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<p> We look at methods to generate uniformly distributed points from the classical matrix groups, spheres, projective spaces, and Grassmannians. We motivate the discussion with a number of applications ranging from number theory to wireless communications. The uniformity of the samples and the efficiency of the algorithms are compared. </p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Hot-rolled sheet piling has long-been believed to have a better flexural performance than cold-formed sheet piling based on a test conducted by Hartman Engineering twenty years ago. However, cold-formed steel can have similar strength to the hot-rolled steel This experimental program studied the flexural behavior of hot-rolled and cold-formed steel sheet pilings. This program quantified the influence of transverse stresses from soil pressures on the longitudinal flexural strength. Four cross-sections with two pairs of equivalent sectional modulus were investigated. Sheet-piling specimens were subjected to simulated soil pressure from an air bladder loaded transversely to their longitudinal axis. The span lengths were varied, while the loading area remains unchanged to examine the effect of different transverse stresses. Lateral bracings were provided at discrete locations to establish a sheet piling wall behavior and allow the development of transverse stresses. Load-pressure, load-deflection, load-strain, and moment-deflection responses were plotted to demonstrate the behavior of each specimen. The moment-deflection curves were then normalized to the corresponding yield stress from tensile coupon tests to make a meaningful comparison. The results indicate that transverse stresses influence the flexural capacity of the sheet pilings. The longer span length has less amount of transverse strains, resulting in a higher moment capacity. The hot-rolled sheet pilings have better flexural performance also because of less transverse strains. / Master of Science / Sheet piling wall is an essential structure used during the excavation process. Sheet piling can be hot-rolled and cold-formed. Hot-rolled sheet piling has long-been believed to have a better bending performance based on a test conducted by Hartman Engineering twenty years ago. However, cold-formed steel can have similar strength to hot-rolled steel. This experimental program studied the bending behavior of hot-rolled and cold-formed steel sheet pilings. This program quantified the influence of lateral loading from soil pressure on the moment capacity of the sheet piling. Four cross-sections with two pairs of equivalent bending properties were investigated. Sheet-piling specimens were set up as beam members and subjected to simulated soil pressure from an air bladder. The span lengths of the specimens were varied, while the loading area remains unchanged to examine the effect of different amounts of load. Lateral bracings were provided at discrete locations to establish a sheet piling wall behavior and allow local deflection of the cross-section. Load-pressure, load-deflection, load-strain, and moment-deflection responses were plotted to demonstrate the behavior of each specimen. The moment-deflection curves were then normalized to the corresponding material property of each specimen to make a meaningful comparison between different specimens. The results indicate that lateral loading of the soil pressure influences the bending capacity of the sheet pilings. The longer span length has less amount of transverse strains, resulting in a higher bending capacity. The hot-rolled sheet pilings have better bending performance also because of less transverse strains.

This thesis demonstrates a parameter estimation technique for bioprocesses that utilizes measurement noise in experimental data to determine credible intervals on parameter estimates, with this information of potential use in prediction, robust control, and optimization. To determine these estimates, the work implements Bayesian inference using nested sampling, presenting an approach to develop neural network (NN) based surrogate models. To address challenges associated with non-uniform sampling of experimental measurements, an NN structure is proposed. The resultant surrogate model is utilized within a Nested Sampling Algorithm that samples possible parameter values from the parameter space and uses the NN to calculate model output for use in the likelihood function based on the joint probability distribution of the noise of output variables. This method is illustrated against simulated data, then with experimental data from a Sartorius fed-batch bioprocess. Results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed technique to enable rapid parameter estimation for bioprocesses. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc) / Bioprocesses require models that can be developed quickly for rapid production of desired pharmaceuticals. Parameter estimation is necessary for these models, especially first principles models. Generating parameter estimates with confidence intervals is important for model based control. Challenges with parameter estimation that must be addressed are the presence of non-uniform sampling and measurement noise in experimental data. This thesis demonstrates a method of parameter estimation that generates parameter estimates with credible intervals by incorporating measurement noise in experimental data, while also employing a dynamic neural network surrogate model that can process non-uniformly sampled data. The proposed technique implements Bayesian inference using nested sampling and was tested against both simulated and real experimental fed-batch data.

The purposes of this study were to examine how a voluntary compliance school uniform policy was implemented at a public elementary school, what the results of the implementation were, and why the policy was rescinded. Utilizing a descriptive case study design, data were collected through document collection and interviews with a minimum sample (N = 25) of teachers, parents, and administrators who most intensely manifested an interest in the school uniform policy. Through interviewing the minimum sample, an additional information-rich sample (N = 2) was identified. Data were organized utilizing summary sheets and pattern coding, and matrices were used to display data and draw conclusions. Findings were presented in full narrative text and display, and conclusions were drawn from the data and the empirical framework established in the conceptual framework. An analysis of data indicated that the organization's adoption and implementation decisions were decentralized decisions in which decisions were shared by a wide variety of stakeholders. Individual decisions to adopt or reject occurred through the diffusion of information between and among opinion leaders and interpersonal networks. A "moderate plan" for implementation was in place, and the organization utilized regular feedback to reshape and develop the uniform policy. Initial compliance rates averaged 70%, and findings showed that no measurable outcomes were evident from the effects of uniforms. Initial compliance rates waned to a range between 30% and 40%; however, findings indicated that the decline was due to a variety of reasons other than outright rejection of the policy. As compliance waned, power and conflict were strategically used to create a dominant view and to influence rescission of the policy. The undesirable and unanticipated consequences of the policy outweighed those of the desirable and anticipated, and the policy was rescinded. / Ed. D.

Microwave processing of ceramics has seen a growth in research and development efforts throughout the past decade. One area of interest is the exploration of improved heating control through experiments and numerical modeling. Controlled heating may be used to counteract non-uniform heating and avoid destructive phenomena such as cracking and thermal runaway. Thermal runaway is a potential problem in materials with temperature dependent dielectric properties. As the material absorbs electromagnetic energy, the temperature increases as does its ability to absorb more energy. Controlled processing of the material may be achieved by manipulating the applied field. The purpose of this research is to model the interaction of the EM-field with a thin ceramic fiber to investigate possible mechanisms that may affect the heating process. The fiber undergoes microwave heating in a single-mode resonant applicator. Maxwell's equations for the fields within the cavity are solved using mode-matching techniques taking into account the field interaction of the fiber and an arbitrarily shaped coupling aperture. Effects of varying the aperture shape on the field distribution are explored. The coupled nature of the electromagnetic solution with the material's temperature-dependent properties, including an analysis of non-uniform heating, is also discussed. / Master of Science

No / In this paper the sensitivity of the decoupling matrix used for mutual coupling compensation in small size uniform circular arrays has been studied. The compensation matrix is calculated using the receiving mode technique for a 5-element uniform circular array and applied to two groups of direction finding algorithms, namely phase comparison-based (interferometry) and subspace-based algorithms. In the tracking application considered the receiver array is deployed on a car roof or aircraft, so the geometry of the platform influences the compensation results. In this work, the effect of different ground plane geometries in terms of the standard deviation of angular error for each estimation algorithm using simulation results is investigated. The results show that the calibration conditions used to determine the compensation matrix affect the AOA estimation accuracy.

Yes / River dynamics and sediment transport play an important role in river bed morphology. Building a bridge pier along the river alters the cross-section of the river and causes the change in flow processes. These changes are mainly responsible for pier scour. In this paper, the usage of collars to reduce scour around circular piers has been investigated. The collars with different diameters and depth positions have been studied using previous data and additional data collected in the present study to assess their effectiveness in reducing scour. Using a wide range of measured data, an empirical equation to compute the maximum scour depth around the circular piers in the presence of collars has been proposed. The proposed equation has been validated and proven to be applicable to a wide range of pier layouts. It has been found that the maximum efficiency can be achieved by fixing the collar at bed level and adopting a collar diameter 1.5–2.5 times of pier diameter.

Assume AD+V=L(R). In the first chapter, let W^1_1 denote the club measure on \omega_1. We analyze the embedding j_{W^1_1}\restr HOD from the point of view of inner model theory. We use our analysis to answer a question of Jackson-Ketchersid about codes for ordinals less than \omega_\omega. In the second chapter, we provide an indiscernibles analysis for models of the form L[T_n,x]. We use our analysis to provide new proofs of the strong partition property on \delta^1_{2n+1}

In a deregulated electricity market, auction serves as a primary pricing tool in various segments of the market including day-ahead, real time, ancillary services markets, and Financial Transmission Rights (FTRs) market. Deregulated power markets around the world use different auction strategies that exist in the literature, since very little comparative guidelines exist as to the relative merits of these strategies. In this thesis, a computational methodology and its solution framework are developed to evaluate the impact of an auction strategy on the equilibrium prices in a constrained network with multiple generators at nodes, and where transactions are settled using the optimal power flow (OPF) program. The methodology is tested on a power market represented by a sample 12-bus IEEE network available in the MATPOWER software, which is reconfigured to allow multiple generators to supply power at a bus. The network is used as a platform to comprehensively assess the performance of uniform price auction, discriminatory auction, and second-price uniform auction. Auction rules are used to update generator costs, which are then introduced into the OPF program for obtaining optimal price and quantity allocations. This Auction-OPF procedure is embedded within a game theoretic model that obtains the equilibrium bidding strategies and the corresponding prices and quantities for the network. A detailed comparison of the auction mechanisms is carried out using different measures of performance such as revenue, average prices, and quantity weighted average prices. The comparison shows that there is, perhaps, an appreciable difference among the auction mechanisms. However, to statistically confirm the impact of auction choices, a mixed level factorial experiment is designed with auction strategy, network load, and congestion as three different factors and a closeness measure (defined as the difference between average total revenue and the average total cost of generators in the network per hour) as the responsible variable. An analysis of variance conducted on the experimental outcomes indicates that the load level and the auction strategy significantly affect the network performance. The presence market power under the auction strategies is examined through two well known indices, Herfindahl-Hirschmann Index (HHI) and Lerners Index. It is concluded from the HHI values that all three auction strategies allow the market to be moderately competitive. The Lerners index values show that, while discriminatory auction results in highest bid markup, second price uniform auction induces bidding at or close to the marginal cost.