Engineering Commons^™

Gridfields: Model-Driven Data Transformation In The Physical Sciences, Bill Howe

Dissertations and Theses

Scientists' ability to generate and store simulation results is outpacing their ability to analyze them via ad hoc programs. We observe that these programs exhibit an algebraic structure that can be used to facilitate reasoning and improve performance. In this dissertation, we present a formal data model that exposes this algebraic structure, then implement the model, evaluate it, and use it to express, optimize, and reason about data transformations in a variety of scientific domains.

Simulation results are defined over a logical grid structure that allows a continuous domain to be represented discretely in the computer. Existing approaches for manipulating …

Scalable Load And Store Processing In Latency Tolerant Processors, Amit Vasant Gandhi

Dissertations and Theses

Memory latency-tolerant architectures support thousands of in-flight instructions without proportionate scaling of cycle-critical processor resources, and thousands of useful instructions can complete in parallel with a long-latency miss to memory. These architectures, however, require large queues to track all loads and stores executed while a long-latency miss is pending. Hierarchical designs alleviate cycle-time impact of these structures but the Content-Addressable-Memory (CAM) and search functions required to enforce memory ordering and provide data-forwarding place high demand on area and power.

Many recent proposals address the complexity of load and store queues. However, none of these proposals addresses the fundamental source of …

Efficient Support For Application-Specific Video Adaptation, Jie Huang

Dissertations and Theses

As video applications become more diverse, video must be adapted in different ways to meet the requirements of different applications when there are insufficient resources. In this dissertation, we address two sorts of requirements that cannot be addressed by existing video adaptation technologies: (i) accommodating large variations in resolution and (ii) collecting video effectively in a multi-hop sensor network. In addition, we also address requirements for implementing video adaptation in a sensor network.

Accommodating large variation in resolution is required by the existence of display devices with widely disparate screen sizes. Existing resolution adaptation technologies usually aim at adapting video …

A Market-Based Framework For Semiconductor Industry Growth The Reduced Ecological Impart, Dawood Sulieman Abugharbieh

Dissertations and Theses

Reducing the ecological impact of industrial development is an emerging trend that affords companies the opportunity to gain competitive advantage. Semiconductor manufacturers have specifically identified ecological impact as a strategic variable that presents a long-term challenge. The socioeconomic nature of the ecological impact construct increases decision-making complexity in a manner that is not typical in business-to-business contexts. To account for social and economic aspects, this study utilized a cognitive structure-based model. Such models have been successfully utilized in consumer and industrial markets as adaptable frameworks that can encompass social and economic constructs.

This research focuses on linking two ecological constructs …

Job Insecurity And Work-Family Conflict : The Organizational, Situational, And Individual Influences On The Job Strain Process, Khatera Sahibzada

Dissertations and Theses

Globalization, new technologies, downsizing, and a shift from manufacturing to service-based economies have led to an increase in job insecurity, resulting in deleterious effects on employee work attitudes and behaviors. However, the literature has failed to examine the impact of job insecurity on work-family outcomes. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between job insecurity and work-family conflict. The specific research questions addressed were: (a) does job strain mediate the relationship between job insecurity and work-family conflict? and (b) is the relationship between job insecurity and work-family conflict moderated by individual, situational and organizational perceptions? …

Early Moral Sense : Behavioral Self-Regulation, Temperament, And Prosocial Behavior In Young Children In Child-Centered Classrooms, Elizabeth Alliene Vale

Dissertations and Theses

Development of moral sense is a fundamental part of human development and the earliest manifestations of moral sense are of particular interest because it may be important to foster these behaviors early in life. However, despite many important discoveries about these moral sense behaviors over the last several decades, no consensus exists as to how these behaviors emerge and differ as a function of age.

The primary goal of the current research was to explore the development of multiple behaviors that reflect moral sense in very young children, aged 4 to 36 months. More specifically, the goals were: (1) to …

First Impressions : A Study Of The Relationship Between Presenting Problems And Clinical Perception, Holly Elizabeth Fussell

Dissertations and Theses

Processes involved in clinical perception typically result in tangible outcomes of interest to clients and practitioners (e.g., diagnoses). In developing an overall impression of clients, practitioners integrate information related to target problems clients present. Substance abuse counselors, in particular, are increasingly being asked to assess clients for co-occurring problems. Domestic violence has been identified as a particularly salient co-occurring problem associated with substance abuse.

This dissertation draws on theory by Solomon Asch (1946, 1952) to examine how presenting problems such as domestic violence shape clinical outcomes and processes in substance abuse assessment interviews. Most clinical interactions occur, however, under confidential …

Interpersonal Sensitivity And Information Sharing During Layoffs : Implications For Job Seekers, Rainer Seitz

Dissertations and Theses

Layoffs have become an increasingly common cost reduction strategy implemented by organizations. In addition to affecting those who lose their jobs or remain with the organization after a reduction, layoffs may also affect individuals outside the organization. A systems perspective on layoffs takes into account the various stakeholders who are affected by such an action beyond those traditionally studied. Job applicants are one group of stakeholders for which research on the implications of layoffs is lacking. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the specific organizational justice factors of interpersonal sensitivity and information sharing in a layoff and their …

Ternary Quantum Logic, Normen Giesecke

Dissertations and Theses

The application of Moore's Law would not be feasible by using the computing systems fabrication principles that are prevalent today. Fundamental changes in the field of computing are needed to keep Moore's Law operational. Different quantum technologies are available to take the advancement of computing into the future. Logic in quantum technology uses gates that are very different from those used in contemporary technology. Limiting itself to reversible operations, this thesis presents different methods to realize these logic gates. Two methods using Generalized Ternary Gates and Muthukrishnan Stroud Gates are presented for synthesis of ternary logic gates. Realizations of well-known …

Addressing Cheating And Workload Characterization In Online Games, Christopher Chambers

Dissertations and Theses

The Internet has enabled the popular pastime of playing video games to grow rapidly by connecting game players in disparate locations. However, with popularity have come the two challenges of hosting a large number of users and detecting cheating among users. For reasons of control, security, and ease of development, the most popular system for hosting on-line games is the client server architecture. This is also the most expensive and least scalable architecture for the game publisher, which drives hosting costs upwards with the success of the game. In addition to the expense of hosting, as a particular game grows …

Analysis Of Relay-Based Cellular Systems, Ansuya Negi

Dissertations and Theses

Relays can be used in cellular systems to increase coverage as well as reduce the total power consumed by mobiles in a cell. This latter benefit is particularly useful for mobiles operating on a depleted battery. The relay can be a mobile, a car or any other device with the appropriate communication capabilities. In thesis we analyze the impact of using relays under different situations. We first consider the problem of reducing total power consumed in the system by employing relays intelligently. We find that in a simulated, fully random, mobile cellular network for CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), significant …