Online visualization of bibliography Using Visualization Techniques

Visualization is a concept where we can represent some raw data in the form of graphs, images, charts, etc. which will be very helpful for the end-user to correlate and be able to understand the relationships between the data elements in a single screen. Representing the bibliographic information of the computer science journals and proceedings using Visualization technique would help user choose a particular author and navigate through the hierarchy and find out what papers the author has published, the keywords of the papers, what papers cite them, the co-authors along with the main author, and how many papers are published by the author selected by the user and so on in a single page. These information is right now present in a scattered manner and the user has to search on websites like Google Scholar [1], Cite Seer [2] to get these bibliographic records. By the use of visualization techniques, all the information can be accessed on a single page by having a graph like points on the page, where the user can search for a particular author and the author and its co-authors are represented in the form of points. The goal of this project is to enhance current bibliography web services with an intuitive interactive visualization interface and to improve user understanding and conceptualization. In this project, we develop a simple web-interface which will take a search query from the user and find the related information like author\u27s name, the co-authors, number of papers published by him, related keywords, citations referred etc. The project uses the bibliographic records which are available as XML files from the Citeseer database[2], extracts the data into the database and then queries the database for the results using a web service. The data which is extracted is then presented visually to allow the user to conceptualize the results in a better way and help him/her find the articles of interest with utmost ease. In addition the user can interactively navigate the visual results to get more information about any of the article or the author displayed. So here we present both paper centric view and author centric view to the user by representing data in terms of graphs. The nodes in the graphs obtained for paper centric views and author centric views are color coded based on the paper’s weight parameter ( popularity of the paper ). For the paper centric view, the papers which are referring other papers are represented by providing a directed arrow from referred paper to referenced paper. Overall the idea here was to represent this related data in the form of a tree, so that the user can correlate all the data and get the relationships between them

Flora of Sacred Groves at Sriharikota Island, Andhra Pradesh, India

Sriharikota is botanically interesting place in Andhra Pradesh by virtue of being an island in Nellore District harbouring a rich vegetation and a popular place also because of establishment of Rocket Launching Station. The anecdote behind the same Sriharikota is that there are half a million of Siva Lingams present in the island. The legend derived its strength from the words ‘arc’ (half) and cotti (crore), ‘Sri’ being a qualifying term. However, the fact is that there are a good number of dilapidated temples around which note- worthy vegetation, worth a critical study. It is said that a number of idols also were found during excavation operations while construction programme of SHAR establishment was carried out. One such idol is presently installed at newly constructed temple in the area. Hence a study of flora of sacred groves is undertaken. A good number of medicinal plants are recorded around the sacred groves. However 18 plants only of high importance are reported here, such as Albizzia amara, Lannea coromandelica, Loesneriella obtusifolia, Strychnos nux-vomica and Strychnos potatorum etc

Prospective study of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis/spontaneous bacterial empyema(SBP/SBE) in a tertiary care center

AIMS AND METHODS: Microbiolgical profile,response to antibiotics and factors affecting outcome were analyzed prospectively in patients with SBP with or without SBE from 2012 to 2014. Infections were categorized based on mode of acquisition into community acquired CA), health care related(HCR) and Nosocomial acquired(NA) groups. Piperacillintazobactum was given for CA and HCR infections. NA type and any infection with multi organ dysfunction was given meropenem and teicoplanin. Antibiotic was escalated in nonresponders(defined as ˂25% reduction in ascitic/pleural fluid neutrophil count after 48 hours). RESULTS: Among 283 episodes (in 255 patients, including 13 episodes of SBE), 51%,35% and 12% were in CA,HCR and NA respectively. Predominant etiology of cirrhosis was ethanol(45%). Ascitic/pleural fluid cultures grew an organism in 34%. Commonest organism was E.Coli in all groups(61%) followed by Enterococcus(14%). Among Gram negative organisms, Extended spectrum beta-lactamase(ESBL) producing isolates were noted in 44%,75% and 86% in CA,HCR and NA respectively. Vancomycin resistant Enterococci were grown in two episodes. Nonresponse was predicted by female sex, NA type of infection and prior exposure to antibiotic. In multivariate analysis, independent predictors of In-hospital mortality were nonresponse to antibiotic(80% vs 25%, p=0.05), presence at admission of organ failure (93% vs 45%, p<0.002),upper GI bleed(24% vs 9%, p=0.03) or hepatic encephalopathy(67% vs 23%, p=0.01). Type of SBP was not significant in multivariate analysis,probably due to different antibiotics used in different groups. CONCLUSIONS: Enterobacteriaceae were the commonest group causing SBP/SBE. There was very high rate of ESBL producing isolates among Gram negative organisms, highest being in NA group. Day 3 response in ascitic/pleural fluid predicts mortality and host factors predict mortality better than microbiological factors or mode of acquisition of SBP/SBE

EVALUATING ROLE OF INTERACTIVE VISUALIZATION TOOL IN IMPROVING STUDENTS’ CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of partnering visualization tool such as simulation towards development of student’s concrete conceptual understanding of chemical equilibrium. Students find chemistry concepts abstract, especially at the microscopic level. Chemical equilibrium is one such topic. While research studies have explored effectiveness of low tech instructional strategies such as analogies, jigsaw, co-operative learning, and using modeling blocks, fewer studies have explored the use of visualization tool such as simulations in the context of dynamic chemical equilibrium. Research studies have identified key reasons behind misconceptions such as lack of systematic understanding of foundational chemistry concepts, failure to recognize the system is dynamic, solving numerical problems on chemical equilibrium in an algorithmic fashion, erroneous application Le Chatelier’s principle (LCP) etc. Kress et al (2001) suggested that external representation in the form of visualization is more than a tool for learning, because it enables learners to make meanings or express their ideas which cannot be readily done so through a verbal representation alone. Mixed method study design was used towards data collection. The qualitative portion of the study is aimed towards understanding the change in student’s mental model before and after the intervention. A quantitative instrument was developed based on common areas of misconceptions identified by research studies. A pilot study was conducted prior to the actual study to obtain feedback from students on the quantitative instrument and the simulation. Participants for the pilot study were sampled from a single general chemistry class. Following the pilot study, the research study was conducted with a total of 27 students (N=15 in experimental group and N=12 in control group). Prior to participating in the study, students have completed their midterm test on the topic of chemical equilibrium. Qualitative interviews pre and post revealed students’ mental model or thought process towards chemical equilibrium. Simulations used in the study were developed using the SCRATCH software platform. In order to test the effect of visualization tool on students’ conceptual understanding of chemical equilibrium, an ANCOVA analysis was conducted. Results from a one-factor ANCOVA showed posttest scores were significantly higher for the experimental group (Mpostadj. = 7.27 SDpost = 1.387) relative to the control group (Mpostadj. = 2.67, SDpost = 1.371) after adjusting for pretest scores, (1,24) = 71.82, = 1.497, = 0.03, 2 = 0.75, = 3.33. Cohen’s d was converted to an attenuated effect size d* using the procedure outlined in Thompson (2006). The adjusted (for pretest scores) group mean difference estimate without measure error correction for the posttest scores and the pretest scores was 4.2 with a Cohen’s d = 3.04. An alternate approach reported in Cho and Preacher (2015) was used to determine effect size. The adjusted (for pretest scores) group mean difference estimate with measurement error correction only for the posttest scores (but not with measurement error correction for the pretest scores) was 4.99 with a Cohen’s d = 3.61. Finally, the adjusted (for pretest scores) group mean difference estimate with measurement error correction for both pretest and posttest scores was 4.23 with a Cohen’s d = 3.07. From a quantitative perspective, these effect size indicate a strong relationship between the experimental intervention provided and students’ conceptual understanding of chemical equilibrium concepts. That is, those students who received the experimental intervention had exceptionally higher

Development and Applications of The Expanded Equivalent Fluid Method

Ocean acoustics is the study of sound in the oceans. Electromagnetic waves attenuate rapidly in the water medium. Sound is the best means to transmit information underwater. Computational numerical simulations play an important role in ocean acoustics. Simulations of acoustic propagation in the oceans are challenging due to the complexities involved in the ocean environment. Different methods have been developed to simulate underwater sound propagation. The Parabolic-Equation (PE) method is the best choice in several ocean acoustic problems. In shallow water acoustic experiments, sound loses some of its energy when it interacts with the bottom. An equivalent fluid technique was developed by Zhang and Tindle (ZT) to model sound propagation which is affected by shear in the sea bottom. The reflection coefficient of a soft solid seabed with a low shear speed can be well approximated by replacing the seafloor with a Complex-Density (CD) equivalent fluid of suitably chosen parameters. This is called an equivalent fluid approximation. The ZT method works well in cases where low grazing angles are relevant. This technique was expanded to also perform well in cases where higher grazing angle intervals are relevant. This method is called the Expanded Equivalent Fluid (EEF) method. The EEF method gives an effective CD, r0 = r0r +ir0 i , and an effective sound speed in the bottom, c0 p, when a set of bottom parameters (density r, sound speed in the bottom cp, and shear speed cs) are given as input. The performance of the EEF method has been investigated in several different ocean acoustic environments. Far-field simulations for an array of airgun sources were performed using the CD equivalent fluid parameters. Another application of the EEF method in the geoacoustic inversion process to find an estimate of the elastic bottom parameters of the seafloor was explored. PE broadband simulations were performed to model shear-affected, bottom-interacting sound

Privacy-preserving friend recommendations in online social networks

Online social networks, such as Facebook and Google+, have been emerging as a new communication service for users to stay in touch and share information with family members and friends over the Internet. Since the users are generating huge amounts of data on social network sites, an interesting question is how to mine this enormous amount of data to retrieve useful information. Along this direction, social network analysis has emerged as an important tool for many business intelligence applications such as identifying potential customers and promoting items based on their interests. In particular, since users are often interested to make new friends, a friend recommendation application provides the medium for users to expand his/her social connections and share information of interest with more friends. Besides this, it also helps to enhance the development of the entire network structure. The existing friend recommendation methods utilize social network structure and/or user profile information. However, these methods can no longer be applicable if the privacy of users is taken into consideration. This work introduces a set of privacy-preserving friend recommendation protocols based on different existing similarity metrics in the literature. Briefly, depending on the underlying similarity metric used, the proposed protocols guarantee the privacy of a user\u27s personal information such as friend lists. These protocols are the first to make the friend recommendation process possible in privacy-enhanced social networking environments. Also, this work considers the case of outsourced social networks, where users\u27 profile data are encrypted and outsourced to third-party cloud providers who provide social networking services to the users. Under such an environment, this work proposes novel protocols for the cloud to do friend recommendations in a privacy-preserving manner --Abstract, page iii

Characterization and development of axle load spectra to enhance pavement design and performance on the basis of new mechanistic-empirical design guide in Louisiana

For pavement design practices, several factors must be considered to ensure good performance of the pavement over the anticipated life cycle. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the type of paving materials, traffic loading characteristics, prevailing environmental conditions, and others. Traditional pavement design practices have followed the standards set by the American Society of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) which require the use of an equivalent single axle load (ESAL - 18 kip single axle load) for design traffic input. Recently, a new mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide (MEPDG) was developed to improve pavement design practices. The guide requires the use of truck axle load spectra rather than ESAL and raises the need to improve the utilization of existing traffic data sources. The axle load spectra method is different from ESAL in that traffic loading is expressed by the number of load applications of various axle configurations (single, dual, tridem, and quad) within a given weight classification range. This research study is conducted for LA DOTD to address the traffic data needs and requirements associated with the adoption of the new pavement design guide. This was achieved by reviewing the current practices of the traffic data collection process adopted by LA DOTD, and by reviewing the existing and proposed traffic data collection procedures followed by other states considering requirements specified in MEPDG. These plans describe the process to estimate the number of WIM stations needed within this state and locate the WIM stations in the appropriate truck route. Two alternative plans have been recommended that could be adopted by LADOTD for traffic data collection process. Axle weight data from 2003 through 2006 from portable WIM stations is used for developing axle load spectra required by M-EPDG

Strategic process integration of energy and environmental systems in wastewater treatment plants

Green environmental practices are increasingly important in combating serious global energy and environmental issues. Most wastewater treatment facilities were built when energy costs were not a concern; however, an increasing demand for energy, changing climatic conditions, and constrained energy supplies have resulted in the need to apply more energy-conscious choices in the maintenance or upgrade of existing wastewater treatment facilities. A detailed analysis of the majority of water and wastewater treatment services shows that most facilities operate far below the efficiency levels needed for effective energy use. Failure to comply with regulated environmental standards is also a problem. Although standards exist for both energy and environmental management systems, no integrated process has been developed to address the concerns of communities wishing to lessen their environmental impact while also reducing energy utilization rates. The current research has developed an integrated model that combines both energy and environmental management systems models. It offers a holistic view of both approaches, maps linkages, and suggests an integrated process design capable of meeting high-performing energy management and environmental standards. The model presented here has been validated by a case study on the Rolla Southeast Wastewater Treatment Plant. Data on plant performance was collected, studied, and analyzed and the results provide the basis for suggestions to improve operational techniques. The significant factors contributing to both energy and environmental systems are identified and balanced with considerations of cost --Abstract, page iii

Matrix dominated failure in continuous carbon fibre reinforced Poly(ether ether ketone)

In recent years, there has been a rising demand for polymers in structural load bearing applications aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) based composites have emerged as potential substitutes to traditional metals and alloys due to their remarkable mechanical and thermal properties. Consequently, carbon fibre reinforced PEEK (C/PEEK) composites have been increasingly adopted in several load bearing applications with a targeted service life spanning several decades. Therefore, understanding their mechanical behaviour under anticipated conditions becomes crucial from a design perspective. This thesis aims to investigate the role of matrix in the failure of C/PEEK composites. To achieve this, the first step involves capturing the true stress-strain response of the neat PEEK matrix over a wide range of strain rates and temperatures. A novel constitutive model is proposed in Chapter 2 to describe the observed complex non-linear viscoelastic behaviour of PEEK and is validated against the experimental data. Subsequently, the focus shifts towards identifying the two matrix dominated, time-dependent failure mechanisms in off-axis loaded UD C/PEEK composites: Plasticity and Crack growth controlled failure. Investigating UD composites provides a valuable opportunity to examine the impact of several parameters on the two failure mechanisms in a more simplified manner.Chapter 3 investigates the deformation and failure of UD C/PEEK under quasi-static and creep loading. The observed equivalence in kinetics between these experiments is utilized for describing creep lifetimes. Chapter 4 examines the influence of creep and fatigue loading on the two failure mechanisms in UD C/PEEK, while accounting for the effect of applied stress levels, temperature and loading angle. In Chapter 5, the influence of fibre content on the time dependent failure of UD and cross-ply C/PEEK composites is analysed. Additionally, thermal residual stress build-up is quantified using finite element analysis and 2-D classical laminate theory and its impact on the mechanical behaviour of C/PEEK composites is discussed.Therefore, this thesis contributes to the understanding of the mechanical behaviour of C/PEEK composites through an expansive experimental approach covering a wide range of temperatures, loading angles, loading types (quasi-static, creep and fatigue) and fibre volume fraction, which further highlights the significance of the role of the thermoplastic matrix in composite structures. <br/

Long-Term Performance of Buried Pipes Under Flowable Fill and Granular Stone Backfill

Underground conduits have been used to improve living standards of people since the development of civilization. Buried pipes are used in various applications such as highway drainage, sewerage and conveyance systems. Time dependent properties such as creep associated with thermoplastic (HDPE and PVC) and concrete materials may reduce the expected design life of pipes under field conditions. The objective of this research work was to examine the long term performance of buried pipes used in highway applications by using the finite element method. The variables investigated in this research include types of pipe material, pipe diameter, fill height, pipe backfill material, and trench width. Corrugated high density polyethylene (HDPE), solid wall polyvinyl chloride (PVC), reinforced concrete (RCP), and corrugated steel pipes (CSP) have been considered in this study. The influence of trench widths and time dependent material properties such as creep of pipe materials on the performance of buried pipes was investigated for a time period of 50 years under different loading conditions (dead and live loads). The performance of pipe under fill heights ranging from 10 feet (3 m) to 50 feet (15 m) and trench width ratios varying from 1.5 to 2.5 have been analyzed. Trench width ratio can be defined as the trench width divided by the mean diameter of the pipe. Results show that almost 60% to 80% of pipe deflections occur during the first year of installation for all the pipes. This percentage depends on the pipe material and the loads. For PVC pipes, the deflection in the first year is about 70% of the total deflection. For HDPE pipes, this percentage is 60% to 80%. The results from the numerical analyses suggest that a trench width as low as 1.5 times the diameter of the pipe can be used to install pipes under fill heights up to 40 feet (12 m) without any failure. For PVC pipes, the fill height could be as high as 50 feet for a trench width ratio of 1.5. However, HDPE pipes exhibit the possibility of failure at 50 feet (15 m) burial depth under the combination of live and dead loads. Computed deflections in concrete and steel pipes are small and hence could be installed up to depths of 50 feet without meeting the pipe failure criterion