Radio map estimation (RME) is the task of predicting radio power at all locations in a two-dimensional area and at all frequencies in a given band. This thesis explores four deep learning approaches to RME: dual path autoencoders, skip connection autoencoders, diffusion, and joint learning with transmitter localization.

Improvement of Rotation Capacity of Composite Beam-to-HSS Column Connections Using External Horizontal Stiffeners Mahdi Afshar Arjmand This thesis focuses on the analysis of out-of-plane deformation (OOP) in column flange located in the panel zone of composite beam-to-column steel connection, as a critical aspect of steel structural engineering. This type of connection is an integral component of steel structures, and understanding their behavior is essential for ensuring safety and performance. The investigation involves examining the causes, factors influencing, and potential mitigation strategies for out-of-plane deformation of HSS flange column in these connections. Beam-to-column connections play a vital role in transferring loads and maintaining structural stability. Out-of-plane deformation, where the flange displaces from its primary plane, can compromise the connection's performance. This study aims to shed light on the mechanisms causing out-of-plane deformation and explore techniques to minimize its effects. Out-of-plane deformation of column flange connections can result from various factors, including eccentric loading, bending moments, torsion, and material properties. Understanding these causes is crucial for accurate analysis and design. Analytical methods and numerical simulations, such as finite element analysis (FEA), are employed to predict and quantify out-of-plane deformation. Models are created to represent real-world connections, enabling the exploration of their behavior under different loads and conditions. The study investigates strategies to mitigate out-of-plane deformation, such as adding horizontal stiffeners, or vertical stiffeners. These approaches aim to enhance the column flange’s resistance to out-of-plane displacements and improve overall structural performance. Real-world case studies of steel beam to-column connections are analyzed to demonstrate the effects of out-of-plane deformation and the efficacy of mitigation strategies. The results highlight the importance of accurate analysis and design to ensure connection integrity. Based on the findings, the study proposes design guidelines for flange-column connections to minimize out-of-plane deformation. These guidelines provide engineers with insights into optimizing connection design and ensuring stability under varying loads. The unique characteristic of beam-to-HSS column connections is the out-of-plane deformation of the HSS column flange at the beam web-to-column flange interface which can reduce contribution of the connection web to the overall resistance of the connection. To explore effect of the column flange OOP deformation, performance of three connection types, namely composite beam-to-HSS column connection, composite beam-to-HSS column connection with slab-column gap, and bare beam-to-HSS column connections are evaluated using pre-validated 3D finite element (FE) simulations. FE models can simulate low-cycle fatigue and post-rupture behavior of the connection. Comprehensive global and local responses are presented and discussed. It is found that column compactness, i.e., column’s width-to-thickness ratio, has considerable effect on maximum moment capacity, rotation capacity, post rupture residual capacity and energy dissipation capability of the connection. On the other hand, external horizontal stiffeners can significantly increase the rotation capacity of the connection. External horizontal stiffeners in steel beam-to-column connections are crucial for boosting structural efficiency and load-bearing capacity. Carefully designed, accurately placed, and securely attached, they ensure a reliable and safe system capable of withstanding diverse loads and environmental conditions, contributing to the long-term safety and stability of the entire steel structure.

While a policy of more decentralized stormwater management is increasingly being pursued in areas containing new housing developments, the question arises as to how stormwater management is handled in existing settlements, where restructuring the drainage system is a much more complex affair and often requires the active involvement of property owners. Recognizing that the multidimensional objectives of stormwater management in settlements call for a range of local strategies, this article examines the interaction and strategic contribution of two key municipal institutions for regulating stormwater management, namely, compulsory connection and usage and stormwater charges, in order to examine how they meet these objectives when property owners are involved. The following questions are addressed: How do these two key institutions link the varied objectives of stormwater management with practical options for decentralization? Which institutional designs are capable of integrating property owners into a municipal stormwater strategy in a coherent manner? What is current local government practice? This article begins by analyzing the interactions between different objectives of stormwater management, the interplay of the two key institutions, and options for stormwater management on private properties. On this basis, we then present an empirical study of current practice in 44 medium to large cities in Germany. This shows that while local governments devise very different—and often inconsistent—institutional designs, decentralization is quite commonly pursued in existing settlements.

As an emerging group that wields its increasing influence through social media, social media influencers (SMIs) have continued to grow as a key component of firms’ digital marketing strategies. However, several aspects of SMIs merit attention: their personal characteristics, content features, and how they influence consumers’ decision-making as well as online engagement. By using the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) model together with theories of social connection and social influence, this dissertation reveals the influence of SMIs on consumer behaviors in tourism and hospitality contexts by investigating travel SMIs’ influencing stimuli, mechanisms, and audience responses. Study 1 extracts topics from comments on posts created by two travel SMIs from different cultures; identifies these SMIs’ personal characteristics and content features; and uncovers how travel SMIs wield social connection, value-expressive influence, and informational influence from a cross-cultural perspective. Study 2 includes a pair of sub-studies that quantitatively examine travel SMIs’ marketing effectiveness and unveil associated mechanisms by focusing on social influence theory (i.e., value-expressive and informational influences). Topic modeling, netnographic analysis with social media data, and experimental designs are adopted to achieve all research objectives. Findings extend the understanding of travel SMIs’ influencing processes in consumers’ decision making/online engagement and provide practical implications for applying SMI marketing in tourism and hospitality. / Tourism and Sport

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Collateral connections in the brain, also known as Leptomeningeal Anastomoses, are connections between blood vessels originating from different arteries. Despite limited knowledge, they are suggested as an important contributor to cerebral stroke recovery that allows additional blood flow through the affected area. However, few databases and algorithms exist for this specific task of locating them. In this paper, a MATLAB program is developed to find these connections and detect strokes to replace manual labeling by professionals. The limited data available for this study are 23 2D microscopy images of mice cerebral vascular structures highlighted by dyes. In the images, strokes are shown to diminish the pixel count of vessels below 80\% compared to the healthy brain. Stroke classification error is greatly reduced by narrowing the scope from comparing the entire hemisphere to one smaller region. A novel way of finding collateral connections is utilizing connected components. Connected components organize all adjacent pixels into a group. All collateral connections can be found on the border of two neighboring arterial flow regions, and belong to the same group of connected components with the arterial source from each side. Along with finding collateral connections, a newly created coordinate system allows regions to be defined relative to the brain landmarks, based on the brain's center, orientation, and scale. The method newly proposed in this paper combines stroke detection, brain coordinate system extraction, and collateral connection detection in stroke-affected mouse brains using only image processing techniques. This allows a simpler, more explainable result on limited data than other techniques such as supervised machine learning. In addition, the new method does not require ground truth and high image count for training. This automated process was successfully interpreted by medical experts, which allows for further research into automating collateral connection detection in 3D.

This dissertation re-evaluates the ways in which contemporary television documentary practices engage their audience. Bringing together historical frameworks, and using them to analyse a range of examples not considered together within this context previously, the main finding is that the use of spectacle to engage the audience into a visceral response cuts across all of the examples analysed, regardless of the subject matter being explored. Drawing on a media archaeological approach, the dissertation draws parallels with the way in which pre-cinema engaged an audience where the primary point of engagement came from the image itself, rather than a narrative. Within a documentary context, which is generally understood as a genre which is there to educate or inform an audience, the primacy of spectacle calls for a re-evaluation of the form and function of documentary itself. Are twenty-first century documentary practices manufacturing an emotional connection to engage the audience over attempting to persuade with reasoning and logic? The answer contained within this dissertation is that they are.

<p>This qualitative single case study examined the social and emotional needs of teachers and what they need from principals to nurture the use of effective social and emotional competencies. Individual interviews were conducted with secondary teachers from one school district in Indiana.  Three themes emerged.  Teachers need: (1) boundaries, (2) space and time, and (3) collaboration and connectedness.  In addition, this study explored what principals could do to nurture the social and emotional needs of teachers.  Six findings were reported: Principals should (1) have a clear understanding of SEL competencies (2) nurture unique opportunities for collaboration (3) nurture a variety of topics on which to collaborate with teachers (4) provide the space and time necessary for teachers to process (5) model work-life balance (6) nurture personal connections between adults within the school.  These findings will help principals develop their leadership skills in supporting teachers in their application of social and emotional learning competencies.</p>

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