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Harvested Log Damage And Value Loss Associated With Two Ground-Based Harvesting Systems In Central Appalachia, Michael R. Vanderberg Dec 2002

Harvested Log Damage And Value Loss Associated With Two Ground-Based Harvesting Systems In Central Appalachia, Michael R. Vanderberg

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Damage is often seen as an important consideration when conducting partial harvests in hardwood stands, as excessive damage to residual trees will significantly reduce the potential value of the residual stand. Damage to harvested logs, especially hardwood saw and veneer logs can be an even more important concern relative to value loss associated with log degrade. The log damage and value loss were examined by harvesting system, felling function, species, and damage type in central Appalachia. Observations were made of all grade logs during the felling, skidding, decking/sorting, and loading functions of the harvesting operations. Saw logs or veneer logs …


Opportunities And Occupations In Animal And Veterinary Sciences Based On The Current Careers Of West Virginia University Alumni, Stacey Michelle Hawkins Dec 2002

Opportunities And Occupations In Animal And Veterinary Sciences Based On The Current Careers Of West Virginia University Alumni, Stacey Michelle Hawkins

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the career opportunities for graduates completing a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal and Veterinary Sciences at West Virginia University as measured by the first and current careers of alumni. The target population consisted of all alumni that graduated between the years 1991 and 2001. Over 61.6% of the West Virginia University Animal and Veterinary Science graduates were satisfied with both their first career selection as well as their current career. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree two-thirds of the graduates decided to pursue a post-graduate degree. Professional careers, …


Immunomodulatory Roles Of Endotoxin And Glutaraldehyde In The Development Of Latex Allergy, Michael D. Howell Dec 2002

Immunomodulatory Roles Of Endotoxin And Glutaraldehyde In The Development Of Latex Allergy, Michael D. Howell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Although much data has been obtained related to the clinical manifestations of latex allergy and the characterization of the protein allergens, little is known regarding the natural history of the disease. These studies were undertaken to demonstrate the immunological relevance of both dermal and respiratory exposure in the development of latex allergy and to investigate the role of co-exposure by these routes to other agents in the health care environment on the development of NRL sensitization.;An initial study in female BALB/c mice demonstrated comparable rates of induction of latex specific IgE following dermal and respiratory latex exposure, demonstrating the importance …


Rubber Toughening Of Glass-Fiber -Reinforced Nylon 66, Fares D. Alsewailem Dec 2002

Rubber Toughening Of Glass-Fiber -Reinforced Nylon 66, Fares D. Alsewailem

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Glass fibers are commonly added to thermoplastics by the process of extrusion compounding for a variety of reasons, mainly to enhance their strength and make them dimensionally stable. Since the extruder has to be flushed out each time product composition is changed, a large amount of incompatible polymeric waste is generated. This waste material is usually landfilled even though the polymers contained in it are valuable and worth being recycled. It is the drastic reduction in mechanical properties resulting from polymer incompatibility which restricts their recycling. A good strategy of recycling thermoplastics calls for separating materials from each other before …


Flight Testing Of A Remotely Piloted Vehicle For Aircraft Parameter Estimation Purposes, Brad A. Seanor Dec 2002

Flight Testing Of A Remotely Piloted Vehicle For Aircraft Parameter Estimation Purposes, Brad A. Seanor

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The contribution of this research effort was to show that a reliable RPV could be built, tested, and successfully used for flight testing and parameter estimation purposes, in an academic setting. This was a fundamental step towards the creation of an automated Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). This research project was divided into four phases. Phase one involved the construction, development, and initial flight of a Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV), the West Virginia University (WVU) Boeing 777 (B777) aircraft. This phase included the creation of an onboard instrumentation system to provide aircraft flight data. The objective of the second phase was …


Formation And Dissociation Reaction Rates And Relevant Kinetic Behavior Of Propane Gas Hydrate (Pgh), Feng Song Dec 2002

Formation And Dissociation Reaction Rates And Relevant Kinetic Behavior Of Propane Gas Hydrate (Pgh), Feng Song

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The formation and dissociation reaction rates and their kinetic behavior of propane gas hydrate (PGH) within the well-defined sediment particle's packing structures were experimentally investigated in this work by using a multi-phase heterogeneous reaction system, consisting of propane gas (g), water (l), PGH (s) and sediment particles (glass beads) (s). This work was carried out under the formation conditions of P = 0.427 MPa and T = 273.5 K, and under the dissociation conditions of P ≤ 0.168 MPa and T = 273.5 K.;A new designed, isothermal, and packed bed batch reactor was used for the kinetic analysis of the …


Enhanced Controls For Oxy-Fuel-Fired Batch Tank During Glass Working Period, Ranjit Menon Unnikrishnan Dec 2002

Enhanced Controls For Oxy-Fuel-Fired Batch Tank During Glass Working Period, Ranjit Menon Unnikrishnan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

One of the most dynamic developments in the glass industry has been the use of oxy-fuel combustion for melting glass. This new technology has not only increased the energy efficiency of the glass industry, but also has reduced its environmental impacts.;A model has been developed to take into account the effect of pulling the glass for nine hours during the working period on the reduced amount of fuel required for the batch tank, as well as the resulting transients.;The two primary goals of this thesis were to develop a transient transfer function for the batch tank and to develop an …


Mechanical Characterization Of Aged Recycled Polymers And Applications, Jose Ricardo Basto Dec 2002

Mechanical Characterization Of Aged Recycled Polymers And Applications, Jose Ricardo Basto

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The research focuses on the evaluation of mechanical properties (tension, bending, compression, impact, hardness and creep) of recycled acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polycarbonate (PC) thermoplastics obtained as electronic shredder residue (ESR) from computer housings. Three forms of polymers, i.e., virgin, blend of virgin and recycled, and 100% recycled were investigated to establish their long term mechanical properties. Chopped and continuous glass fiber/fabric addition to the resins was evaluated to study the thermo-mechanical properties.;Mechanical characterization was carried out at freeze-thaw cycling aging. It was found that recycled polymers retain at least 70% of their tensile, bending and compressive strength after …


Impact Of Early Childhood Perceptions And Experiences On Oral Health Practices In Later Life, Johnna Marie Guzzi Dec 2002

Impact Of Early Childhood Perceptions And Experiences On Oral Health Practices In Later Life, Johnna Marie Guzzi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Older adults are at a higher risk for numerous oral and systemic diseases. Oral conditions experienced by the elderly are believed to be cumulative. The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between early childhood dental care practices/experiences and perceived oral health needs of persons 60 years of age and older who are participants of three West Virginia facilities for the elderly (N = 90). Individuals were interviewed utilizing a two-part 21-item survey. Data analyses, including analysis of variance and tests of chi square, were conducted using the JMP program. Although individuals felt dental health was …


Synthesis And Characterization Of Group Iv Metal Complexes Featuring Tridentate Diamidoamine Ligands, Alicia R. Morgan Dec 2002

Synthesis And Characterization Of Group Iv Metal Complexes Featuring Tridentate Diamidoamine Ligands, Alicia R. Morgan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

New synthetic routes for the preparation of five-coordinate zirconium and titanium complexes featuring tridentate diamidoamine ligands were developed. Zirconium dichloride complexes, [(Mes)N(CH2)2NR(CH 2)2N(Mes)]ZrCl2 (R=H, SiMe3), were synthesized via a one step toluene elimination reaction. Analogous titanium dichloride complexes, [(Mes)N(CH2)2NR(CH2) 2N(Mes)]TiCl2 (R=H, SiMe3), were prepared using a one-step amine elimination reaction.;The NMR data for all four of the [(Mes)N(CH2)2NR(CH 2)2N(Mes)]MCl2-type complexes demonstrated that they exhibit CS symmetry in solution, as indicated by the observation of six carbon resonances for the aryl carbons and three 1H and 13C NMR resonances for the methyl groups of the mesityl substituents. Molecular structures obtained from …


Taxonomic Revision And Paleoecology Of Middle Devonian (Eifelian) Fishes Of The Onondaga, Columbus And Delaware Limestones Of The Eastern United States, Robert Lewis Martin Dec 2002

Taxonomic Revision And Paleoecology Of Middle Devonian (Eifelian) Fishes Of The Onondaga, Columbus And Delaware Limestones Of The Eastern United States, Robert Lewis Martin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The Eifelian stage of eastern North America has produced the remains of a substantial number of fish taxa, mostly from the Onondaga Limestone of New York and the Columbus and Delaware limestones of Ohio. Fish specimens in rock matrix from the Buffalo Science Museum and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History were compared to rock samples taken from quarries in Cheektowaga, New York and Warrensburg, Ohio, in order to determine the units from which the fish specimens originally came. This method allowed reasonable inference into the provenance of the museum specimens.;The stratigraphy indicates that the seas of New York and …


Evaluation Of Strut-And-Tie Modeling For Bridge Pier Applications, Thomas Nicholas Ii Dec 2002

Evaluation Of Strut-And-Tie Modeling For Bridge Pier Applications, Thomas Nicholas Ii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Strut-and-tie modeling is an analysis and design tool for reinforced concrete elements which assumes that internal stresses are transferred through a truss type mechanism. The tensile ties and compressive struts serve as truss members connected by nodal zones. The internal truss idealized by the strut-and-tie model implicitly accounts for the distribution of both flexure and shear.;In 1998, the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Specifications (1998) incorporated the strut-and-tie modeling procedure for the analysis and design of deep reinforced concrete members where sectional design approaches are not valid. In most instances, hammerhead piers can be defined as deep reinforced concrete members and therefore, …


Mode-I Fatigue Fracture Of Interface For Fiber -Reinforced Polymer Composite Bonded To Wood, Junhui Jia Dec 2002

Mode-I Fatigue Fracture Of Interface For Fiber -Reinforced Polymer Composite Bonded To Wood, Junhui Jia

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

For applications in civil infrastructure rehabilitation and new construction, wood is being reinforced with externally bonded laminates and fabrics of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. The potential benefits of external reinforcement with bonded FRP composites have been demonstrated through several studies, and the field implementation of this technology has been successfully proven in numerous projects. However, there is a concern with the long-term performance of the interface bond, since an inadequate bond strength and integrity can render the reinforcement ineffective and lead to premature failure of the structure. The performance of FRP-wood bonded interfaces under static and environmental loads have been …


Effects Of Maternal Sleep Deprivation On Maternal Sensitivity And Contingent Responsiveness, Cheryl Wiedman Dec 2002

Effects Of Maternal Sleep Deprivation On Maternal Sensitivity And Contingent Responsiveness, Cheryl Wiedman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Research has revealed that sleep deprivation deleteriously affects several aspects of adults' behavior, such as mood, cognition, and motor performance. One population that is subject to sleep deprivation and the accompanying consequences are parents of young infants. The present study explored how sleep deprivation, resulting from infant night awakening, affects the face-to-face interaction between mothers and their 3- to 4-month-old infants. Contrary to the proposed hypotheses the groups did not differ in sensitivity or contingent responsiveness. However, regression analyses revealed that depression and sleep deprivation together significantly predicted contingent responsiveness during the interaction. Mothers who were more depressed and sleep …


Evaluations Of Concrete Overlays For Bridge Deck Applications, Shiwei Luo Dec 2002

Evaluations Of Concrete Overlays For Bridge Deck Applications, Shiwei Luo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Protective concrete deck overlays have been successfully used by WVDOH in a number of old and new concrete bridge decks to extend their service life, but in several cases delamination and failures have been observed. A comprehensive study has been recently defined to investigate overlays performance and delamination, culminating eventually in the development of specifications in collaboration with WVDOH and the Contractors and Building Supplies Associations of WV.;The present study is an exploratory research concerned with evaluations of four types of overlays for bridge deck applications, and include: latex modified concrete (LMC), microsilica modified concrete (MMC), microsilica modified concrete with …


Calculation Of Thermal Expansion Of Iron -Aluminides With Transition Metal Additives, Tatiana Seletskaia Dec 2002

Calculation Of Thermal Expansion Of Iron -Aluminides With Transition Metal Additives, Tatiana Seletskaia

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The addition of transition metal elements can significantly modify physical properties of intermetalic compounds. We studied the influence of Mo and V additives on thermal expansion coefficient (CTE) of Fe3Al and FeAl over the wide range of temperatures. The site preference of both transition metals was determined by FP-LMTO method. Fe3Al in DO3 structure has three non-equivalent lattice sites: FeI site surrounded by eight iron atoms, FeII site with four iron and four aluminum nearest neighbors and Al site. Our calculations show that Fe, site is energetically more favorable for both Mo and V. The obtained site-selection energies of Mo …


Three Essays On Trade Policy And Factor Mobility, Baishali Majumdar Dec 2002

Three Essays On Trade Policy And Factor Mobility, Baishali Majumdar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This dissertation consists of three essays on trade policy and factor mobility. The first essay of the dissertation deals with issues on trade policy. It focuses on the possibility of recipient immiserization under optimal export taxation in a multi-country framework. We find asymmetry between two nations is very crucial for recipient immiserization. The interesting finding is that being more aggressive in taxation is a disadvantage in gaining from receipts of transfers. The larger exporter exercises more market power and is also more vulnerable to the adverse welfare effects of transfer.;The second and third essays explore the issues of trade policy …


Chemical And Physical Properties Of Acid Mine Drainage Floc, Catherine M. Bohan Dec 2002

Chemical And Physical Properties Of Acid Mine Drainage Floc, Catherine M. Bohan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Acid mine drainage is a serious environmental concern in many regions worldwide, but especially in coal and metal mining regions. These acid drainages are often treated with chemicals to raise the pH of the water and to cause neutralization and precipitation of metals. As neutralization occurs, a looser gelatinous material called "floc" is produced. The effects of neutralizing chemical, pH, sulfate to iron molar ratio, and solids concentration on floc settling properties were determined in synthetic acid mine drainage. Sulfate was the important factor affecting floc physicochemical properties, increasing settling times from 25-125% and decreasing settling rates from 24-63%. Neutralization …


Using Waterflood Performance To Characterize Flow-Units In A Heterogeneous Reservoir, Vamsi Krishna Alla Dec 2002

Using Waterflood Performance To Characterize Flow-Units In A Heterogeneous Reservoir, Vamsi Krishna Alla

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Simulation of waterflood performance is used to verify the characterization of flow-units in a heterogeneous reservoir. BOAST98 software was used for simulation of waterflood performance. Two adjacent five spot patterns in the Stringtown field in West Virginia were selected to be evaluated in this study.;The predicted permeability along with the porosity from Artificial Neural Network (A.N.N) was used for primary characterization purpose and identification of flow-units in the two five spots patterns.;Two alternate simulation models were developed. The simulation model was developed using the available data and those predicted using A.N.N. to verify that the flow-units model was an accurate …


Sport Fish Consumption Advisory For West Virginia, William Alvin Warnick Dec 2002

Sport Fish Consumption Advisory For West Virginia, William Alvin Warnick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The risk based sport fish consumption advisory protocol, West Virginia Sport Fish Consumption Advisory Guide (the Guide), was drafted for the state. Fish were collected from ten West Virginia sites (5 previously identified as contaminated, 5 previously identified as uncontaminated). Fish samples were collected, processed and analyzed for total mercury concentration and Aroclors (PCBs). Recommended meal frequencies were calculated from contaminant levels and based on the Guide. Mean fillet sample contaminant levels were compared to composite sample levels and found to require the same level or in one case a more protective of consumption advisory. Ten composite samples had Aroclor …


Effects Of Response-Independent Stimulus Delivery And Functional Communication Training, Shannon S. Haag Dec 2002

Effects Of Response-Independent Stimulus Delivery And Functional Communication Training, Shannon S. Haag

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Two individuals with developmental delays with a history of problem behavior participated in this study. Its purpose was to examine the efficacy of combining two treatments demonstrated to reduce problem behavior: response-independent stimulus delivery and differential reinforcement of an alternative behavior. This study examined whether the response-independent delivery of an alternative preferred stimulus and differential reinforcement of manding resulted in increases in manding and suppression of problem behavior prior to and during the fading of the schedule of response-independent stimulus delivery. The study also examined the necessity of extinction to obtain suppression of problem behavior. The response-independent delivery of an …


Predictors Of Student Success In Distance Education Courses, Rhonda Suzanne Shepperd Dec 2002

Predictors Of Student Success In Distance Education Courses, Rhonda Suzanne Shepperd

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This study investigated the relationship between faculty-student communication, student time management, student expectations, and quality of instruction and the level of student success in distance courses. The population of the study consisted of undergraduate students enrolled in Independent Study courses at Mountain State University (N = 1007) during the summer and fall 2001 terms. The sample consisted of 500 students randomly selected from the population. Participants completed the Distance Education Satisfaction Survey developed by the researcher. Data analyses indicated that statistically significant differences existed within faculty-student communication, student time management, student expectations and quality of instruction based on the level …


Early Component-Based Reliability Assessment Using Uml Based Software Models, William Black Smith V Dec 2002

Early Component-Based Reliability Assessment Using Uml Based Software Models, William Black Smith V

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

In the last decade, software has grown in complexity and size, while development timelines have diminished. As a result, component-based software engineering is becoming routine. Component-based software reliability assessment combines the architecture of the system with the reliability of the components to obtain the system reliability. This allows developers to produce a reliable system and testers to focus on the vulnerable areas.;This thesis discusses a tool developed to implement the methodology previously created for early reliability assessment of component-based systems. The tool, Early Component-based Reliability Assessment (ECRA), uses Rational Rose Unified Modeling Language (UML) diagrams to predict the reliability of …


Geospatial And Statistical Foundations For Streamflow Synthesis In West Virginia, Annie J. Morris Dec 2002

Geospatial And Statistical Foundations For Streamflow Synthesis In West Virginia, Annie J. Morris

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Streamflow values must be synthesized for locations where flow measurement stations, in applications such as the West Virginia SWAP program, are lacking or where only intermittent measurements are available (West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, 1999). This research describes an effort to improve upon the current synthetic streamflow model by incorporating geomorphic, geologic, and hydrogeologic measurements. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to derive a set of master variables that characterize stream flow in West Virginia based on historical data from 29 watersheds. The relationships between variables affecting stream flow were also analyzed using cluster and correlation analysis …


Essays In International Asset Pricing, Hong Wu Dec 2002

Essays In International Asset Pricing, Hong Wu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This dissertation attempts to assess the ability of various international asset pricing models in explaining asset returns across countries. The Introduction discusses the links between the chapters, the contributions I make and states what I have learned from the dissertation. Chapter 1 of the dissertation derives (in a discrete time framework to facilitate the transition from theory to empirical analysis) a consumption based capital asset pricing model with the added feature of a "keeping up with the Joneses" utility function and applies it in an international context to explain return differences across countries. Relying on the Lucas (1978) asset pricing …


Characterization Of Infield Duty Cycles And Exhaust Emissions From Diesel Powered Off-Road Heavy-Duty Equipment, Jeremiah Christopher Rohrbaugh Dec 2002

Characterization Of Infield Duty Cycles And Exhaust Emissions From Diesel Powered Off-Road Heavy-Duty Equipment, Jeremiah Christopher Rohrbaugh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The objective of study was to design, develop, and evaluate techniques to measure exhaust emissions from diesel-powered off road equipment. Emissions data was collected from a Komatsu hydraulic excavator and a Caterpillar track-type tractor.;For the excavator, data was logged during in-field operation, and test cycles were created on a dynamometer test bed using this data. For the tractor, on-board emissions measurement equipment collected mass emissions rate data in field.;Vast differences were found between transient and 8-mode brake-specific test results. Transient cycle HC, CO, CO2, NO, and PM emissions were 50%, 65%, 10%, 35%, and 50% lower than 8-Mode results, respectively. …


Quantifying The Impact Of The Wto On Kuwait, Reyadh Y. Faras Dec 2002

Quantifying The Impact Of The Wto On Kuwait, Reyadh Y. Faras

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The major contribution of this study is to quantify the economic impact of Kuwait's membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) on supply, demand, welfare and terms of trade. A general equilibrium international trade model is used to obtain quantitative results. The model is theoretically static and based on the assumptions of perfect competition and constant returns to scale. However, it was estimated and simulated dynamically.;After specifying the model theoretically it is estimated empirically by linearizing the supply and demand equations that were obtained from solving the model analytically. The estimated model is used in a number of simulation exercises …


Students' Perceptions Of Nonnative Esl Teachers, Etelvo Ramos Filho Dec 2002

Students' Perceptions Of Nonnative Esl Teachers, Etelvo Ramos Filho

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

There has been a lot of research on native speaker and nonnative speaker teachers of English as a second language. Authors have addressed negative and positive aspects of these two classes. However, there has not been much research on how students of English as a second language see their nonnative instructors. This qualitative study addresses this issue. In this study I investigated how learners perceive their nonnative speaker teachers. The data were collected through a questionnaire, class observations, and audio-taped interviews with the 16 participants. Two nonnative instructors, who taught the participants, were interviewed also. Overall, despite some negative perceptions, …


Effects Of Nitrogen Fertilizer And Red Clover (Trifolium Pratense L.) Component On Productivity Of Grass-Legume Mixed Swards, Chamil Salinda Kandapola Dec 2002

Effects Of Nitrogen Fertilizer And Red Clover (Trifolium Pratense L.) Component On Productivity Of Grass-Legume Mixed Swards, Chamil Salinda Kandapola

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The effects of two levels of red clover (low and high) and three levels of N fertilizer (0, 28, 56 N kg ha-1) on herbage accumulation and quality of grass-legume mixed swards were studied. Total herbage accumulation of the mixtures with high legume percentage was significantly higher than those with low legume percentage and this was most pronounced at second harvest. Swards high in legumes also had higher crude protein concentrations and lower weed percentages than those low in legumes. Although the effect of N on herbage accumulation was not significant, an increase was observed for crude protein concentration of …


Thermodynamic Effects Of Phospholamban On Ca-Atpase Kinetics, Patrick L. Apopa Dec 2002

Thermodynamic Effects Of Phospholamban On Ca-Atpase Kinetics, Patrick L. Apopa

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The Ca-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum removes cytosolic calcium to promote muscle relaxation. In the heart, the Ca-ATPase is regulated by phospholamban, which inhibits the Ca-ATPase by decreasing Ca-ATPase calcium sensitivity. However, the kinetic and thermodynamic mechanisms of inhibition are not understood. The purpose of this research was to test the hypothesis that phospholamban regulates Ca-ATPase kinetics by increasing Ca-ATPase activation energy. The baculovirus-insect cell expression system was used to produce samples containing Ca-ATPase alone or Ca-ATPase with phospholamban. The temperature-dependence of Ca-ATPase activity and catalytic site density was measured in the absence and presence of phospholamban at sub-saturating calcium and …