Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Programimi Paralel Me .Net 4.0, Valon Hoti

Theses and Dissertations

Kjo temë paraqet vetëm një pasqyrë shumë të shkurtër nga tema e gjërë e cila përdoret në fushën e llogaritjeve paralele(Parallel Computing) për treguar rreth risive të cilat e mundësojnë programimin paralel duke përdorur Visual Studio 2010 me Microsoft NetFramework 4.0 e më tej. Si e tillë, paraqet vetëm një vështrim nga aspekti teknik informativ i programimit paralel e cila është menduar për dikë për t’u njoftuar me rregullat e programimit paralel përmes Visual Studio 2010 duke përdorur gjuhën programuese C#. Këtu më shumë do të tregohet koncepti i programimit si dhe dallimet në mes të programimit paralel dhe programimit …

Demographic And Genetic Consequences Of Small Population Size In Remnant Populations Of Arabis Georgiana Harper (Georgia Rockcress), Alicia M. Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this thesis is to provide a greater scientific understanding of the demographic and genetic consequences of small population size in remnant populations of Arabis georgiana Harper (Georgia Rockcress). Specifically, 1 ) traits associated with phenological progression, fitness and reproductive success were compared between naturally occurring "native" plants and plants grown ex situ and subsequently restored to one of the largest remaining populations of A. georgiana, and 2) a preliminary analysis of population genetic structure in remnant populations across the species' range was performed. In addition to updating census information on remnant populations of A. georgiana, chapter one …

Discriminant Analysis Of Xrf Data From Sandstones Of Like Facies And Appearance: A Method For Identifying A Regional Unconformity, Paleotopography,And Diagenetic Histories, Stephen Paul Phillips

Theses and Dissertations

The placement of an unconformable surface within a stratal succession affects the interpreted thickness of units and sequences in contact with that surface. Unit thickness influences the interpretation of basin subsidence, paleotopography, diagenesis, and depositional style. Accurate placement of an unconformity results in true formational thicknesses for formations associated with that unconformity. True thicknesses aid in producing more precise surface to subsurface correlations, isopach maps, and paleogeographic maps. An unconformity may be difficult to identify in the stratal succession due to similar rocks above and below the unconformity and the presence of multiple candidate surfaces. Using statistical discriminant analysis of …

A Glyph And Animation-Based Visualization System For Evaluation And Comparison Of Soccer Players, Edward Burns

Theses and Dissertations

The dimensionality of soccer statistics relating to both player and goalkeeper specific data can be difficult to interpret. Attempting to formulate an analysis of large sums of soccer statistics can be extremely challenging if the data is not presented graphically. As a result, we developed an application, titled Soccer Scoop, which provides two separate visualizations that can aid a soccer team manager. With this application, a team manager can compare two players on different teams, analyze a particular player before signing them to a contract, measure the performance of a particular player at different positions, generate practice exercises, and determine …

Secure Browser-Based Instant Messaging, Christopher Douglas Robison

Theses and Dissertations

Instant messaging is a popular form of communication over the Internet. Statistics show that instant messaging has overtaken email in popularity. Traditionally, instant messaging has consisted of a desktop client communicating with other clients via an instant messaging service provider. However, instant messaging solutions are starting to become available in the web browser–services like Google Talk, Live Messenger and Facebook. Despite the work done by researchers to secure instant messaging networks, little work has been done to secure instant messaging in the browser. We present secure browser-based instant messaging overlays as a means to enable convenient, secure communication in existing …

Quantifying Performance Bias In Label Fusion, Alexander M. Venzin

Theses and Dissertations

Classification systems are employed to remotely assess whether an element of interest falls into a target class or non-target class. These systems have uses in fields as far ranging as biostatistics to search engine keyword analysis. The performance of the system is often summarized as a trade-off between the proportions of elements correctly labeled as target plotted against the number of elements incorrectly labeled as target. These are empirical estimates of the true positive and false positive rates. These rates are often plotted to create a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve that acts as a visual tool to assess classification …

Utilizing Graphics Processing Units For Network Anomaly Detection, Jonathan D. Hersack

Theses and Dissertations

This research explores the benefits of using commonly-available graphics processing units (GPUs) to perform classification of network traffic using supervised machine learning algorithms. Two full factorial experiments are conducted using a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280 graphics card. The goal of the first experiment is to create a baseline for the relative performance of the CPU and GPU implementations of artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector machine (SVM) detection methods under varying loads. The goal of the second experiment is to determine the optimal ensemble configuration for classifying processed packet payloads using the GPU anomaly detector. The GPU ANN achieves …

Effects Of Architecture On Information Leakage Of A Hardware Advanced Encryption Standard Implementation, Eric A. Koziel

Theses and Dissertations

Side-channel analysis (SCA) is a threat to many modern cryptosystems. Many countermeasures exist, but are costly to implement and still do not provide complete protection against SCA. A plausible alternative is to design the cryptosystem using architectures that are known to leak little information about the cryptosystem's operations. This research uses several common primitive architectures for the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and assesses the susceptibility of the full AES system to side-channel attack for various primitive configurations. A combined encryption/decryption core is also evaluated to determine if variation of high-level architectures affects leakage characteristics. These different configurations are evaluated under …

Creating Network Attack Priority Lists By Analyzing Email Traffic Using Predefined Profiles, Eric J. Merrit

Theses and Dissertations

Networks can be vast and complicated entities consisting of both servers and workstations that contain information sought by attackers. Searching for specific data in a large network can be a time consuming process. Vast amounts of data either passes through or is stored by various servers on the network. However, intermediate work products are often kept solely on workstations. Potential high value targets can be passively identified by comparing user email traffic against predefined profiles. This method provides a potentially smaller footprint on target systems, less human interaction, and increased efficiency of attackers. Collecting user email traffic and comparing each …

Using Macroinvertebrate Community Composition To Distinguish Between Natural And Anthropogenic Sedimentation, Amanda E. Schutt

Theses and Dissertations

Excess fine sediment from human activity is a major pollutant to streams across the U.S.; however, distinguishing human-induced sedimentation from natural fine sediment is complex. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently implemented a protocol for the quantitative field assessment of human-induced sedimentation using measurements of stream geomorphology. Macroinvertebrate community composition, streambed sediment stability, and sediment composition were studied at 49 sites in the James River watershed in central Virginia. Sediment composition was found to be a stronger driver of community composition than sediment stability. Although I was not able to show that macroinvertebrate metrics were related to sediment stability independently …

Mapping Nuclear Fallout Using The Weather Research & Forecasting (Wrf) Model, Joseph C. Schofield

Theses and Dissertations

There are many models that attempt to predict transport & dispersion (T&D) of particulate matter in the sensible atmosphere. The majority of these existing models are unable to incorporate atmospheric processes such wet deposition through scavenging and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) formation. To this end, the numerical weather prediction (NWP) model known as the Weather Research & Forecasting with Chemistry (WRF/Chem) Model is studied to determine its suitability as a potential tool for predicting particulate T&D following an atmospheric nuclear detonation. This is done by modifying relevant modules, originally designed to predict the settling of volcanic ash, such that a …

Automatic Content-Based Temporal Alignment Of Image Sequences With Varying Spatio-Temporal Resolution, Samuel R. Ogden

Theses and Dissertations

Many applications use multiple cameras to simultaneously capture imagery of a scene from different vantage points on a rigid, moving camera system over time. Multiple cameras often provide unique viewing angles but also additional levels of detail of a scene at different spatio-temporal resolutions. However, in order to benefit from this added information the sources must be temporally aligned. As a result of cost and physical limitations it is often impractical to synchronize these sources via an external clock device. Most methods attempt synchronization through the recovery of a constant scale factor and offset with respect to time. This limits …

Distance Vector Routing Protocols Vs Link State, Fidan Vërbovci

Theses and Dissertations

Procesi i Rutimit të informacioneve është njëri nga proceset esenciale duke filluar nga rrjetet më të vogla komunikuese. Me rritjen dhe zhvillimin e rrjetave kompjuterike ne madhësi dhe për nga kompleksiviteti i tyre edhe çështjet e rutimit te informacioneve apo konfigurimi i rrugëve se kah duhet të shkoj ai informacion bëhet me delikat. Në këtë mënyrë duhet tu kushtohet shumë kujdese aftësive për menaxhimin e rrjetave të kompjuterëve (qofshin ato rrjeta të vogla, mesme apo të mëdha) , dizajnimin e tyre si dhe mirëmbajtjes së tyre (Network troubleshooting). Për administrimin e rrjetave te kompjuterëve dhe sistemeve te distribuimit nevojiten ekspert …

Implementimi I Sigurisë Në Active Directory, Ilir Morina

Theses and Dissertations

Në këtë punim është paraqitur vetëm një pasqyrë shumë e shkurtër nga tema e gjerë e cila përdoret në fushën e sigurisë së Acitve Directory-it, për të treguar rreth risive të cilat e mundësojnë sigurinë dhe mbarëvajtjen e kompjuterëve në organizatat e mëdha. Si e tillë, paraqet vetëm një vështrim nga aspekti teknik informativ i sigurisë e cila është menduar për t‘u njoftuar me rregullat e përditshme që ballafohen IT-it. Këtu më shumë do të shtjellohet koncepti dhe rëndësia e sigurisë.

Responsive Web Design Vs Mobile Web Vs Mobile App, Ndriçim Idrizi

Theses and Dissertations

Mobile Ueb I referohet qasjes ne world wide web përmes shërbimeve te bazuara ne shfletues nga pajisje mobile siç janë smartphones, feature phones dhe tablatet. Kur behet fjalë për kërkime ne internet apo qasje ne ueb gjithmonë na shkon mendja tek kompjuterët tradicional, mirëpo gjërat kane filluar te ndryshojnë ne favor te pajisjeve mobile si shkak I rritjes se numrit te përdorueseve te këtyre te fundit. Për ketë arsye zhvilluesit e ueb-it kane filluar qe ueb faqet e tyre ti ndërtojnë ne atë mënyre qe ti kënaqin si shfrytëzuesit te cilët qasen nga kompjuterët po ashtu edhe ata te cilët …

Nanoscale Surface Patterning And Applications: Using Top-Down Patterning Methods To Aid Bottom-Up Fabrication, Anthony Craig Pearson

Theses and Dissertations

Bottom-up self-assembly can be used to create structures with sub-20 nm feature sizes or materials with advanced electrical properties. Here I demonstrate processes to enable such self-assembling systems including block copolymers and DNA origami, to be integrated into nanoelectronic devices. Additionally, I present a method which utilizes the high stability and electrical conductivity of graphene, which is a material formed using a bottom-up growth process, to create archival data storage devices. Specifically, I show a technique using block copolymer micelle lithography to fabricate arrays of 5 nm gold nanoparticles, which are chemically modified with a single-stranded DNA molecule and used …

Automatic Generation Of Music For Inducing Emotive And Physiological Responses, Kristine Perry Monteith

Theses and Dissertations

Music and emotion are two realms traditionally considered to be unique to human intelligence. This dissertation focuses on furthering artificial intelligence research, specifically in the area of computational creativity, by investigating methods of composing music that elicits desired emotional and physiological responses. It includes the following: an algorithm for generating original musical selections that effectively elicit targeted emotional and physiological responses; a description of some of the musical features that contribute to the conveyance of a given emotion or the elicitation of a given physiological response; and an account of how this algorithm can be used effectively in two different …

A Confidence-Prioritization Approach To Data Processing In Noisy Data Sets And Resulting Estimation Models For Predicting Streamflow Diel Signals In The Pacific Northwest, Nathaniel Lee Gustafson

Theses and Dissertations

Streams in small watersheds are often known to exhibit diel fluctuations, in which streamflow oscillates on a 24-hour cycle. Streamflow diel fluctuations, which we investigate in this study, are an informative indicator of environmental processes. However, in Environmental Data sets, as well as many others, there is a range of noise associated with individual data points. Some points are extracted under relatively clear and defined conditions, while others may include a range of known or unknown confounding factors, which may decrease those points' validity. These points may or may not remain useful for training, depending on how much uncertainty they …

Curious Growth Of A Buried Sio2 Layer, Thomas O. Mcconkie

Theses and Dissertations

Initial investigation of Moxtek wire grid polarizers composed of Al and coated with SiO2 - SiX - SiO2 (where SiX is used to indicate a Si rich layer whose complete composition is not to be disclosed for proprietary reasons) showed a growth of 3x in the inner (closest to Al) SiO2 layer after baking. Upon removing the X and varying rib composition and layering composition and geometries in 12 sets of before and after samples, no obvious growth was observed. Even baking the original unbaked sample yielded no growth. Our data suggest that the initial conclusion of buried oxide growth …

Gas Phase Characterization Of Supramolecules Using Cross-Sectional Areas By Fticr And Sustained Off-Resonance Irradiation Collision Induced Dissociation Techniques In A Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometer, Fan Yang

Theses and Dissertations

In my dissertation, I use a Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometer (FTICR-MS) to investigate supramolecules. Cross-sectional areas by Fourier transform ICR (CRAFTI), a novel technique for measurements of collision cross sections by FTICR, is demonstrated for the first time. The CRAFTI method measures the total "dephasing cross section" for removal of the ions from the coherent packet in the FTICR cell, including contributions not only from momentum transfer but also from reactive collisions including those leading to collisional dissociation. Experimental CRAFTI collision cross sections correlate linearly with theoretically computed results and with results obtained using ion mobility measurements. …

Mass Spectroscopic Identification And Quantification Of Protein Carbonyls, Zafer Ugur

Theses and Dissertations

It is well established that free radical mediated oxidative stress plays a critical role in aging and age-related diseases. Among the post-translational protein modifications, carbonylation has attracted a great deal of attention due to its irreversible and irreparable nature. Despite the fact that protein carbonylation is associated with a series of physiological and pathological processes, there are still issues to be clarified such as why certain proteins are more vulnerable to modification, what are the locations of the protein modifications, and how does the nature of the oxidant affect the preferred site of modification. In this study, we will seek …

Multiple Recoding Mechanisms Produce Cyclooxygenase And Cyclooxygenase-Related Proteins From Frameshift-Containing Cox-3/Cox-1b Transcripts In Rat And Human, John Cameron Hunter

Theses and Dissertations

To increase diversity of enzymes and proteins, cells mix and match exonic and intronic regions retained in mature mRNAs by alternative splicing. An estimated 94% of all multi-exon genes express one or more alternatively spliced transcripts generating proteins with similar or modified functions. Cyclooxygenase is a signaling enzyme that catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the synthesis of diverse bioactive lipids termed prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are involved in myriad physiological and pathopysiological processes including vasoregulation, stomach mucosal maintenance, parturition, pain, fever, inflammation, neoplasia and angiogenesis and are inhibited by aspirin-like drugs known as NSAIDs. In 2002 an alternatively spliced, intron-1 retaining variant …

Flow Valve Diagnostics For Label-Free, Quantitative Biomarker Detection: Device Fabrication, Surface Modification, And Testing, Danielle Scarlet Mansfield

Theses and Dissertations

Diseases are often diagnosed by detection of disease-specific biomarkers in fluid samples. However, many state-of-the-art detection methods require a lab with complex machinery, trained operators, and/or lengthy analysis time. In contrast, point-of-care (POC) devices are brought to the patient's location, they are easy to use, and results are obtained almost immediately. Many current POC devices are too difficult to be used without a skilled assistant, and although many are able to detect analytes above a threshold value, they give little or no quantitative information. This work presents the development of polymer-based microfluidic devices capable of sensing and quantifying biomarkers in …

Synthesis And Biological Evaluation Of Various Derivatives Of A Broad-Spectrum Anticancer Nucleoside, Jadd R. Shelton

Theses and Dissertations

Recently the Peterson lab discovered a promising anticancer adenosine derivative-- 2´,3´-bis-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-5´-deoxy-5´-[N-(methylcarbamoyl)amino]-N6-(N-phenylcarbamoyl)adenosine. This compound showed selective toxicity against human colon cancer cells in vitro with LC50's = 6--10 µM. It was hypothesized that the lead compound exerted its cytotoxic effects by interacting with a protein kinase. A systematic Structure Activity Relationship (SAR) was undertaken in an attempt to increase the kinase-binding affinity of the lead compound. Many regions of the lead compound were examined: the N6-phenyl urea moiety, the 5´-N-methyl urea group, the 2´,3´-bis-O-TBS groups, the nucleobase, and the ribose sugar. Results of these studies produced some promising new derivatives. In …

Quantum Dynamics Using Lie Algebras, With Explorations In The Chaotic Behavior Of Oscillators, Ryan Thomas Sayer

Theses and Dissertations

We study the time evolution of driven quantum systems using analytic, algebraic, and numerical methods. First, we obtain analytic solutions for driven free and oscillator systems by shifting the coordinate and phase of the undriven wave function. We also factorize the quantum evolution operator using the generators of the Lie algebra comprising the Hamiltonian. We obtain coupled ODE's for the time evolution of the Lie algebra parameters. These parameters allow us to find physical properties of oscillator dynamics. In particular we find phase-space trajectories and transition probabilities. We then search for chaotic behavior in the Lie algebra parameters as a …

Parameter Tuning For Optimization Software, Radhashilpa Koripalli

Theses and Dissertations

Mixed integer programming (MIP) problems are highly parameterized, and finding parameter settings that achieve high performance for specific types of MIP instances is challenging. This paper presents a method to find the information about how CPLEX solver parameter settings perform for the different classes of mixed integer linear programs by using designed experiments and statistical models. Fitting a model through design of experiments helps in finding the optimal region across all combinations of parameter settings. The study involves recognizing the best parameter settings that results in the best performance for a specific class of instances. Choosing good setting has a …

A Water Quality Investigation Of Kimages Creek, Michael Trop

Theses and Dissertations

Analysis of continuous monitoring water quality data (temperature, specific conductivity, depth, pH, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity) at two locations in a tidal freshwater creek (Kimages Creek) characterized seasonal variation and responses to short-term events. Supplemental water quality measurements were collected to describe longitudinal variations in the creek. There were significant differences in water quality between the two continuous monitoring stations (one tidal and unforested, the other non-tidal and forested) over varying time scales. Rain events showed increases in turbidity, depth and dissolved oxygen, and reductions in temperature, conductivity, and pH at both stations. Tides influenced the water quality at the …

The Severity Of Stages Estimation During Hemorrhage Using Error Correcting Output Codes Method, Yurong Luo

Theses and Dissertations

As a beneficial component with critical impact, computer-aided decision making systems have infiltrated many fields, such as economics, medicine, architecture and agriculture. The latent capabilities for facilitating human work propel high-speed development of such systems. Effective decisions provided by such systems greatly reduce the expense of labor, energy, budget, etc. The computer-aided decision making system for traumatic injuries is one type of such systems that supplies suggestive opinions when dealing with the injuries resulted from accidents, battle, or illness. The functions may involve judging the type of illness, allocating the wounded according to battle injuries, deciding the severity of symptoms …

Essential Spawning Habitat For Atlantic Sturgeon In The James River, Virginia., Geoffrey Austin

Theses and Dissertations

Substrate composition plays a critical role in determining the spawning success of Atlantic sturgeon. A benthic analysis of the tidal freshwater portion of the James River, Virginia, was performed to locate and protect remaining sturgeon spawning habitat within the James River system. I modeled structural habitat, substrate distribution, and river bathymetry from Richmond, Virginia to the Appomattox River confluence. A classification model was developed to describe the dominant substrate type (mud/silt, sand, gravel, bedrock) using side scan sonar data collected from August 2011-Febuary 2012. River depth, bottom imagery, substrate density (hardness), and ground truth substrate samples were interpolated into a …

Optical Cryoimaging Of Celular Redox In Kidneys From Diabetic Mice, Sepideh Maleki

Theses and Dissertations

Diabetic Nephropathy (DN) is the major single cause of end stage renal diseases (ESRD) in the United States. Diabetes is the third leading fatal disorder after cancer and heart disease. It is affecting 8.3% of the residents of the United States, with a total healthcare cost of $174 billion/yr by 2010.

There currently exists a need for a sensitive and specific diagnosis for temporal detection of oxidative stress (OS) in cellular metabolic levels, which plays an early role in the development of DN. The objective of this research is to use a fluorescence optical imaging technique in order to delineate …