Master of Applied Communication Theory and Methodology, Cleveland State University, 2012, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

The goal of this study is to add to the literature that extends the theory of cultivation into the realm of video games. Video game studies incorporating cultivation stress the importance of specifying a single genre of video games and measuring the cultivation effect, due to the lack of homogenous content between video games. It is possible that video games are actually an antithesis to the theory of cultivation because of content that is user-generated, which not only dissolves homogeneity between different games, but also the same game. Cultivation research has also suggested that second- order cultivation effects (on attitudes and beliefs) are moderated by factors that affect the experience during the encounter of information. This study looks at exposure to military-style video games to help better understand how video games may lead to a variety of cultivation effects. It includes measures of the independent variables of video game habits, gaming skill, traditional media use, political orientation, and contact with the military, and the dependent variables of first- and second-order cultivation effects, and self-efficacy.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2021, Industrial and Systems Engineering (Engineering and Technology)

Many Grocery stores have begun offering a service called “Click and Collect” (C&C). Customers using this service can order their groceries online and collect them at the store or have them delivered to their desired location. The way customer orders are fulfilled in grocery stores is similar to some warehouse order fulfillment. Therefore, warehouse order picking methods can be used in grocery stores to create an efficient C&C service. Currently, workers in the stores typically travel with a cart to storage shelves to retrieve products to fulfill C&C customer orders, which is similar to the warehouse order picking process. To reduce/eliminate worker travel, automated storage/retrieval equipment can be installed in the store. One type of equipment for storing items is the vertical lift module (VLM). Worker travel in the grocery stores can be reduced by using VLMs to store fast-moving SKUs. In this research, different order picking methods are developed to improve the efficiency of C The first part of the research is to determine the best batching method to achieve a better service rate. The batching heuristics studied in this dissertation are order-based batching (OBB), time-based batching (TBB), and hybrid batching (HB). The results show that in traditional order picking, HB offers faster order ready times than both OBB and TBB. The improvements in ready time with HB are small compared with OBB. TBB offers faster pick times compared with the other two batching heuristics. 4 The second part of the research is to develop a mathematical model for VLM throughput. Fast-moving SKUs are stored in the VLM so that high demand products can be picked at a faster pace. The mathematical model developed in this research can determine the expected pick time for a given batch of orders. The results show that the VLM order picking offers faster pick times and ready times compared with traditional picking. The third part of the dissertation is to develop an optimization model that (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2019, Industrial and Systems Engineering (Engineering and Technology)

This thesis defines different variants of the cluster-picking order batching problem (OBP) and proposes several problem-solving techniques to solve the problems. The basic OBP is commonly referred to in the literature as the grouping of customer orders into batches in a manner that minimizes the total distance such that the batch capacity is not violated. This problem is of high importance in the warehousing industry since the majority of warehouse costs arise from order picking activities. The first variant involves solving the OBP for a single work interval, where all orders must be completed by the end of the interval's duration. The objectives addressed are minimizing the total distance traveled, aisle congestion and the total number of pickers. The second variant addresses the scenario in which customer orders are set to have distinct pick-by times, corresponding to different waves or work intervals, in addition to allowing some orders to be picked in earlier intervals to improve the efficiency of grouping. In this variant, the OBP is solved for multiple intervals in order to determine the order-to-batch and batch-to-interval assignments simultaneously such that the total distance, overall aisle congestion, maximum number of pickers needed, and the total number of batches are minimized, whilst taking into account the limit on the number of early orders. In addition, the assignment of multiple batches to pickers is also incorporated as an extension to variant 2. The s-shape routing strategy and single-block rectangular layouts with parallel aisles and are applied throughout the thesis. Moreover, the problem-solving techniques developed for the OBP variants in this thesis are greedy heuristic, differential evolution algorithm and mathematical models. The greedy heuristic primarily focuses on minimizing the total distance, whereas the differential evolution algorithm and mathematical models are able to address multiple objectives. The problem-solving techniques ar (open full item for complete abstract)

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2016, Engineering and Applied Science: Mechanical Engineering

Currently, to obtain an understanding of the frequency and damping of the modes of a rotating system, an impact test or a shaker test is done to find the frequency at which the modes of the system exist. Then, test is conducted under operating conditions to obtain an understanding of the response of the system. A mode enhanced order track (MEOT) can be used to estimate the frequency and damping of various modes directly from the operating data of a rotating system but it cannot find modes which are very close together in frequency or those that are repeated. The MEOT is a method described in a PhD dissertation by Dr. Blough but has not been tested on data obtained from an actual rotating system under operating conditions. The MEOT method was evaluated utilizing data taken from a leaf blower, using a laser tachometer and seven triaxial sensors. Using MEOT, the frequency and damping of different modes was found. These were then compared to the results obtained from an impact test performed on the leaf blower. This MEOT method was also tested after using the virtual sensor concept on the data. A virtual sensor was created for each triaxial sensor. The results obtained from the impact test, the MEOT method and the MEOT method performed on the virtual sensor data were then compared and analysed.

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2002, Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering (Engineering)

Methods in order batching for picking in an order picking distribution center.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2021, Physics

Spin orbit coupling (SOC) is a relativistic phenomenon that couples the spin angular momentum of an electron to its orbital angular momentum. This leads to remarkable consequences for the motion of electrons in a crystalline solid that are not only magnified but also qualitatively different when electrons interact strongly with each other. As one goes down the periodic table, the strength of SOC usually increases due to the larger positive charge of the nucleus that produces an enhanced magnetic field felt by electrons. On the other hand, electron–electron correlations, characterized by on–site Coulomb repulsion U, decrease due to the larger extent of the orbitals. Hence a perfect playground to study the competition between correlations and SOC are the transition metal compounds with partially filled 4d and 5d orbitals. My research focuses how this interplay between strong correlations and SOC gives rise to unconventional magnetic structures with unusual properties, where both the orbital and spin orderings dictate the nature of magnetism. Since orbitals are directional and couple to the lattice, magnetism in these materials can be manipulated by external strain, providing a new knob to tune their magnetic properties. Specifically, I obtained phase diagrams of cubic 5d double perovskite Mott insulators in which the transition metal ion is surrounded by an octahedral cage of oxygen atoms. My calculations performed at a mean-field level are able to explain long-standing experimental puzzles related to missing entropy and unusual magnetic susceptibilities in these compounds. In addition, I also construct low energy effective Hamiltonian for distorted 5d 1 double perovskite Mott insulators and find AFM ground states with mean–field theory, which matches experimental results. A new design principle for topological flat bands utilizing strong spin–orbit coupling and orbital frustration is proposed on a honeycomb lattice of transition metal ions.

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2019, Industrial and Systems Engineering (Engineering and Technology)

The issue considered in this research involves a customer order scheduling problem examined in the case of a retailer delivering orders for online sales that take place in multiple marketplaces. In this setting, the goal of the company is to gain market share, by attaining high levels of customer retention, by registering good buyer reviews to improve conversion rate and to improve search engine results pages performance. Therefore, the goal of the scheduler is to maximize overall customer satisfaction and effectiveness in multiple periods. Customer satisfaction is defined as a factor of number of orders delivered before their due date, the average tardiness of all orders and the maximum tardiness of orders in the system during a period, and how long an order stays in the system on average. The effectiveness is defined by overall costs that dictate the competitiveness of company prices. In the listing phase, to maximize market coverage, the retailer determines which marketplaces the products can be listed on with profit, under the constraints of promised delivery time, shipping cost and resale prices. The optimal supplier and courier are then determined for cost minimization. Under these predetermined conditions, orders are placed, and items arrive to the retailer, a math model searches for optimal schedule of shipments to maximize overall customer satisfaction with the end goal of increased future sales. The results are compared to a priority rule combination.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Dayton, 2017, Electrical and Computer Engineering

The texture of objects in digital images is an important property that has been utilized in many computer vision and image analysis applications, such as pattern recognition, object classification, and region segmentation. Despite its frequent usage and many attempts to describe it in general terms, the texture lacks a precise definition. This makes the development of new texture descriptors a big challenge. In addition, researchers interest has recently spread into the dynamic texture (video domain), where the problem becomes more challenging. The main goal of feature description and representation techniques is to extract features from the image that are distinct and stable under different conditions during the image acquisition process. Texture descriptors can be generally classified into structural and statistical approaches. The structural methods consider the texture as a repetition of some primitives, with a specific rule of placement, while the statistical techniques characterize the stochastic properties of the spatial distribution of gray levels in an image using the gray tone co-occurrence matrix. In this work, we propose a combination of the structural and statistical approaches that can be utilized to recognize a variety of different textures, named High Order Local Directional Pattern (HOLDP) for still image based feature extraction (static texture) as well as High Order Volumetric Directional Pattern (HOVDP) for video based feature extraction (dynamic texture). Recently, the conventional Local Directional Pattern (LDP) has received a great deal of attention in face recognition applications. However, it only describes the micro structures of the texture images because it considers only a small neighborhood size. In fact, our proposed HOLDP descriptor can capture more detailed discriminative information by not only extracting the micro structures but also the macro structures of the texture images, which can be done by the help of a pyramidal mu (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2016, International Development Studies (International Studies)

As globalizations sweeps across the globe into places and communities that are tucked into hidden locations, like Sembalun - a rural village resting below Mt. Rinjani - development and change crash in. Rural poor communities and villages similar to Sembalun are caught up in a wave of dramatic change that comes in so quickly there is hardly any time to think and then respond. The exterior forces pressuring communities to change and to develop, which does not leave the community members with agency. Therefore, this thesis is introducing and explaining a new research method that will help both the researcher understand the communitys interest, concerns and needs, while providing the community members with a development tool that will aid communities with communication in regards to the concerns or interests of the community and the individuals in that community. Collaborative reflexive photography is a research tool for anthropologists to study an individual or a group of people and their culture, while being a tool for an individual or a group of people to use as a form of alternative communication regarding their concerns or interests related to development - particularly in regards to creating policies that will empower the individual or group of people.

Master of Science, Miami University, 2015, Psychology

Both crowding and surround suppression show impaired perception, yet they have been treated as different phenomena because they vary in some properties. It is unclear whether the discrepancies between crowding and surround suppression derive from the different stimuli, the different tasks, or just that they are different phenomena. This study used inward-outward asymmetry as a “critical test” indicator (see Petrov, Poppel, & McKee, 2007) to examine this issue. In Experiment 1, a hybrid of LM stimulus (large surround annuli, usually used in surround suppression) and task (discrimination task, usually used in crowding studies) was employed. Results showed no consistent pattern across observers: whereas some showed no inward-outward asymmetry, others showed higher inward masking effects which was in the opposite direction to that commonly reported in crowding. In Experiment 2, we attempted to replicate the experiment with CM stimuli, but observers could not do the task peripherally. The present study also showed both-way transfer of perceptual learning between first- and second-order systems in fine orientation discriminations.

Master of Science (M.S.), University of Dayton, 2014, Electrical Engineering

An analytic examination of 3-D holography under a recording geometry was carried out earlier in which 2-D spatial Laplace transforms were introduced in order to develop transfer functions for the scattered outputs under readout [1]. Thereby, the resulting reconstructed output was obtained in the 2-D Laplace domain whence the spatial information would be found only by performing a 2-D Laplace inversion. Laplace inversion in 2-D was attempted by testing a prototype function for which the analytic result was known using two known inversion algorithms via the Brancik and the Abate [2]. The results indicated notable differences in the 3-D plots between the algorithms and the analytic result, and hence were somewhat inconclusive. In this research, we take a close look at the Brancik algorithm in order to understand better the implications of the choices of key parameters such as the real and imaginary parts of the Bromwich contour and the grids sizes of the summation operations [3]. To assess the inversion findings, three prototype test cases are considered for which the analytic solutions are known. For specific choices of the algorithm parameters, optimal values are determined that would minimize errors in general. It is found that even though errors accumulate near the edges of the grid, overall reasonably accurate inversions are possible to obtain with optimal parameter choices that are verifiable via cross-sectional views. For a holographic problem, a 90-deg geometry recording model is established to derive two important coupled equations [4]. The optimum parameters are used to find the output field profiles under readout for a uniform plane wave, a point source wave and a Gaussian profile input. To understand the results better, a convolutional approach and a holistic approach are compared. Further work may include recording and reconstructing a dynamic object wave whose wave representations are more complicated. Also, the observed “right shift” phenomeno (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2013, Electrical Engineering

A methodology is developed to realize a generalized class of fractional-order transfer functions in digital hardware using a low-cost field programmable gate array (FPGA) device. A systematic approach is first developed to implement fractional-order integrators and differentiators in fixed-point hardware, wherein each coefficient and signal is represented with a custom number of bits. Each fractional-order operator is implemented as a set of first-order sections in parallel in both shift-form and delta-form structures. Use of the delta form is found to save 25% in total data bits required for the coefficients and state variables compared to the shift-form realizations for three examples, which include two integrators and one differentiator. A generalized class of fractional-order transfer functions is then implemented in digital hardware using the fractional-order operators as building blocks. Different realization structures, including the partitioned form, the integral feedback form, and the derivative feedback form, are exploited to construct the fractional-order systems. From three illustrative example systems, the integral feedback form is shown to be the most effective structure. The unique feature of the developed methodology is that it allows for changes to a fractional-order system to be made by simple substitutions of individual fractional-order blocks rather than a redesign of the entire approximation; the resulting realization is accurate, efficient, and economical in terms of cost and time investment.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2009, Mathematics

We study the structure theory of two combinatorial objectsclosely related to graphs. First, we consider degree sequences, and we prove several results originally motivated by attempts to prove what was, until recently, S.B. Rao's conjecture, and what is now a theorem of Paul Seymour and Maria Chudnovsky, namely, that graphic degree sequences are well quasi ordered. We give a new, surprisingly non-graph theoretic proof of the bounded case of this theorem. Next, we obtain an exact structure theorem of degree sequences excluding a square and a pentagon. Using this result, we then prove a structure theorem for degree sequences excluding a square and, more generally, excluding an arbitrary cycle. It should be noted that taking complements, this yields a structure theorem for excluding a matching. The structure theorems above, however, are stated in terms of forcibly chordal graphs, hence we next begin their characterization. While an exact characterization seems difficult, certain partial results are obtained. Specifically, we first characterize the degree sequences of forcibly chordal trees. Next, we use this result to extend the characterization to forcibly chordal forests. Finally, we characterize forcibly chordal graphs having a certain path structure. Next, we define a class of combinatorial objects that generalizes digraphs and partial orders, which is motivated by proof systems arising in mathematical logic. We give what we believe will be the basic theory of these objects, including definitions, theorems, and proofs. We define the minors of a proof system, and we give two forbidden minors theorems, one of them characterizing partial orders as proof systems by forbidden minors.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2009, Electrical and Computer Engineering

This dissertation investigates non-overlapping Domain Decomposition (DD) methods for the Finite Element (FE) solution of the time-harmonic Maxwell's equations. Domain decomposition methods provide effective, efficient preconditioned iterative solution algorithms and are attractive due to their inherent parallel nature.Non-overlapping DD methods divide the original problem domain into smaller disjoint sub-domains in which local sub-problems are to be solved. Adjacent sub-domains are coupled via transmission conditions (TCs) and an iterative process is used to obtain the solution of the original global problem. The TCs determine in large part the performance of the iterative algorithm. Here, we first introduce a new DD method, the Interior Penalty- (IP-) DD method, intended for problems exhibiting little or no periodicity. The IP-DD method does away with the auxiliary variables required in previous DD methods and is closely linked to IP Discontinuous Galerkin methods. The method is intended to replace conventional FE solvers by providing superior robustness at reduced computational costs. A unique derivation of a general formulation is given and the method is shown to be robust in solving large practical examples. However, the IP-DD method possesses two deficiencies: the method exhibits poor iterative solver convergence when the mesh is refined and is non-conservative even for conformal meshes. We remedy these deficiencies by introducing a new DD algorithm that uses a vector auxiliary variable to enforce the TC. To further improve the algorithm's robustness, a new TC with a second order transverse derivative term is introduced. The TC is shown to improve the eigenvalue distribution of the DD matrix by shifting eigenvalues corresponding to transverse electric (TE) evanescent modes away from the origin. The new TC, referred to as the second order TE TC, is shown to provide superior convergence over the conventional complex Robin TC. The new DD method exhibits good scala (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2008, Pharmacy

Pharmaceutical products are distributed through several distribution channels such as retail, hospital, and mail order. Cost containment is the major impetus driving the development of mail order pharmacy. However, currently available empirical evidence that does not support the substitution of community pharmacy by mail order services to reduce overall drug expenditures.The objective of this study was to compare drug utilization and pharmaceutical expenditures by simulating the effects of community pharmacy on drug utilization for a retiree patient population using mail order pharmacy. The data used for the analysis were pharmacy claims data for the period January 2000-September 2005. Drug claims for each patient were aggregated into courses of drug therapy (CDTs) representing unique patient IDs and unique drug products. Utilization differences between community and mail-order pharmacy were assumed to occur only at the last claim for each CDT. The simulation model employed to estimate the difference in drug utilization using mail-order pharmacy claims data assumed that discontinuation in community pharmacy would follow a random pattern. A comparison basket of products with at least one claim in both community and mail-order pharmacy during each year from 2000-2005 were selected. Unit costs and expenditures for the medications in the basket were compared across community and mail-order pharmacy. Seventy two and a half percent of the CDTs dispensed were intended for maintenance therapy and maintenance therapy was more concentrated in mail-order pharmacy as compared to community pharmacy. The use of mail-order pharmacy services resulted in an increase in drug utilization of 2.96% over community pharmacy and a reduction in pharmaceutical expenditures by 10.0-13.0% from 2000-2005. The unit total gross costs in community pharmacy were higher for about half of all products in the comparison basket of products. The differences in pharmaceutical expenditures between com (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2007, Linguistics

This dissertation has three interrelated goals: The main goal is an analysis of Czech clitics, units of grammar on the borderline between morphology and syntax with rather peculiar ordering properties both relative to the whole clause and to each other. We examine the actual set of clitics, their rather rigid ordering properties, and finally the properties of so-called clitic climbing. The analysis evaluates previous research, but it also provides new insights, especially in the position of the clitic cluster and in the constraints on clitic climbing. We show that many of the constraints regarding position of the clitic cluster suggested in previous research do not hold. We also argue that cases when clitics do not follow the first constituent are in fact not exceptions in clitic placement but instead unusual frontings. The second goal is the development of a framework within Higher Order Grammar (HOG) supporting a transparent and modular treatment of word order. Unlike previous versions of HOG, we work with signs (containing phonological, syntactic and potentially other information) as actual objects of the grammar. Apart from that, we build on the simplicity and elegance of the pre-formal part of the linearization framework within Head-driven Phrase Structure Grammar. Finally, the third objective is to test the result of the second goal by applying it on the results of the first goal.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2007, Mathematics

Two permutations of [n]:={1,2,…,n} are comparable in Bruhat order if one can be obtained from the other by a sequence of transpositions decreasing the number of inversions. Let P(n) be the probability that two independent and uniformly random permutations are comparable in Bruhat order. We demonstrate that P(n) is of order n-2 at most, and (0.708)n at least. We also extend this result to r-tuples of permutations. Namely, if P(n,r) denotes the probability that r independent and uniformly random permutations form an r-long chain in Bruhat order, we demonstrate that P(n,r) is of order n-r(r-1) at most, an exact extension of the case P(n,2)=P(n). For the related “weak order” – when only adjacent transpositions are admissible – we show that P*(n) is of order (0.362)n at most, and (H(1)/2)*(H(2)/2)*…*(H(n)/n) at least. Here H(i)=1/1+1/2+…+1/i, and P*(n) is defined analogously to P(n), but for weak order. Finally, the weak order poset is a lattice, and we study Q(n,r), the probability that r independent and uniformly random permutations have trivial infimum, 12…n. We prove that [Q(n,r)]1/n → 1/q(r), as n tends to infinity. Here, q(r) is the unique (positive) root of the equation 1-z+z2/(2!)r+…+(-z)j/(j!)r=0, lying in the disk |z|<2.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2006, Political Science

How could one explain and characterize relative peace, security and prosperity in Northeast Asia (NEA) for the last two decades? What have we missed out theoretically in terms of seeing the then future of NEA? The dissertation challenges the prevailing pessimistic arguments about NEA security by criticizing their analytical failure to assess the progressive trends of regional interactions. In this vein, the dissertation re-characterizes the 17 years of the Post Cold War in the region as the surprising peace where regional states have achieved a progressive, relatively well–coordinated, cooperative, and prudent regional order. This dissertation provides a new framework of explaining NEA's regional order throughout the Post Cold War period. I argue that many different stimuli at structural level occurred for the last 17 years in NEA. But I also find the persistence of such ideas as war aversion, stability for development and regional prosperity throughout the region. And the overall outcome in Northeast Asian for the last 17 years is the avoidance of major harm and the progressive development of regional order. In order to explain the progressive regional order in NEA, I develop an analytical construct, Vision of Regional Order (VRO), to account for the unfolding of regional interactions for the past 17 years from a phenomenological approach. A VRO is states' expectation and understanding about what constitutes suitable behaviors towards neighboring states based on historical memories, perceived threat and perceived economic opportunity. Each VRO provide insights into behavioral disposition, which I call a vector or orientation of the major policy behaviors. I examine the four empirical cases – the end of the Cold War, the 94 North Korean nuclear crisis, the 97 Asian Financial Crisis, the 2001-5 historical disputes. I find that the goals and preferences of NEA states have affected patterns of regional interactions and produced the surprising peace in the region. Regio (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2005, Electrical Engineering

Considerable advances have been made in the field of drug delivery technology over the last three decades, resulting in many breakthroughs in clinical medicine. However, important classes of drugs have yet to benefit from these technological successes. One of the major requirements for an implantable drug delivery device is controlled release of therapeutic agents, especially biological molecules, at a constant rate over an extended period of time (i.e. a zero order release kinetics). Another significant challenge in drug delivery is to engineer a delivery system that can deliver drug in a manipulated non-zero order fashion such as pulsatile, ramp or delivery on demand. The goal of this research is to deliver technological innovations to address these requirements. Silicon was chosen as a carrier vehicle and nanochannel delivery systems (nDS) of progressively increasing degrees of functionality were conceived. The fundamental embodiment of the first device, nDS1, employs high-precision nanoengineered clefts to yield the long-term zero-order release of therapeutic agents. This device was designed and fabricated targeting four nanochannel sizes. These were 20 nm, 40 nm, 60 nm and 100 nm. The achieved nanochannel heights measured by Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) were 18 nm, 43 nm, 70 nm, and 108 nm, respectively. Glucose diffusion through a nominal 100 nm channel for a period of 15 days, through a nominal 60 nm channel for a period of 5 days and interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) release through a nominal 100 nm channel for a period of 7 days showed a zero order release profile through this device. Further, it was proved that IFN-alpha preserves its functional activity after being released through this device. Next, the top substrate of the nDS1 device was replaced with a glass substrate (nDS1g) for improved bonding and a visual observation of fluid flow through the nanochannels of the device. Another implantable drug delivery system (nDS2) that is capable of being integrate (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2010, Industrial and Systems Engineering (Engineering and Technology)

Order picking is the process of picking items from storage based on customer demand and it has been observed that order picking cost is the main operating cost in warehouses. Lean principles are applied to create a lean order picking system to eliminate non-value-added activities in order to reduce the order picking cost. The goal of this thesis is to achieve minimum total cost for the lean order picking system. This thesis develops one probability model and three regression models to predict the picking time in the fast pick area. A simulation is used for comparison purposes to verify those models. The comparison results indicate the first regression model and the second regression model can accurately estimate the total cost. These models provide warehouse designers with a standard reference of the number of zones, equipment, and workers to achieve minimum total cost for the lean order picking system.