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Title: Would Lord Running Clam wear Wubfur slippers? The ethical imperative of empathy in the alternate ecologies of Philip K. Dick.
Creator: Aaronson, Russell S., Florida Atlantic University, Collins, Robert A., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English
Abstract/Description: Although critics have observed Philip K. Dick's references to empathy throughout his novels, short stories, and essays, no analysis has attempted to examine the role of empathy in his writings. In contrast to the element of ratiocination (or logical extrapolation) widely considered to be the hallmark of science fiction, Dick's fictions are held together by the value they primarily place not on reason, but on an empathic understanding of our actions and their effects upon the lives of other...
Show moreAlthough critics have observed Philip K. Dick's references to empathy throughout his novels, short stories, and essays, no analysis has attempted to examine the role of empathy in his writings. In contrast to the element of ratiocination (or logical extrapolation) widely considered to be the hallmark of science fiction, Dick's fictions are held together by the value they primarily place not on reason, but on an empathic understanding of our actions and their effects upon the lives of other entities. Using two early short stories ("Beyond Lies the Wub" and "Roog"), two non-Earth ecologies (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and Dr. Bloodmoney). I will demonstrate that Dick's works are united by an ethical imperative to understand the thoughts and emotions of others, human and nonhuman alike.
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Date Issued: 1996
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15339
Subject Headings: Dick, Philip K--Criticism and interpretation, Dick, Philip K--Ethics, Empathy in literature, Science fiction--History and criticism
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Isolation and characterization of novel conopeptides from Conus dalli.
Creator: Abbasi, Husam Usama., Florida Atlantic University, Mari, Frank
Abstract/Description: Conus dalli is a cone snail species that preys upon mollusks (molluscivorous) and it belongs to the same clade as the better studied Conus textile. They have different biogeographical distribution: C. dalli is restricted to the Panamic area; whereas C. textile is a widespread species found from the Red Sea to Hawaii. The venom of C. textile is an extremely complex mixture of conopeptides characterized for their very high content of modified amino acids; particularly, for their high content of...
Show moreConus dalli is a cone snail species that preys upon mollusks (molluscivorous) and it belongs to the same clade as the better studied Conus textile. They have different biogeographical distribution: C. dalli is restricted to the Panamic area; whereas C. textile is a widespread species found from the Red Sea to Hawaii. The venom of C. textile is an extremely complex mixture of conopeptides characterized for their very high content of modified amino acids; particularly, for their high content of gamma-carboxy glutamate (Gla). Therefore, it is expected that the venom of C. dalli is equally complex and it might provide us with a library of novel conopeptides. We have collected 6 specimens of C. dalli from the Pacific coast of Panama. Their venom ducts were dissected and 40 mg of crude venom were extracted. Venom was separated using SE-HPLC and RP-HPLC and several single-component fractions with unique molecular weights have been found. 1D and 2D NMR methods in conjunction with mass spectrometry techniques have been applied to the main components of the venom. Three novel conopeptides have been isolated and characterized; dal_C1011h, dal_C0910, and dal_C0805g. dal_C1011h is a 27-residue hydrophobic conotoxin that belongs to O-superfamily, dal_C0910 is a 16-residue conotoxin that belongs to M-superfamily, and dal_C0805g is a 12-residue linear conopeptide the belong to the Conorfamide family. The details on the characterization of these conopeptides along with a comparison with previous data obtained from C. textile are presented.
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Date Issued: 2005
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13214
Subject Headings: Conus, Gastropoda--Venom, Venom
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The exercise science knowledge base of commercial fitness instructors in the State of Florida.
Creator: Abbott, Anthony Almon., Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description: Recent anecdotal reports, surveys, studies and litigation have questioned the competency of commercial fitness instructors to provide safe and effective exercise programming. This research study was designed to measure, within the State of Florida, commercial fitness instructors' knowledge base in exercise science, a knowledge base which relates to one's ability to deliver competent instruction. To determine adequacy of exercise science knowledge, test scores of commercial fitness instructors...
Show moreRecent anecdotal reports, surveys, studies and litigation have questioned the competency of commercial fitness instructors to provide safe and effective exercise programming. This research study was designed to measure, within the State of Florida, commercial fitness instructors' knowledge base in exercise science, a knowledge base which relates to one's ability to deliver competent instruction. To determine adequacy of exercise science knowledge, test scores of commercial fitness instructors were compared to that of fitness instructors certified by the American College of Sports Medicine. It was hypothesized that commercial fitness instructors within the State lack appropriate training and, therefore, would not demonstrate a comparable exercise science knowledge base to ACSM instructors who have to meet requisite standards to become certified. Samples of commercial instructors were drawn from five geographically distributed, large metropolitan areas within the State; and their testing scores and those of an ACSM sample were statistically treated with One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). ACSM instructors scored over twice as high as commercial instructors on the testing instrument; and ANOVA reflected a significant difference that supported the research hypothesis. It was concluded that commercial fitness instructors in the State of Florida have significantly less knowledge of exercise science than ACSM certified Health/Fitness instructors which lends credence to the concern that perhaps practicing instructors are incapable of delivering safe and effective exercise programming.
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Date Issued: 1989
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/11935
Subject Headings: Physical fitness centers--Florida, Exercise
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Kinetics and mechanistic studies of molybdenum(2) oxygen(3) (diethyl dtc)(2) (THF)(2) iodine(2).
Creator: Abburi, Chakravarthi., Florida Atlantic University, Baird, Donald M.
Abstract/Description: A study of the kinetic behavior of the oxygen atom transfer reaction of Mo2o3 (Et2dtc)2 (THF) 2I2, (I), with a variety of derivatives of pyridine N-oxides has been performed. The reaction behaves in pseudo-first-order fashion under conditions of excess N-oxide. Plots of kobs vs. [N-oxide] do not give straight lines, while plots of 1/kobs vs. 1/[N-oxide] are linear. The rate constant k is taken as the inverse of the slope of this latter plot. There is a marked dependence of the rate on the...
Show moreA study of the kinetic behavior of the oxygen atom transfer reaction of Mo2o3 (Et2dtc)2 (THF) 2I2, (I), with a variety of derivatives of pyridine N-oxides has been performed. The reaction behaves in pseudo-first-order fashion under conditions of excess N-oxide. Plots of kobs vs. [N-oxide] do not give straight lines, while plots of 1/kobs vs. 1/[N-oxide] are linear. The rate constant k is taken as the inverse of the slope of this latter plot. There is a marked dependence of the rate on the functional group in the 4-position of the pyridine ring with the relative rates -CH3 > -H > -Cl > -CN. The above observations can be used to support a mechanism in which a rapid pre-equilibrium, with a large equilibrium constant, is followed by a rate-determining breaking of the Mo-O-Mo bridge.
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Date Issued: 1992
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14828
Subject Headings: Enzyme kinetics, Molybdenum enzymes, Chemical kinetics
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Human presence and sexual activity of West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) at Crystal River, Florida.
Creator: Abernathy, Barbara E., Florida Atlantic University, Adams, Ralph M., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract/Description: Free-ranging manatees wintering in the warm water of Kings Spring, Crystal River, Florida, were studied to determine the relationships between human presence and their sexual behaviors. The manatees of Crystal River are unique because of frequent exposure to large numbers of snorkelers and divers. Quantitative knowledge of such relationships are becoming increasingly important as preservation measures are reviewed to ensure that the human activity at the Spring does not pose a threat to...
Show moreFree-ranging manatees wintering in the warm water of Kings Spring, Crystal River, Florida, were studied to determine the relationships between human presence and their sexual behaviors. The manatees of Crystal River are unique because of frequent exposure to large numbers of snorkelers and divers. Quantitative knowledge of such relationships are becoming increasingly important as preservation measures are reviewed to ensure that the human activity at the Spring does not pose a threat to manatee reproduction. Focal animal sampling provided sexual behavioral data of manatees during randomly selected 30 min sampling periods. Frequencies of four of the eight observed sexual behaviors increased significantly in the presence of humans. Differences were also found between the types of sexual behaviors manatees exhibited while interacting with conspecifics, and the behaviors displayed with humans. Manatees appeared to be hyperstimulated in the presence of humans. No conclusions could be made about the effects of human interaction on manatee reproductive success because of the relatively short duration of the study.
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Date Issued: 1995
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15159
Subject Headings: West Indian manatee--Sexual behavior--Florida, Manatees--Sexual behavior--Florida
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Time-activity budgets and displacement rates in Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus) in the absence and presence of humans.
Creator: Abernathy, Jim., Florida Atlantic University, Adams, Ralph M.
Abstract/Description: The effects of human presence on displacement behavior and time-activity budgets of free-ranging manatees (Trichechus manatus) are poorly known. The congregation of manatees and human tourists in the warm waters of Crystal River, Florida, during the winter months offered a unique opportunity to study these effects. Focal animal sampling was used to gather behavioral data on manatees during randomly selected daylight sampling periods. Frequencies of displacement were correlated with numbers of...
Show moreThe effects of human presence on displacement behavior and time-activity budgets of free-ranging manatees (Trichechus manatus) are poorly known. The congregation of manatees and human tourists in the warm waters of Crystal River, Florida, during the winter months offered a unique opportunity to study these effects. Focal animal sampling was used to gather behavioral data on manatees during randomly selected daylight sampling periods. Frequencies of displacement were correlated with numbers of humans to determine if incidences of displacement were increased. Displacement increased with human presence. Maintenance and sexual behaviors decreased as human presence increased.
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Date Issued: 1995
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15176
Subject Headings: Manatees--Florida, West Indian manatee--Florida, Human-animal relationships
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Object-oriented design of flexible manufacturing systems.
Creator: Abou-Haidar, Bassam., Florida Atlantic University, Fernandez, Eduardo B.
Abstract/Description: This thesis presents a systematic method for the design and modeling of flexible manufacturing systems, using object-oriented concepts and Petri nets. In the method proposed, we first define the system components in terms of an object model consisting of hierarchical sets of classes and operations. Secondly, we model the dynamic aspects of the system using statecharts, including exceptions. As a third step, we derive Petri nets from those statecharts to realize the concurrency present in the...
Show moreThis thesis presents a systematic method for the design and modeling of flexible manufacturing systems, using object-oriented concepts and Petri nets. In the method proposed, we first define the system components in terms of an object model consisting of hierarchical sets of classes and operations. Secondly, we model the dynamic aspects of the system using statecharts, including exceptions. As a third step, we derive Petri nets from those statecharts to realize the concurrency present in the system. Finally we develop a hierarchy of controllers, corresponding to the layers of the object model, for the independent components of the system based on the Petri nets obtained in the previous step.
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Date Issued: 1993
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14989
Subject Headings: Petri nets, Flexible manufacturing systems, Object-oriented programming (Computer science), Real-time control
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: American lookback options: Early exercise.
Creator: Abramov, Viatcheslav Alexander., Florida Atlantic University, Yuhn, Ky-hyang, College of Business, Department of Economics
Abstract/Description: Lookback options are path dependent contingent claims whose payoff depend on the extrema of a given security's price over a given period. Some of these options are already traded on specialized markets (such as foreign exchange) and mostly in over-the-counter market alongside with other path dependent options (knock-ins, knock-outs, etc.). This thesis examines the existing pricing models of conventional options as well as standard European lookback options and provides some results about...
Show moreLookback options are path dependent contingent claims whose payoff depend on the extrema of a given security's price over a given period. Some of these options are already traded on specialized markets (such as foreign exchange) and mostly in over-the-counter market alongside with other path dependent options (knock-ins, knock-outs, etc.). This thesis examines the existing pricing models of conventional options as well as standard European lookback options and provides some results about early exercise of their American counterparts with the use of notions from the theory of optimal stopping.
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Date Issued: 1995
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15177
Subject Headings: Options (Finance), Derivative securities
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A case study of planning and implementing whole-school reform at a middle school.
Creator: Abramowitz, Rochelle., Florida Atlantic University, Maslin-Ostrowski, Patricia
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to investigate the dilemmas of planning and implementing whole-school reform in a middle school from the perception of administrators, teachers and parents. A qualitative case study approach was used. Data collection included interviews, observations, and document analysis. Interviews with 28 participants were divided into three consecutive sessions conducted from the bottom up in terms of the hierarchy of power in the organization. Data were transcribed, coded,...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to investigate the dilemmas of planning and implementing whole-school reform in a middle school from the perception of administrators, teachers and parents. A qualitative case study approach was used. Data collection included interviews, observations, and document analysis. Interviews with 28 participants were divided into three consecutive sessions conducted from the bottom up in terms of the hierarchy of power in the organization. Data were transcribed, coded, triangulated, and analyzed to understand the views of participants. The study resulted in three major findings: (a) The principal enhanced the learning organization's capacity for whole-school reform by balancing tensions and conflicts; (b) Implementing a high-stakes testing regime and reform design simultaneously contributed to teacher overload, and reduced the capacity of teachers to implement whole-school reform; and, (c) Learning communities had a pivotal role in fostering collaboration for whole-school reform. The study concluded that: (a) Principal leadership is vital to successful whole-school reform implementation; (b) The crucial challenge of principals in whole-school reform is forging a network of strong relationships within and across staff work teams and the community through the development of learning communities and professional development; and, (c) Whole-school reform must be balanced with and adapted to accountability system if it is to have a chance of succeeding.
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Date Issued: 2004
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12080
Subject Headings: Middle school education, Educational change, Educational leadership, School management and organization
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Some graph connectivity conditions and their implications.
Creator: Abreu, Marien, Florida Atlantic University, Locke, Stephen C.
Abstract/Description: This dissertation studies two independent problems, each related to a special connectivity condition in a simple graph. The first is a distance-degree condition called cohesion. Given a tree T with n vertices, we analyze the minimum integer f(T) = k, in terms of n, for which any connected k-cohesive graph G contains a copy of T, such that G-V(T) is connected. The problem comes from a generalization of an exercise by Lovasz [L7] in which it is shown that f(K2) = 5. Locke, Tracy and Voss [L5]...
Show moreThis dissertation studies two independent problems, each related to a special connectivity condition in a simple graph. The first is a distance-degree condition called cohesion. Given a tree T with n vertices, we analyze the minimum integer f(T) = k, in terms of n, for which any connected k-cohesive graph G contains a copy of T, such that G-V(T) is connected. The problem comes from a generalization of an exercise by Lovasz [L7] in which it is shown that f(K2) = 5. Locke, Tracy and Voss [L5] have proved that in general f(T) > 2n, and in the case in which T is a path, equality is attained. Also Locke [L5.1] proved that f(T) < 4n. Here we improve the upper bound to 4n-6 when T is not a path and to 2n + 2 when T has diameter at most 4. In the particular case of K1,3 we show that f(K1,3) = 2n = 8 is attained. The conjecture that remains open is whether f(T) = 2n for any tree T on n vertices. The second problem studied here is a particular case of the well known relation between the path-connectivity and a set of long cycles, which generate the cycle space of a simple graph. The main conjecture in this topic is by Bondy [B1], and states that if G is a 3-connected graph, with minimum degree at least d and with at least 2d vertices, then every cycle of G can be written as the symmetric difference of an odd number of cycles, each of whose lengths are at least 2d-1. Hartman [H2], Locke [L1, L2, L3], Barovich [BL] and Teng [L6] have proved results related to this conjecture. Here we show that 2-connected, 6-path-connected graphs with at least 9 vertices and minimum degree at least 3 are 6-generated. And more generally, we prove that if a graph G is 2-connected, k-path-connected, and contains a long cycle, then G is (k + 1)-generated, up to some cases which are characterized. The conjecture [L3] of whether, for some constant m, 1/2 < m < 1, every k-path-connected graph is mk-generated, remains open.
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Date Issued: 2003
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12030
Subject Headings: Trees (Graph theory), Paths and cycles (Graph theory)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Low latency and energy efficient MAC protocols for wireless sensor networks.
Creator: Abu-El Humos, Ali M., Florida Atlantic University, Alhalabi, Bassem A., Cardei, Mihaela, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: Energy consumption is a critical design issue in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), since sensor nodes are battery operated, and replacing or recharging the battery is usually infeasible. Energy efficient solutions are sought at all network levels, especially at the medium access level. The IEEE 802.11 MAC protocol is optimized for Ad hoc Wireless Networks, but cannot be adopted for WSNs because it has the idle listening problem, which is a major source of energy waste. Several Medium Access...
Show moreEnergy consumption is a critical design issue in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), since sensor nodes are battery operated, and replacing or recharging the battery is usually infeasible. Energy efficient solutions are sought at all network levels, especially at the medium access level. The IEEE 802.11 MAC protocol is optimized for Ad hoc Wireless Networks, but cannot be adopted for WSNs because it has the idle listening problem, which is a major source of energy waste. Several Medium Access Control (MAC) protocols have been proposed for WSNs to save the transceiver energy by introducing periodic listen/sleep cycles, and thus overcome the idle listing problem. The periodic listen sleep cycles, however, will increase the network latency and require extra overhead to establish and maintain synchronization among nodes in the network. This dissertation introduces a new MAC protocol for WSNs based on the SMAC protocol to improve its latency performance without compromising its energy consumption. The original SMAC provides an efficient solution for the energy consumption problem due to idle listening, but it increases latency especially in low duty cycle applications. TMAC was proposed to further reduce the energy consumption in SMAC and introduced the Forward Request-To-Send (FRTS) packet to solve the early sleep problem observed in TMAC. Later, Adaptive SMAC was proposed to reduce the latency problem in SMAC by at least 50% at light traffic load. Our new protocol, FASMAC, combines the advantages of both adaptive listening and the usage of FRTS packet in TMAC to further reduce the latency of SMAC. In FASMAC, a packet can travel at least three hops away from its source node within one time cycle. This results in at least 67% reduction in latency at light traffic when compared with the original SMAC. We also propose an energy model for performance evaluation of WSNs protocols using the network simulator NS2. The current energy model of NS2 was designed to handle Ad hoc Wireless Networks where the low power consumption sleep mode was not an issue. However, this is not the case in WSNs. We show that NS2 energy model is not suitable to evaluate the performance of WSNs protocols because it does not account for the low power sleep mode. This dissertation proposes a solution to this deficiency and provides simulation results that match real experimental results performed on the actual sensor motes.
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Date Issued: 2005
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12149
Subject Headings: Wireless communication systems, Sensor networks, Power resources--Efficiency
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Remote labs: Active element IV characteristics.
Creator: Abu-El Humos, Ali M., Florida Atlantic University, Alhalabi, Bassem A.
Abstract/Description: This thesis proposes the use of remote laboratory experiments in distance education. Remote labs combine both the convenience of distance education and the effectiveness of the traditional physical campus labs. Moreover, this research studies the different hardware and software technologies that would make remote lab experimentation feasible in terms of cost and quality. The focus in this thesis is how to use BS2 with Microsoft ASP and COM technologies to build a remote lab experiment with...
Show moreThis thesis proposes the use of remote laboratory experiments in distance education. Remote labs combine both the convenience of distance education and the effectiveness of the traditional physical campus labs. Moreover, this research studies the different hardware and software technologies that would make remote lab experimentation feasible in terms of cost and quality. The focus in this thesis is how to use BS2 with Microsoft ASP and COM technologies to build a remote lab experiment with minimum hardware and software cost, while maintaining satisfactory on-line experiment quality. Remote labs is a creative innovation in the world of distance education. This thesis is based on the pioneering work of Dr. Alhalabi and Dr. Hamza.
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Date Issued: 2002
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12939
Subject Headings: Distance education, Internet in higher education, Scientific apparatus and instruments--Computer simulation
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Studies on nonlinear activity and cross-entropy considerations in neural networks.
Creator: Abusalah, Salahalddin Tawfiq., Florida Atlantic University, Neelakanta, Perambur S., College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: The objectives of this research as deliberated in this dissertation are two-folded: (i) To study the nonlinear activity in the neural complex (real and artificial) and (ii) to analyze the learning processe(s) pertinent to an artificial neural network in the information-theoretic plane using cross-entropy error-metrics. The research efforts envisaged enclave the following specific tasks: (i) Obtaining a general solution for the Bernoulli-Riccati equation to represent a single parameter family...
Show moreThe objectives of this research as deliberated in this dissertation are two-folded: (i) To study the nonlinear activity in the neural complex (real and artificial) and (ii) to analyze the learning processe(s) pertinent to an artificial neural network in the information-theoretic plane using cross-entropy error-metrics. The research efforts envisaged enclave the following specific tasks: (i) Obtaining a general solution for the Bernoulli-Riccati equation to represent a single parameter family of S-shaped (sigmoidal) curves depicting the nonlinear activity in the neural network. (ii) Analysis of the logistic growth of output versus input values in the neural complex (real and artificial) under the consideration that the boundaries of the sets constituting the input and output entities are crisp and/or fuzzy. (iii) Construction of a set of cross-entropy error-metrics (known as Csiszar's measures) deduced in terms of the parameters pertinent to a perceptron topology and elucidation of their relative effectiveness in training the network optimally towards convergence. (iv) Presenting the methods of symmetrizing and balancing the aforesaid error-entropy measures (in the information-theoretic plane) so as to make them usable as error-metrics in the test domain. (v) Description and analysis of the dynamics of neural learning process in the information-theoretic plane for both crisp and fuzzy attributes of input values. Relevant to these topics portraying the studies on nonlinear activity and cross-entropy considerations vis-a-vis neural networks, newer and/or exploratory inferences are made, logical conclusions are enumerated and relative discussions are presented along with the scope for future research to be pursued.
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Date Issued: 1996
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12447
Subject Headings: Neural networks (Computer science), Entropy (Information theory), Nonlinear control theory
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Resource-sensitive intrusion detection models for network traffic.
Creator: Abushadi, Mohamed E., Florida Atlantic University, Khoshgoftaar, Taghi M.
Abstract/Description: Network security is an important subject in today's extensively interconnected computer world. The industry, academic institutions, small and large businesses and even residences are now greatly at risk from the increasing onslaught of computer attacks. Such malicious efforts cause damage ranging from mere violation of confidentiality and issues of privacy up to actual financial loss if business operations are compromised, or even further, loss of human lives in the case of mission-critical...
Show moreNetwork security is an important subject in today's extensively interconnected computer world. The industry, academic institutions, small and large businesses and even residences are now greatly at risk from the increasing onslaught of computer attacks. Such malicious efforts cause damage ranging from mere violation of confidentiality and issues of privacy up to actual financial loss if business operations are compromised, or even further, loss of human lives in the case of mission-critical networked computer applications. Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) have been used along with the help of data mining modeling efforts to detect intruders, yet with the limitation of organizational resources it is unreasonable to inspect every network alarm raised by the IDS. Modified Expected Cost of Misclassification ( MECM) is a model selection measure that is resource-aware and cost-sensitive at the same time, and has proven to be effective for the identification of the best resource-based intrusion detection model.
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Date Issued: 2003
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13054
Subject Headings: Computer networks--Security measures--Automation, Computers--Access control, Data mining, Computer security
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Trim analysis by shooting and finite elements and Floquet eigenanalysis by QR and subspace iterations in helicopter dynamics.
Creator: Achar, Nagari Shriranga., Florida Atlantic University, Gaonkar, Gopal H., College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering
Abstract/Description: The trim analysis for the initial state and control inputs that satisfy response periodicity and flight conditions, and the Floquet eigenanalysis for a few largest eigenvalues of the Floquet transition matrix (FTM) are investigated. In the trim analysis, the convergence of Newton iteration is investigated in computing the periodic initial state and control inputs sequentially and in parallel. The trim analysis uses the shooting method and two h-versions of temporal finite element methods, one...
Show moreThe trim analysis for the initial state and control inputs that satisfy response periodicity and flight conditions, and the Floquet eigenanalysis for a few largest eigenvalues of the Floquet transition matrix (FTM) are investigated. In the trim analysis, the convergence of Newton iteration is investigated in computing the periodic initial state and control inputs sequentially and in parallel. The trim analysis uses the shooting method and two h-versions of temporal finite element methods, one based on displacement formulation and the other on mixed formulation of displacements and momenta. In each method, both the sequential and in-parallel schemes are used, and the resulting nonlinear equations are solved by damped Newton iteration with an optimally selected damping parameter. The reliability of damped Newton iteration, including earlier-observed divergence problems, is quantified by the maximum condition number of the Jacobian matrices of the iterative scheme. For illustrative purposes, rigid flap-lag and flap-lag-torsion models based on quasisteady aerodynamics are selected. Demanding trim analysis conditions are included by considering advance ratios or dimensionless flight speeds twice as high as those of current helicopters. Concerning the Floquet eigenanalysis, the feasibility of using the Arnoldi-Saad method, one of the emerging subspace iteration methods, is explored as an alternative to the currently used QR method, which is not economical for partial eigenanalysis. The reliability of the Arnoldi-Saad method is quantified by the eigenvalue condition numbers and the residual errors of the eigenpairs. In the three trim analysis methods, while the optimally selected damping parameter provides almost global convergence, the in-parallel scheme requires much less machine time than the conventional sequential scheme; both schemes have comparable reliability of the Newton iteration without and with damping. The Arnoldi-Saad method takes much less machine time than the QR method with comparable reliability.
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Date Issued: 1992
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12297
Subject Headings: Helicopters--Dynamics, Helicopters--Handling characteristics, Stability of helicopters--Mathematical models
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Becoming Fools Crow.
Creator: Acker, Stacy A. B., Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English
Abstract/Description: James Welch's historical novel Fools Crow brings readers to the eve of the destruction of Plains Indians' culture. Through Fools Crow, a member of the Pikuni band in the Blackfeet tribe, readers witness the rites of passage of a young man evolving into a respected member of Blackfeet society. The story culminates with the Marias Massacre of 1870 in which the U.S. Cavalry knowingly slaughtered innocent Blackfeet. While many find this book tragic with depressing implications, Welch's...
Show moreJames Welch's historical novel Fools Crow brings readers to the eve of the destruction of Plains Indians' culture. Through Fools Crow, a member of the Pikuni band in the Blackfeet tribe, readers witness the rites of passage of a young man evolving into a respected member of Blackfeet society. The story culminates with the Marias Massacre of 1870 in which the U.S. Cavalry knowingly slaughtered innocent Blackfeet. While many find this book tragic with depressing implications, Welch's development of the hero offers contemporary readers a sense of hope. Welch offers a new hero, one who brings new knowledge to the people, in the character Fools Crow. While most American Indian culture heroes are mythic, Welch offers a man who learns to live with mortal limitations and weaknesses. Because of who he becomes while remaining a man, not a myth, Fools Crow stands as a symbol of hope, not loss, for today.
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Date Issued: 1996
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15352
Subject Headings: Folklore, Literature, American
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Thrust Response of a Vectored-Thruster Unmanned Underwater Vehicle.
Creator: Ackermann, Lloyd E. J., von Ellenrieder, Karl, Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description: Towing tank/water flume experiments are conducted to characterize the dynamics of a Remotely-Piloted Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (RPUUV) propelled by a vectored-thruster system. Force and torque measurements are used to determine the coefficients of drag, lift, yaw-moment and thrust of the vehicle as a function of the vehicle yaw angle and the vectored-thruster rudder angle. Simultaneously, particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements of the propeller inlet flow are also performed to examine...
Show moreTowing tank/water flume experiments are conducted to characterize the dynamics of a Remotely-Piloted Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (RPUUV) propelled by a vectored-thruster system. Force and torque measurements are used to determine the coefficients of drag, lift, yaw-moment and thrust of the vehicle as a function of the vehicle yaw angle and the vectored-thruster rudder angle. Simultaneously, particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements of the propeller inlet flow are also performed to examine the variation of flow conditions at the propeller inlet with rudder angle. The tests are conducted at 0.150 rnls, 0.300 rnls, 0.515 rnls and 0.773 rnls. While the measured drag coefficient is slightly higher than predicted by theory at low Reynolds number (1.44 x10^5 and 2.88 x10^5), the hydrodynamic coefficients data are expected to be useful in predicting the response of vehicles in the field. Additionally, the magnitude of the thrust vector varies nonlinearly with rudder angle and for nonzero rudder angles the thrust vector does not point in the same direction as the thruster axis.
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Date Issued: 2007
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00012500
Subject Headings: Naval architecture, Oceanographic submersibles--Hydrodynamics, Vibration (Marine engineering)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: CHOOSING ANALOGOUS SOLUTIONS.
Creator: ACKINCLOSE, CAROLYN C., Florida Atlantic University, Reed, Stephen K.
Abstract/Description: The present study investigated how students in a college algebra class select potentially useful solutions for solving algebra word problems. Several variables, including similarity, complexity, and inclusiveness were assessed to determine how they influence subjects' selections. Results indicated that neither complexity nor inclusiveness had a significant impact on students' selections and that students select solutions primarily on the basis of similarity. Students' inability to select...
Show moreThe present study investigated how students in a college algebra class select potentially useful solutions for solving algebra word problems. Several variables, including similarity, complexity, and inclusiveness were assessed to determine how they influence subjects' selections. Results indicated that neither complexity nor inclusiveness had a significant impact on students' selections and that students select solutions primarily on the basis of similarity. Students' inability to select potentially useful solutions was revealed by their failure to select the more inclusive solution, even though their performance greatly improved through the use of these solutions. The influence of similarity on the selection of solutions and inclusiveness on the effective use of solutions occurred when the effective solutions had the same story context (Experiment 1) and when the effective solutions had a different story context (Experiment 2).
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Date Issued: 1986
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14313
Subject Headings: Problem solving, Thought and thinking
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Combining examples and procedures.
Creator: Actor, Cheryl A., Florida Atlantic University, Reed, Stephen K.
Abstract/Description: The present study evaluated three instructional methods for solving algebra word problems. The instructions consisted of either an example, a set of procedures, or both the example and procedures. The procedures were rules designed to aid in solving word problems. The example was a worked-out solution to a word problem that was representative of the test problems. The subject's task was to study the instructional material and then generate the equations needed to solve the subsequent test...
Show moreThe present study evaluated three instructional methods for solving algebra word problems. The instructions consisted of either an example, a set of procedures, or both the example and procedures. The procedures were rules designed to aid in solving word problems. The example was a worked-out solution to a word problem that was representative of the test problems. The subject's task was to study the instructional material and then generate the equations needed to solve the subsequent test problems. The test problems differed from the example by either 0, 1, 2, or 3 transformations. The results showed that subjects in the example and example-plus-procedure groups performed the best but the difference between these two groups was not significant. The procedures alone were relatively ineffective. A mathematical model is proposed to explain how the performance was influenced by the three types of instructional material and four levels of transformation.
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Date Issued: 1988
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14437
Subject Headings: Problem solving, Educational psychology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Feasting with Banquo: The ghost stories of Fritz Leiber.
Creator: Adair, Gerald M., Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English
Abstract/Description: In "Smoke Ghost" (1941), Fritz Leiber created the contemporary paradigm for the "urban horror story" that has been so successfully exploited by Stephen King, Richard Matheson, Dennis Etchison, Ramsey Campbell and many others. At the heart of Leiber's ghost stories, however, rest a firm "tradition" of supernatural fiction, stemming from primitive religion, on the one hand, and literary example on the other. While his urban settings (Chicago, San Francisco) may be seen as contemporary...
Show moreIn "Smoke Ghost" (1941), Fritz Leiber created the contemporary paradigm for the "urban horror story" that has been so successfully exploited by Stephen King, Richard Matheson, Dennis Etchison, Ramsey Campbell and many others. At the heart of Leiber's ghost stories, however, rest a firm "tradition" of supernatural fiction, stemming from primitive religion, on the one hand, and literary example on the other. While his urban settings (Chicago, San Francisco) may be seen as contemporary reinterpretations of Horace Walpole's Gothic castle, his specters are the lineal descendants of Shakespeare's, LeFanu's, and Henry James's. Leiber's later use of Jungian archetypes (Shadow and Anima) is superimposed on the traditional ghostly archetype. An analysis of his novel-length ghost story, Our Lady of Darkness , reveals the lurking malevolence of a LeFanu specter, while the ghosts of Shakespeare hover in the wings of stories in which he explores themes of sex, guilt, and death. In each of Leiber's ghost stories, the elements of the tradition combine with "haunts" from the author's personal psychic history to produce a powerful fantasy experience that persists despite threats to the genre by "science, common sense, and psychiatry."
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Date Issued: 2000
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12666
Subject Headings: Literature, Modern, Literature, American
Format: Document (PDF)

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