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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
31

Leak detection in pipelines using the extended kalman filter and the extended boundary approach

Doney, Kurtis 10 October 2007 (has links)
A model based algorithm of pipeline flow is developed and tested to determine if the model is capable of detecting a leak in a pipeline. The overall objective of this research is to determine the feasibility of applying the Extended Kalman Filter and a new technique defined as the Extended Boundary Approach to the detection of leakages in a physical water distribution system. <p>The demands on the water supply system increase as the human population grows and expands throughout the world. Water conservation is required to ensure an adequate supply of water remains for future generations. One way to conserve this water is by reducing the leakages in underground water distribution systems. Currently between 10 to 50 percent of the pumped water is lost due to unrecognized leakages. This results in a huge revenue loss of water, chemicals and energy that is required for transporting the water. The detection of underground leakages is a very complex problem because many leakages are small and go unnoticed by todays leak detection technology. <p>A model based leak detection technique is developed and tested in this thesis. The Method of Characteristics is used to develop a model of a single pipeline. This method is extensively used and provides the most accurate results of the two partial differential equations of continuity and momentum that describe pipe flow. The Extended Kalman Filter is used to estimate two fictitious leakages at known locations along the pipeline. In order to ensure the model is observable four pressure measurements are needed at equally spaced nodes along the pipeline. With the development of the Extended Boundary Approach only the upstream and downstream pressure measurements are required, however; the upstream and downstream flow measurements are also required. Using the information from the two fictitious leaks the actual leak location and magnitude can be determined. This method is only capable of detecting one leak in a single pipeline. <p>The results of the developed model show that the approach is capable of theoretically determining the leak location and magnitude in a pipeline. However, at this time, the feasibility of implementing the proposed leak detection method is limited by the required level of accuracy of the sensors which is beyond that found in todays technology. It was also found that the EKF used primarily steady state information to predict the leakage. It is recommended that further research explore alternate models which might better enhance the EKF approach using transient information from the pipeline. This may allow implementation on a real pipeline.
32

Extended Homozygosity Score Tests to Detect Positive Selection in Genome-wide Scans

Zhong, Ming 2010 May 1900 (has links)
Positive natural selection is recognized as the driving force underneath evolution. One of the surest signatures of recent positive selection is a local elevation of advantageous allele frequency and linkage disequilibrium (LD). This dissertation proposes a new test statistic to detect excess homozygosity based on a simple counting measure, which serves as a surrogate indicator of recent positive selection. Three tests are developed upon the new measure: (a) an extended genotype-based homozy- gosity test (EGHT), (b) a hidden Markov model test (HMMT), and (c) an extended haplotype-based homozygosity test (EHHT). The null hypotheses of all three tests assume random mating and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). They differ in how to treat LD under H0 . The EGHT assumes linkage equilibrium (LE) besides HWE while the EHHT allows arbitrary multi-locus LD. The HMMT stands between these two extremes and assumes pairwise but no higher-order disequilibrium interactions. We first conduct simulation study to compare the three score tests and verify that the EHHT is the most conservative one. We compare the performance of the EHHT with the prevailing detection methods and the EHHT has higher or similar power. We also evaluate the impact of simple demographic history on the EHHT and the simulation study suggests that the EHHT is resistant to the false-positive confounders resulting from simple demographic models. After extensive simulation studies, all three tests are then applied on HapMap Phase II data and we are able to replicate findings reported in the literature. We can also identify new candidate regions that may undergo recent selection through a set of filtering criteria including highest EHHT scores, high derived allele frequency and large population differentiation. Finally, we propose a cross-population comparison test statistic to detect chromosome regions in which there is no significant excess homozygosity in one population but homozygosity remains high in another population.
33

Research of Strategies for Making Products Luxurious

Wu, Chun-Hsien 30 June 2007 (has links)
This research is to understand the business strategy of making products luxurious. Owing to more and more serious poverty gaps in our social and economic environment, ¡§M¡¨ type society becomes an important issue for everyone. ¡§M¡¨ type society makes the rich people being richer and the poor people being poorer,. This phenomenon will affect consumer behaviors and whole market environment. According to the study of AC Nielson¡]2006¡^, more than 50% people in Taiwan tend to save more money in daily life for buying more their favorites or luxury goods instead. In this situation, companies should take special strategies to face this challenging new impact in the market. Therefore, the strategy of making products luxurious is one of best choices to try. For solving this situation, many companies have made their products luxurious successfully such as Acer (Ferrari notebook products), Toyota (Lexus automobile), and Giant (bike). These firms develop from middle market position to high market position, and make their product price more expensive, more high quality and more luxurious. Furthermore, their luxury products sold successfully in their target segments. All these cases are successful examples showing the effects of strategy of making products luxurious, accordingly this research sort out the precise strategies and methods through these successful case studies. Through using multiple cases study method, this research discusses the practicable ways to do the strategy of making products luxurious. Moreover, this research also goes through the conceptions of product positioning, the definition of luxury, product strategy, product line extended to build the conceptual model for this study. In the end, this research has integrated the some results. The key factor of the strategy of making products luxurious is offering high quality than the same type products. Next, the brand is the second important factor, a firm that make this strategy successfully must has a good brand image, not a ¡§luxury brand¡¨ image. Customers can get the good experience through products quality and performance. Therefore combining these results the research concludes that the products quality and performances are the core factors of the strategy of making products luxurious.
34

Extended Exergy Analysis of the Nova Scotian Economy 2006

Bligh, David 25 April 2011 (has links)
Human societies may be modeled as very large complex systems involving multiple flows of energy and materials between different sectors. Traditional exergy analysis methods are inadequate for the analysis of such systems because they do not take non-energetic flows into account. Extended exergy analysis (EEA) allows for the inclusion of exergetic equivalents of such non-energetic quantities as labor, capital and the costs of environmental remediation. The economy is divided into seven sectors reflecting the organization of economic data reported by Statistics Canada. A model of the structural connectivity of the economy in terms of exchanges between sectors is constructed using economic data generated by Statistic Canada. Energy, exergy, and extended exergy efficiencies are calculated for each sector of the economy of Nova Scotia and compared with those of Norway, China, Italy, and the UK to identify similarities and differences between the composition and performance of sectors around the world.
35

Does the mind leak? On Andy Clark's extended cognition hypothesis and its critics

Peters, Uwe January 2009 (has links)
A growing controversy at the interface of philosophy and cognitive science concerns the question of where cognition is located. In the paper “The Extended Mind” (1998), the book Supersizing the Mind (2008) and many other publications, Andy Clark contends that cognitive processes do not only occur in the head but also physically extend into the environment. In contrast and critical response to Clark, Adams/Aizawa (2008) and Rupert (forthcoming) hold that cognition is an entirely brain-bound affair. In the present thesis, I will argue that Clark’s extended cognition hypothesis as well as Adams/Aizawa’s and Rupert’s brain-bound accounts should be rejected because they lack plausibility and are cognitive-scientifically gratuitous. However, even though I dismiss Adams/Aizawa’s and Rupert’s specific brain-bound views, I will reach a conclusion similar to theirs: contra Clark, cognition remains an internal phenomenon.
36

Women in educational management in Sarawak : a study of traditional and professional challenges

Razali, Siti Katizah January 1998 (has links)
This exploratory study examined how women managers in education in Sarawak combine their traditional and professional roles and deal with potential role conflict. The study is set in the context of an increasing number of women managers in education in Sarawak and the issues this raises for their support, if they are to harmonise their roles and advance professionally. The aim of the study is to furnish policy makers at the national and state level with information to formulate a policy document which could be adopted in preparing a strategy for the advancement of women managers, taking into account their dual roles. Both quantitative and qualitative paradigms are employed to provide depth and breadth. The postal survey questionnaire was sent to all the 109 women in the target population: all women heads and deputies in schools, teacher training colleges and the State Education Department. There was a 91.7% response rate. Additionally, eight women managers were interviewed in-depth, together with seven spouses and three other senior women in education, who are influential nationally. The eight women managers also completed time-log diaries for a week. Respondents in the survey questionnaire included managers who, at one time, had rejected promotion. This enabled the perceptions of those who had experienced difficulties in relation to promotion to be analysed, as well as those who had not. Combining the quantitative and qualitative approaches meant that they complemented, supplemented and illuminated each other. The study did not aim, initially, to explore the cultural dimension but it emerged during the interviews that their specific cultural origins (Malay, Iban and Chinese) were a significant determinant of the women managers' perceptions of their dual roles. Indigenous culture was not found to be a barrier to advancement but the research has revealed that when studying women in educational management consideration of individual cultural contexts gives additional insights into their perceptions of their two roles. Interviews with the spouses revealed corresponding views to those of their wives pertaining to women's traditional roles; they also saw complementary roles in the partnership. The close support of the extended family is a significant factor in the study. For the women studied, the boundaries between their personal and professional roles were not clear-cut. Work invaded their personal lives and family needs were perceived as paramount when considering promotion. Values relating to caring and nurturing imbued their professional and personal lives. The different cultural and environmental experiences of the women managers contributed to their varied perceptions of role conflict. Many had developed coping strategies which reduced such conflict and supported their successful performance as workers, wives, mothers and daughters. Impediments to the advancement of women managers are identified and possible courses of future action suggested. Implications for policy makers at the Ministry of Education and State Education Department as well as for future research are highlighted
37

L’expérience carcérale élargie : dynamiques du lien et identités à l’épreuve de l’incarcération d’un proche / The extended penitentiary experience : the Dynamics of family ties and identities put to the test in the incarceration of a relative

Touraut, Caroline 04 December 2009 (has links)
La peine d’emprisonnement ne se limite pas aux seules personnes incarcérées ; au contraire, elle implique directement les proches de détenus qui expérimentent la prison hors de ses murs. En étudiant ce que nous proposons de nommer « l’expérience carcérale élargie » à partir d’une enquête par entretiens, il s’agira d’interroger successivement la prison comme institution et son effet sur les dynamiques relationnelles. La politique pénitentiaire peine à traiter les proches de détenus. En complétant l’analyse sociologique par un éclairage historique et juridique, nous montrerons que si les mesures favorisant le maintien des liens familiaux et l’accueil des visiteurs se sont développées ces dernières décennies, la politique pénitentiaire à l’égard des proches de détenus est profondément paradoxale et reste fortement limitée. Ensuite, nous interrogerons la multiplicité des échanges et la diversité des formes de soutien qui attestent de l’élasticité des liens et éclairent leurs logiques de régulation. Au-delà d’une vision altruiste qui renverrait la présence des proches à un engagement sacrificiel, nous analyserons la complexité des rapports de pouvoir et des formes de contrôle mutuel qui caractérisent les relations à l’épreuve de l’incarcération. Ainsi, il s’agira de penser non seulement ce que les proches font de la prison, mais également ce que la prison fait aux proches. / The prison sentence does not limit itself to imprisoned people alone; on the contrary the imprisonment directly involves the prisoners’ relatives who experience the prison from the outside. The “extended penitentiary experience”, as we propose to call it, will be studied by a qualitative research lead by interviews. The prison as an institution and its effects on human relations will be also questioned. Prison policies barely deal with prisoners’ relatives. From a sociological analysis completed with a historic and a legal perspective, we will show that even if the measures designed to maintain family links, and the reception of visitors, have evolved during this last decade, the prison’s policies toward the prisoners’ relatives is deeply paradoxical and very restricted. We will then analyse the multiplicity of exchanges and the diverse forms of support which prove the elasticity of the links and highlight their regulational logic. Beyond an altruist point of view that reflects the close relatives’ presence as a sacrifice, we will analyse the power struggles and the different forms of mutual control which characterise the relations of prisoners and their relatives. In this way not only will the relatives’ influences on the prison be considered, but also those of the prison on the relatives.
38

Evaluation of Large Dose, Extended Interval Aminoglycoside Dosing Protocols Using Pharmacokinetic Data from 515 Patients

Vu, Peter January 2011 (has links)
Class of 2011 Abstract / OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to assess three published aminoglycoside dosing protocols (large-dose extended interval), to predict peak and trough concentrations of these protocols and to determine the percentage of patients with peak and trough concentrations within each protocol’s specified ranges. METHODS: This study is a retrospective analysis of clinical data. A database of 515 patients is used to analyze the three different protocols. The variables in this database encompass patients’ age, height, actual body weight (ABW), sex, k, Vd, and dose. From these data, patients' peak and trough concentrations were determined using the three large large, extended interval dosing protocols. RESULTS The results showed Nicolau protocol with the most potential of the three protocols. It had the highest percentages of patients with peak above 15 mg/L and a trough less than 0.5 mg/L. It also had the highest average peak of 19.1 mg/L with 69.9% of patients meeting the protocol’s specified peak range of 13 to 23 mg/L. CONCLUSION: The three examined protocols all showed a percentage of patients within the desired range. Of the three, Nicolau protocol I showed promising results with highest average peak, lowest average trough and high percentage of patients with concentrations within desired ranges. Its percentages above 15 mg/L and less than 0.5 mg/L are greater than protocols II and III. Nicolau dosing protocol may be best in achieving high peak and low trough concentrations.
39

The Extended Lydian Locrian Theory of Harmony

Bandy, Chris 05 1900 (has links)
The extended Lydian Locrian theory of harmony (ELL) is a system of analyzing harmonies and progressions according to their position along a vast spectrum of colors. The musical premise is that chords and progressions spanning upwards around the circle of fifths sound brighter, whereas chords and progressions spanning downwards around the circle of fifths sound darker. This simple premise gives rise to a complex but unified system of harmonic structures and relations, a system which provides a valuable tool for analyzing and composing music, especially of advanced tonal genres. ELL not only provides fruitful techniques for analyzing certain kinds of traditional harmonies and progressions but also provides a framework for discovering more exotic and colorful harmonies and progressions.
40

Migration of <I>Penicillium spinulosum</I> from Paperboard Packaging to Extended Shelf Life Milk

Sammons, Laura Dawn 21 October 1999 (has links)
The growth and survival of the psychrotroph Penicillium spinulosum in paperboard was studied along with the wicking characteristics of ultra-pasteurized milk to understand sporadic fungal contamination of ultra-pasteurized, extended shelf life milk products. Previous research has indicated paperboard packaging as a potential source for the fungal contamination. Migration from paperboard to ultra-pasteurized skim milk during a 60-day shelf life, was investigated by inoculating condia (spores) into sterilized paperboard squares (57.2 by 57.2 mm) made from ultra-pasteurized milk cartons. Test-squares were sealed on three sides and inoculated at 3.2, 6.4, 9.5 and 12.7 mm from the uncoated (unskived) edge. The surrounding milk was tested for the presence of the fungus. Penicillium spinulosum was detected in 84% of samples at 3.2, 72% at 6.4, 50% at 9.5, and 28% at 12.7 mm from the uncoated edge. Survival in paperboard was investigated in sealed paperboard test-squares incubated in ultra-pasteurized skim milk at 7&#176;C every 10 days up to 60 days. Penicillium spinulosum survived in the interior of paperboard for the entire incubation period. Survival was also measured on all test-squares for which P. spinulosum was not detected in the surrounding milk in the migration study. Penicillium spinulosum was detected in 94.4% of all negative samples. The wicking characteristics of ultra-pasteurized skim and whole milk were measured in four boards from gable-top cartons for ultra-pasteurized milk products. Test-squares were sealed on 3 sides and incubated in ultra-pasteurized skim or whole milk at 7&#176;C. Wicking distances were measured every 10 days up to 60 days. A significant interaction was seen between the types of paperboard and milk. It is most likely that P. spinulosum at all inoculation distances had access to milk as a source of nutrition by day 40 in the migration study. / Master of Science

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