A descriptive analysis was conducted to examine the influence minimum bets 30 credits and 50 credits had on the actual bets wagered on slot machines that operated on fixed-lines. Results suggested that slots with the lower minimum bets correlated with higher wagers. There was a total of 107 participants actively gambling at two casinos located just outside of Chicago, Illinois. The participant pool was divided between 37 males and 70 females. On average, the participants who played the slot machines with a minimum bet of 30 credits actually bet more than the participants who played the slot machines with a minimum bet of 50 credits. More notably, results from a Chi-square test for significance suggested that there is a significant influence between the minimum bet required to play and the presence, or absence, of “minimizers” and “maximizers” (p <.05). Additional data analyses where also conducted that examined gender’s role and wagering tendencies, including an independent t-test. The main purpose of this paper was to examine minimizing and maximizing gambling behavior across low-value and higher-value machines.

An experimental and numerical investigation was conducted to determine the film cooling effectiveness of a normal slot and angled slot under realistic engine Mach number conditions. Freestream Mach numbers of 0.65 and 1.3 were tested. For the normal slot, hot gas ingestion into the slot was observed at low blowing ratios (M < 0.25). At high blowing ratios (M > 0.6) the cooling film was observed to "lift off" from the surface. For the 30o angled slot, the data was found to collapse using the blowing ratio as a scaling parameter (x/Ms). Results from the current experiment were compared with the subsonic data published to confirm this test procedure. For the angled slot, at the supersonic freestream Mach number, the current experiment shows that at the same x/Ms, the film cooling effectiveness increases by as much as 25% as compared to the subsonic case. The results of the experiment also show that at the same x/Ms, the film cooling effectiveness of the angled slot is considerably higher than that of the normal slot, at both subsonic and supersonic Mach numbers. The flow physics for the slot tests considered here are also described with computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations in the subsonic and supersonic regimes. / Master of Science

abstract: Virtual digital assistants are automated software systems which assist humans by understanding natural languages such as English, either in voice or textual form. In recent times, a lot of digital applications have shifted towards providing a user experience using natural language interface. The change is brought up by the degree of ease with which the virtual digital assistants such as Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa can be integrated into your application. These assistants make use of a Natural Language Understanding (NLU) system which acts as an interface to translate unstructured natural language data into a structured form. Such an NLU system uses an intent finding algorithm which gives a high-level idea or meaning of a user query, termed as intent classification. The intent classification step identifies the action(s) that a user wants the assistant to perform. The intent classification step is followed by an entity recognition step in which the entities in the utterance are identified on which the intended action is performed. This step can be viewed as a sequence labeling task which maps an input word sequence into a corresponding sequence of slot labels. This step is also termed as slot filling. In this thesis, we improve the intent classification and slot filling in the virtual voice agents by automatic data augmentation. Spoken Language Understanding systems face the issue of data sparsity. The reason behind this is that it is hard for a human-created training sample to represent all the patterns in the language. Due to the lack of relevant data, deep learning methods are unable to generalize the Spoken Language Understanding model. This thesis expounds a way to overcome the issue of data sparsity in deep learning approaches on Spoken Language Understanding tasks. Here we have described the limitations in the current intent classifiers and how the proposed algorithm uses existing knowledge bases to overcome those limitations. The method helps in creating a more robust intent classifier and slot filling system. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Computer Science 2018

This thesis is divided into two parts. In the first part, the antenna is integrated into the stacked package. The antenna and the semiconductor chip are co-designed together. We utilize the advantage of IPD manufacturing to develop strong capacitively coupled-fed miniaturization technology and fractal slots miniaturization technology. We design a miniaturized antenna operating at WLAN 2.4GHz band. The size of the antenna is only 4 mm¡Ñ8.625 mm (0.0327£f¡Ñ0.0707£f). The operating bandwidth is over 100 MHz. The radiation efficiency is over 60%. In the second part, we design a stacked structure using FR4 substrate. The MIMO antenna is miniaturized by strong capacitively coupled-fed miniaturization technique, and we propose an S-shaped isolator which has wider isolation bandwidth to improve the isolation problem. The separation of both antennas is only 12 mm. The size of the isolator is only 10 mm¡Ñ10 mm. The measured operating bandwidth is 200 MHz, and the radiation efficiency is over 60%. We also design a 10 mm¡Ñ10 mm size of MIMO antenna with 2 mm¡Ñ8 mm isolator on the stacked package structure. The antenna is operating at WLAN 2.45 GHz band, and the operating bandwidth is over 100 MHz. the radiation efficiency is over 40%. Finally, we propose two different stacked package antenna applications. The first one is a dual-frequency design. The proposed antenna is operating at GPS (1.57 GHz) band and WLAN 2.4 GHz band. Another is a broadband design. The size of IPD is only 3 mm¡Ñ3 mm. The operating bandwidth is 40% (from 4.8 GHz to 7.2 GHz).

Thesis advisor: Julie H. Mortimer / Three self-contained essays explore government regulation in the airline industry, and how such policies affect competition. The first essay explores the proposed merger between US Airways and American Airlines in 2013, approved by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) under the condition that 104 airport slots (“landing rights”) at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, DC, be divested to low cost carriers. To investigate the efficacy of the slot divestment, I estimate demand and cost parameters along with bounds on the shadow price of an airline slot, and simulate counterfactual post-merger prices and quantities with and without the regulatory divestment. I find that the merger and associated divestment together increased consumer surplus for markets involving Reagan Airport by roughly 25%. This increase in consumer welfare happened because the median price fell and the quantity of passengers increased. I show that the marginal value of a slot to an airline is decreasing in total slots, validating the DOJ’s decision to divest slots from the largest incumbent (US Airways, whose marginal value was $153 per flight) to new entrants with high valuation (like Southwest, $852). Beyond providing a key input to merger analyses, my approach can also aid in analyzing voluntary exchanges of airline slots, which are subject to DOJ approval due to their perceived anti-competitive effects. The second essay investigates the impact of airport slots on competition in general. Congestion is managed in high-density airports by capping the number of flights permitted in any given hour and allocating the rights (or slots) to a takeoff or landing among airlines. Airlines must use their slots at least 80% of the time to keep them for the next season. This rule creates a perverse incentive for airlines to hold on to underutilized slots by operating unprofitable flights instead of forfeiting these slots to a rival. Using exogenous removal of slot control at the Newark Airport in 2016, we investigate the lengths at which airlines go to meet the minimum requirements that let them keep the slots while violating what a neutral observer might call the “spirit” of the regulation. In my third essay, I assess the effectiveness of the gross upward pricing pressure index (GUPPI) in predicting price changes of the 2013 merger between US Airways and American Airlines. I compute GUPPI using only publicly available data, and find that it is close to the observed average increase in price. However, unlike most markets, flights to/from Reagan Airport experience a price drop, likely due to mandated structural remedies; the GUPPI predicts a price increase at Reagan Airport, whereas a full merger simulation correctly predicts a price reduction. I argue that the divergence between GUPPI and, if appropriate, the more accurate predictions of the merger simulation is due to the weaker assumptions made under the simulation. This underscores the fact that while GUPPI, with its restrictive assumptions and low computational burden, can be a good primary screening tool, it does not negate the necessity of employing a more rigorous secondary tool (such as a merger simulation) when assessing mergers. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Economics.

An X band dual polarized slotted waveguide antenna array is designed with very high polarization purity for both horizontal and vertical polarizations. Horizontally polarized radiators are designed using a novel non-inclined edge wall slots whereas the vertically polarized slots are implemented using broad wall slots opened on baffled single ridge rectangular waveguides. Electromagnetic model based on an infinite array unit cell approach is introduced to characterize the slots used in the array. 20 by 10 element planar array of these slots is manufactured and radiation fields are measured. The measurement results of this array are in very good accordance with the simulation results. The dual polarized antenna possesses a low sidelobe level of -35 dB and is able to scan a sector of &plusmn / 35 degrees in elevation. It also has a usable bandwidth of 600 MHz.

No description available.

This thesis studies wave energy converters developed at Uppsala University. The wave energy converters are of point absorbing type with direct driven linear generators. The aim has been to study generator design with closed stator slots as well as offshore experimental studies. By closing the stator slots, the harmonic content in the magnetic flux density is reduced and as a result the cogging forces in the generator are reduced as well. By reducing these forces, the noise and vibrations from the generator can be lowered. The studies have shown a significant reduction in the cogging forces in the generator. Moreover, by closing the slots, the magnetic flux finds a short-cut through the closed slots and will lower the magnetic flux linking the windings. The experimental studies have focused on the motion of the translator. The weight of the translator has a significant impact on the power absorption, especially in the downward motion. Two different experiments have been studied with two different translator weights. The results show that with a higher translator weight the power absorption is more evenly produced between the upward and downward motion as was expected from the simulation models. Furthermore, studies on the influence of the changing active area have been conducted which show some benefits with a changing active area during the downward motion. The experimental results also indicate snatch-loads for the wave energy converter with a lower translator weight. Within this thesis results from a comparative study between two WECs with almost identical properties have been presented. The generators electrical properties and the buoy volumes are the same, but with different buoy heights and diameters. Moreover, experimental studies including the conversion from AC to DC have been achieved. The work in this thesis is part of a larger wave power project at Uppsala University. The project studies the whole process from the energy absorption from the waves to the connection to the electrical grid. The project has a test-site at the west coast of Sweden near the town of Lysekil, where wave energy systems have been studied since 2004.

Tese (doutorado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Departamento de Ciência da Computação, 2015. / A tomada de decisão colaborativa (CDM) é um paradigma importante no processo de gerenciamento de tráfego aéreo (ATM). De acordo com a sua filosofia, a troca de informações entre os diversos intervenientes resultam em melhores decisões para o ATM. A construção dos algoritmos de alocação de slots utilizados nos programas de espera em solo (GDP) com CDM não contempla os principais stakeholders atuais no processo de tomada de decisão. Somando-se a esse fato, algumas deficiências no GDP têm sido relatadas em diversas pesquisas ao longo dos anos. Um desses problemas é que o algoritmo Compression nem sempre calcula resultados estáveis na alocação de recursos aeroportuários. Esta situação limita o desempenho do ATM e pode gerar insatisfação entre os stakeholders que são afetados. Para resolver os problemas citados, o presente trabalho propõe uma nova solução para o problema de alocação de slots tratado pelo algoritmo Compression. Esse modelo, denominado DA-SLOT, possibilita o tratamento dos stakeholders já existentes na CDM, bem como, a inclusão de um novo participante, o gestor do aeroporto. O modelo proposto utiliza a teoria de matching para criar um mercado de slots, onde as companhias aéreas e o gestor do aeroporto são jogadores que possuem preferências estratégicas no processo de alocação. O novo algoritmo utilizado nesse processo é baseado no mecanismo Deferred Acceptance (DA) para mercados de matching de dois lados. Os estudos de caso utilizados na validação do modelo empregaram movimentos aéreos do Aeroporto Internacional Tancredo Neves (SBCF) do ano de 2014, extraídos do site on-line da Empresa Brasileira de Infraestrutura Aeroportuária (INFRAERO). A análise realizada sobre cenários hipotéticos e reais indica que o modelo DA-SLOT permite adequado tratamento das preferências de todos os jogadores do mercado através de uma alocação ótima. Além disso, características desejáveis inerentes ao mecanismo DA, como estabilidade nas alocações e controle de manipulação dos resultados, podem levar os jogadores a buscarem resultados ótimos globais no sistema. Estes resultados podem ser considerados como as principais contribuições científicas e sociais da pesquisa. / Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) is an important paradigm in the process of Air Traffic Management (ATM). According to this paradigm, the exchange of information among the different entities result in the improved decisions for ATM. However, the construction of the slot allocation algorithms used in the Ground Delay Program (GDP) with CDM, does not address the current major stakeholders in the decision-making process. At the same time, some shortcomings in GDP have been reported in several studies over the last years. One of these problems is that the Compression algorithm in CDM not always calculates the stable results in the allocation of resources related to airport. These limits of the ATM performance can generate the dissatisfaction among the stakeholders. To solve these problems, this PhD thesis proposes a new solution for the slot allocation problem addressed in the Compression algorithm. This model, called DA-SLOT enables the treatment of existing stakeholders in the CDM, as well as the inclusion of a new participant, the airport management services. The proposed model uses the matching theory to create a market slots where the airlines and the airport managers are the players. These stakeholders in CDM have their strategic preferences in the allocation process. The new algorithm has been developed based on the Deferred Acceptance (DA) mechanism for two-sided matching markets. The case studies are conducted for evaluation the developed model with the real data from Tancredo Neves International Airport (SBCF) of 2014. All the scenarios and data have taken from the official website of the Brazilian Airport Infrastructure Company (INFRAERO). The analysis on hypothetical and actual scenarios indicates that DA-SLOT model allows the correct treatment of the preferences of all players in the market through a stable allocation. In addition, desirable characteristics inherited from the DA mechanism, such as stability in the allocation and control manipulation of the results, may lead stakeholders to get overall performances in the system. These results can be considered as the main scientificand social contributions of this research.

In rock constructions and mining it is important to know the current stress situation in the rock due to safety and construction reasons. Two of the widely used stress measurement methods are overcoring and hydraulic fracturing. Both methods are expensive, need new boreholes, and are complex and time consuming. The methods are also limited by the number of successfully achieved measurements series. An alternative method is therefore investigated by locally relieving stresses around the borehole wall using sawn slots. To determine the stresses in the rock, strain measurements will be done using optics and image processing of images taken before and after cutting of the slots. The images will be processed by a technique called Digital Image Correlation (DIC), a method where the pixels are fitted between the images by the greyscale. The thesis is roughly divided into three parts. The first part explains the basics of rock stresses and current stress measurement methods. The second part is a literature study of the theory behind optics and DIC. There is also a study about if it is possible to use optics from a smartphone and how it differs from a reference commonly used camera in DIC application. Last part consists of numerical calculations in 2D to investigate if there is a possibility to relieve the stress around the borehole walls by cutting slots. With the optics from a smartphone the borehole wall can be in focus on just a few millimeters distance. DIC is a well-developed method which has a good precision when being conducted right and with a good image quality. The combination of using a smartphone and DIC is, however, not fully investigated yet. Only one comparable study was found. It used a Sony tablet and measured the deformations instead of strains. However, that study showed that the measurement error was around 1% compared to the reference camera. When translating deformations into strains, it is most likely that the error will increase, because the error will also be affected from the difference in deformation before and after cutting the slots. The numerical part showed that it’s possible to relieve the stress at parts of the borehole walls for the investigated conditions. To fully relieve the stresses around the borehole wall, it is necessary to have two slots with a short c-c distance and relatively deep slots. In this case a c-c distance of 15 mm and slot depth of at least 25 mm are recommended. / Vid projekt inom berganläggningar och gruvor är det viktigt att känna till de rådande spänningar i berget i ett säkerhets- och konstruktionsperspektiv. I Sverige används framförallt två undersökningsmetoder - överborrning eller hydraulisk spräckning. Två metoder som dock är dyra och relativt få mätserier kan genomföras. En alternativ metod har därför undersökts där borrhålsväggen lokalt avlastas genom sågade slitsar. Töjningsmätning sker genom att fotografera borrhålsväggen innan och efter sågning av slitsarna. Därefter sker bildbehandling via Digital Image Correlation (DIC). En metod som jämför en pixels placerings förändring genom att matcha pixeln via gråskalan. Examensarbetet kan man säga är grovt indelat i tre delar. Den första delen innefattar teorin som handlar om bergspänningar samt nuvarande mätmetoder för att mäta bergsspänningar. Andra delen är en litteraturstudie som behandlar den bakomliggande teorin för optik och bildbehandling med DIC samt en kort undersökning om det är möjligt att använda den optiska tekniken som finns i en smartphone. Sista delen utgörs av numeriska modelleringar i 2D för att verifiera om det går att fullständigt avlasta ett borrhål genom sågade slitsar. Med optik som finns i en smartphone kan bergväggen vara i fokus på bara ett par millimeters avstånd. DIC i sig är en teknik som är så pass utvecklad att precisionen i mätningarna är väldigt god. Förutsatt att bildbehandling görs korrekt och bildkvalitén är god. Kombinationen med optik liknande den från smartphone och bildbehandling med DIC är dock inte fullständigt undersökt. Enbart en jämförbar studie har hittats där deformationsmätningar har gjort med hjälp av en Surfplatta från Sony. Denna undersökning visade att mätfelet mot en referenskamera är cirka 1%. Dock förstärks mätfelet vid töjningsmätningar. Förstärkningen beror dock även av deformationsskillnaden mellan innan och efter avlastning. Den numeriska delen har visat att det går att lokalt avlasta bergväggen fullständigt för det undersökta spänningsförhållandet. Dock krävs det att två slitsar sitter på ett litet c-c avstånd samt är relativt djupa. Två undersökta slitsuppsättningar har visat på fullständigt avlastning, samt ytterligare ett fall som skulle kunna vara användbart.