Digital Commons Network^™

A Secure, Reliable And Performance-Enhancing Storage Architecture Integrating Local And Cloud-Based Storage, Christopher Glenn Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

The constant evolution of new varieties of computing systems - cloud computing, mobile devices, and Internet of Things, to name a few - have necessitated a growing need for highly reliable, available, secure, and high-performing storage systems. While CPU performance has typically scaled with Moore's Law, data storage is much less consistent in how quickly performance increases over time. One method of improving storage performance is through the use of special storage architectures. Such architectures often include redundant arrays of independent disks (RAID). RAID provides a meaningful way to increase storage performance on a variety of levels, some higher-performing than …

Something To Talk About, Joni Hersch, Jennifer Bennett Shinall

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

To avoid the appearance of sex discrimination that would violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, both Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidance and a common misunderstanding of the law have resulted in little or no information about family status being provided in pre-employment interviews. To investigate whether concealing family information actually improves women’s employment prospects, we conduct an original experimental study fielded on more than 3,000 subjects. Our study provides the first ever evidence that concealing personal information lowers female applicants’ hiring prospects. Subjects overwhelmingly preferred to hire candidates who provided information, regardless of content. Any explanation improved …

A Semi-Analytical Unit Cell Synthesis Method For Design Of Meta-Materials With Targeted Nonlinear Deformation Response, Shanyun Gao

All Theses

A Unit Cell Synthesis Method was developed recently for designing meta-materials from unit cell level to achieve prescribed nonlinear deformation response. The method starts with a process of selecting and combining a set of elemental functional geometries (EFG) and elemental structural geometries (ESG) to form the unit cell structure. A subsequent size optimization is performed to obtain an optimal design which provides the targeted nonlinear deformation behavior. While the method is proven effective in producing feasible meta-material designs, the design and optimization of the unit cells relies heavily on nonlinear finite element analysis, which makes the overall process computationally intensive …

Consistent Asymptotic Homogenization Method For Lattice Structures Based On The Virtual Power Principle, David Bracho

All Theses

The properties of mechanical meta-materials in the form of a periodic lattice have drawnthe attention of researchers in the area of material design. Computational methods for solvingelasticity problems that involve a large number of repeating structures, such as the ones presentin lattice materials, is often impractical since it needs a considerable amount of computationalresources. Homogenization methods aim to facilitate the modeling of lattice materials by definingequivalent effective properties. Various approaches can be found in the literature, but few followa consistent methodology applicable to any lattice geometry. In the present work, the asymptotichomogenization method developed by Caillerie and lated by Dos …

Development Of The Modified Hot Box: A Convective Heat Transfer Device For Measuring The Steady State And Transient Thermal Properties Of Non-Homogenous Building Materials, Stephen K. Smith Ii

All Theses

The literature data on fired clay brick and other building materials is limitedin scope, necessitating better data for more accurate modeling. A convective heattransfer device for measuring the thermal properties of building materials wasdesigned based on the existing hot box method. This new device is suited tomaterials whose heterogeneous structure does not allow the use of existingdevices such as laser flash or transient plane sensor apparatuses. This device,known as the Modified Hot Box, uses Peltier thermoelectric modules to create aclimate-controlled environment in highly insulated dual chambers. The ModifiedHot Box was calibrated to acquire data that can be used to calculate …

Quantification Of Volatile Residuals In Polydioxanone By Gas Chromatography: Method Development, Validation And Implementation, Clayton Joseph Culbreath

All Theses

Bioresorbable polymers are increasingly utilized for implantable medical devices to avoid complications related to explant and/or long term responses to foreign materials. As with all polymeric materials, residual levels of unreacted monomer, and other volatiles, drastically affect the mechanical and chemical properties as well as the parameters required to process the material into a device. The 1,4-dioxane-2-one (PDO) monomer is a six membered ring that forms an ether-ester polymer via ring-opening polymerization (ROP) with intermediate absorption rate properties that are ideal for numerous implant situations. Developing devices using poly(1,4-dioxane-2-one) (PPDO, PDO, PDX, PPDX, or PDS) is complicated by residual levels …

Vanadium Diselenide: On The Verge Of Charge Density Wave, Menghan Zhou

All Dissertations

Charge density wave (CDW) is a many-body state of matter in which both lattice and electron density are modulated by a new periodicity. CDW features discrete translational symmetry breaking, and mostly occurs in low-dimensional materials. Although CDW behaviors have been found in many materials, the underlying mechanism and the driving forces of CDW transition are still unclear. In particular, the origin of CDW in two-dimensional materials, especially in layered transition metal dicalchogenides (TMDCs), may be distinct from that in one-dimensional materials.

In this dissertation, the CDW transition in VSe2, a layered TMDC material, is explored. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations …

Determining The Optimal Public Debt Threshold For Nigeria, Babatunde S. Omotosho, Sani Bawa, Sani I. Doguwa

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This paper investigates the existence of threshold effects in the relationship between public debt and economic growth in Nigeria using quarterly data. Generally, we found empirical support for an inverted U-shape relationship between public debt types and economic growth. For total public debt as percentage of GDP, model results identified a threshold level of 73.70 per cent, while the estimated inflexion points for external and domestic debts were 49.4 and 30.9 per cent, respectively. The implication of this finding is that debt accumulation in excess of the estimated threshold levels could hurt economic growth. A retrospective examination of the country’s …

Volatility In The Nigerian Stock Market: Empirical Application Of Beta-T-Garch Variants, Olaoluwa S. Yaya, Abiodun S. Bada, Victor N. Atoi

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

The Generalized Autoregressive Score (GAS), Exponential GAS (EGAS) and Asymmetric Exponential GAS (AEGAS) are new classes of volatility models that simultaneously account for jumps and asymmetry. Using these models, we estimate the dynamic pattern of the Nigeria All Share Index (ASI) from January 3, 2006 to July 22, 2014. Parameter estimates of the models were obtained using the Quasi Maximum Likelihood (QML) approach, and in-sample conditional volatility forecasts from each of the models were evaluated using the minimum loss function approach. Among the classical volatility models, the initial results detected IGARCH-t as the best model for predicting volatility in the …

A Three-State Markov Model For Predicting Movements Of Asset Returns Of A Nigerian Bank, Maruf A. Raheem, Patrick O. Ezepue

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

We present in this paper an alternative approach to determining and predicting the fluctuations in the daily prices and stock returns of a first-generation bank in the Nigerian Stock Market (NSM). The approach uses a three-state Markov to estimate the expected duration of the asset returns in states classified as rising (positive) (𝑅𝑘), falling (negative) state (𝑅𝑚) or stable (zero) state (𝑅𝑙). Related goodness-of-fit tests show that the Markov model fits the data adequately with an error rate of approximately 0.1. The maximum expected lengths of successively being in either positive or negative regime is 4 days, while that of …

Modelling Nigerian Banks’ Share Prices Using Smooth Transition Garch Models, Olaoluwa S. Yaya, Damola M. Akinlana, Olanrewaju I. Shittu

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This paper examined the application of nonlinear Smooth Transition-Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity (ST-GARCH) model of Hagerud on prices of banks’ shares in Nigeria. The methodology is informed by the failure of the conventional GARCH model to capture the asymmetric properties of the banks’ daily share prices. The asymmetry and non-linearity in the model dynamics make it useful for generating nonlinear conditional variance series. From the empirical analysis, we obtained the conditional volatility of each bank’s share price return. The highest volatility persistence was observed in Bank 6, while Bank 12 had the least volatility. Evidently, about 25% of the investigated …

Modelling Volatility Of The Exchange Rate Of The Naira To Major Currencies, Reuben O. David, Hussaini G. Dikko, Shehu U. Gulumbe

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

The exchange rate between the Naira and other currencies has continued to witness variability with depreciation. This variability makes it difficult to predict returns. Against this background, this paper examines the naira exchange rate vis-a-vis four other currencies. The impact of exogenous variables in modelling volatility is considered using both the GARCH (1,1) and its asymmetric variants. Three of the four returns series showed heteroscedasticity. The results of the fitted models indicate that the majority of the parameters are significant and that volatility is quite persistent. Furthermore, the results of the asymmetric model indicate different impacts for both negative and …

Spatial Variation In Germination Of Two Annual Brome Species In The Northern Great Plains, Erin K. Espeland, Jane M. Mangold, Natalie M. West

The Prairie Naturalist

Downy brome or cheat grass (Bromus tectorum L.) and field brome (B. arvensis L.; Synonym = Bromus japonicus Thunb. ex Murr.; Japanese brome) are two annual exotic species that have increased the intensity and frequency of fire cycles in the Intermountain West of the United States, with millions of dollars in associated costs (DiTomaso 2000). These invasive brome species have a different impact in the Northern Great Plains of North America where they commonly co-occur in disturbed sites (White and Currie 1983, Haferkamp et al. 1993). In these mixed-grass prairie rangelands, annual bromes compete against other forage species …

Review Of Waterfowl Of North America, Europe, And Asia: An Identification Guide By Sébastien Reeber, William L. Hohman

The Prairie Naturalist

Ducks, geese and swans (Family Anatidae) are the most popular and best studied group of birds in the world. The group has been the subject of classical books by Kortright (1942), Delacour (1954-1964), Bellrose (1976), Palmer (1976), Johnsgard (1978), and, most recently, Kear (2005) and Baldassarre (2014). The latest contribution to this rich legacy is an impressively illustrated identification guide for waterfowl found in North America, Europe and Asia by author and artist, Sébastien Reeber. This is an English-language version of Canards, Cygnes et Oies d’Europe, d’Asie et d’Amérique du Nord, published by Delachaux and Niestlé in late 2015. …

Review Of Birds Of Montana By Jeffrey S. Marks, Paul Hendricks, And Daniel Casey, Scott G. Somershoe

The Prairie Naturalist

The Birds of Montana is an impressive-looking tome, that includes 659 pages, 155 color range maps, 73 illustrations of species, and 16 color photos of Montana’s habitats. Upon the first bend of the binding, the reader will quickly realize the impressive depth of detail and research that went into writing and completing this book. Although Montana is the fourth largest state, one of the least populated states, and has few “binoculars on the ground,” the state has a fascinating and extensive ornithological history. The Birds of Montana is not a field guide, but rather it is an astonishingly comprehensive reference …

Review Of Estimation Of Parameters For Animal Populations: A Primer For The Rest Of Us By Larkin A. Powell And George A. Gale, Max Post Van Der Burg

The Prairie Naturalist

“Me? A modeler? Never!” This is the opening challenge of the book, Estimation of Parameters for Animal Populations: A Primer for the Rest of Us, by Larkin Powell and George Gale. I say “challenge” because I think this book attempts to challenge the misconception that quantitative methods are out of reach for most biologists and wildlife scientists. When many of us attend college or graduate school to study wildlife science there’s a sense that, at some point, there will be math. But it appears that the attitude of many students toward this reality is to simply suffer through the …

Effective Physical Education Professional Development, Caleb Van Otterloo

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review explores how to create an effective professional development (PD) system for Physical Education (PE) teachers. The review begins by discussing Personal Learning Networks (PLNs), and the impact that they have on professional development. PLNs provide teachers with an opportunity to completely personalize their PD through Twitter, Facebook, and various other blogs. PD in schools is a huge aspect of the professional development process. Allowing time for content specific PD means teachers can analyze strategies and ideas that work for their content areas. Workshops provide teachers with the opportunity to learn from experts and continue to strive to …

Expectation-Centered Analytics For Instructors And Students, Suzanne L. Dazo

Student Work

Learning analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis, and reporting of data about learners and their contexts. An outcome and primary goal of learning analytics should be to inform instructors, who are primary stakeholders, so that they can make effective decisions in their courses. To support instructor inquiry, I apply theory on reflective practice to learning analytic development. Articulating an instructor's pedagogical expectations is one way to begin facilitating a reflective practice. Expectations based on instructor goals serve as a natural next step and the springboard from which data can be collected. I hypothesize that a learning analytic that encodes and …

Myth Or Reality? Crowdsourcing As A Complex Problemsolving Model: Evidence From Software Developed By The Crowd And Professionals, Abhishek Tripathi

Student Work

Crowdsourcing is a problem-solving model. Conventional theory suggests that solving complex problems is a province of professionals, people with sufficient knowledge about the domain. Prior literature indicated that the crowd is also a great source for solving complex problems. However, there is a lack of experimental research to support that crowdsourcing is a useful model for complex problem-solving (CPS), especially in the software development context. The broad goal of this dissertation is to address this research gap and improve understanding of crowdsourcing as a viable and effective CPS model. This research proposed and tested a research model of perceived quality …

Cucurbit[7]Uril-Tetramethylrhodamine Conjugate For Direct Sensing And Cellular Imaging, Andrew T. Bockus, Lauren C. Smith, Amy G. Grice, Omar A. Ali, Carolyn C. Young, William Mobley, Ashley Leek, James Lewis Roberts, Brittany Vinciguerra, Lyle D. Isaacs, Adam R. Urbach

Chemistry Faculty Research

This paper describes the design and synthesis of a conjugate (Q7R) comprising the synthetic host cucurbit[7]uril (Q7) linked to the fluorescent dye tetramethylrhodamine (TMR), and the characterization of its optical and guest-binding properties as well as its cellular uptake. Q7R was synthesized in two steps from monofunctionalized azidobutyl-Q7 and NHS-activated TMR. The fluorescence of Q7R is quenched upon guest binding, and this observable was used to determine equilibrium dissociation constant (K_d) values. Unexpectedly, the K_d values for guests binding to Q7R and to unmodified Q7 were essentially identical. Therefore, Q7R can directly report binding to Q7 without …

Supplement: The Rate Of Binary Black Hole Mergers Inferred From Advanced Ligo Observations Surrounding Gw150914, B. P. Abbott, K. Gill, B. Hughey, M. J. Szczepańczyk, M. Zanolin, Et Al.

Publications

This article provides supplemental information for a Letter reporting the rate of (BBH) coalescences inferred from 16 days of coincident Advanced LIGO observations surrounding the transient (GW) signal GW150914. In that work we reported various rate estimates whose 90% confidence intervals fell in the range 2–600 Gpc−3 yr−1. Here we give details on our method and computations, including information about our search pipelines, a derivation of our likelihood function for the analysis, a description of the astrophysical search trigger distribution expected from merging BBHs, details on our computational methods, a description of the effects and our model for calibration uncertainty, …

December 2016 Commencement Program, Bowling Green State University

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Flipped Learning And Influential Factors: Case Analysis, Leping Liu, Darren Ripley, Angela Lee

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Flipped learning has been a focus of research to explore potential learning environments that may positively affect student learning. The key issue is whether or how educators design such a learning environment, and what might be the factors that educators need to consider when designing a flipped learning environment. The first part of this study presents a critical review and analysis on factors identified from the literature that may influence the success of a flipped-learning case. 216 cases selected from current literature were analyzed on seven factors (Overall Design, Design of Information, Design of Technology Use, Active Learning, Motivation, Special …

Life-Cycle Benefit-Cost Analysis Of Safety Related Improvements On Roadways, Jordan Browne Frustaci

Theses and Dissertations

The Highway Safety Manual (HSM) lists four different methods for determining the change in crash frequency in order of reliability. Currently, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) uses the fourth reliable method. The goal of this research was to develop a tool that the most reliable method mentioned in the HSM could be used to perform life-cycle benefit-cost analyses. A spreadsheet program was built that performs the HSM's Part C Predictive Method for 11 different roadway segment types mentioned in HSM using Excel macros and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) programming. Intersections were not included in this spreadsheet program as …

Elementary School Tvaas Composites: A Comparison Between Title I Elementary Schools And Non-Title I Elementary Schools In Tennessee, Anthony W. Padelski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of Title I is to provide extra instructional services and activities that support students identified as failing or most at risk of failing the state’s challenging performance standards in mathematics, reading, and writing. Low-income schools or Title I schools are the primary target of Title I funds. A school is eligible for Title I status when 40% of the school’s students are from low income families; these students are identified by their eligibility to receive free and reduced priced meals.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a significant difference in elementary schools’ TVAAS …

Cryogenic Viscous Liquids On Icy Moons, Danielle Neighbour

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The study of cryogenically viscous liquids such as methane and ethane offers critical insight into the behavior of fluids on icy moons such as Saturn’s moon Titan. Shrouded by a hazy hydrocarbon shield, Titan’s significant nitrogen atmosphere of 1.5 bar, methane-driven hydrological cycle, and lakes and rivers are vaguely similar to our Earthly home. The European-created Huygens probe, carried by the Cassini spacecraft, arrived on Titan’s surface in January 2005 [1]. Upon landing, Huygens photographed its landing site, as seen in Figure 1. The photo depicts rock like objects, thought to be comprised of water ice sitting in a dry …

From Belief To Action: Omani Efl Teachers’ Self-Efficacy In Relation To Their Teaching Of English As A Foreign Language, Abdullah Khamis Al-Shukri

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research has documented that teacher self-efficacy has positive impacts on different aspects of teaching and learning. Yet, research on teacher self-efficacy in the field of teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) is relatively limited. Considering the powerful impacts of teacher self-efficacy on teaching and learning, it is crucial to pursue this line of research into the field of teacher education. Examining EFL teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs in teaching English seems to be particularly useful in the Omani teaching context, where English is increasingly used in schools. The present study examined Omani EFL teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs, its sources and factors, and …

Corporatized Higher Education: A Quantitative Study Examining Faculty Motivation Using Self-Determination Theory, Aaron Dale Brown

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The intent of this research is to offer a quantitative analysis of self-determined faculty motivation within the current corporate model of higher education across public and private research universities. With such a heightened integration of accountability structures, external reward systems, and the ongoing drive for more money and institutional prestige, this study examines faculty attitudes towards their work and the institution using Deci and Ryan’s (1985) self-determination theory (SDT).

Under the corporatized model of higher education, a gap is found in the literature that explores the role of SDT’s three innate needs (i.e., autonomy, competency, and relatedness) and their effect …

Implementation And Performance Evaluation Of Acoustic Denoising Algorithms For Uav, Ahmed Sony Kamal Chowdhury

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have become popular alternative for wildlife monitoring and border surveillance applications. Elimination of the UAV’s background noise and classifying the target audio signal effectively are still a major challenge. The main goal of this thesis is to remove UAV’s background noise by means of acoustic denoising techniques. Existing denoising algorithms, such as Adaptive Least Mean Square (LMS), Wavelet Denoising, Time-Frequency Block Thresholding, and Wiener Filter, were implemented and their performance evaluated. The denoising algorithms were evaluated for average Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), Segmental SNR (SSNR), Log Likelihood Ratio (LLR), and Log Spectral Distance (LSD) metrics. …

Improvement Of Security In Uas Communication And Navigation Using Ads-B, Vedadatta Gouripeddi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In this thesis, we congregate the security threats on UAS and suggest solutions using ADS-B device. UAS ground and intercommunication is prone to availability, confidentiality and integrity attacks. UAS communication has three layered wireless Ad-Hock network which comprises of Complex group key exchange. Loss of one layer in the Ad-hock network leads to a complete loss of communication in the network. Current UAS navigation methods include complete reliance on on-board sensors, radars and GPS. This research proposes solutions for UAS communication, navigation and collision avoidance using ADS-B. ADS-B acts as a back-up when there is a loss in any one …