This paper brings together theoretical work on gender, caregiving, and illness to investigate emotion work performed in response to a spouse’s physical illness. We analyzed qualitative in-depth interview data with 36 individuals in 18 long-term heterosexual marriages (N=36) wherein one or both spouses experienced illness. Findings indicated that men and women performed, received, and interpreted their emotion work in gendered ways. Women with an ill spouse performed emotion work more often than men. Women who were ill themselves often performed emotion work to relieve the burden on their spouse—a dynamic not found among men who were ill. When women performed emotion work, they constructed this work as a natural propensity. Men who did not perform emotion work constructed themselves as protective and problem-solving. These findings point to underlying intra- and inter-personal processes that may help to explain why women experience higher levels of caregiver burden and depression than do men. / text

An analysis that is based on the monitoring of dynamic features from in-situ sensors of an industrial PECVD tool is presented. Linear Discriminant Analysis is used to determine which features are the most sensitive to various changes in the tool condition. The concept of Confidence Values (CVs) is used to quantify statistical changes of these dynamic features as the condition of the tool changed. Two data sets were collected from a PECVD tool in the facilities of a well-known equipment supplier. Dynamic features coming from the RF plasma power and matching capacitors’ sensors are shown to be sensitive to various changes in the cleaning cycles for Si-N, Si-O₂, and TEOS depositions. Quantifying the statistical distributions of the sensitive sensor features during tool condition changes is important for determining which sensor features are necessary to monitor in order to predict the tool chamber health. Results show that these RF plasma sensors could be used to track changes inside the tool chamber. / text

Extremely large telescopes (ELTs) are the next generation of ground-based reflecting telescopes of optical wavelengths. ELTs possess an aperture of more than 20 meters and share a number of common features, particularly the use of a segmented primary mirror and the use of adaptive optics systems. In 2005, the European Southern Observatory introduced a new giant telescope concept, named the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT), which is scheduled for operation in 2018. The E-ELT will address key scientific challenges and will aim for a number of notable firsts, including discovering Earth-like planets around other stars in the ``habitable zones'' where life could exist, attempting to uncover the relationship between black holes and galaxies, measuring the properties of the first stars and galaxies, and probing the nature of dark matter and dark energy. In 2009, a feasibility study, conducted by National Instruments, proved the feasibility of the real-time (RT) control system architecture for the E-ELT's nearly 1,000 mirror segments with 3,000 actuators and 6,000 sensors. The goal of the RT control system was to maintain a perfectly aligned field of mirrors at all times with a loop-time of 1 ms. The study assumed a prescribed controller algorithm. This research report prescribes the optimal controller algorithms for large segmented telescopes. In this respect, optimal controller designs for the primary mirror of the E-ELT, where optimality is formulated in the [H-2] and [H-infinity] frameworks are derived. Moreover, the designed controllers are simulated to show that the desired performance metrics are met. / text

In the study of mathematics, one of the most useful, relevant topics explored in secondary mathematics remains the zeros of polynomials. This paper will present various ways to explore this topic while preserving the fundamental concept as a whole. In addition, this paper will reveal some distinct relationships between roots and their behavior within the different branches of mathematics. The purpose of this paper is to show how this topic can be inserted at key points in the developmental curriculum to preserve the autonomy of this vital mathematical concept, allowing students to experience the behavior and value of this topic in a variety of contexts. / text

This thesis explores a border security system based on agent-based modeling and simulation (ABMS). The ABMS software platform, map aware non-uniform automata, is used to model various scenarios and evaluate the border security system given a set of infiltrators who have evolutionary behavior governed by a genetic algorithm (GA). The GA is used to represent adaptive behavior of the enemy when the friendly force has deployed our border security at a maximum level. By using a near optimal Latin hypercube design, our simulation runs are implemented efficiently and the border security system is analyzed using four different kinds of measures of effectiveness. / text

Exploration and Production (E&P) project costs within the oil industry are continuously increasing reflecting a reality of more harsh environments, remote locations with minimal existing infrastructure and cost increases for materials and skilled resources. The significant capital expenditures translate to a number of projects either for new or revamped production facilities. Successful project completion requires a series of correct decisions throughout the project life-cycle namely design, construction, operations, maintenance and decommissioning. Using a Reliability, Availability and Maintainability (RAM) model as part of the project decision process is an E&P industry best practice that recently gained acceptance in Hess Corporation. This paper presents the RAM methodology and the gains from its application in a capital project. / text

The software that operates mobile and embedded devices, the embedded operating system, has evolved to adapt from the traditional desktop environment, where processing horsepower and energy supply are abundant, to the challenging resource-starved embedded environment. The embedded environment presents the software with some difficult constraints when compared to the typical desktop environment: slower hardware, smaller memory size, and a limited battery life. Different embedded OSs tackle these constraints in different ways. We survey two of the more popular embedded OSs: Linux and Windows CE. To reveal their strengths and weaknesses, we examine and compare each of the OS’s process management and scheduler, interrupt handling, memory management, synchronization mechanisms and interprocess communication, and power management. / text

This report examines the state of research regarding the psychological impact of war on American soldiers deployed in military operations in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) and Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom). Particular focus is given to examination of marital and relationship satisfaction within the Hispanic soldier and veteran population. A wide range of research examines the traumatic aftereffects of wartime service with predominant themes of posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse appearing across the literature. Examination of the Hispanic population is disputed with researchers producing conflicting findings: some researchers have indicated an increased risk of psychological disturbances in Hispanic wartime veterans while other have found no such difference between the Hispanic and majority groups. Attempts to explain these discrepant results have ranged from differences in acculturation, to potentially increased traumatic exposure, or to underlying feelings of persecution and alienation. However, consistent results were found in regards to the negative relationship between traumatic exposure and romantic relationship satisfaction. Younger males of lower socioeconomic status with increased trauma exposure and comorbid mental health diagnoses consistently reported less relationship satisfaction than their peers. Given the nature of family and the importance of close relationships within the Hispanic culture, it is increasingly necessary for clinicians working with Hispanic veterans to be aware of these findings. This author purposes that future researchers explore this concept of relationship satisfaction within the Hispanic veteran population with attention given to potentially mediating variables such as level of acculturation and traumatic experience exposure. / text

The foundation of Luecke’s course M: 396 Geometry and Topology is that collaboration amongst mathematicians and biologists caused tremendous gains in DNA research. The field of topology has led to significant strides in understanding of the topological properties of the genetic molecule DNA. Through the integration of biological phenomena and knowledge of topology and Euclidean geometry, biologists can describe and quantize enzyme mechanisms and therefore determine enzyme mechanisms causing the changes. Understanding mathematical applications in contexts outside of mathematics on any level helps to explain why mathematics is a core content area in primary and secondary education. Requiring secondary educators to take such a course could result in mathematics taught with real world application on the secondary level as well as on the graduate level, as shown in Luecke’s course. / text

Training is a powerful and required method to equip human resources with tools to keep their organizations competitive in the markets. Typically at the end of class, trainees are asked to give their feelings about or satisfaction with the training. Although there are various reasons for conducting training evaluations, the common theme is the need to continuously improve a training program in the future. Among training evaluation methods, post-training surveys or questionnaires are the most commonly used way to get trainees’ reaction about the training program and “the forms will tell you to what extent you’ve been successful.” (Kirkpatrick 2006) A higher satisfaction score means more trainees were satisfied with the training. A total of 40 prediction models grouped into 10-GIQs prediction models and 6-GIQs prediction models were built in this work to predict the total training satisfaction based on trainees’ general information which included a trainee’s desire to take training, a trainee’s attitude in training class and other information related to the trainee’s work environment and other characteristics. The best models selected from 10-GIQs and 6-GIQs prediction models performed the prediction work with the prediction quality of PRED (0.15) >= 99% and PRED (0.15) >= 98%, separately. An interesting observation discovered in this work is that the training satisfaction could be predicted based on trainees information that was not related to any training experience at all. The dominant factors on training satisfaction were the trainee’s attitude in training class and the trainee’s desire to take the training which was found in 10-GIQs prediction models and 6-GIQs prediction models, separately. / text