Forecasting: A Novel in Stories

Focusing on the small, unforseeable moments that define modern American life, this thesis is a collection of short stories that follows a couple from the birth of their first child until that child enters college

Prospects of lean ignition with the quarter wave coaxial cavity igniter

New ignition sources are needed to operate the next generation of lean high efficiency internal combustion engines. A significant environmental and economic benefit could be obtained from these lean engines. Toward this goal, the quarter wave coaxial cavity resonator, QWCCR, igniter was examined. A detailed theoretical analysis of the resonator was performed relating geometric and material parameters to performance characteristics, such as resonator quality factor and developed tip electric field. The analysis provided for the construction and evaluation of a resonator for ignition testing.;The evaluation consisted of ignition tests with liquefied-petroleum-gas (LPG) air mixtures of varying composition. The combustion of these mixtures was contained in a closed steel vessel with a precombustion pressure near one atmosphere. The resonator igniter was fired in this vessel with a nominal 150 W microwave pulse of varying duration, to determine ignition energy limits for various mixtures. The mixture compositions were determined by partial pressure measurement and the ideal gas law. Successful ignition was determined through observation of the combustion through a view port. The pulse and reflected microwave power were captured in real time with a high-speed digital storage oscilloscope. Ignition energies and power levels were calculated from these measurements. As a comparison, these ignition experiments were also carried out with a standard non-resistive spark plug, where gap voltage and current were captured for energy calculations.;The results show that easily ignitable mixtures around stoichiometric and slightly rich compositions are ignitable with the QWCCR using the similar kinds of energies as the conventional spark plug in the low milli-Joule range. Energies for very lean mixtures could not be determined reliably for the QWCCR for this prototype test, but could be lower than that for a conventional spark. Given the capability of high power, high energy delivery, and opportunity for optimization, the QWCCR has the potential to deliver more energy per unit time than a conventional spark plug and thus should be considered be as a lean ignition source

Method Effects and the Need for Cognition Scale

Individual differences in the need for cognition are typically assessed using the 18-item Need for cognition scale (NCS) developed by Cacioppo and Petty (1982). However, in contrast to the unidimensional model proposed by the scale developers, recent factor analyses have introduced two -and three- dimensional models of the scale. Confirmatory factor analyses were used in this study to evaluate different measurement models based on data provided by 590 (236 males, 354 females) young adult members of the general public. Although some alternative models showed promise, a single factor model with method effects associated with positively and negatively worded items provided best fit. Implications for the asses sment of need for cognition are considered

An optimized return mapping algorithm for the barcelona basic model

For the most well-known constitutive model for partially saturated soils, the Barcelona Basic Model, an optimized return mapping algorithm is proposed, which is characterized by analytical integration of the hardening law and by solving only a nonlinear scalar equation at the integration point level. To investigate the performance of the proposed algorithm several implicit and explicit stress update algorithms are compared at the integration point level. Finally, the proposed stress update algorithm is applied to a 2D solid-fluid coupled numerical simulation of water flow through a homogeneous embankment dam

COMPARISON OF MARKET PRICES OF FLATS WITH PRICES SET BY COMPARISON METHOD ACCORDING TO VALUATION REGULATIONS WITH FOCUS ON REVIEW OF PARTICULAR QUALITATIVE PARAMETERS

Disertační práce řeší problematiku vzájemného porovnání tržních cen s cenami zjištěnými porovnávacím způsobem podle cenových předpisů. Práce je zaměřena na nemovitosti typu jednotky-byty, které nalezneme v lokalitě bývalého okresního města Havlíčkův Brod. Z časového hlediska bylo řešeno období let 2009 až 2014. V těchto letech probíhal nejprve sběr dat a uskupování informací o jednotlivých zobchodovaných jednotkách-bytech. Získané tržní ceny byly následně konfrontovány s cenami zjištěnými porovnávacím způsobem dle příslušných cenových předpisů. Získané výsledky byly podrobeny analýze, která byla zaměřena na vybrané znaky a jejich kvalitativní pásma u jednotlivých indexů. Na základě dosažených výsledků a nově nabytých poznatků jsou navrženy dílčí úpravy či korektury v cenových předpisech. Dalším výstupem této práce je návrh na zavedení nových koeficientů. Tyto zohledňují odlišnost tržních a zjištěných cen jednotek-bytů v lokalitě bývalého okresního města Havlíčkův Brod v letech 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 a 2014. Díky tomu je možné odhadnout zpětně obvyklou cenu za pomocí cenových předpisů. V samém závěru práce byly tyto koeficienty aplikovány v jiném bývalém okresním městě na Vysočině, konkrétně ve Žďáře nad Sázavou. Takto bylo naznačeno možné využití těchto nově navržených koeficientů i v jiných bývalých okresních městech, které je třeba ale ověřit v praxi či jej podrobit dalšímu výzkumu.PhD thesis solves problems of mutual comparison of real estate market prices with prices found out in a comparison way according to price regulations. The thesis is focused on real estates of type housing units, flats which are found within the area of former district city Havlíčkův Brod. From time point of view, years 2009 - 2014 were solved. Within this period, first of all data collection was under way followed by grouping information on separate trading in housing units, flats. Obtained market prices were consequently confronted with prices found out in a comparison way according to relevant price regulations. Obtained results were analyzed, this analysis was focused on chosen marks and their qualitative zones at separate indexes. Upon achieved results and newly gained knowledge, partial modifications or corrections in price regulations are proposed. Another output of this thesis is a proposal for introducing new coeficients. These make provision for difference of market and found out prices of housing units, flats in area of former district city Havlíčkův Brod in years 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. Thanks to this, common price is possible to estimate retrospectively with the help of price regulations. At the very conclusion of the thesis, these coeficients were applied in different former district city in Vysočina Region, in concrete terms in Žďár nad Sázavou. In this way, possible use of these newly proposed coeficients was introduced in other former district cities as well which is, nevertheless, necessary to be verified in practice or subject to other research.