Digital Commons Network^™

Understanding The Deformation Mechanisms In Nanostructured Metals By A Novel Discrete Crystal Plasticity Finite Element Model, Rui Yuan

Doctoral Dissertations

"Implementation of nanostructured metals and alloys for use in engineering applications requires a detailed knowledge of the underlying deformation mechanisms in these materials. It is well known that plastic deformation in metals and alloys is mainly mediated by dislocation activities. Nonetheless, TEM observations and atomistic simulations indicate that dislocation-mediated plasticity in nanostructured metals and alloys is significantly different from that in their coarse-grained counterparts. Therefore, this dissertation focuses on the exploration of the deformation mechanisms in nanostructured metals via crystal plasticity finite element modeling and simulation.

A statistical grain boundary dislocation source model accounting for dislocation nucleation and slip events …

Reliability Prediction In Early Design Stages, Yao Cheng

Doctoral Dissertations

"In the past, reliability is usually quantified with sufficient information available. This is not only time-consuming and cost-expensive, but also too late for occurred failures and losses. For solving this problem, the objective of this dissertation is to predict product reliability in early design stages with limited information. The current research of early reliability prediction is far from mature. Inspired by methodologies for the detail design stage, this research uses statistics-based and physics-based methodologies by providing general models with quantitative results, which could help design for reliability and decision making during the early design stage. New methodologies which accommodate component …

The Effect Of Testing Conditions On Lost Circulation Materials' Performance In Simulated Fractures, Montri Jeennakorn

Doctoral Dissertations

"Lost circulation (LOC) problems increase costs of drilling significantly. It is not only the cost of the drilling fluid that is lost into the formation but also the costs of subsequent problems that can be higher than the cost of the drilling fluids. LOC also possibly leads to a serious risk of blowout incident.

Lost circulation materials (LCM) are regularly added to the drilling fluids with an expectation of plugging the flow path. Due to the difficulties of testing and monitoring LCM sealing processes in the field, LCM evaluation in the laboratory is often used to prove and assure successful …

Optimal Design And Freeform Extrusion Fabrication Of Functionally Gradient Smart Parts, Amir Ghazanfari

Doctoral Dissertations

"An extrusion-based additive manufacturing process, called the Ceramic On-Demand Extrusion (CODE) process, for producing three-dimensional ceramic components with near theoretical density was developed. In this process, an aqueous paste of ceramic particles with a very low binder content (<1 vol%) is extruded through a moving nozzle at room temperature. After a layer is deposited, it is surrounded by oil (to a level just below the top surface of most recent layer) to preclude non-uniform evaporation from the sides. Infrared radiation is then used to partially, and uniformly, dry the just-deposited layer so that the yield stress of the paste increases and the part maintains its shape. The same procedure is repeated for every layer until part fabrication is completed. Sample parts made of alumina and fully stabilized zirconia were produced using this process and their mechanical properties including density, strength, Young's modulus, Weibull modulus, toughness, and hardness were examined. Microstructural evaluation was also performed to measure the grain size, and critical flaw sizes were obtained. The results indicate that the proposed method enables fabrication of geometrically complex parts with superior mechanical properties. Furthermore, several methods were developed to increase the productivity of the CODE process and enable manufacturing of functionally graded materials with an optimum distribution of material composition. As an application of the CODE process, advanced ceramic components with embedded sapphire optical fiber sensors were fabricated and properties of parts and sensors were evaluated using standard test methods"--Abstract, page iv.

Phytoforensics: Applications In Vapor Intrusion Assessment, Jordan Lee Wilson

Doctoral Dissertations

"Vapor intrusion (VI) occurs when contaminants in the vapor phase migrate in the shallow subsurface and enter buildings through cracks, seams, and gaps and has been recognized as a serious human-health threat as occupants are exposed to potentially harmful concentrations over long periods of time. The VI pathway has recently (2017) been identified as a primary exposure pathway and implemented into the Hazard Ranking System for inclusion on the Nation Priorities List. However, assessing VI and human exposure is not simple and current methods are time-, cost-, and labor-intensive; intrusive; and temporally and spatially variability. Trees are ideal candidates for …

Depositional Systems, Sequence Architecture, And Controlling Factors Of An Eocene Stratigraphic Sequence At Minfeng Steep Margin Of Dongying Depression, Eastern China, Zhixin Li

Doctoral Dissertations

“This study is carried out in Minfeng area, the steep margin of Dongying half graben, eastern China, by integrating 3-D seismic, wireline log, and core data, and aims to interpret the depositional systems, reconstruct sequence stratigraphic architecture, and understand the controlling processes and factors at the steep margin of a rift basin. In the first part of this work, an Eocene stratigraphic sequence is divided into three systems tracts, corresponding to different stages of lake evolution, as early expansion (EEST), late expansion-early contraction (LEECST), and late contraction (LCST). EEST is the thickest and diagnostic by the best-developed marginal and basinal …

Designing High Performance Overall Water Splitting Electrocatalysts From Non-Precious Metal Selenides, Abdurazag T. Swesi

Doctoral Dissertations

“The energy production has been depending mostly on fossil fuel which will be depleted someday in the near future. Aspects such as the loss of energy resources and destruction of the environment have motivated researchers for pursuing transition away from fossil fuels to renewable solar-fuels. Therefore, in order to meet the continuous increasing demand for energy, the hydrogen, with the largest energy density stored in it, can then efficiently be used in fuel cells without concern of contaminants. Water splitting reaction to generate H₂ and O₂ is one promising method of converting solar energy into fuels. The major …

Promoting Access Over Ownership: Realigning Antitrust And Intellectual Property Law To Usher In An Era Of Collaborative Consumption, Adrian Kuenzler

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Following the US Supreme Court's endorsement of the promotion of consumer welfare as the single goal of antitrust and intellectual property laws, many courts have reasserted their commitment to the market access doctrine for antitrust and intellectual property law liability. These courts have rejected the Court's submission in GTE Sylvania to adhere to a strict output/profitability test concentrating predominantly on the positive and negative welfare effects regarding allegedly infringing conduct. This Article examines several important antitrust and intellectual property law decisions and locates within them a common flaw to express an intelligible, distinct doctrinal function for giving precedence to market …

The "Strict Liability" Of Direct Patent Infringement, Lynda J. Oswald

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

In 1995, the Federal Circuit summarily attached the label of "strict liability" to direct patent infringement, even though that term does not appear in any US Patent Act enacted in the past two centuries. The catechism of "strict" direct patent infringement liability is now so well engrained in patent doctrine that it is easy to lose sight of how recent the advent of this terminology is in the case law, and how troublesome application of this standard has proven, even to the Federal Circuit, which created it. The first Patent Act (1790) preceded the emergence of tort law as a …

Free Speech Or Slavery Profiteering?: Solutions For Policing Online Sex--Trafficking Advertisement, Marguerite A. O'Brien

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Online sex trafficking is big business. The Department of Homeland Security estimates that sex trafficking generates billions of dollars per year. The marketplace for sex has moved from the street corner to classified ad websites such as Backpage.com, and all too often the victims of online sex trafficking are minors. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported an 846 percent increase in reports of child sexual exploitation between 2010 and 2015--growth the organization attributes to the availability of sex ads on websites such as Backpage.com. Law enforcement agencies and victims have sought to hold Backpage.com liable for facilitating …

Flagging The Middle Ground Of The Right To Be Forgotten: Combatting Old News With Search Engine Flags, Hannah L. Cook

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Incomplete and outdated news articles present an increasing problem for individuals who find themselves stigmatized on the basis of truthful but misleading reports. This Article proposes a moderate solution between the European right to be forgotten and the protectionless status quo in the United States. It proposes a flagging system, administered through Federal Trade Commission adjudications, where links to articles whose private harms outweigh their public benefits are flagged in the search results of an individual. This flag will help combat psychological biases that may cause decisionmakers to place an irrational weight on these articles while preserving the ability of …

Federalism And Federalization On The Fintech Frontier, Brian Knight

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

The rise of financial technology (fintech) has the potential to provide better-quality financial services to more people. Although these enhanced financial services have arisen in order to meet consumer need, their regulatory status threatens that progress. Many fintech firms are regulated on a state-by-state basis even though their transactions are interstate, and they compete with firms that enjoy more consistent rules through federal preemption. This dynamic can harm efficiency, competitive equity, and political equity. This Article examines developments in marketplace lending, money transmission, and online sales of securities in an attempt to identify situations in which greater federalization of the …

Evaluating Market Reactions To Non-Practicing Entity Litigation, Emiliano Giudici, Justin Blount

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

An ongoing debate in patent law involves the role "non-practicing entities," sometimes called "patent trolls," serve in the patent system. Some argue they serve as valuable market intermediaries, while others contend they are a drain on innovation and an impediment to a well-functioning patent system. This Article adds to the data available in this debate by conducting an event study that analyzes the market reaction to patent litigation filed by large "mass aggregator" non-practicing entities against large publicly traded companies. This study advances the literature by attempting to reproduce the results of previous event studies done in this area with …

Enter Sandman: The Viability Of Environmental Personhood To Us Soil Conservation Efforts, Thomas E. Johnson

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

The US agricultural system relies on healthy soil for economic and environmental stability. The federal government established soil conservation efforts following the Dust Bowl, and state and local entities later developed legal tools to supplement soil conservation. These efforts, however, are insufficient to protect the nation's soil in the face of a changing climate. Conservation techniques are available that could substantially mitigate the effects of climate change, but the federal government lacks the tools to encourage their uniform adoption. The rigidity of prior state efforts, moreover, has disabled some landowners from adapting conservation lands to modern challenges. This Note recommends …

Legal Education In The Blockchain Revolution, Mark Fenwick, Wulf A. Kaal, Erik P.M. Vermeulen

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

The legal profession is one of the most disrupted sectors of the consulting industry today. The rise of Legal Technology, artificial intelligence, big data, machine learning, and, most importantly, blockchain technology is changing the practice of law. The sharing economy and platform companies challenge many of the traditional assumptions, doctrines, and concepts of law and governance--requiring litigators, judges, and regulators to adapt. Lawyers need to be equipped with the necessary skill sets to operate effectively in the new world of disruptive innovation in law. A more creative and innovative approach to educating lawyers for the twenty-first century is needed.

The Non-Recording, Non-Artist" Recording Artist": Expanding The Recording Artist's Brand Into Non-Music Arenas, Suzanne Kessler

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

The changing nature of the music business presents earnings challenges for both record labels and recording artists. Historically, labels and artists entered into recording contracts pursuant to which the artists created music which the labels funded, distributed, marketed, and promoted. Many artists made good livings from music sales, earning dollars per album, while the labels profited even more. However, as digital delivery, especially streaming, now supplants physical records as the primary music consumption manner, the money that labels and artists realize from music sales has significantly decreased. In particular, artists earn fractions of pennies per track streamed. Labels, too, are …

Nudging Robots: Innovative Solutions To Regulate Artificial Intelligence, Michael Guihot, Anne F. Matthew, Nicolas P. Suzor

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

There is a pervading sense of unease that artificially intelligent machines will soon radically alter our lives in ways that are still unknown. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) technology are developing at an extremely rapid rate as computational power continues to grow exponentially. Even if existential concerns about AI do not materialize, there are enough concrete examples of problems associated with current applications of AI to warrant concern about the level of control that exists over developments in this field. Some form of regulation is likely necessary to protect society from harm. However, advances in regulatory capacity have not kept …

Agent-Based Modelling Of The Relationships Among Kinship, Residence, And Exchange, James R. Allison

Faculty Publications

In the North American Southwest, archaeological research has documented ceramic exchange networks in which spatially proximate households in consumer communities have greatly varying amounts of imported pottery. This paper uses agent-based modelling to gain insight into the processes responsible for these distributions. The agent-based model used here tracks kinship ties among agents representing individuals who give birth, marry, co-reside with spouses, and exchange things in a virtual landscape filled with small settlements of up to a few hundred individuals. Exchange of goods in the model flows through the kinship networks. The results suggest that the differential distribution of goods among …

The Influence Of Religious Beliefs In Marriage, Loren D. Marks, David C. Dollahite, Michael A. Goodman

Faculty Publications

In this chapter, we examine the connection between religious beliefs and marriage more deeply. Namely, we will explore, uncover, and convey “insider’s insights” that will be valuable to many readers, particularly to college- aged emerging adults, most of whom will marry one day. Our hope is that these previews into marriage will better inform and prepare emerging adults for success.

The American Families of Faith project includes 200 wives and 200 husbands from marriages or remarriages with an average duration of a little over 20 years. To frame these facts differently, our sample draws on more than eight millennia of …

Mechanical And Surface Properties Of Technical And Single Flax Fiber In Micro And Nano Scale, Shabbir Ahmed

Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

The continued search for sustainable and eco-friendly materials led to the integration of bio-fibers as the reinforcement in composite materials. However, a wide variation in their mechanical properties poses a considerable challenge for their incorporation in load bearing and structural bio-composite materials. In this thesis, a rigorous experimental investigation is performed for quantifying this variation in mechanical properties of flax fiber such as ultimate strength, ultimate strain, and elastic modulus. The effect of stalk diameter and variety on strength and strain was investigated on a statistical basis. Probability distribution models were proposed for predicting the probability of failure on a …

Experimental Investigation Of The Temperature Effects On The Behavior Of Adhesively-Bonded Dissimilar Materials, Britt Helten

Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

The effects of temperature on the fatigue and low velocity impact (LVI) behaviors of adhesively-bonded single-lap joints (SLJs) composed of a pultruded E-glass/polyurethane composite bonded to 5052 aluminum and A36 steel were investigated. The fatigue behavior was studied via the evaluation of the F-N and stiffness degradation diagrams at load levels between 50% and 80% of the ultimate static load and temperatures between 0°C and 75°C. Fatigue life was found to decrease with increasing temperature and was independent of adherend material. Adherend material and load level did not have a significant effect on the stiffness degradation behavior. The LVI behavior …

Design And Control Of A Micro/Nano Load Stage For In-Situ Afm Observation And Nanoscale Structural And Mechanical Characterization Of Mwcnt-Epoxy Composites, Wyatt C. Leininger

Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

Nanomaterial composites hold improvement potential for many materials. Improvements arise through known material behaviors and unique nanoscale effects to improve performance in areas including elastic modulus and damping as well as various processes, and products. Review of research spurred development of a load-stage. The load stage could be used independently, or in conjunction with an AFM to investigate bulk and nanoscale material mechanics. The effect of MWCNT content on structural damping, elastic modulus, toughness, loss modulus, and glass transition temperature was investigated using the load stage, AMF, and DMA. Initial investigation showed elastic modulus increased 23% with 1wt.% MWCNT versus …

การพัฒนาโปรแกรมการจัดการซ่อมบำรุงรักษาบนมือถือสำหรับโรงงานผลิตภัณฑ์เคมี, จารุวรรณ แต้มศรี

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

งานวิจัยนี้ได้พัฒนาระบบการจัดการซ่อมบำรุงรักษา ด้วยระบบปฏิบัติการแอนดรอยด์บนมือถือ ซึ่งระบบที่พัฒนาขึ้นได้นำไปประยุกต์ใช้กับระบบซ่อมบำรุงรักษาของท่อส่งเคมีภัณฑ์ โดยปัจจุบันการนำระบบการจัดการซ่อมบำรุงรักษาด้วยเครือข่ายคอมพิวเตอร์ที่ใช้ในการจัดการข้อมูลยังไม่สามารถตอบสนองต่อความต้องการได้ ดังนั้นโปรแกรมที่พัฒนาขึ้นจะมีระบบการแจ้งซ่อมบำรุงและสามารถรายงานผลการซ่อมบำรุงได้แบบทันท่วงที เพื่อให้ผู้ปฏิบัติงานสามารถตอบสนองและตรวจสอบเหตุขัดข้องได้ในทันที นอกจากนี้โปรแกรมที่พัฒนาขึ้นยังสามารถช่วยวางแผนการจัดการจัดตารางเวลาซ่อมบำรุงรักษาในอนาคต จากการทดลองโปรแกรมที่พัฒนาขึ้นเพื่อช่วยในการลดความสูญเสียทางด้านเวลาในการดำเนินการส่งเอกสารทางอีเมลตั้งแต่ต้นจนจบกระทวนการ และทำการบันทึกข้อมูลลงในระบบฐานข้อมูล เมื่อนำระบบแอพพลิเคชั่นมาใช้ในการจัดการระบบซ่อมบำรุงรักษามีความเป็นระบบมากขึ้น โดยมีความสะดวกในการบันทึกข้อมูลในขั้นตอนต่างๆ ในการดำเนินงาน พบว่า ระยะเวลาเฉลี่ยก่อนเสียหายแต่ละครั้งเพิ่มขึ้น 11% ระยะเวลาเฉลี่ยตั้งแต่เสียหายจนใช้งานได้แต่ละครั้งลดลง 5%

Review Of “Energy Dissipation In Hydraulic Structures” By H. Chanson, A Borthwick

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Current And Wave Effects Around Windfarm Monopile Foundations, Jon Miles, Tom Martin, Liam Goddard

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Androdialysis: Analysis Of Android Intent Effectiveness In Malware Detection, A Feizollah, Nb Anuar, R Salleh, G Suarez-Tangil, S Furnell

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

The wide popularity of Android systems has been accompanied by increase in the number of malware targeting these systems. This is largely due to the open nature of the Android framework that facilitates the incorporation of third-party applications running on top of any Android device. Inter-process communication is one of the most notable features of the Android framework as it allows the reuse of components across process boundaries. This mechanism is used as gateway to access different sensitive services in the Android framework. In the Android platform, this communication system is usually driven by a late runtime binding messaging object …

Exact Classical And Quantum Dynamics In Background Electromagnetic Fields, Tom Heinzl, Anton Ilderton

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Nonverbal Immediacy As A Characterisation Of Social Behaviour For Human–Robot Interaction, J Kennedy, P Baxter, T Belpaeme

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

An increasing amount of research has started to explore the impact of robot social behaviour on the outcome of a goal for a human interaction partner, such as cognitive learning gains. However, it remains unclear from what principles the social behaviour for such robots should be derived. Human models are often used, but in this paper an alternative approach is proposed. First, the concept of nonverbal immediacy from the communication literature is introduced, with a focus on how it can provide a characterisation of social behaviour, and the subsequent outcomes of such behaviour. A literature review is conducted to explore …

Regional-Scale Probabilistic Shoreline Evolution Modelling For Flood-Risk Assessment, Stuart Stripling, Michael Panzeri, Belen Blanco, Kate Rossington, Paul Sayers, Alistair Borthwick

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Rapid deterministic modelling of shoreline evolution at regional and coastal-scheme scale enables Monte-Carlo simulations by which long-term shoreline statistics can be estimated. This paper describes UnaLinea, a fast, accurate finite difference solver of the one-line sediment continuity equation. The model is verified for the evolution of an initially straight shoreline of a plane beach subject to regular breaking waves at constant angle of incidence in the presence of either a groyne or a continuous single-point feed of sediment. Grid convergence and stability tests are used to obtain accurate, stable results, with satisfactory computational efficiency. Influences of wave input filtering and …

Deep Uv Hardening Of Photoresist For Shaping Of Graphene And Lift-Off Fabrication Of Back-Gated Field Effect Biosensors By Ion-Milling And Sputter Deposition, Bing Li, Genhua Pan, Ahmed Suhail, Kamrul Islam, Neil Avent, Paul Davey

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.