Digital Commons Network^™

High-Frequency Transformer Design For Solid-State Transformers In Electric Power Distribution Systems, Roderick Javier Garcia Montoya

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis is to present a high- or medium-frequency transformer design methodology for Solid-State Transformer (SST) applications. SSTs have been proposed as a replacement of the traditional 50/60 Hz transformer in applications demanding high-power density. Moreover, due to the high penetration of distributed generation, DC grids, energy storage systems, and sensitive loads, SSTs have been considered as an enabling technology for envisioned future energy systems. These applications demand additional functionalities that may not be achieved with traditional transformers. For example, active power flow control, harmonic suppression, voltage regulation, voltage sag compensation, and reduced size and volume.

In …

Towards Systematic Selection Of Terrain- And Ground Cover-Specific Lidar Filtering Parameters, Vance Green

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Accurate automated classification of LiDAR point clouds is a well-known problem and proper parameterization of the classification algorithm is essential to creating useful bare-earth terrain models. Parameterization is particularly important in areas characterized by extremely low relief, such as the Little Red River Irrigation Project Area in central Arkansas. In this kind of landscape, analyses such as hydrological flow models are sensitive to small changes in the topography, and therefore prone to errors in the classification of the LiDAR point cloud and the digital elevation models (DEMs) derived from it. Developing effective project-specific parameters requires a high degree of knowledge …

Broiler Breeder Mating Behavior And The Effects Of Pre-Incubation Embryo Integrity Modifications On Broiler Performance, Emily Kathryn Lhamon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Modern broiler breeders have been observed displaying significantly less mating behaviors than their ancestral fowl. Effective mating behavior translates into fertile hatching eggs that ultimately become broilers processed for market. The poultry industry has made significant changes in genetics, environment, housing, and diets of commercial poultry. However, there are some concessions made in genetic selection and streamlined management to produce larger, fast-growing, efficient birds. Aggression in broiler breeder males is believed to be a sign of high fertility. However, highly aggressive males pose a threat to the welfare of their flock mates, and may also impede frequency of mating and …

Field Amplified Sample Stacking On Amyloid Beta (1-42) Oligomers Using Capillary Electrophoresis, Sadia Ali Paracha

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

According to recent literature, it is believed that the oligomeric form of amyloid beta (Aβ) is the leading cause of Alzheimer’s disease (1; 8; 10; 12-18). Additionally, recent studies have eluded to the impact of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) both economically and Socially in today’s society where an increase of about 71% of AD related deaths were recorded between 2000 and 2013 (7). Since the oligomeric forms of Aβ vary in size, shape and some believe conformation, it is vital to utilize a separation technique, such as capilllary electrophoresis (CE) to further understand Aβ aggregation. By understanding Aβ aggregation, treatment of …

Evaluating The Intrinsic Similarity Between Neural Networks, Stephen Charles Ashmore

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

We present Forward Bipartite Alignment (FBA), a method that aligns the topological structures of two neural networks. Neural networks are considered to be a black box, because neural networks contain complex model surface determined by their weights that combine attributes non-linearly. Two networks that make similar predictions on training data may still generalize differently. FBA enables a diversity of applications, including visualization and canonicalization of neural networks, ensembles, and cross-over between unrelated neural networks in evolutionary optimization. We describe the FBA algorithm, and describe implementations for three applications: genetic algorithms, visualization, and ensembles. We demonstrate FBA's usefulness by comparing a …

8 Bit Split Array Based Charge Scaling Digital To Analog Converter With Rail To Rail Buffered Output, Sai Kiran Akula

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents the design, simulation and layout of a silicon carbide (SiC) 8 bit split array charge scaling digital to analog convertor (DAC). The converter consists of the charge scaling capacitor chain with two operational trans-conductance amplifiers (op amp) in voltage follower configuration. The op amps used in the design have the input common mode ranges of 0 to 11.2 V and 4.7V to 14.5V respectively. Additional logic circuit topologies are designed, which help to switch the op amps when needed to provide a rail to rail unity gain at the output. As the design is based on the …

Responses Of Two Strains Of Broilers To Diets Varying In Essential Amino Acid Density And Energy Levels, Tyler James Clark

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The responses of two different commercial strains of broilers to diets varying in overall amino acid levels and metabolizable energy levels were observed. Amino acid levels used were 80%, 90%, 100%, 110%, 120%, and 130% of Ross recommended minimum digestable levels of essential amino acids. Energy levels used were either below or above Ross recommended metabolizable energy levels. Diets were fed for 56 days. The two strains were a fast growing broiler strain and a slower growing broiler strain. A selection of birds from each pen was processed at 35, 43, and 56 days of age. Average body weights, cumulative …

Factors Affecting The Sustainability Of Public-Private Collaborations At The Municipal Level: The Case Of Motorcycle Rallies, Anne Burgin Diallo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Urban public-private collaborations promoting large-scale tourist events are increasingly common. The incentive to collaborate, for urban policy-makers, is the perception of the opportunity for economic development, and yet little is known about factors contributing to the sustainability of such urban cross-sector collaborations. The dissertation accomplishes three objectives. First, it combines resource dependence theory (RDT) and goal congruence theory (GCT) to extend our understanding of how collaborating organizations align their respective organizational goals and manage their interdependencies in complex, urban, inter-sectoral, environments. This is accomplished through use of complementary factors from each theory. Second, using qualitative methods, the research applies RDT …

An Evaluation Of The Validity Of A Script-Driven Imagery Procedure Among Traumatic Event Exposed Adolescents, Emily Renae Mischel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Extensive research suggests script-driven imagery procedures employed with traumatic event-exposed adults produce reliable reactions that map onto contemporary models of posttraumatic stress, including increased physiological (Carson et al., 2000; Orr et al., 1998; Ramón et al., 2006) and negative affective (Pitman et al., 1987) responses to trauma scripts. Therefore, such procedures can be utilized in a controlled, laboratory-based setting, supporting mechanism-oriented research designed to better understand the nature, correlates, and consequences of traumatization and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Unfortunately, only one study has begun to evaluate the validity of script-driven imagery procedures for use with youth, making further investigation of …

Response Of Bacterial Cells To Fluctuating Environment, Sudip Nepal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

We have studied morphological and genomic variations occurring in a mesophilic bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) in a wide range of continuous and fluctuating hydrostatic pressures. For all the studies here the temperature is maintained at 37◦C, the optimal growth tem- perature of E. coli at atmospheric pressure. Cell division is inhibited at high hydrostatic pressures resulting in an increase of cell length. The increase of cell-length depends on the extent and duration of the stress applied on bacterial cells. We have studied the effect of high pressure stress in three different conditions – (i) Wild-type cells (almost no genetic …

The Validity Of Urine Color Self-Assessment As An Index Of Hydration In Males, Daniel Layne Nixon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While water intake is so important, there are few practical hydration assessment techniques for the general population to use on a daily basis. The present study examined the accuracy of self-assessed urine color (Ucol) as a potential hydration assessment tool. Male college aged subjects provided a urine sample into a custom built urinal (n=76; 1.79±0.76 m, 83.9±16.0 kg). The urinal contained a picture of the 1-8 color scale and a light and dark urine color scale. Subjects were asked to give their urine color estimation as a whole number integer and to estimate if their urine was light or dark. …

Microbial Safety, Shelf Life Stability, Quality Preservation, And Consumer Acceptance Of Vacuum-Infused, Irradiated Chicken Breast Meat Treated With Natural Plant Extracts And Organic Acids, Kenneth Franklin Over

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Contamination of poultry products with food borne pathogens is a consistently recurring problem in the United States and the world. Recalls associated with chicken contamination are responsible for considerable economic losses to the poultry industry. Many decontamination steps are currently in place to reduce the likelihood of contaminated products reaching the consumer, but despite these safeguards, contamination events are still uncomfortably frequent. Irradiation is a safe and effective means of ensuring the safety of both ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat poultry but is not utilized in the United States. This is due, in part, to certain irradiation dose-dependent quality characteristic defects associated …

The Way Of The Gods: The Development Of Shinto Nationalism In Early Modern Japan, Chadwick Mackenzie Totty

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research looks at the development of Shinto nationalism in Edo Period Japan (1603-1868). It focuses on the development of intellectual thought and the relationship between the kogaku school in Japanese Confucianism and the kokugaku school in Shintoism. The primary goal is to demonstrate that there was a trend wherein members of these two schools looked back to the past in order to rediscover a lost utopia and Way. This study examines the works of Yamaga Soko, Itō Jinsai, Ogyū Sorai, Kamo no Mabuchi, and Motoori Norinaga to demonstrate how this line of thought helped contribute to the development of …

Effects Of Magnetically Induced Micro-Mixing On Nanofiltration Performance, Guanghui Song

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nanofiltration (NF) is a relatively new membrane separation process mainly used for removing low molecular weight species from aqueous and non-aqueous solutions. NF membranes suffer from concentration polarization leading to membrane fouling thus compromised membrane performance. Magnetically responsive nanofiltration (NF) membranes functionalized with superparamagnetic nanoparticles (SPNs) attached to the chain ends of grafted polymer nanolayers have been shown to be effective in breaking concentration polarization at the membrane-liquid interface under an appropriate external oscillating magnetic field. Under an oscillating magnetic field, the movement of the polymer chains acts as micro-mixer leading to the suppression of concentration polarization and improved filtration …

Sampling Terrestrial Arthropod Biodiversity: A Case Study In Arkansas, Michael Joseph Skvarla

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Interior Highlands is a biodiversity hotspot, with at least 200 known endemic species, but is understudied compared to hotspots, such as the Southern Appalachians. In order to begin to rectify this issue, a nine month study was conducted from mid-March through early December at a 4 ha site at Steel Creek, Buffalo National River, in Newton County, Arkansas. Thirteen collecting methods were employed, including three colors of Lindgren funnel trap, five colors of pan trap, Malaise traps, canopy traps with upper and lower collectors, pitfall traps, and Berlese-Tullgren extraction of leaf litter, which resulted in the collection of 1311 …

Image Processing And Visualization Of Terahertz Pulsed Imaging Of Breast Cancer Tumors, Yuhao Wu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Terahertz imaging technology has grown substantially in recent years. With new advances made in the generation, manipulation, and detection of terahertz radiation, terahertz imaging has found its application as inspection tools in a wide range of areas including biomedicine, materials science, and aerospace industries. In the field of medical imaging, terahertz (THz) has emerged as a new imaging modality due to some fundamental physical properties of the THz wave. THz imaging has been used to examine various biological structures, and THz tomography has been developed to probe the 3D structures of those samples.

THz pulsed imaging (TPI) is one of …

A Simulation Platform For Accurate Prediction Of In-Bin Drying And Storage Of Rough Rice, Houmin Zhong

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Natural air (NA), in-bin drying and storage of rough rice generally maintains high grain quality, but the associated slow movement and occasional stagnation of the drying front during the process may result in problems of rice quality reduction, mold growth, and mycotoxin development, especially for rough rice in the top layers of the bin. Using modeling techniques to simulate in-bin rough rice drying in typically-encountered field scenarios may provide a tool for rapidly predicting the grain condition as drying progresses. The objectives for this study were to (1) investigate accurate models for predicting equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of rough rice …

A Proposed Integrated Data Collection, Analysis And Sharing Platform For Impact Evaluation, Andreas Kipt, Waylon Brunette, Jordon Kellerstrass, Matthew Podolsky, Javier Rosa, Mitchell Sundt, Daniel Wilson, Gaetano Borriello, Eric Brewer, Evan A. Thomas

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Global poverty reduction efforts value monitoring and evaluation, but often struggle to translate lessons learned from one intervention into practical application in another intervention. Commonly, data is not easily or often shared between interventions and summary data collected as part of an impact evaluation is often not available until after the intervention is complete. Equally limiting, the workflows that lead to research results are rarely published in a reproducible, reusable, and easy-to-understand fashion for others. Information and communication technologies widely used in commercial and government pro- grams are growing in relevance for international global development professionals and offer a potential …

Prediction Of Rupture In Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, Qusay Alfaori

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Studying the development of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) through quantification of its growth kinetics and rupture criteria is important to decrease the risk of this life-threatening event. Uniaxial and biaxial testing of healthy and time-dependent Type-I collagen degraded aortic specimens from pigs was performed. Stress-strain suitable mathematical models describing the behavior of abdominal aortic tissue were utilized to derive specific tissue properties and parameters. Reduction in Type-I collagen fraction was observed using picrosirius red staining method, bright field microscopy, and MATLAB. Finite Element Modeling (FEM) of healthy and time-dependent Type-I collagen degraded abdominal aortas were performed using ABAQUS finite element …

Portion Size Communication By Means Of Package Design, Tami J. Strickland

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study assessed consumers’ current methods of determining portion sizing of chicken products and examined their perceptions of how effectively three package designs communicate portion size. Everett M. Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations (DI) Theory analyzes the characteristics of the consumer of the innovation (adopter) and the impact these characteristics have on adopting new innovations. The innovation in this study will be the prototype packaging. Focusing on Rogers’ adopter characteristics and defined proprietary consumer segmentation characteristics, this study will be pivotal for future package design projects targeting nutrition education.

Focus group questions were scrutinized through a pilot study and revised …

News From Our House, Georgia Southern University

Athletics: News & Publications

No abstract provided.

2015–2016 Kentucky Agricultural Economic Situation And Outlook, Kenneth H. Burdine, Todd Davis, Timothy A. Woods, William M. Snell, Lee Meyer, Jeffrey W. Stringer

Agricultural Situation and Outlook

No abstract provided.

Athletic Participation And Gender On Act Achievement For Private School Students In The Southeast, Cade A. Smith

College of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to add to the limited available research concerning the effect that athletic participation has on academic achievement in private schools. For each hypothesis, the independent variables were athletic participation and gender. For the first hypothesis, the dependent variable was academic achievement as measured by the ACT Composite score. For Hypotheses 2-5, the dependent variables were academic achievement as measured by the ACT Reading, Mathematics, English, and Science Reasoning subtests, respectively. Through a review of the literature, the history of interscholastic athletics was examined and the positive and negative effects of athletic participation on academic …

Effects Of Gender And School Size On Mathematics And Science Achievement For Students In Western Arkansas, Jason Edward Moore

College of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to research the effects of gender and school size on mathematics and science achievement for schools in western Arkansas. Related research revealed historical performance gaps in mathematics and science achievement between males and females, but also showed that those gaps have closed over the past few decades. However, the research also showed that there is still a large gap in the number of males and females working in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers. This study also investigated this trend within western Arkansas to determine whether the gender gap in STEM is caused …

Genetic Factors Influencing B-Type Natriuretic Peptide-Mediated Production Of Cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate And Blood Pressure Effects In Heart Failure Patients, David E. Lanfear, Jia Li, Raza Abbas, Ruicong She, Badri Padhukasahasram, Ramesh C. Gupta, David Langholz, W Hw Tang, Keoki L. Williams, Hani N. Sabbah, Sheryl L. Chow

Cardiology Articles

Natriuretic peptides (NPs) represent a critical pathway in heart failure (HF). We explored genetic determinants of pharmacodynamic effects of B-type NP (BNP) and changes in plasma cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and blood pressure (BP). HF patients (n = 135) received recombinant human BNP (nesiritide) at standard doses, and plasma cGMP levels were measured at baseline and during infusion. We tested the association of 119 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 4 candidate genes (NPR1, NPR2, NPR3, and membrane metallo-endopeptidase (MME)) with the change in cGMP and BP. Gene-based testing for association of genetic variation with endpoints was significant only for MME. …

Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment: Co-Occurring Evidence-Based Practice Implementation, Alteration, And Fidelity Over Time, Jennifer Harrison

Dissertations

Individuals with co-occurring illnesses are at risk for poor outcomes related to criminal justice, hospitalization, housing, and employment. High fidelity evidence-based practice models, including Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment (IDDT), are associated with significant improvements in outcomes. Although IDDT has been well-researched in small scale clinical trials, the implementation, alteration, and sustainability in real world applications over time has not been well-researched or understood. Initially, a descriptive analysis of a secondary dataset including the full population of 68 IDDT fidelity teams from 2006–2012 evaluated by the Michigan Fidelity and Assessment Team (MiFAST) in one state was completed. IDDT fidelity significantly improved …

Cold Season Emissions Dominate The Arctic Tundra Methane Budget, Donatella Zona, Beniamino Gioli, Roisin Commane, Jakob Lindaas, Steve Wofsy, Charles E. Miller, Steven J. Dinardo, Sigrid Dengel, Colm Sweeney, Anna Karion, Rachel Y.-W. Chang, John M. Henderson, Patrick C. Murphy, Jordan P. Goodrich, Virginie Moreaux, Anna Liljedahl, Jennifer D. Watts, John S. Kimball, David A. Lipson, Walt Oechel

Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group Publications

Arctic terrestrial ecosystems are major global sources of methane (CH₄); hence, it is important to understand the seasonal and climatic controls on CH₄ emissions from these systems. Here, we report year-round CH₄ emissions from Alaskan Arctic tundra eddy flux sites and regional fluxes derived from aircraft data. We find that emissions during the cold season (September to May) account for ≥50% of the annual CH₄ flux, with the highest emissions from noninundated upland tundra. A major fraction of cold season emissions occur during the “zero curtain” period, when subsurface soil temperatures are poised near 0 …

Effects Of Gunnison Sage-Grouse Habitat Treatment Efforts On Associated Avifauna And Vegetation Structure, Paul Lukacs, Amy Seglund, Steve Boyle

Wildlife Biology Faculty Publications

Conservation efforts over the last 20 years for the Gunnison Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus minimus) have involved extensive habitat manipulations done predominantly to improve brood rearing habitat for the grouse. However, the effects of Gunnison Sage-Grouse habitat treatments on sympatric avifauna and responses of vegetation to manipulations are rarely measured, and if they are, it is immediately following treatment implementation. This study examined the concept of umbrella species management by retrospectively comparing density and occupancy of eight sagebrush associated songbird species and six measures of vegetation in treated and control sites. Our results suggested that songbird densities and occupancy changed …

Climatic Controls On Spring Onset Of The Tibetan Plateau Grasslands From 1982 To 2008, Wenjiang Zhang, Yonghong Yi, John S. Kimball, Youngwook Kim, Kechao Song

Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group Publications

Understanding environmental controls on vegetation spring onset (SO) in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is crucial to diagnosing regional ecosystem responses to climate change. We investigated environmental controls on the SO of the TP grasslands using satellite vegetation index (VI) from the 3rd Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies (GIMMS3g) product, with in situ air temperature (T_a) and precipitation (Prcp) measurement records from 1982 to 2008. The SO was determined using a dynamic threshold method based on a 25% threshold of seasonal VI amplitude. We find that SO shows overall close associations with spring T_a, but is …

Impact Of Changes In Grace Derived Terrestrial Water Storage On Vegetation Growth In Eurasia, G. A., I. Velicogna, John S. Kimball, Y. Kim

Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group Publications

We use GRACE-derived terrestrial water storage (TWS) and ERA-interim air temperature, as proxy for available water and temperature constraints on vegetation productivity, inferred from MODIS satellite normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), in Northern Eurasia during 2002–2011. We investigate how changes in TWS affect the correlation between NDVI and temperature during the non-frozen season. We find that vegetation growth exhibits significant spatial and temporal variability associated with varying trend in TWS and temperature. The largest NDVI gains occur over boreal forests associated with warming and wetting. The largest NDVI losses occur over grasslands in the Southwestern Ob associated with regional drying …