Over the past few years Qualitative Reasoning about physical systems has emerged strongly as an important area in Artificial Intelligence. Many qualitative reasoning formalisms have been developed and applied to varied domains, namely, hydraulic systems, electrical systems, industrial control etc.
This paper examines Qualitative Process Theory [Forbus 84] formalism in...
Due to global warming wildland fires are increasing in frequency and severity. In the case of wildland fires, the major modes of combustion occur include smoldering combustion and flaming combustion. Smoldering combustion occurs most commonly in porous fuels like peat, forest duff, and woody fuels, which are available in abundance...
This project is concerned with the optimal distribution of the computation and the data in parallelized Simplex algorithms. Test cases were implemented on a 16-processor Transputer system from INMOS Corporation. By careful consideration of distribution of computations and data, a nearly linear speedup pattern was obtained. The most
interesting thing...
The atomic solid state energy (SSE) scale is introduced as a tool for inorganic materials design. The SSE scale is obtained by assessing an average electron affinity (EA) (for a cation) or an average ionization potential (IP) (for an anion) for each atom using data from compounds having that specific...
Improvement of manufacturing productivity is dependent on the successful
automation of manufacturing processes, the success of which is based in turn upon
the availability of information which describes the state of manufacturing operations.
Acoustic Emission (AE) signals related to the cutting process and tool wear have
been recently applied to...
Mukti Ashram is a rehabilitation center in north India that works with ex-child laborer boys. Fieldwork completed at the ashram in 1997-98 centered around the issue of the organization's attempt to enact social change through the engineering of community within the ashram's walls. Several fundamental processes that contribute to this...
This thesis will cover work that I have completed relating to the field of terahertz (THz) science. My work has consisted of generating tunable, narrowband THz pulses in a table-top optical setup and using both narrow- and broadband THz pulses to study various material systems. Broadband THz pulses were used...
Within the past decade, the continued-scaling of CMOS processes and improvements in industry mixed-signal integrated-circuit designs have enabled a rapid decrease in the cost, form-factor, and power for point-of-care diagnostics and electrochemical instrumentation. Similarly, advances in low-power RF designs have prompted entire System-on-Modules supporting widely varied Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications. The...
Brewers' spent grain (BSG), the byproduct from beermaking, is a good source of protein and dietary fiber and may be utilized as a functional ingredient for food applications such as bakery goods. Starch-based film is well-known for its safety, edibility, and renewability. Starch films with the incorporation of cellulose nanofiber...
By means of a case study and historical analysis, this dissertation examines the past and present of avian influenza. By integrating disconnected histories of human and animal influenza, this dissertation links historical insights with the concerns of contemporary avian flu science. It is not only a natural history of avian...