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Synthesis And Characterization Of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers And Their Application In Preconcentrators For Gas Phase Sensors, Yi Fu Dec 2003

Synthesis And Characterization Of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers And Their Application In Preconcentrators For Gas Phase Sensors, Yi Fu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Various of molecularly imprinted polymers were synthesized by different protocols. Piezoelectric quartz crystals coated with molecularly imprinted polymers were prepared to detect small organic vapors. Hydroquinone (HQ) and Phenol (P) have been used as non-covalent bound templates in order to generate shape-selectivity cavities in the polymer matrix. The recognition film was immobilized on the crystal surface via a pre-coated Poly(isobutylene) layer. The selective behaviors of the imprinted polymer films were studied by their steady-state response to various kinds of small organic vapors. The partition coefficients of polymers toward vapors were evaluated. The imprinted polymers exhibit high sensitivity and selectivity toward …


Temporal Control And Response Strength In A Free -Operant Psychophysical Procedure, Lori M. Lieving Dec 2003

Temporal Control And Response Strength In A Free -Operant Psychophysical Procedure, Lori M. Lieving

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The purpose of the present experiments was to examine the relation between timing and response strength. Pigeons responded on a two-component multiple schedule consisting of the free-operant psychophysical procedure, in which trials lasted 50 s. During the first 25 s of each trial, responding on the left key was reinforced according to a variable interval (VI) schedule of reinforcement. During the second 25 s of each trial, responding on the right key was reinforced according to a VI schedule of reinforcement. In Experiment 1, responding in one component was maintained by a VI 30-s schedule (rich component) and responding in …


Designing A Scalable Dynamic Load -Balancing Algorithm For Pipelined Single Program Multiple Data Applications On A Non-Dedicated Heterogeneous Network Of Workstations, Ashraf Osman Dec 2003

Designing A Scalable Dynamic Load -Balancing Algorithm For Pipelined Single Program Multiple Data Applications On A Non-Dedicated Heterogeneous Network Of Workstations, Ashraf Osman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Dynamic load balancing strategies have been shown to be the most critical part of an efficient implementation of various applications on large distributed computing systems. The need for dynamic load balancing strategies increases when the underlying hardware is a non-dedicated heterogeneous network of workstations (HNOW). This research focuses on the single program multiple data (SPMD) programming model as it has been extensively used in parallel programming for its simplicity and scalability in terms of computational power and memory size.;This dissertation formally defines and addresses the problem of designing a scalable dynamic load-balancing algorithm for pipelined SPMD applications on non-dedicated HNOW. …


Metallothionein Isoform 3 Expression In Human Bladder Urothelium, Seongmi Park Dec 2003

Metallothionein Isoform 3 Expression In Human Bladder Urothelium, Seongmi Park

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The third isoform of metallothionein, MT-3 is shown to have a restricted pattern of tissue distribution with expression confined to the neural tissue. Previous work done by this laboratory has shown that MT-3 is not expressed in the normal bladder but is over-expressed in bladder cancer with levels correlating to the type and grade of tumor. Recently, a new bladder epithelial cell line UROtsa has been characterized that does not express the MT-3 gene and may serve as a useful in vitro model system of the normal human urothelium. The goal of this study was to see the effect of …


Sport Psychology Strategies, Types Of Social Support, And Adherence To Injury Rehabilitation Among University Student -Athletes, Kenneth Tubilleja Dec 2003

Sport Psychology Strategies, Types Of Social Support, And Adherence To Injury Rehabilitation Among University Student -Athletes, Kenneth Tubilleja

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The present study examined differences between levels of adherence to athletic injury rehabilitation (SIRAS; Brewer, Van Raalte, Petitpas, Sklar, & Ditmar, 1995) among injured student-athletes on their use of sport psychology strategies (TOPS; Thomas, Murphy, & Hardy, 1999) and their perceived social support (SSS-C; Richman, Rosenfeld, & Hardy, 1993). Relationships between adherence to athletic injury rehabilitation and sport psychology strategies and perceived social support were also investigated. In addition, participants' use and training in sport psychology strategies was explored. The sample consisted of 35 student-athletes from 1 NCAA Division I and 3 Division II institutions who sustained athletic injuries that …


Seasonal Movements Of Yellow-Phase American Eels ( Anguilla Rostrata) In The Shenandoah River, West Virginia, Stephen D. Hammond Dec 2003

Seasonal Movements Of Yellow-Phase American Eels ( Anguilla Rostrata) In The Shenandoah River, West Virginia, Stephen D. Hammond

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

American eels undergo extensive upstream migration in Atlantic coastal river systems. Few studies, however, have focused on movements of large yellow-phase American eels near dams in upper watersheds of Atlantic coastal rivers. We examined relationships between stream flow, water temperature, and lunar phase, and movements of radio-tagged yellow-phase American eels (518--810 mm TL) near Millville hydroelectric dam in the lower Shenandoah River, West. Movements of yellow-phase American eels differed among seasons. Water temperature and stream flow were associated with upstream migration during spring. Downstream movements during fall corresponded with decreasing water temperatures and darker nights near the new moon. Localized …


Development And Validation Of A Measure To Assess Physician Readiness To Prescribe Drug Therapies For Post-Myocardial Infarction Patients, Siddhesh Ajit Kamat Dec 2003

Development And Validation Of A Measure To Assess Physician Readiness To Prescribe Drug Therapies For Post-Myocardial Infarction Patients, Siddhesh Ajit Kamat

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

National guidelines recommend the use of beta-blockers, aspirin, and ACE-inhibitors in the management of post MI patients. These target drug classes continue to be under-prescribed; information on physicians' decision-making process requires attention and behavior change interventions have been proposed. This pilot study uses the Transtheoretical Model of Change; physicians' salience for the pros and cons of prescribing target drug classes constitutes the decisional balance measure, which can be used to predict their stage of readiness. A survey instrument was mailed to a sample of West Virginia physicians and 55 usable responses (34%) were received. Majority of the physicians self-reported in …


Enhancing Quality And Extending Shelf Life Of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) By Vitamin E Supplementation And Post-Harvest Antimicrobial Intervention, Nalini Kamireddy Dec 2003

Enhancing Quality And Extending Shelf Life Of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) By Vitamin E Supplementation And Post-Harvest Antimicrobial Intervention, Nalini Kamireddy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Rainbow trout were fed a control (191 mg/kg) or the control diet supplemented with 5000 mg alpha-tocopherol/kg. Fish were sampled at 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 9 weeks of feeding; at each week fillets were evaluated at 0, 7, and 14 d. Supplementation increased fillet alpha-tocopherol content, and TBARS value were not affected. A feeding by storage time interaction was observed for fat content, psychrotrophic counts, cook yield, and shear force. For antimicrobial intervention, fillets were not treated or were dipped in water, 50 ppm ASC, and 1000 ppm ASC for 30 s. Fillets were stored at 1--2°C for …


Winter Habitat Use Of Fishes In The Ohio River, Benjamin Ernst Lenz Dec 2003

Winter Habitat Use Of Fishes In The Ohio River, Benjamin Ernst Lenz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Winter is a critical period during which fishes may suffer increased mortality. To identify the habitats that fishes use in large rivers during winter conditions, we electrofished six habitat types in the Belleville Pool, Ohio River. We collected the greatest diversity and numbers of fishes in low-velocity tributary confluences when water temperatures were >4°C. When water temperatures were <4°C, certain species were collected in greater abundance in faster-velocity main channel and back channel habitats while other species continued to associate with lower flows in tributary mouths. Differing habitat use between species obscures broad generalizations about when and how fishes use overwintering refuges. In an additional habitat sampled, an embayment, 85% of all fishes collected were juveniles. Centrarchids, rarely collected in the mainstem portion of the river, were one of the dominant fishes collected in the embayment. Protecting large river embayments may prove important for managing recreational sunfish fisheries.


Numerical Analysis Of Source-Water Dynamics For Stream-Bounded Alluvial Aquifers, Sarah E. Webb Dec 2003

Numerical Analysis Of Source-Water Dynamics For Stream-Bounded Alluvial Aquifers, Sarah E. Webb

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Alluvial aquifers bounded by streams are water supply sources for numerous communities in the Ohio Valley, West Virginia. Groundwater flow models are tools for estimation of source areas, however, existing analytical solutions apply only in settings involving a single stream boundary. A series of numerical experiments was devised for wells near multiple surface sources examining the controlling aspects of well-location and boundary condition interaction on source areas. Local-scale models were constructed representing an alluvial aquifer bounded by a tributary intersecting a large river. Aquifer behavior was examined in response to variations in pumping well location and tributary gradient. Flow within …


Spline Based Controller For Nonlinear Systems, Ali Karimi Dec 2003

Spline Based Controller For Nonlinear Systems, Ali Karimi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The objective of this thesis is to apply spline theory to implement controllers for nonlinear systems. Two different systems, forced Duffing oscillators and power systems, are investigated. The spline method is used to mimic the controller which drives a state of the Duffing system toward a desired path. The spline-based nonlinear controller has piecewise polynomial segments with different order of polynomials on each segment. Controller efforts for different order of polynomial interpolants and power spectral densities of the controller signals are compared with the exact feedback linearizaton method.;The first objective for power systems is to design nonlinear excitation controllers for …


Plant-Wide Energy Assessment Using A Systems Approach, Rajkumar Selvaraj Dec 2003

Plant-Wide Energy Assessment Using A Systems Approach, Rajkumar Selvaraj

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Energy plays a central role in the operation of the industrialized U.S. economy. Industry is historically the largest consuming sector of the economy with more than 60 percent of the energy consumed for manufacturing. The U.S. chemical industry is the world's largest producer of chemicals producing over 25 percent of the total production worldwide. In a chemical industry, the energy is used to supply heat and power for manufacturing processes and for energy feedstock. Due to the energy intensive nature of chemical industries, energy assessments performed could yield huge savings in energy and cost.;The aim of this research is to …


Generalized Nowhere Zero Flow, Jingjing Chen Dec 2003

Generalized Nowhere Zero Flow, Jingjing Chen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Let G be an undirected graph, A be an (additive) abelian group and A* = A - {lcub}0{rcub}. A graph G is A-connected if G has an orientation D(G) such that for every function b : V(G ) A satisfying Sv∈VG b(v) = 0, there is a function f : E(G) A* such that at each vertex v ∈ V(G), ∂f(v), the net flow out from v, equals b( v). An A-nowhere-zero-flow (abbreviated as A-NZF) in G is a function f : E(G) A* such that at each vertex v ∈ V(G), ∂f(v) = 0.;In this paper, we investigate the …


Parametric Modeling Of Bolted Joints Between Components Made Of Particulate Composite Materials, Vasudha Goteti Dec 2003

Parametric Modeling Of Bolted Joints Between Components Made Of Particulate Composite Materials, Vasudha Goteti

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Particulate metal matrix composites (MMC) exhibit higher stiffness, strength and wear resistance compared to metal alloys. They exhibit superior compressive and buckling strength because of their higher plastic modulus. MMC's can operate at very higher temperatures than fiber-reinforced polymer composites. Their isotropic behavior and forming ability by conventional methods makes them a better choice for low-cost applications. They have good thermal conductivity, high electrical conductivity and low thermal expansion.;The main objective of this study is to predict numerically the stress distributions around the hole in a bolted joint made of particulate metal matrix composite and to investigate the associated load …


Ersatz, George M. Horton Jr. Dec 2003

Ersatz, George M. Horton Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

My work attempts to develop the relationship between optical and formal painting traditions in modernism via the literal surface of the painting and the object or objects represented. They are arranged to create an effect of simultaneous emergence and dissolution. They represent the falsely temporal aspects of the perceived world, the concretization of which only exists in the mind of the viewer. This thesis statement will address issues of surface and illusionism in modern pictorial theory and the importance of perception verses objectification. In addition I will discuss the subject matter, composition, and techniques employed to create the works. I …


Characterization Of In-Use Emissions From On-Highway Heavy-Duty Diesel Engines, Mohan Krishnamurthy Dec 2003

Characterization Of In-Use Emissions From On-Highway Heavy-Duty Diesel Engines, Mohan Krishnamurthy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Class-8 trucks with GVWR of 80,000 lbs were tested on different driving routes and in-use brake-specific emissions of NOx and CO2 data were collected using the West Virginia University's Mobile Emissions Measurement System (MEMS). An uncertainty analysis was performed on the MEMS and it was determined the maximum possible error in the measurement of brake-specific emissions of NOx was 8% and CO2 was 6%.;A modal analysis indicated that the cruise mode comprised 70% of the time that the vehicle spent in the Not-to-Exceed (NTE) zone while the acceleration and deceleration modes about 20% and 10% respectively.;In order to reduce the …


Geologic Feature Prediction Using Roof Bolter Drilling Parameters, Benjamin T. Mirabile Dec 2003

Geologic Feature Prediction Using Roof Bolter Drilling Parameters, Benjamin T. Mirabile

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The design of a safe and efficient roof support system is essential for any underground coal mining operation. All underground coal mines in the United States install roof bolts with a roof bolter as the primary means of supporting the mine roof. Proper application of roof bolting is dependent upon knowledge of the mine roof geology.;Recently developed control and data acquisition technologies allow the drilling performance of these roof bolters to be monitored on a real-time basis. Drilling data collected from these machines can be used to determine geological features present in the mine roof. A J. H. Fletcher & …


Long-Term Performance Of Pot Hardware In Continuous Galvanizing Lines, Venkatesh Parthasarathy Dec 2003

Long-Term Performance Of Pot Hardware In Continuous Galvanizing Lines, Venkatesh Parthasarathy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Preliminary comparative wearing tests were conducted on wearguard bearing system against CF3M (casting version of 316L steel), with tungsten carbide laser clad coating, at 30% and 50% production line tension. Tests were also conducted on Stellite 6 against Tribaloy T 400 at 50% production line tension. For each test, periodic measurements of wearing rate, surface microstructure and surface hardness were carried out. An unique dross build-up setup which consists of two sleeves counter rotating against each other was designed to simulate the dross build-up in production line. The chemical composition of the dross material formed and change in sleeve microstructures …


Characterization Of Exhaust Emissions From Catalyzed Trap-Equipped Non-Road Heavy-Duty Diesel Engines, Vinay Nagendran Dec 2003

Characterization Of Exhaust Emissions From Catalyzed Trap-Equipped Non-Road Heavy-Duty Diesel Engines, Vinay Nagendran

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

An emissions and engine performance study was conducted to explore the effects of ultra low sulfur fuels on an off-road, heavy-duty engine retrofitted with catalyzed traps. The study was conducted, on an 8 cylinder, mechanically controlled Caterpillar 3408, rear engine of a Scraper. An in-field transient duty cycle was determined by logging the engine speed and torque using an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) communication adapter on the Scraper. The test fuels included California Air Resources Board (CARB) off-road diesel fuel, Fischer-Tropsch and Emission Control Diesel-1 (ECD1) diesel fuels. The engine was retrofit with two different types of diesel particulate filters …


Effect Of Rate Of Sumping On Fragmentation Process In Laboratory Rotary Cutting Simulator, Muralidharan Venkataraman Dec 2003

Effect Of Rate Of Sumping On Fragmentation Process In Laboratory Rotary Cutting Simulator, Muralidharan Venkataraman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This study was done to examine the fragmentation process and to improve sumping. Research has demonstrated that specific energy and specific respirable dust must be kept minimum to produce the optimum parameters of the rock/coal breakage process and to attain maximum sumping. There are three major elements affecting the efficiency of the cutting head namely: (1) Geometry and size of the cutting tool, (2) Geometry of the drum and lacing and arrangements of the tools on the drum and (3) Effect of rate of advance/dynamic impacts. The emphasis is made on the rate of advance utilizing a miniature rotary cutting …


Potential Field Theory And Its Applications To Classical Mechanical Problems, Shannon Rae Stillwagon Dec 2003

Potential Field Theory And Its Applications To Classical Mechanical Problems, Shannon Rae Stillwagon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Advances in many scientific fields are expected to come from work in nanotechnology. Engineering at nano-scales presents novel problems that classical mechanics cannot solve. Many engineers are uncomfortable designing at this level because classical or continuum mechanics does not apply and quantum mechanics is said to apply in a tangible way. There are unique opportunities to contribute to the design, controls, and analysis of systems that are particularly suited to mechanical engineering. Within the derivations of classical mechanics are assumptions that limit its use to bulk engineering. These assumptions are examined to determine what principles can be extended to smaller …


Alkaline Durability Tests For E-Glass/Vinyl Ester-Reinforced Polymer With Nanoclay, Shu-Kai Yeh Dec 2003

Alkaline Durability Tests For E-Glass/Vinyl Ester-Reinforced Polymer With Nanoclay, Shu-Kai Yeh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Two kinds of GFRP (glass fiber reinforced plastics) composite materials were prepared and used in this study. One was E-glass/vinyl ester glass fiber reinforced polymer (plain GFRP) and the other was nano-GFRP prepared with the addition of 1 wt% of CloisiteRTM 10A nanoclay. These samples were aged in an alkaline solution (pH = 13.2) with 3560N (800-lbs), 2225N (500-lbs) and 885N (200-lbs) of sustained load, which were 50%, 31% and 12.5% of the tensile strength, respectively. Time to failure or tensile strength reduction was measured and used to determine durability of the samples in terms of Aging Index, which was …


Distributed Dispatchers For Partially Clairvoyant Schedulers, Kiran S. Yellajyosula Dec 2003

Distributed Dispatchers For Partially Clairvoyant Schedulers, Kiran S. Yellajyosula

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This work focuses on the empirical evaluation of distributed dispatching strategies on shared and distributed memory architectures for hard real-time systems. The dispatching model accommodates process parameter variability and analyzes the effect of variable execution times.;Hard real-time systems are modeled in the E-T-C scheduling framework and dispatched if a valid schedule exists. We examine the dispatchability of Partially Clairvoyant schedules of different sizes and varying deadlines under reasonable assumptions. The effect of scaling up the number of processors used by the dispatcher is also studied. The results validate the superiority of the distributed strategies over sequential dispatching and scalability of …


One-Dimensional Transient Numerical Modeling Of A Micro-Power Generation System, Emre Tatli Dec 2003

One-Dimensional Transient Numerical Modeling Of A Micro-Power Generation System, Emre Tatli

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Two core modules of a more comprehensive model for analyzing the flow of fluids in a hybrid system including a fuel cell are developed. First part consists of a new procedure for scaling turbomachinery maps. In the last few decades, the sizes of turbomachinery have been getting smaller and smaller for various purposes. New designs have pushed the limits of power generation to be in more compact sizes, which lead to smaller compressors and turbines. For new designs, it is important to know how the turbomachinery in the system will behave at certain conditions. But it is not practical to …


Comparing Math Self-Efficacy In Middle School Girls, Anagloria Rodriguez Dec 2003

Comparing Math Self-Efficacy In Middle School Girls, Anagloria Rodriguez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

There have been no previous studies in the self-efficacy or single-sex schools literature that have looked at the possible relationship between self-efficacy expectations and type of school. This study compared mathematics self-efficacy of sixth, seventh, and eighth grade girls in a single-sex and a co-educational school. Four measures, including a personal background questionnaire, were used to collect data. Results showed a correlation for type of school and importance of mathematics. Contrary to assumptions made by the researcher, girls in the co-educational school scored consistently higher on all measures used. The results of this research suggest that it will take more …


Real-Time Measurement Of Oxides Of Nitrogen From Heavy-Duty Diesel Engines, Aparna Aravelli Dec 2003

Real-Time Measurement Of Oxides Of Nitrogen From Heavy-Duty Diesel Engines, Aparna Aravelli

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

New emissions regulations and performance requirements imposed on modern diesel engines encourage the development of improved tools for emissions measurements. This study investigated one of the improved tools for NOx emissions measurement. Objectives of this thesis included measurement, comparison and prediction of NOx emissions from heavy-duty diesel engines using two different NOx analyzers. Steady state and transient tests were conducted on six heavy-duty diesel engines in the WVU Engine and Emissions Research Center (EERC). NOx emissions were measured using a conventional Rosemount NOx analyzer and a Cambustion fast response NOx analyzer. The Rosemount analyzer sampled dilute emissions whereas the fast …


Adding Liveness Detection To The Hand Geometry Scanner, Musat C. Crihalmeanu Dec 2003

Adding Liveness Detection To The Hand Geometry Scanner, Musat C. Crihalmeanu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

In today's dynamic society, the efficiency of the Biometric Systems has an increasing tendency to replace the classic but obsolete keys and passwords. Hand Geometry Readers are popular biometrics used for Access and Control applications. One of their weaknesses is vulnerability to spoofing using fake hands (latex, play-doh or dead-hands).;The objective of this thesis is to design a feature to be added to the Hand Geometry Scanner in order to detect vitality in the hand, reducing spoofing possibilities.;This thesis demonstrates how the Hand Reader was successfully spoofed and shows the implementation of the live detection feature through an inexpensive but …


Evaluation Of 4.75 Mm Superpave Mix Criteria For West Virginia, David Diazgranados Diaz Dec 2003

Evaluation Of 4.75 Mm Superpave Mix Criteria For West Virginia, David Diazgranados Diaz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The purpose of this research was to evaluate design parameters for 4.75 mm nominal maximum aggregate size mixes, NMAS, in West Virginia. This research was divided in two phases. During Phase I, evaluation of Superpave criteria for 4.75 mm LAMAS mixes, a variety of 4.75 mm NMAS limestone mixes were developed following Superpave methodology for low traffic volume. In Phase II, natural sand evaluation for 4.75 mm mixes; three approved Marshall designs were obtained from the WVDOT. Two of the mixes contained natural sand and the other was a 100 percent limestone mix. The Marshall mix designs were verified and …


Relationship Marketing Elements In Radio Station Websites, Mark L. Atkinson Dec 2003

Relationship Marketing Elements In Radio Station Websites, Mark L. Atkinson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not radio station website designers effectively use relationship marketing to achieve the goals of the stations and their websites. The study is a comparison/content analysis of the websites of 150 radio stations, in three different formats, in the top 50 U.S. population centers. This study compared the results of a content analysis with the results of a 2000 Edison/Arbitron survey which asked respondents to rank 14 website features according to what those replying considered important. This study sought to determine whether the more popular features actually appeared on more websites …


Relational Project Modeling And Risk Projection Framework, Brian D. Gould Dec 2003

Relational Project Modeling And Risk Projection Framework, Brian D. Gould

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The relational project modeling and risk projection framework enables a projection of the consequences of initial project schedules and schedule changes with respect to risk realization in resource constrained project environments, and the identification of unrecognized schedule risks implied by those schedules.