Digital Commons Network^™

Path To A Popular Vote: The Impact Of State Faithless Elector Statutes On The National Popular Vote Plan, Laura Labrecque

Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review

No abstract provided.

Cooperative Clean Energy, Alexandra B. Klass, Gabriel Chan

North Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Covid And Cafos: How A Federal Livestock Welfare Statute May Prevent The Next Pandemic, Bonnie M. Ballard

North Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Familiar And Recurring Evil: Why Defendants Should Ask Potential Jurors About Police Brutality, Hannah K. Caison

North Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Laboratory Characterization Of Asphalt Mixtures Containing Steel Slag., Mohamed Shiha, Alaa Gabr, Sherif El-Badawy

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The use of industrial by-products needs better understanding of their characteristics and behavior when subjected to traffic loading and environmental conditions. This paper presents a comprehensive laboratory characterization testing of asphalt mixtures containing steel slag. Electric Arc Furnace Steel Slag (EAFS) products were chosen as one of the most significant types of non-hazardous metallurgical waste, which were sourced from a steel factory in Egypt. The routine tests were conducted on EAFS materials to examine the physical, mechanical, and chemical properties, which were compared with the virgin aggregate (limestone). Blends of limestone aggregates/EAFS with percentages of 100/0, 80/20, 60/40, and 0/100% …

Theoretical Comparison Between (Xi & C) Cores Of Homopolar Linear Synchronous Motor., S. El-Drieny

Mansoura Engineering Journal

This paper presents the comparison between two different geometries for the core of homo polar linear synchronous motor HLSM. The theoretical analysis estimated the airgap flux density , the attraction and traction forces This analysis is based on a magnetic field study using 3-dimensional finite difference method FDM of scalar magnetic potential. The average results of zero and infinite permeability boundaries is considered. The flux per pole, under a.c. limbs either in"C" or in " XI" core is taken for obtaining the majority of normal force. Results reveal that the " XI" core shape was the optimum form because it …

City Of Henderson V. Wolfgram, 137 Nev. Adv. Op. 71 (December 23, 2021), Servando Martinez

Nevada Supreme Court Summaries

No abstract provided.

Introducing Global Citizenship In Language Teacher Education Through The Un’S Sustainable Development Goals, Ramsés Ortín

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

The present chapter describes a pedagogical intervention administered in an undergraduate ESL teacher training program. The purpose of this pedagogical innovation was to train future language teachers to incorporate Global Citizenship related objectives into their future practice by using the United Nation’s Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) as reference. Pre-service teachers (N = 10) taking part in this study participated in a three-phase training in which they were first introduced to the topic, then, asked to apply the discussed approach to the design of language learning materials, and finally, they completed a reflection task. The analysis of the last task …

Environmental Law, Disrupted By Covid-19, Rebecca Bratspies, Vanessa Casado-Pérez, Robin Kundis Craig, Lissa Griffin, Keith Hirokawa, Sarah Krakoff, Katrina Kuh, Jessica Owley, Melissa Powers, Shannon Roesler, Jonathan Rosenbloom, J.B. Ruhl, Erin Ryan, David Takacs

Faculty Scholarship

As we were in the final phases of editing a book on disruption in environmental law, a pandemic swept across the world disrupting daily life and the functioning of society to an extent unprecedented in living memory. The novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 was identified in China in late 2019 and by late February 2020, it had spread to every continent except Antarctica; as of April, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that over 148 million people had been infected worldwide with over 3 million deaths. Scientists and public health experts have raced to understand the virus—how is it …

An Investigation On Drying Process In A Novel Configuration Of Fluidized Bed., Abdelsamed Rashid, Ahmed Hegazi, Farouk Okasha

Mansoura Engineering Journal

This paper describes an experimental study on drying process in a novel configuration of fluidized bed, namely jetting fountain fluidized bed, and in conventional fluidized bed as well. The experiments have been carried out using a fluidized bed of 105 mm inner diameter. Fenugreek seeds have been used as bed materials to be dried. The influences of different parameters on drying process have been investigated. Those include bed temperature, air fluidization velocity, and jet air ratio and jet height. The experimental results demonstrate that the drying rate increases with the increase in jet air ratio and inlet air temperature. Jetting …

Influence Of Subgrade Stiffness On Flexible Pavement Responses – A Case Study-Alexandria City, Egypt., Saad El-Hamrawy, Ragaa Abd El-Hakim

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Alexandria city lies at the north of Egypt on the Mediterranean Sea. The top layers of soil in Alexandria differs from bed rock (Borg El-Arab), sand (near the sea, north Abo-Qir street) to silt and clay (Elsyouf, Smouha, Khorshed, etc..). Thus, a great attention should be considered in the design of pavements on these dissimilar subgrades because the performance of a pavement depends on the quality of its subgrade and subbase layers. The non-linear finite element program MICHPAVE is used in this study to analyze the flexible pavement responses. Displacements, stresses and strains are computed only within the region modeled …

The Temptation Of Cosmic Private Law Theory, Nathan B. Oman

Faculty Publications

It’s a heady time to be a theorist of private law. After decades of vague post-Realist functionalism or reductive economic theories, the latest generation of private law theorists have provided a proliferation of new philosophies of tort, contract, and property. The result has been a tremendous burst of intellectual creativity. While Kant and Hegel have been dragooned into debates over torts and contracts and even such supposedly wooly headed thinkers as Coke and Blackstone have been rehabilitated, there have been fewer efforts to generate natural law accounts of private law than one might expect, particularly in light of the revival …

Dual Multivector Model Predictive Control For The Power Converters Of A Floating Owc Wec, Marcos Blanco, Dionisio Ramirez, Mohammad Ebrahim Zarei, Mahima Gupta

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Oscillating Water Column (OWC) is one of the most well-known wave energy converter (WEC). Typically, OWCs are installed in rocky shores or in custom-built breakwaters. However, since the wave profile is more favorable in an open sea, it can also be installed in a point absorber in order to increase the energy extraction.

This paper presents the development of a new dual Multivector Model Predictive Control (MMPC) for the power converters of a floating OWC WEC. The fast dynamic response featured by the proposed MMPC has proven to be very suitable to deal with the highly variable torque and velocity …

Cloud Based Collaborative Road Surface Monitoring Using Deep Learning And Smartphones, Akshatha Ramesh

All Theses

Road accidents are one of the major causes of death in the United states of America. Vast majority of everyday deaths in US occur by road accidents. And poorly managed roads are one of the main reasons for it. Safety is the ultimate priority. Safety in this aspect can be ensured only with proper management of roads on a regular basis. Proper maintenance of road conditions can not only ensure safety but also increase rider comfort, fuel economy and provide better driving experience. Traditional methods of surveying is very time consuming, expensive, and require lot of human efforts. Existing methods …

Noise Types Adaptation For Speech Enhancement With Recurrent Neural Network, Xiang Lan

All Theses

Speech enhancement is a critical part in automatic speech recognition systems. Recently with the development of deep learning based techniques, those speech enhancement systems trained with neural networks can significantly improve performance. While many of the latest speech enhancement systems show advantages in maximizing the perceptual quality of the noisy signals, they expose drawbacks when the test noisy signals have noise types that never exist during the system training process. The systems have relatively poor performance when handling noisy signals with unseen noise in contrast to noisy signals with seen noise. The dissimilarity between the training and testing circumstances can …

Using Transfer Learning To Train Individualized Models To Detect Eating Episodes From Daily Wrist Motion, Cole Hilton Younginer

All Theses

This thesis considers the problem of detecting periods of eating in free-living conditions by analyzing wrist motion data collected using sensors embedded within a typical smartwatch. Previous work by our research group included the collection of a dataset containing 354 days of recorded wrist motion data from 351 different people (approximately one day of data per person) [42]. A machine learning model was then trained to classify this wrist motion data as either eating or non-eating [40]. We refer to this model as the group model. Subsequent work in our research group collected approximately ten days of data each for …

Evaluating The Feasibility Of Measuring And Analyzing Strain Caused By Changes In Barometric Pressure In The Vadose Zone, Olivia Lynn Costantino

All Theses

Changes in barometric pressure propagate into the subsurface where they can affect water level measurements in wells and cause vertical strain. Previous strain sensors were developed to measure vertical strain, but they were limited to measurements at a single depth, making it difficult to evaluate strains from a migrating pressure wave. Technology known as Coherence-length-gated Microwave Photonics Interferometry (CMPI) uses optical fiber sensors to measure strain at multiple locations. It has the potential to detect strain caused by variations in barometric pressure at multiple depths in the subsurface. The goal of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of using …

Practical Target-Based Synchronization Strategies For Immutable Time-Series Data Tables, Bennett Andrew Meares

All Theses

As the Internet of Things and industrial monitoring of utilities grow, efficiently synchronizing immutable time-series data streams between databases becomes a pressing issue. Extracting data from critical production databases demands careful consideration of the stress imposed on the machines, so synchronization strategies are required to minimize the transfer of duplicate data and the load imposed on remote sources.

Literature on the synchronization problem is generalized to arbitrary tables and does not consider the characteristics of time-series data streams, so research was required to investigate methods to quickly synchronize source and target time-series data tables. This thesis examines immutable time-series scenarios …

Simulation Of And Experimental Progress Towards Cold Target Recoil Ion Momentum Spectroscopy Of Highly Charged Ions, Richard Harnden Mattish

All Theses

This thesis presents a computational study of charge exchange (CX) interactions between highly charged ions (HCIs) and neutrals as well as an overview of a planned experimental study of these CX interactions. The flexible atomic code (FAC) was used to compute energy levels, CX cross sections, and X-ray emission spectra resulting from CX between HCIs (Ne⁹⁺, Ne¹⁰⁺, Mg¹¹⁺, Mg¹²⁺, Si¹³⁺, Si¹⁴⁺, P¹⁴⁺, P¹⁵⁺, and Fe¹⁶⁺) and neutrals (He, H₂, and H). The results were compared to existing data in the …

Parametric Study Of Orthogonal Pantographic Lattice With Non-Linear Torsional Resistance At Pivots, Mahendra Singh Bisht

All Theses

Pantographic lattices are cellular solids comprised of continuous beam fibers intersecting at periodically spaced pivots. The pivots are simulated in the discrete finite element beam model as torsional springs with varied torsional stiffness across orders of magnitude. An important functional performance feature of pantographic lattices is their ability to undergo large deformation without inducing large stresses at the pivots. There is a need for predictive models of this nonlinear behavior. In this study, parameter studies on the order of magnitude and nonlinear material behavior of the torsional stiffness at the pivots, combined with and without nonlinear geometric beam kinematic behavior …

Soft Continuum Robotic Airbag Integrated With Passive Walker For Fall Mitigation, Jacob Andrew Thompson

All Theses

This thesis describes the prototype and development of a soft continuum robotic airbag system that is attached to a passive mobility walker. The system can deploy in multiple configurations: to the front, left, or right of the walker depending on the direction of a detected fall. The continuum component of the project is made of nylon fabric with thin cables, allowing it to be compactly stored before deploying. The airbag is inflated in real time during a fall using a novel compression system. Results of experiments with the prototype in each configuration are presented. The system deploys consistently across falls, …

User Perceptions And Stereotypic Responses To Gender And Age Of Voice Assistants, Heather Watkins

All Theses

Technologies such as voiced automation can aid older adults aging in place by assisting with basic home and health tasks in daily routines. However, currently available voice assistants have a common design - they are vastly represented as young and female. Prior work has shown that humans apply stereotypes to human-computer interactions similarly to human-human interactions. When these stereotypes are activated, users may lose trust or confidence in the device or stop using it all together. The purpose of this study was to investigate if users can detect age and gender cues of voiced automation and to understand the extent …

The Art Of The Author: A Discussion Of Servants In The Castle Of Otranto, Laura Caroline Dunn

All Theses

The parts of this thesis work together to understand Walpole’s Prefaces, defend the presence of servants in the novel, and critique Manfred’s dismissal of the servants as merely comedic necessity for the sake of dramatic tension. Ultimately this thesis shows that while servants are comedic, their comedy has the larger function of providing illuminating details and prophetic information to the reader thereby mediating our understanding of key events and characters. This thesis finds that Walpole does not dismiss servants, but rather values them as essential to his design of creating tension intended to boost the reader’s excitement.

Water Recovery From Bioreactor Mixed Liquors Using Forward Osmosis With Polyelectrolyte Draw Solutions, Calen Raulerson

All Theses

The objective of this research was to test the feasibility of using forward osmosis (FO) with polyelectrolyte draw solutions to recover water from bioreactor mixed liquors. When combined with an Anaerobic Osmotic Membrane Bioreactor (AnOMBR), such a system could process fecal and food waste from astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and reclaim important nutrients and water. This project focused on measuring the obtainable water recovery rates from bioreactor effluent, and the identifying challenges associated with the operation.

AnOMBRs feature several advantages over aerobic bioreactors, and non-osmotic anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBR). Anaerobic bioreactors avoid the significant energy costs of …

The Role Of Package Design Typicality On A Hand Sanitizer Purchase, Ami Lee Frierson

All Theses

ABSTRACTCategory visual codes are visible themes that appear across a category, defining what is typical for that category. In package design, these visual codes may include the shape, size, font, color, or material of the packaged products seen on shelves. Generally, research has shown that atypical designs do not stand out to consumers; they go unseen since consumers are only looking for specific characteristics within that category. However, many studies indicate that consumer perception of atypical package design is moderated by several other variables that influence purchase decision. In March 2020, the Food and Drug Administration passed a temporary policy …

Application Of Image Processing And Convolutional Neural Networks For Flood Image Classification And Semantic Segmentation, Jaku Rabinder Rakshit Pally

All Theses

Floods are among the most destructive natural hazards that affect millions of people across the world leading to severe loss of life and damage to property, critical infrastructure, and the environment. Deep learning algorithms are exceptionally valuable tools for collecting and analyzing the catastrophic readiness and countless actionable flood data. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are one form of deep learning algorithms widely used in computer vision which can be used to study flood images and assign learnable weights and biases to various objects in the image. Here, we leveraged and discussed how connected vision systems can be used to embed …

Tradespace Exploration Of A Uav Conceptual Design Using Model-Based Systems Engineering, Ayan Srivastava

All Theses

The objective of this research is to apply model-based systems engineering approaches to the conceptual design of unmanned aerial vehicles. This is accomplished by evaluating the models of aircraft performance, extracting input and output parameters from the models, creating chains of models, and implementing the models in the MATLAB programming language. By following this process, it is possible to identify the global parameters that remain constant across models, the shared input parameters, the dependencies between models, and the feedback loops with the systems models.

The models are currently implemented in two files using Microsoft MS Excel, one is focused on …

Resolving Soft Error Susceptibilities Within Lossy Compressed Hpc Data, Dakota Kent Fulp

All Theses

Due to improvements in high-performance computing (HPC) systems, researchers have created powerful applications capable of solving previously intractable problems. While solving these problems, such applications create vast amounts of data, which stresses the I/O subsystem. Researchers use lossy compression to remedy this issue by reducing the data's size, but, as we demonstrate in this thesis, a single soft error leaves lossy compressed data unusable. Due to the high information content per bit ratio, lossy compressed data is sensitive to soft errors, which is an issue as soft errors have become commonplace on HPC systems. Yet, few works have sought to …

Glycan Functionalization Of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (Ionps) As A Method Of Inactivating Antibiotic Resistant Neisseria Gonorrhoeae Via A Magnetically Mediated Energy Delivery (Magmed) System, Cedric Taylor

All Theses

With the increase of antibiotic resistant bacteria, current established therapeutic treatment methods are rapidly demonstrating decreasing efficacy. For this project, we are studying a novel alternate mechanism of treating antibiotic resistant bacteria by utilizing magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) coated with a heterobifunctional polyethylene glycol polymer (PEG) and functionalized with glycan structures that can interact with Neisseria gonorrhoeae FA1090. Interaction between the IONPs and bacteria is manipulated by an external alternating magnetic field (AMF) in a process known as magnetically mediated energy delivery (MagMED). Magnetic IONPs were synthesized and reacted with PEG (PEG-IONPs) and functionalized with glycans Gal(α1-3)Gal(β1-4)Glc(β1-1) (common name: …

Determining States Of Movement In Humans Using Minimally Processed Eeg Signals And Various Classification Methods, Maurice Barnett

All Theses

Electroencephalography (EEG) is a non-invasive technique used in both clinical and research settings to record neuronal signaling in the brain. The location of an EEG signal as well as the frequencies at which its neuronal constituents fire correlate with behavioral tasks, including discrete states of motor activity. Due to the number of channels and fine temporal resolution of EEG, a dense, high-dimensional dataset is collected. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a treatment that has been suggested to improve motor functions of Parkinson’s disease and chronic stroke patients when stimulation occurs during a motor task. tDCS is commonly administered without …