Predator-prey interactions have historically been studied to explain patterns of organization observed in populations and communities. They have also been important in understanding the evolution of antipredator responses in prey and counterstrategies in predators. Despite the breadth of knowledge that exists for heterospecific interactions, relatively few studies have investigated the...
With the increased attention on high efficiency and controllability of industrial processes, as well as reduced weight, volume and cost of consumer products, the applications of nonlinear power electronic converters such as adjustable speed drives (ASDs) are showing a rapid rise. Power Quality (PQ) is becoming an increasing concern with...
Down the road is a collection of short stories written in the post-Stonewall tradition of gay men's literature, which has focused on works that reflect gay experience and specifically autobiographical fiction; a desire to write for gay readers without having to explain circumstances or points of view to readers unfamiliar...
Within this thesis, I posit that poetry, rather than philosophical argument, is a more effective means of expressing and understanding the nature of mystical experiences. William James’ analysis of mysticism inspires the theoretical approach utilized in this thesis. An analysis of the unique qualities of poetic language within mystical discourse...
The purpose of this study is to examine the rhetorical efforts of President George W. Bush in defending his administration's warrantless wiretapping program. Specifically, the study attempts to determine the president's underlying motives when he defended the National Security Agency in a December 2005 radio address by applying Kenneth Burke's...
This dissertation explores and analyzes the performance of several Bayesian anytime inference algorithms for dynamic influence diagrams. These algorithms are compared on the On-Line Maintenance Agent testbed, a software artifact permitting comparison of dynamic reasoning algorithms used by an agent on a variety of simulated maintenance and monitoring tasks. Analysis...
This study was commissioned and funded by the Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station (COMES) to 1) identify the scientific and management issues constraining the advancement of the Oregon bay clam commercial industry, 2) explore scientific, management, and economic opportunities for the enhancement of the fishery, 3) outline and suggest mechanisms...