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All Theses

2009

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'Light, More Light': The 'Light' Newspaper, Spiritualism, And British Society, 1881 - 1920., Brian Glenney Dec 2009

'Light, More Light': The 'Light' Newspaper, Spiritualism, And British Society, 1881 - 1920., Brian Glenney

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This thesis looks at the spiritualist weekly Light through Late Victorian, Edwardian, and World War I Britain. Light has never received any extended coverage or historical treatment yet it was one of the major spiritualist newspapers during this part of British history. This thesis diagrams the lives of Light's first four major editors from 1881 till the end of World War I and their views on the growth of science, God, Christ, evolution, and morality. By focusing on one major spiritualist newspaper from 1881 till 1920, this thesis attempts to bridge the gap in spiritualist historiography that marks World War …

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Voltage Stability Indices Based On Active Power Transfer Using Synchronized Phasor Measurements, Rui Sun Dec 2009

Voltage Stability Indices Based On Active Power Transfer Using Synchronized Phasor Measurements, Rui Sun

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In recent years and in the foreseeable future, power demands generally around the world and particularly in North America will experience rapid increases due to the increase of customers' requirements, while the development of transmission systems in North America is rather slow. Voltage stability assessment becomes one of the highest priorities to power utilities in North America. Voltage stability index is a feature for solving voltage stability problems. It is generated from the basic power flow equations and/or energy functions. The mathematical expression of a VSI is often written as a polynomial containing the systems real-time measurements such as voltage …

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The Macroeconomy And Health In The United States, Elizabeth Herring Dec 2009

The Macroeconomy And Health In The United States, Elizabeth Herring

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The economy affects everyone as it expands and contracts. This paper will look at the effects that economic downturns have on the health of Americans. It will analyze the number of deaths per year caused by certain causes of death and determine the extent to which a downturn affects these numbers. This paper also looks at the cause and effect relationship between antidepressants and suicide. The empirical results indicate that the state of the economy affects the health of the nation.

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Linguistic Analysis Of Natural Language Engineering Requirements, Carl Lamar Dec 2009

Linguistic Analysis Of Natural Language Engineering Requirements, Carl Lamar

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In engineering design, the needs of the customer are expressed through engineering requirement statements. These requirement statements are often expressed using natural language because they are easily created and read. However, there are several problems associated with natural language requirements including but not limited to ambiguity, incompleteness, understandability, testability and over specificity. Several representation and analysis tools have been proposed to address these problems within a requirement statement. These tools include formal languages, such as UML and SysML, requirement management tools, such as IBM Telelogic Doors, and natural language processors such as QuARS. These tools assist in the systematic elicitation …

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The Development Of A Mechatronics And Material Handling Course: Laboratory Experiments And Projects, James Shirley Dec 2009

The Development Of A Mechatronics And Material Handling Course: Laboratory Experiments And Projects, James Shirley

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Mechatronic systems integrate technologies from a variety of engineering disciplines to create solutions to challenging industrial problems. The material handling industry utilizes mechatronics to move, track, and manipulate items in factories and distribution centers. Material handling systems, because of their use of programmable logic controllers (PLC), PLC networks, industrial robotics, and other mechatronic elements, are a natural choice for a college instructional environment. This thesis offers insight and guidance for mechatronic activities introduced in a laboratory setting. A series of eight laboratory experiments have been created to introduce PLCs, robotics, electric circuits, and data acquisition fundamentals. In-depth case studies synthesize …

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A Voltage Flicker Suppression Device For Residential Air Conditioners And Heat Pumps, John Fox Dec 2009

A Voltage Flicker Suppression Device For Residential Air Conditioners And Heat Pumps, John Fox

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In some circumstances, voltage flicker due to the inrush current of residential heat pump can be a fairly visible to the residents as a slight flashing of the household's lights during the compressor starting event. The voltage flicker problem is caused by a variable contribution from sizable equivalent power system impedances and considerable inrush currents drawn by compressors. While this is not a new problem, and there are technologies on the market that attempt to alleviate the voltage flicker issue, no current solution attempts to correct for the problem at its root cause.
This thesis presents a device designed to …

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A Genetic Approach To Voltage Collapse Mitigation, Dwarakesh Nallan Chakravartula Dec 2009

A Genetic Approach To Voltage Collapse Mitigation, Dwarakesh Nallan Chakravartula

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The objective of this thesis is to provide an efficient and accurate corrective solution to a system that is on verge of voltage collapse. This thesis describes, in detail, the development of an optimization scheme that aims to alleviate power system instability and voltage collapse condition based on the principles of an evolutionary approach called Genetic Algorithm. The state of a system is determined using a voltage stability identifier termed Collapse Proximity Index (CPI) and the critical loading condition is identified. Applying principles of Genetic Algorithm, the critical system is brought back to a stable operating region. The sequential procedure …

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The Formation And Control Of Iodinated Trihalomethanes In Drinking Water Treatment, Darryl Jones Dec 2009

The Formation And Control Of Iodinated Trihalomethanes In Drinking Water Treatment, Darryl Jones

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Ever since toxic disinfection by-products (DBPs) were discovered in the 1970s drinking water utilities have had to continue to develop treatment strategies to reduce the acute health risk from infectious pathogens in water, and at the same time limit the formation of disinfection by-products. The recent two stage (1998, 2006) D/DBP rule enacted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which sets limits of 80 µg/L for trihalomethanes (THMs) and 60 µg/L for haloacetic acids (HAAs) will likely put more pressure on utilities in the future to decrease their chorine contact time and follow that with ammonia addition to form monochloramine …

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Green Can Bring Green: An Evaluation And Comparison Of The Economic Effects Of Sustainable And Economic Redevelopment, Kathryn Young Dec 2009

Green Can Bring Green: An Evaluation And Comparison Of The Economic Effects Of Sustainable And Economic Redevelopment, Kathryn Young

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The process of redevelopment is a relied upon method of breathing new life into downtowns and urban areas. Though several common redevelopment approaches contribute to a sustainable atmosphere, more significant environmentally- and ecologically- sustainable approaches can be implemented in redevelopments to repair and support the environment and ecology of an area. But do economic and sustainable redevelopment models have similar impacts on the surrounding economies? This report conducted an evaluation and comparison of the economic effects of sustainable redevelopments and economic redevelopments. Though research is considered exploratory, the results demonstrate that sustainable and economic redevelopments are both viable options for …

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The Effect Of A Surfactant Monolayer On Gas Exchange Across An Air-Water Interface During Mixed Convection, Richard Lee Dec 2009

The Effect Of A Surfactant Monolayer On Gas Exchange Across An Air-Water Interface During Mixed Convection, Richard Lee

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A set of laboratory experiments are presented that reveal the effect of a surfactant monolayer on the transport of oxygen across an air-water interface during mixed convection conditions. The experiments were conducted in a wind/water tunnel with water tanks of differing depth. Forced convection was imposed via the air flow, while natural convection was imposed by heating the water bulk above the air temperature. For the range of wind speeds being considered, mixed convection conditions resulted. Experiments were also conducted with only forced convection present. The data acquired during these experiments were used to develop a parameterization between the Sherwood …

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Gold Nanoparticle Interactions And Impact Upon A Common Biofilm Source: Legionella Pneumophila , Amber Stojak Dec 2009

Gold Nanoparticle Interactions And Impact Upon A Common Biofilm Source: Legionella Pneumophila , Amber Stojak

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There exists widespread concern of pathogenic bacteria colonizing and establishing biofilms in water systems providing a direct exposure route to the public. Legionella are widely distributed in human-made and natural environments, and colonization lends the potential to infect human hosts that may lead to the development of Legionnaire's Disease. Silver has been used in cooling towers and water filtration systems for removal of planktonic bacteria and biofilms; however permanent removal of L. pneumophila biofilms with metal ions is impossible when established biofilms are in hard to access places such as dead end piping or inside a protozoan host. Bulk metals …

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User Study Of Information Extracted From Engineering Representations, Rachel Hannah Dec 2009

User Study Of Information Extracted From Engineering Representations, Rachel Hannah

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It is important for designers to understand the usefulness of different engineering representations in order to save time and money throughout a project. Designers often rely on past experience to decide which model to construct; yet students without this experience have no help. Interestingly there are noticeable gaps in the research literature with respect to how and when to select representations and modeling approaches for engineering designs. This thesis examines the differences between three types of engineering representations, specifically sketches, drawing packages, and physical prototypes. The amount of information designers can extract from these representations and also the correctness and …

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Physical Activity Among Youth In A Weekend Respite Camp Program, Kathleen Felton Dec 2009

Physical Activity Among Youth In A Weekend Respite Camp Program, Kathleen Felton

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The engagement in physical activity among 24 youths with disabilities was studied. Researchers examined the effects of age and gender of the youth, the parent's knowledge of physical activity recommendations, and parent's physical activity practices on physical activity engagement. Levels of physical activity participation through leisure time, work or chores, and sports were assessed. Analysis was performed to determine relationships between each of the variables and the youths' level of physical activity respectively. Results of chi-square analysis indicated that parental influence using current physical activity recommendations was correlated with the youth's level of physical activity participation through leisure. Results suggested …

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Autonomy As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Situational Constraints And Task Performance, Kalifa Oliver Dec 2009

Autonomy As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Situational Constraints And Task Performance, Kalifa Oliver

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This study examined the effects of budget constraints on task performance, and the moderating effect of autonomous motivation on the constraint-performance relationship in a simulated work situation. Level of budget constraints (none, low, high) and motivation (external versus identified) were manipulated to examine their effects on performance, frustration, and self efficacy. Study participants were randomly assigned to either one of six experimental groups (no constraint X identified motivation, low constraint X identified motivation, high constraint X identified motivation, no constraint X external motivation, low constraint X external motivation, high constraint X external motivation) and instructed to complete an assigned budgeting …

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An Examination Of The Night Hiking Experience In Parks And Protected Areas, John Beeco Dec 2009

An Examination Of The Night Hiking Experience In Parks And Protected Areas, John Beeco

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Many protected areas offer night programs for visitors; however, night hours have not been fully recognized as a potential resource in these areas. Night hours in protected areas could provide visitors with experiences unique to these times of the day. Also, typically low levels of visitation during night hours could provide visitors with additional or better suited opportunities to fulfill motivations and benefits sought during daytime activities. Furthermore, night hours could be used by managers to increase or temporally disperse use. The National Park Service's Natural Sounds and Natural Lightscapes programs provide a direction for the protection of this resource; …

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Inhibition Of Pi 3-Kinase Signaling Contributes To Metronidazole Resistance In The Protozoan Parasite, Entamoeba Histolytica, Rhonda Powell Dec 2009

Inhibition Of Pi 3-Kinase Signaling Contributes To Metronidazole Resistance In The Protozoan Parasite, Entamoeba Histolytica, Rhonda Powell

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Amoebiasis is defined as an intestinal infection with the human protozoan parasite, Entamoeba histolytica; approximately 100,000 deaths annually can be attributed to amoebiasis. Disease states range from asymptomatic colonization to invasive amoebiasis, characterized by abdominal pain and dysentery. Dissemination to extraintestinal sites, such as the liver and/or brain, can occur. Vesicle trafficking is critical for parasite virulence, and multiple signaling cascades within the pathogen facilitate these events.
One important regulator of signal transduction is the tightly controlled PI 3-kinase (PI3K), which phosphorylates the lipid, phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate (PIP2), producing phosphatidylinositol trisphosphate (PIP3). Effector proteins, such as Akt, …

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The Bite Detector: A Device For The Behavioral Treatment Of Overweight And Obesity, Jenna Scisco Dec 2009

The Bite Detector: A Device For The Behavioral Treatment Of Overweight And Obesity, Jenna Scisco

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Overweight and obesity are primary health concerns worldwide and particularly in the United States. Currently, the most effective treatments are behavioral interventions, and a reduction of eating rate is one behavioral method that may help individuals eat less and lose weight. Additionally, adaptive eating behaviors, such as intuitive eating, have been identified as healthy body weight predictors. The purpose of Study 1 was to examine the accuracy of the bite detector, a wrist-worn device designed to detect bites of food. Participants (N = 21) ate a meal in the laboratory, and the sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) of the …

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Reading Between The Lines: Reactions To Gendered Managerial Communications, Melissa Waitsman Dec 2009

Reading Between The Lines: Reactions To Gendered Managerial Communications, Melissa Waitsman

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Some of the earliest research on women in the workplace demonstrated that women are not perceived as competent leaders and managers. Several decades have passed since that time, but, on average, American women still earn less than their male counterparts, and women still occupy only 12 Chief Executive Officer positions in Fortune 500 companies, up from 2 in 2007 (Fortune, 2008). Recent research suggests that negative stereotypes about women's managerial competence persist, particularly in regards to their assertiveness and forcefulness, two core managerial characteristics.
Current research on gender differences indicates that females are significantly more concerned with social relationships in …

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Identifying The Optimum Process Parameters Of Precision Glass Molding For Aspherical Lenses, Waqas Iqbal Dec 2009

Identifying The Optimum Process Parameters Of Precision Glass Molding For Aspherical Lenses, Waqas Iqbal

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The purpose of this research is to determine the optimum process parameters for the Precision Glass Molding (PGM) Process using Manufacturing Design, Design of Experiments and Metrology (for measuring the geometry of lenses). First, a custom machine is designed and manufactured which can carry out Precision Glass Lens Molding Experiments. This machine is then modified to improve temperature, position and force control. A literature review is performed to obtain data for process parameters that have been used in previous PGM studies. The collected data is then used in Design of Experiments to create twenty seven experiments that determine the optimum …

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Improved Automotive Safety Through Instructional Modules And Automotive Driving Simulator Based Skills Training With Assessment, Dionne Norfleet Dec 2009

Improved Automotive Safety Through Instructional Modules And Automotive Driving Simulator Based Skills Training With Assessment, Dionne Norfleet

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Motor vehicle crashes involving novice drivers are significantly higher than matured drivers' incidents as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System (NHTSA-FARS). There is ongoing research on how to decrease the number of crashes for this driver demographic group in the Unites States and Europe. Novice drivers usually complete driver education classes as a pre-requisite for full licensure to improve overall knowledge and safety. However, compiled statistics still indicate a need for more in-depth training after full licensure.
This thesis introduces classroom and virtual training modules to improve the driving skills, attitudes, knowledge, and behavior …

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The Design Of An Ic Half Precision Floating Point Arithmetic Logic Unit, Balaji Kannan Dec 2009

The Design Of An Ic Half Precision Floating Point Arithmetic Logic Unit, Balaji Kannan

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A 16 bit floating point (FP) Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) was designed and implemented in 0.35µm CMOS technology. Typical uses of the 16 bit FP ALU include graphics processors and embedded multimedia applications.
The ALU of the modern microprocessors use a fused multiply add (FMA) design technique. An advantage of the FMA is to remove the need for a comparator which is required for a normal FP adder. The FMA consists of a multiplier, shifters, adders and rounding circuit. A fast multiplier based on the Wallace tree configuration was designed. The number of partial products was greatly reduced by the …

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A Particle Swarm Optimization Using Random Keys For Flexible Flow Shop Scheduling Problem With Sequence Dependent Setup Times, Vinodh Sankaran Dec 2009

A Particle Swarm Optimization Using Random Keys For Flexible Flow Shop Scheduling Problem With Sequence Dependent Setup Times, Vinodh Sankaran

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In this research, a particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) using random keys is developed to schedule flexible flow lines with sequence dependent setup times to minimize makespan. The flexible flow line scheduling problem is a branch of production scheduling and is found in industries such as printed circuit board and automobile manufacturing. It is well known that this problem is NP-hard. For this reason, we approach the problem by implementing a particle swarm optimization (PSO), a metaheuristic which is inspired by the motion of a flock of birds or a school of fish searching for food. The proposed PSO has …

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Identifying And Comparing Key Process Attributes For Sustainable Building Delivery In India And The U.S., Prashanth Palanisamy Dec 2009

Identifying And Comparing Key Process Attributes For Sustainable Building Delivery In India And The U.S., Prashanth Palanisamy

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India is a rapidly developing nation with the associated brisk pace of construction. More sustainable building practices for construction in India would have social, environmental, and economic benefits. However, the key process attributes for successfully planning, designing, and constructing sustainable buildings in India are largely undefined. Other projects in India would benefit from a rigorous identification of these key process attributes which could help leapfrogging the sustainable building delivery in India to the best available practices.
Sustainable buildings require different delivery processes than traditional buildings; this can lead to process wastes due to unfamiliarity or incompatibility of the processes. These …

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The 'I' In Team: Effects Of Performance Appraisal Type On Teamwork Variables, Brandy Brown Dec 2009

The 'I' In Team: Effects Of Performance Appraisal Type On Teamwork Variables, Brandy Brown

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The following research examined the effects of performance appraisal condition on teamwork variables. As more reliable models of teamwork emerge, there remains a noticeable lack of information regarding team motivation and feedback in an organizational context. This paper first reviews the current findings on team motivation, feedback, and performance appraisals and then applies that topic to teamwork processes. The researcher proposed that individual, team, and dual (individual and team feedback) performance appraisals would have different effects on teamwork processes and performance. Positive effects on team orientation, mutual trust, and team performance in the team and dual performance appraisal conditions were …

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2-D And 3-D Assessment Of Cambered And Symmetric Airfoils: A Cfd Study, Tuncay Kamas Dec 2009

2-D And 3-D Assessment Of Cambered And Symmetric Airfoils: A Cfd Study, Tuncay Kamas

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A two dimensional and three dimensional computational study has been carried out respectively regarding aerodynamic forces affecting a symmetric airfoil, NACA0015 and a cambered airfoil, NACA2414. The negative lift (down force) and drag forces were predicted through the simulation of airflows over inverted rear-wings in different configurations namely; varying incidences i.e. angles of attack of the airfoils, two dimensional cross section of the inverted rear wings to be mounted on back of a car, and varying speeds of initial airflow.
The downforce increases as the angle of attack increases however, if an inverted rear wing is fixed on a car …

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Margaret Fuller's Lost Legacy: Literary Criticism, Donna Needham Dec 2009

Margaret Fuller's Lost Legacy: Literary Criticism, Donna Needham

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Margaret Fuller (1810-1850) is best known as a Transcendentalist, a friend of Ralph Waldo Emerson, and first editor of the Transcendentalist publication, The Dial. She is considered a feminist by those familiar with her early work, Woman in the Nineteenth Century. Fuller was also a literary critic and author of 'A Short Essay on Critics' the seminal American work on literary criticism. Her theory of criticism, like the criticism of Matthew Arnold twenty years later, was based on the philosophy of Goethe.
After stepping down as editor in 1842, Fuller continued to contribute criticisms and essays to The Dial until …

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'Age Doth Not Wither Nor Custom Stale My Infinite Variety': Surveying The Evolution Of Dr. John H. Watson Through 70 Years Of The Hound Of The Baskervilles On Screen, Ashley Polasek Dec 2009

'Age Doth Not Wither Nor Custom Stale My Infinite Variety': Surveying The Evolution Of Dr. John H. Watson Through 70 Years Of The Hound Of The Baskervilles On Screen, Ashley Polasek

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The sixty tales that comprise the Sherlock Holmes Canon hold a unique place in the realm of both adaptation studies and culture studies. The stories were originally written at a time concurrent with the birth of cinema; Holmes was part of the vanguard of literary figures to appear on film. Since his first appearance on screen in 1900, Sherlock Holmes, his friend and colleague Dr. Watson, and the adventures in which they figure have been consistently adapted for the full lifespan of the cinematic medium. Despite this rich history, the adaptations have, almost without exception, been scrutinized through the lens …

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Effect Of Oscillating And Static Retort Thermal Processing Technology Using An Institutional Size Pouch, Judith Trevino Dec 2009

Effect Of Oscillating And Static Retort Thermal Processing Technology Using An Institutional Size Pouch, Judith Trevino

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The effects of oscillating and static retort thermal processing on heat penetration using an institutional size pouch were evaluated. A literature review of general information on retort thermal processing, process modes, processing mediums, retort pouches and starch was presented.
Frigex-W starch (National Starch Food Innovation) and water mixtures were prepared at three different concentrations (1%, 3% and 5%). Five replications of starch and water mixtures were processed using water spray as the processing medium in institutional size retort pouches (29.2 cm. x 38.1 cm.) using both oscillating and static processing modes.
Viscosity (by Brookfield viscometer and Bostwick consistometer), residual air …

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Recollection/Re-Collection: A Re-Positioning Of Artificial Nature In The Natural World, Martha Epp-Carter Dec 2009

Recollection/Re-Collection: A Re-Positioning Of Artificial Nature In The Natural World, Martha Epp-Carter

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ABSTRACT
In this body of work I explore the division between our experiences with nature in a controlled environment versus the less frequent experience of true nature. I concern myself with the distance we create for ourselves by diminishing our interactions with nature, making them convenient, not messy or intrusive. I also attempt to resensitize the viewer to his or her own conscious or unconscious response to nature. By setting up situations that utilize both real and artificial objects, images and materials, I place the viewer in a relationship with the work that requires thoughtful attention.
Through the creation of …

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Using A Multimedia Assessment Tool To Impact Evolution Education Strategies In South Carolina's Public High Schools, Matthew Johnson Dec 2009

Using A Multimedia Assessment Tool To Impact Evolution Education Strategies In South Carolina's Public High Schools, Matthew Johnson

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The theory of evolution is widely accepted as one of the fundamental disciplines of modern science. Evolution provides a foundation for all aspects of biology, and thus it is essential that present and future biologists have a detailed understanding of evolutionary principles. However, since the famous Scopes trial in 1925, the teaching of evolutionary theory in the public school system has been under attack. Though several court cases over the last 85 years have continually supported evolution and discredited creationism (the idea that evolution cannot explain the diversity of life on earth and therefore must have arisen through the influence …

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