Digital Commons Network^™

Investigating Anthropogenic Mammoth Extinction With Mathematical Models, Michael Frank, Anneliese Slaton, Teresa Tinta, Alex Capaldi

Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics

One extinction hypothesis of the Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi), called overkill, theorizes that early humans overhunted the animal. We employ two different approaches to test this hypothesis mathematically: analyze the stability of the equilibria of a 2D ordinary differential equations (ODE) system and develop a metapopulation differential equations model. The 2D ODE system is a modified predator-prey model that also includes migration. The metapopulation model is a spatial expansion of the first model on a rectangular grid. Using this metapopulation system, we model the migration of humans into North America and the response in the mammoth population. These approaches show …

The Federal Circuit And Ultramercial:Software And Business Method Patents Tumble Further Down The Rabbit Hole, Mark Patrick

American University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Red Note New Music Festival Program, 2015, School Of Music

Red Note New Music Festival

The RED NOTE New Music Festival at Illinois State University is a week-long event which features outstanding performances of contemporary concert music.

Validation Of The Intermountain Patient Perception Of Quality (Ppq) Survey Among Survivors Of An Intensive Care Unit Admission: A Retrospective Validation Study, Samuel M. Brown, Glen Mcbride, Dave S. Collingridge, Jorie M. Buter, Kathryn G. Kuttler, Eliotte L. Hirshberg, Jason P. Jones, Ramona O. Hopkins, Daniel Talmor, James Orme

Faculty Publications

Background: Patients’ perceptions of the quality of their hospitalization have become important to the American healthcare system. Standard surveys of perceived quality of healthcare do not focus on the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) portion of the stay. Our objective was to evaluate the construct validity and internal consistency of the Intermountain Patient Perception of Quality (PPQ) survey among patients discharged from the ICU. Methods: We analyzed prospectively collected results from the ICU PPQ survey of all inpatients at Intermountain Medical Center whose hospitalization included an ICU stay. We employed principal components analysis to determine the constructs present in the PPQ …

Anna Julia Cooper: A Quintessential Leader, Janice Y. Ferguson

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study is a leadership biography which provides, through the lens of Black feminist thought, an alternative view and understanding of the leadership of Black women. Specifically, this analysis highlights ways in which Black women, frequently not identified by the dominant society as leaders, have and can become leaders. Lessons are drawn from the life of Anna Julia Cooper that provides new insights in leadership that heretofore were not evident. Additionally, this research offers provocative recommendations that provide a different perspective of what leadership is among Black women and how that kind of leadership can inform the canon of leadership. …

At The Heart Of The Classroom: Teachers' Experience Of The Suffering And Success Of Students For Whom They Care, Randall Kenyon Bartlett Jr.

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The core of teaching is the relationship of care between the student and the teacher. A community can be created in the classroom that honors and respects the inherent worth of each individual and through such mutual respect students and teachers can experience success. The suffering and the successes that teachers experience are central to the way they care for their students. There is currently a great deal of focus on education and schooling in the United States and generally this focus ignores the necessity and vitality of the relationship of care. Teachers must daily support and care for students …

Combating Corruption At The Grass-Roots Level: The Case Of Individual Oath Takers, Emmanuel Funso Oluyitan

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Nigeria ranks as one of the most corrupt nations in the world. Its abundant natural resources are being exploited by some privileged few while the majority suffers abject poverty. In spite of a series of laws and reforms directed at waging war against corruption and campaigns against corruption by both government and non-government organizations (NG0s), corruption still reigns in Nigeria and has become part of Nigerian culture. The Association of Nigerians Against Corruption (ANAC), which I founded in 1984, is one such NGO campaigning against corruption through a series of seminars. ANAC focuses on appealing to the minds of individuals …

Ridazz, Wrenches, And Wonks: A Revolution On Two Wheels Rolls Into Los Angeles, Donald Parker Strauss

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

How can we make cities more livable? Los Angeles, in particular, is a notably challenging place to live. For many, it is hard to see Los Angeles—city or county—as anything other than a huge, sprawling, and some would say placeless place. Los Angeles is known by many as the place that tore up more than 1,000 miles of streetcar lines to make way for millions of cars and hundreds of miles of freeways. Because of this, Los Angeles is also known for its poor air quality and jammed freeways. Those who live in Los Angeles know that it can be …

Matrix And Edge Effects On The Maintenance Of Ecological Function In An Afromontane Protected Area, Robin M. Martino

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Land use type in the human dominated matrix surrounding tropical forest can influence edge effects at the forest-matrix interface. Edge effects can alter ecological processes and impact the function of forest edge ecosystems. A key ecological process that helps maintain tropical forest and is affected by forest disturbance is seed dispersal by large, fruit eating vertebrates (frugivores). This dissertation examines how the type of vegetation in the matrix, the `soft’ edge contrast of pine plantations and the `hard’ edge contrast of tea plantations, affect seed dispersal behavior of large frugivores, and the structure and composition of tree species, in forest …

Clustering And Control Of Streaming Synchrophasor Datasets, Anupam Mukherjee

Theses and Dissertations

With the large scale deployment of phasor measurement units (PMU) in the United States, a resonating topic has been the question of how to extract useful “information” or “knowledge” from voluminous data generated by supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), PMUs and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI).

With a sampling rate of 30 to as high as 120 samples per second, the PMU provide a fine-grained monitoring of the power grid with time synchronized measurements of voltage, current, frequency and phase angle. Running the sensors continuously can produce nearly 2,592,000 samples of data every day. This large data need to be …

A Shear-Based Parameterization Of Turbulent Mixing In The Stable Atmospheric Boundary Layer, Jordan M. Wilson, Subhas K. Venayagamoorthy

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this study, shear-based parameterizations of turbulent mixing in the stable atmospheric boundary layer (SABL) are proposed. A relevant length-scale estimate for the mixing length LM of the turbulent momentum field is constructed from the turbulent kinetic energy Ek and the mean shear rate S as. Using observational data from two field campaigns-the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) experiment and the 1999 Cooperative Atmosphere-Surface Exchange Study (CASES-99)- is shown to have a strong correlation with LM. The relationship between LM and corresponds to the ratio of the magnitude of the tangential components of the turbulent momentum flux …

Undergraduate Catalog

Undergraduate & Graduate Catalogs

No abstract provided.

2015-2016 Graduate Catalog, Armstrong State University

Armstrong Office of the Registrar: Graduate Catalogs (Archived)

Academic catalog for Armstrong Atlantic State University.

High-Performance Extreme Learning Machines: A Complete Toolbox For Big Data Applications, Anton Akusok, Kaj Mikael Bjork, Yoan Miche, Amaury Lendasse

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This Paper Presents a Complete Approach to a Successful Utilization of a High-Performance Extreme Learning Machines (Elms) Toolbox for Big Data. It Summarizes Recent Advantages in Algorithmic Performance; Gives a Fresh View on the Elm Solution in Relation to the Traditional Linear Algebraic Performance; and Reaps the Latest Software and Hardware Performance Achievements. the Results Are Applicable to a Wide Range of Machine Learning Problems and Thus Provide a Solid Ground for Tackling Numerous Big Data Challenges. the Included Toolbox is Targeted at Enabling the Full Potential of Elms to the Widest Range of Users.

Extreme Learning Machine On High Dimensional And Large Data Applications, Zhiping Lin, Jiuwen Cao, Tao Chen, Yi Jin, Zhan Li Sun, Amaury Lendasse

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Particle Swarm Optimization Based Selective Ensemble Of Online Sequential Extreme Learning Machine, Yang Liu, Bo He, Diya Dong, Yue Shen, Tianhong Yan, Rui Nian, Amaury Lendasse

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A Novel Particle Swarm Optimization based Selective Ensemble (PSOSEN) of Online Sequential Extreme Learning Machine (OS-ELM) is Proposed. It is based on the Original OS-ELM with an Adaptive Selective Ensemble Framework. Two Novel Insights Are Proposed in This Paper. First, a Novel Selective Ensemble Algorithm Referred to as Particle Swarm Optimization Selective Ensemble is Proposed, noting that PSOSEN is a General Selective Ensemble Method Which is Applicable to Any Learning Algorithms, Including Batch Learning and Online Learning. Second, an Adaptive Selective Ensemble Framework for Online Learning is Designed to Balance the Accuracy and Speed of the Algorithm. Experiments for Both …

Assessment Of Phonological And Orthographic Differences In Adults With Reading Disabilities, Christina P. Hyers Mrs.

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

There is debate surrounding how to effectively identify and distinguish reading disabilities from other deficits in college populations. Although several theories have proposed a positive relationship between nonword decoding weaknesses and higher intelligence levels, currently there is no conclusive evidence supporting these claims. The primary purpose of the current study was to determine if individuals of diverging levels of verbal intellectual functioning display profile differences with regard to accuracy for spelling and single word reading of regular words and nonwords. Identifying the specific deficits displayed in populations with reading disabilities assists in formulating interventions targeted at areas of weakness and …

Electrospun Titanium Dioxide And Silicon Composite Nanofibers For Advanced Lithium Ion Batteries, Kathleen Mccormac

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

A unique electrospinning method was implemented to fabricate composite nanofibers for lithium ion battery applications. The composite nanofibers were made of amorphous carbon, rutile phase TiO₂, and cubic phase Si nanoparticles. Sulfur was utilized as a template to form void structures within the TiO₂ nanofiber matrix. This provides the desired space for the Si expansion during the lithiation process. Phase, structure, composition, and morphology of the nanofibers were characterized using Raman spectroscopy, SEM, EDS, TGA, and powder XRD. Carbonized TiO₂ nanofibers showed a low but stable specific capacity. Si Nanoparticles demonstrated an initially high but fast …

A Survey Of Mathematical Models Of Dengue Fever, Iurii Bakach

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this paper, we compare and contrast five models of Dengue fever. We evaluate each model using different scenarios and identify the strenghts and wecknesses of each of the model

Smart Distributed Generation Systems Using Improved Islanding Detection And Event Classification, Bikiran Guha

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Distributed Generation (DG) sources have become an integral part of modern decentralized power systems. However, the interconnection of DG systems to the power grid can present several operational challenges. One such major challenge is islanding detection. Islanding occurs when a DG system is disconnected from the rest of the power grid. Islanding can present serious safety hazards and therefore an accurate and fast islanding detection technique is mandated by DG interconnection standards such as IEEE 1547 and UL 1741. Conventional islanding detection techniques passively monitor the local power system parameters such as voltage and frequency to detect islanding. These techniques …

Automorphisms Of Graph Curves On K3 Surfaces, Joshua C. Ferrerra

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

We examine the automorphism group of configurations of rational curves on $K3$ surfaces. We use the properties of finite automorphisms of $\PP^1$ to examine what restrictions a given elliptic fibration imposes on the possible finite order non-symplectic automorphisms of the $K3$ surface. We also examine the fixed loci of these automorphisms, and construct an explicit fibration to demonstrate the process.

Assessment Of Electrode Configurations Of Electrical Impedance Myography For The Evaluation Of Neuromuscular Diseases, Khondokar Mohammad Fazle Rabbi

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Electrical impedance myography (EIM) is a painless, noninvasive approach to measure the neuromuscular disease status. EIM parameters- resistance (R), reactance (X) and phase (θ) depend significantly on subcutaneous fat thickness, muscle size and inter electrode distance. The objective of this research is to find an electrode configuration which can minimize the effects on EIM parameters due to subcutaneous fat thickness variation. In this study, a model of human upper arm was developed using finite element method (FEM), which has already been established as an appropriate approach for the analysis of non-symmetrical shape for assessing alternations of muscle in disease-induced changes …

Graphs Of Classroom Networks, Rebecca Holliday

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this work, we use the Havel-Hakimi algorithm to visualize data collected from students to investigate classroom networks. The Havel-Hakimi algorithm uses a recursive method to create a simple graph from a graphical degree sequence. In this case, the degree sequence is a representation of the students in a classroom, and we use the number of peers with whom a student studied or collaborated to determine the degree of each. We expand upon the Havel-Hakimi algorithm by coding a program in MATLAB that generates random graphs with the same degree sequence. Then, we run another algorithm to find the isomorphism …

Design And Implementation Of An Interactive Animatronic System For Guest Response Analysis, Brian Burns

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In theme park based entertainment applications, there is a need for interactive, autonomous animatronic systems to create engaging and compelling experiences for the guests. The animatronic figures must identify the guests and recognize their status in dynamic interactions for enhanced acceptance and effectiveness as socially interactive agents, in the general framework of human-robot interactions. The design and implementation of an interactive, autonomous animatronic system in form of a tabletop dragon and the comparisons of guest responses in its passive and interactive modes are presented in this work. The dragon capabilities include a four degrees-of-freedom head, moving wings, tail, jaw, blinking …

A Test Score Comparison Between Block And Traditional Scheduling, Yancy J. Ford

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how schools utilizing block scheduling and traditional scheduling models differ in achievement levels on the five Georgia End-of-Course Exams (EOCT) and the Georgia High School Graduation Writing test (GHSWT) at two high schools in ruralSouth Georgia. The researcher will investigated if there is a differential benefit in terms of higher EOCT/GHSWT scores during block or traditional scheduling when considering demographic variables student gender, race, or SES. No experimentation occurred as the study relied on historical data. Both high schools were examined individually; comparing the five EOCT’s and the GHSWT under the block …

Perception Of The School Experiences Of Five Generations Of Deaf Students, Charles Depew

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate deaf participants’ perspectives of their educational experiences within the last 50 years. The study was comprised of five deaf participants educated in the public school setting, and four deaf participants educated in the residential setting. The qualitative study utilized three in-depth interviews, a survey, and the researcher’s reflections/notes. The findings suggest deaf students’ educational experiences are impacted by low academic expectations. Sign language can be a powerful learning tool or a barrier for deaf students as deaf students depend on sign language and visuals to support their learning. Both spoken and written …

Labeled Trees And Spanning Trees: Computational Discrete Mathematics And Applications, Demet Yalman

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis, we examine two topics. In the first part, we consider Leech tree which is a tree of order n with positive integer edge weights such that the weighted distances between pairs of vertices are exactly from 1 to n choose 2. Only five Leech trees are known and some non-existence results have been presented through the years. Variations of Leech trees such as the minimal distinct distance trees and modular Leech trees have been considered in recent years. In this thesis, such Leech-type questions on distances between leaves are studied as well as some other labeling questions …

Enumerating Graphs Using Integrals From Quantum Field Theory, William A. Coggins

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Enumerating graphs is a relatively new subfield of mathematics. In this thesis, we will discuss a enumerative method that derives from Quantum Field Theory. We begin with the basic ideas of Calculus and extend them into a enumerative method that will allow us to classify graphs embedded on surfaces.

Solutions Of Inequality Constrained Spline Optimization Problems With The Active Set Method, Joshua A. Holloway

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

We solve the problem of finding a near-interpolant curve, subject to constraints, which minimizes the bending energy of the curve. Using B-splines as our tools, we give a brief overview of spline properties and develop several different cases of inequality constrained optimization problems of this type. In particular, we develop the active set method and use it to solve these problems, emphasizing the fact that this algorithm will converge to a solution in finite iterations. Our solution will solve an open problem regarding near-interpolant spline curves. Furthermore, we supplement this with an iterative technique for better choosing data sites so …

Bayesian Inference Of The Weibull-Pareto Distribution, James Dow

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The Weibull distribution has many applications in various topics. Some of these topics include survival analysis, reliability engineering, general insurance, electrical engineering, and industrial engineering. The Weibull distribution was further extended by the Weibull-Pareto distribution. A desirable property this distribution has is its shape can skew being able to better model left or right skewed data. Examples of skewed data include human longevity and actuarial data. In this work a hierarchical Bayesian model was developed using the Weibull-Pareto distribution.