously affect the quality of the frequency characterization: frequency-dependent measurement errors, errors due to the numerical simulation and/or discretization, etc. When these errors are large, model assembly and simulation becomes difficult and may even fail. This thesis gives an overview of the most significant properties of physically valid network parameters, describes existing methods for checking and enforcing these properties, and presents several new methodologies …

Quantitative Modeling Of The Equilibration Of Two-Phase Solid-Liquid Fe By Atomistic Simulations On Diffusive Time Scales, Ebrahim Asadi, Mohsen Asle Zaeem, Sasan Nouranian, Michael I. Baskes

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this paper, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations based on the modified-embedded atom method (MEAM) and a phase-field crystal (PFC) model are utilized to quantitatively investigate the solid-liquid properties of Fe. A set of second nearest-neighbor MEAM parameters for higherature applications are developed for Fe, and the solid-liquid coexisting approach is utilized in MD simulations to accurately calculate the melting point, expansion in melting, latent heat, and solid-liquid interface free energy, and surface anisotropy. The required input properties to determine the PFC model parameters, such as liquid structure factor and fluctuations of atoms in the solid, are also calculated from MD …

On Body Dumps : The Rhetorics Of Corporeal Narcoterrorism, Evan Mitchell Schares

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Though the exact number is unknown, estimates indicate the trade and movement of narcotics have resulted in over 60,000 murders of Mexican citizens. As a result of the rising narcoviolence, Felipe Calderón, early in his presidential administration, made the “War on Drugs” a top priority. Despite this effort to curb the violence, in 2010 alone, more than 15,200 lifeless bodies have been left across Mexico, most likely by drug cartels. A nascent phrase, body dumps, has risen in journalistic reports describing this conscious relocation of the ruined corpse to highly visible traffic areas. This thesis explores the rhetorical constructions of …

A Model For Measuring The Contribution Of Form To Perception Of Biological Sex In Point-Light Actors, Michael Mintz

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

People are able to judge the sex of actors represented in point-light displays. Much of the previous literature has focused on the contribution of motion information to this judgment, or has focused specifically on information gathered from the shoulders and hips. The purpose of the current study is to model how form information, based upon the distance between the dots representing a point-light actor’s key joints, the shoulder, hip, elbow, knee, wrist, and ankle points, contributes to the perception of biological sex. In a pilot study, 6 naïve observers responded to 63 computer generated stimuli that ranged from extremely female …

Injunctive And Descriptive Norms Effect On Physical Activity, Monica Lynn Ehn

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Nearly half of adults in the United States do not meet the recommended guidelines for both aerobic and strengthening activities despite the benefits of regular physical activity (National Center for Health Statistics, 2014; US Department of Health and Human Services, 2008). The purpose of the current study was to test whether normative feedback (i.e., descriptive and descriptive plus injunctive norms) affects levels of physical activity. Participants wore a Fitbit Zip pedometer to record exercise behavior and received normative feedback messages sent to their mobile phones. Participants were 52 undergraduate students with a mean age of 18.66 (SD = 0.83); 27 …

A Comparison Of Hip And Knee Torques Produced During A Maximal Effort Full And Partial Back Squat, Jordan Alexander Williams

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examined the levels of hip and knee torques produced during a one repetition maximum (1RM partial) squat and full squat in order to determine if there would be a difference in the peak torque created at the two depths.

Eight male athletes (standing height = 1.84 ± 0.07 m; mass = 87 ± 14 kg; age 23 ± 2.1 years) volunteered for the study. Each subject performed a 1RM squat at full squat (as low as the participant could go, at least 0° or thigh parallel in relation to the ground) and partial squat (thigh at 45° in …

The Acute Effects Of Multiple Resisted Sled-Pull Loads On Subsequent Sprint-Running Performances, Carl Stephen Crouse

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Sled-pulling is a commonly implemented form of training for various sports. However, few studies have used sled-pulling as a means of acutely enhancing sprintrunning performances. The purpose of this study was to investigate how various sledpulling resistance loads (95% and 110% of body mass) effect subsequent, unloaded, sprint-running performances, possibly with aid from the effect known as Post-Activation Potentiation (PAP). PAP is a physiological phenomenon which increases the rate of force development of skeletal muscle which may result in the enhancement of power (speed-strength) dominant activities such as sprint-running and jumping.

Participants were a mix of males (n = 11; …

Perceived Relational Evaluation : Biological, Psychological, And Physical Health Correlates, Emily Christina Banitt

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Humans have a fundamental need to belong, and being rejected or devalued elicits strong emotional reactions such as stress and anxiety (Leary, 2001). Low perceived relational evaluation (PRE), as a type of rejection, occurs when one person in a relationship believes his or her significant other does not regard his or her bond with the other person as valuable, close, or important (Leary, 2001). The goal of the research was to examine the interrelations among PRE, cortisol (biological stress), relationship quality, and physical and psychological within dating couples. Undergraduate female students (N = 109) who were involved in dating relationships …

Reconciling The Two Cultures : A Case Study Of The University Of Northern Iowa, Elizabeth Ann Collins

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In 1959, chemist and author Charles Percy Snow gave a Rede Lecture at the University of Cambridge in which he named “Two Cultures”—the sciences and the humanities—which, according to his experience as someone who worked in both, were at odds with one another. His words elicited impassioned responses from critics who either agreed with Snow, believing this to be a detriment to society, or vehemently disagreed, believing Snow’s statements to be unfounded, and even antagonistic. This conversation, which had also found relevance in the United States, continues to be important today, and has changed over the years as institutions of …

The Relationship Between Transformational Leadership Behavior, Adult Attachment And God Attachment, Deboarah Foulkes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Transformational leaders are charged with the undertaking of not only accomplishing tasks, but also engaging followers in a manner that will achieve these tasks. An interaction with the follower is needed to achieve this, and the quality of that interaction may be impacted by environmental stressors. Past studies suggest that adult attachment orientation will determine the quality of interpersonal interactions. Additionally, past studies also suggest that an attachment to God influences the quality of interpersonal interactions and how one copes with stress. A correspondence model of God attachment posits that a person’s attachment to God will be similar to their …

Pedagogical Reasoning Of Pre-Service Teachers: Juggling Priorities And Managing Resources, Jennifer Lynn Rasmussen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine the cognitive and motivational factors related to the development of self-regulated teaching. These factors were defined by Shulman (1986; 2006) as theoretical, practical and moral knowledge for pedagogical reasoning. This study occurred in a clinical, instructional setting specifically designed to provide pre-service teachers with the environmental factors necessary to support the development of self-regulated instructional decision making. These factors included specific modeling of teacher thinking, regular formative feedback, instructional autonomy and strategic reflection. An instructional sequence based on Schunk and Zimmerman’s (1998; 2007) Model of the Development of Self-Regulatory Skill was applied …

Genome-Wide Methylome Analyses Reveal Novel Epigenetic Regulation Patterns In Schizophrenia And Bipolar Disorder, Yongsheng Li, Cynthia Camarillo, Juan Xu, Tania Bedard Arana, Yun Xiao, Zheng Zhao, Hong Chen, Mercedes Ramirez, Juan Zavala, Michael A. Escamilla, Chun Xu

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BP) are complex genetic disorders. Their appearance is also likely informed by as yet only partially described epigenetic contributions. Using a sequencing-based method for genome-wide analysis, we quantitatively compared the blood DNA methylation landscapes in SZ and BP subjects to control, both in an understudied population, Hispanics along the US-Mexico border. Remarkably, we identified thousands of differentially methylated regions for SZ and BP preferentially located in promoters 3'-UTRs and 5'-UTRs of genes. Distinct patterns of aberrant methylation of promoter sequences were located surrounding transcription start sites. In these instances, aberrant methylation occurred in CpG islands …

An Investigation Of Adversity In Christian Living And Proposal For Discipleship Response, Christopher Payne

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With numerous ministries teaching a cultural gospel comprised of prosperity and pleasure, people have the impression that a saving faith limits personal hardships. Jesus taught his disciples the truth about hardship and how to struggle well and the Church is called to do likewise. This thesis will present five key biblical truths to equip Christians for growing their faith through personal struggle. Moreover, the project will give leaders a guide for discipling hurting church members. The author will research current and historical discipleship materials and models, examine current teachings on faith and struggle, explore relevant biblical teachings, and survey fifty …

High Fedelity Simulation: Its Impact On Self-Confidence And Satisfaction In Learning Among Sophomore And Senior Students, Kim Simoneaux Hurst

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of selected aspects of high fidelity simulation among students enrolled in a baccalaureate nursing program and the influence of these perceptions on students’ satisfaction and self-confidence in learning. In order to collect the necessary data, the Satisfaction and Self-confidence in Learning and Simulation Design Scale instruments were used. These instruments were completed by both sophomore and senior baccalaureate nursing students following simulation lab experiences. The majority of students surveyed was female of the Millennial Generation and averaged a GPA of 3.14. There were approximately equal numbers of sophomore and senior …

Field Instrumentation And Testing To Study Set-Up Phenomenon Of Driven Piles And Its Implementation In Lrfd Design Methodology, Md Nafiul Haque

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This research study investigates the pile set-up phenomenon for clayey soils and develops the models to predict pile set-up resistance at a certain time after the end of driving (EOD). The increase of pile resistance after EOD is known as “pile set-up”. To fulfill this objective, a total number of twelve prestressed concrete (PSC) test piles were driven in different soil conditions of Louisiana. In addition, dynamic load tests (DLT) and static load tests (SLT) were usually performed to verify the axial resistances of piles at specific times after EOD, as well as to quantify the amount of increase in …

Comparative Population Genomics Of Neotropical Forest Birds, Michael Gaston Harvey

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The causes and implications of differences in geographic variation across species are generally poorly understood, but comparative studies have the potential to provide better understanding of what factors predispose species to undergo population divergence and whether population divergence has lasting evolutionary impacts. Here, I examined geographic variation in birds using molecular data from across the genome. I characterized genetic diversity, estimated population history, and tested for impacts of landscape history as well as ecological traits on genetic parameters. I found evidence that diverse historical processes have led to present-day genetic variation in Neotropical bird species, including divergence, population expansion, migration, …

Artificial Magnetic Conductor Integrated Textile Monopole Antenna, Ala Alemaryeen

Theses and Dissertations

Wearable antenna is a fast growing field in application-oriented research, which introduced a new generation of garments capable of monitoring wear health, as well as environmental states. This thesis is concerned with the design and fabrication of a compact textile wearable antenna at operating frequency within the Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) band, intended for integration into a flight jacket of the astronaut inside the habitat. The antenna is integrated with artificial material known as High Impedance Surface (HIS) for performance enhancement. The purpose of the system is to constantly monitor vital signals of the astronauts.

The entire design cycle …

Geologic And Petrophysical Analysis Of The Three Forks Formation: Charlson Field, Williston Basin - North Dakota, Bailey Jo Bubach

Theses and Dissertations

With recent advancements in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling technologies, there has been an increase in the production of hydrocarbons from unconventional reservoirs in the Williston Basin. The basin underlies parts of North Dakota, Montana, and South Dakota in the U.S. The Three Forks Formation in Williston Basin is an example of an unconventional reservoir that, according to the United States Geological Survey (Gaswirth, et al., 2013), has a potential of yield of 3.7 billion barrels of unrecovered oil. Charlson Field, located in McKenzie County, is a primary target for the Three Forks Formation, which has shown high potential for …

Phylogenetic Analysis Of Mitochondrial Genomes Of Filarial Nematodes In The Subfamily Waltonellinae, Sarina Marie Bauer

Theses and Dissertations

The family Onchocercidae is a group of parasitic vector born nematodes that are split up into eight subfamilies. Although the subfamilies containing species that parasitize humans and livestock (e.g., Onchocercinae) have been well-studied, there is a considerable lack of information for the lesser studied subfamilies in Onchocercidae (e.g. Waltonellinae). This uncertainty leaves some doubt as to the phylogenetic and evolutionary relationships among the different taxonomic groupings of filarioid nematodes.

I worked with two species of the subfamily Waltonellinae, Foleyellides n. sp. and F. flexicauda. The primers used in this study for polymerase chain reactions (PCR) and DNA sequencing reactions were …

Determination Of Aldehydes In Particulate Matter Using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Manikyala Rao Chintapalli

Theses and Dissertations

A gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) method has been developed for the determination of a broad range of aldehydes (including, hydroxylated and aromatic aldehydes) in particulate matter (PM). In this method, the aldehydes are derivatized with O-2, 3, 4, 5-pentafluorobenzyl hydroxylamine hydrochloride (PFBHA) using various solvents for extraction and derivatization including acetonitrile, water, methanol, and acetonitrile/dichloromethane/methanol. An ACN/DCM/MeOH mixture with sonication was shown to be optimal as it increased the derivatization efficiency in addition to efficient extraction for all tested aldehydes. The optimal derivatization conditions were determined and then tested on a variety of oxy-PAHs which resulted in a complete derivatization …

Statistical Downscaling For The Northern Great Plains: A Comparison Of Bias Correction And Redundancy Analysis, Jacob Coburn

Theses and Dissertations

The climate of the Earth is changing, and is primarily a result of our rampant industrialization over the past two centuries. These changes have manifested themselves in many ways over the whole of the Earth’s surface and sub-systems, leading to the need to understand the changes and predict future outcomes. Coupled climate and general circulation - Earth system models (GCMs) allow for the analysis of dynamically active simulations over the whole of the planet, yet are limited by computational power. The model grids are coarse by design to perform within these computational constraints, which enables them to function and provide …

Are Larger Recalls More Damaging For Shareholders? Evidence From U.S. Automotive Recalls, 2005-2014, Christopher J. Crow

Theses and Dissertations

Motor vehicle recalls occur frequently in the United States. The number of motor vehicles being recalled has been increasing substantially over time. This paper examines whether the number of vehicles recalled per month has an effect on the shareholder’s monthly abnormal return. Monthly abnormal return is the return which cannot be explained by the overall movement of the market. Five major auto manufacturers are included in this analysis with data ranging from April 2005 to December 2014. Two techniques are used in this paper; first, I use a series of ordinary least squares models followed by a series of mean …

Rhetoric And Food: The Rise Of The Food Truck Movement, Bryan W. Moe

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This analysis is an attempt to study the rise of a new mobile food medium the food truck. I examine the movement of rhetorical actors, the situation, the audiences, and discourses created and sustained through rhetorical practices. These include looking into contemporary controversies, the history and storytelling that helps to convey identity, a new aesthetic experience created by the medium, and specifically their sophistic character and rhetoric helping them speak on issues of social justice and change. To understand these texts, I examine each of them in light of their rhetorical situation and the convergence of a multitude of kairotic …