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Evaluation Of Performance Graded Asphalt Binder Equipment And Testing Protocol, Michael E. Pumphrey Dec 2003

Evaluation Of Performance Graded Asphalt Binder Equipment And Testing Protocol, Michael E. Pumphrey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The testing and grading of asphalt cement has progressively changed to meet the demanding needs for quality hot mix asphalt pavements. From October 1987 through March 1993, the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) conducted a {dollar}50 million research effort to improve asphalt pavement technology. The research led to the development of the Superpave(TM) mix design system (Superior Performing Asphalt Pavements) and the Performance Graded (PG) asphalt binder tests and specifications. The Performance Graded asphalt binder specifications were developed to address the shortcomings of the previous asphalt grading systems.;The objective of this research was to critically evaluate the SHRP performance graded …


Simplified Live-Load Moment Distribution Factors For Simple Span Slab On I-Girder Bridges, Wesley D. Hevener Dec 2003

Simplified Live-Load Moment Distribution Factors For Simple Span Slab On I-Girder Bridges, Wesley D. Hevener

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The primary goal of this effort is to identify and assess various methods of computing live load distribution factors and to use the results of laboratory and field tests to compare these methods. It is further a goal of this work to use these methods to perform a parametric study over a wide range of typical slab on steel I-girder bridges to assess the accuracy of both the AASHTO Standard and AASHTO LRFD specifications and to propose an empirical model that correlates better with the analytical results within the range of parameters that are to be studied.;These studies include: (1) …


Standardization Of Test Methods For Property Evaluation Of Frp Bars, Vijay Kumar Tripathi Dec 2003

Standardization Of Test Methods For Property Evaluation Of Frp Bars, Vijay Kumar Tripathi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The objective of this research is to verify/modify/develop standardized test methods for evaluating mechanical properties of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) bars by conducting limited complementary tests to determine/verify their mechanical properties. Both short and long-term tests were conducted as a part of this research. Short-term tests included tension, flexure, shear and bond property evaluations. Long-term tests included evaluation of moisture absorption and flexural tests on aged bars. A total of 229 FRP bars with different fibers (carbon, glass and aramid), varying diameters (# 3 to #8) and surface textures (ribbed, sand-coated, and sand-coated with helical wraps) were tested under this …


Aquaculture-Related Stress On Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) And Arctic Char (Salvelinus Alpinus), Christopher D. Nelson Dec 2003

Aquaculture-Related Stress On Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) And Arctic Char (Salvelinus Alpinus), Christopher D. Nelson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Recent expansions in aquaculture characterize it as one of the fastest growing segments of the U.S. agricultural sector. Expansion has been facilitated by increased production of many important aquatic species including catfish, salmon, trout, tilapia, shrimp, oysters, and crawfish. West Virginia aquaculture, also an expanding industry, is currently characterized by small-scale, widely dispersed farms. To facilitate future expansion of aquaculture in West Virginia, focuses on product quality as well as production efficiency, identification of limiting factors and investigation into new or alternative management techniques are needed. Objectives of this project were to determine the effects of nitrite and carbon dioxide …


Population Level Dynamics Of Grasshopper Sparrow Populations Breeding On Reclaimed Mountaintop Mines In West Virginia, Frank K. Ammer Dec 2003

Population Level Dynamics Of Grasshopper Sparrow Populations Breeding On Reclaimed Mountaintop Mines In West Virginia, Frank K. Ammer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

During 2001 and 2002, I surveyed three mountaintop mining/valley fill (MTMVF) complexes in southern West Virginia to determine vegetation characteristics important to nest site selection and to estimate nest success for Grasshopper Sparrow populations inhabiting these complexes. I also performed genetic analyses to assess overall population structure, mating system, parentage, kinship, and gender of individuals comprising these populations. A total of 415 grasshopper sparrows were captured and systematic searches of study plots produced 75 active nests. Nest survival for 2001--2002 breeding season (33%) is comparable to survival rates previously reported in the literature. Nest survival rates decreased with increased reclamation …


Empirical Development Of A Scale Of Patience, Kenneth C. Dudley Dec 2003

Empirical Development Of A Scale Of Patience, Kenneth C. Dudley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Patience is a construct not directly studied in the literature. Studies in the psychological literature have typically spoken of patience only as the converse of impatience. The assumption of these studies is that patience exists in the absence of impatience. However, other research proposes a multidimensional model of patience based on qualitative studies. It follows from the multidimensional model that patience exists on a continuum with the potential for different levels or amounts of patience across different situations. The purpose of this study was to develop an objective measure of patience.;To develop a measure of patience an item pool was …


Impacts On Terrestrial And Streamside Herpetofauna By Mountaintop Removal Mining In Southern West Virginia, Jennifer Mravintz Williams Dec 2003

Impacts On Terrestrial And Streamside Herpetofauna By Mountaintop Removal Mining In Southern West Virginia, Jennifer Mravintz Williams

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Mountaintop removal mining, a mining technique used in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia and nearby states, converts mature forests to grassland and shrub-pole habitats. I sampled terrestrial herpetofauna using drift fences with pitfalls and funnel traps from 2000--2002 to evaluate habitat use of unmined native habitat (intact forest), mined habitat (reclaimed grassland, reclaimed shrub-pole habitat, and fragmented forest), and early successional off-mine habitats that were created by other types of disturbance and were structurally similar to reclaimed grasslands and reclaimed shrubpole habitats. I searched transects in valley fill and reference streams from 2001--2002 to evaluate impacts of valley fill …


Novel Syntheses Of Indoles, Quinoxalines, 2-Quinoxalinones, 2-Alkylbenzimidazoles And Other Heterocycles, Jeffery M. Wallace Dec 2003

Novel Syntheses Of Indoles, Quinoxalines, 2-Quinoxalinones, 2-Alkylbenzimidazoles And Other Heterocycles, Jeffery M. Wallace

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Using a palladium-catalyzed reductive N-heteroannulation method previously discovered in our labs, a 20 mmol synthetic route to methyl indole-4-carboxylate has been developed. Methyl indole-4-carboxylate is synthesized in four steps, with the key step being the reductive cyclization of methyl 2-ethenyl-3-nitrobenzoate in good overall yield. This cyclization method has been modified and applied to the preparation of quinoxalines, 2-quinoxalinones and other heterocyclic compounds. We also propose a possible mechanism for these transformations.;In addition, a novel method to 2-alkylbenzimidazoles has been developed. The thermal reaction of 2-azidonitrobenzenes and various aldehydes give 2-alkylbenzimidazoles generally in moderate yield.


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 …


Finite Element Damage Modeling Of Plain Weave Fabrics, Kaarthik K. Sikkil Dec 2003

Finite Element Damage Modeling Of Plain Weave Fabrics, Kaarthik K. Sikkil

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Plain weave fabrics are used as reinforcements in composites in order to obtain improved inter-laminar properties. But these advantages are at the cost of reduced stiffness and strength in the in-plane directions. Therefore, it is important to study the mechanical behavior of such composites. In this work, the geometrical model needed for finite element discretization of the plain weave fabrics are developed for three configurations---single lamina, iso-phase, and out-of-phase. Next, a procedure to determine the longitudinal elastic modulus under tensile loading is presented. Then, a meso level damage model is used for predicting the inelastic tensile behavior of the fabrics. …


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 …


Gender Stereotypes In Children's Television Commercials And The Effects On Consumer Purchasing Behavior, Joanne G. Asztalos Dec 2003

Gender Stereotypes In Children's Television Commercials And The Effects On Consumer Purchasing Behavior, Joanne G. Asztalos

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This research presents an exploratory investigation on the extent of gender stereotypes portrayed in children's television commercials and the effects on consumer purchasing behavior. The author conducted two studies including a content analysis of viewing 75 children's television commercials, 25 boy, 25 girl, 25 neutral, and documenting evidence of roles, traits, activities, products, speaking parts and settings. Qualitative focus groups were then conducted to correlate the documented gender stereotypes with purchasing behaviors among children between the ages of 6--12. Major findings for this research revealed that there are many gender stereotypes in children's television commercials including the issue that male …


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 …


Years Of Teaching Experience And Descriptions Of Educational Situations, Dana J. Stapleford Dec 2003

Years Of Teaching Experience And Descriptions Of Educational Situations, Dana J. Stapleford

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This study examined the relationship between years of teaching experience and the type of descriptions given of educational situations. Participants were certified teachers with 1 to 27 years of teaching experience and preservice teachers with 0 years of teaching experience. A coding system was developed as an objective method for extracting participants' descriptions of actions and consequences pertaining to student and teacher behavior. Results did not support the original hypothesis that a relationship would be found between years of teaching experience and the descriptions made. However, several other relationships among certain characteristics of the descriptions were found.;The typical description made …


Influence Of Live -Load Deflections On Superstructure Performance Of Slab On Steel Stringer Bridges, Haiyong Wu Dec 2003

Influence Of Live -Load Deflections On Superstructure Performance Of Slab On Steel Stringer Bridges, Haiyong Wu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

High performance steel (HPS), specifically HPS 70W, was introduced to the bridge market in the United States in the late 1990s. With its added strength, greater durability, and improved weldability, HPS allows engineers to design longer and shallower spans, which may increase the live-load deflections. The AASHTO Standard Specification limits live-load deflections to L/800 for ordinary bridges and L/1000 for bridges in urban areas subjected to pedestrian use. Bridges designed by the AASHTO LRFD Specification have an optional deflection limit. Previous research focused on evaluating AASHTO live-load deflection limits showed that the justification for existing deflection limits was not clearly …


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 …


Pharmaceutical Quality Performance Of Folic Acid Supplements, Islam Rasem Younis Dec 2003

Pharmaceutical Quality Performance Of Folic Acid Supplements, Islam Rasem Younis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The vitamin folic acid has received considerable attention in the 1990s because of its preventative role against diseases such as neural tube defects, cardiovascular diseases, and psychiatric illness.;A primary concern is the pharmaceutical quality, potency, and efficacy of commercially available folic acid products and label claims. The results showed that there has been significant progress since the 1990's in the improved quality of commercially available folic acid products in meeting USP standards.;Products were also tested in physiologically relevant solutions. Most notably, all the tested products failed to release more than 75% of the active ingredient in 60 minutes in simulated …


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 …


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 …


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.


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 …


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 …


On The Contribution Of Mmp-2 And Mmp-9 To The Postnatal Cerebellar Corticogenesis, Albert E. Ayoub Dec 2003

On The Contribution Of Mmp-2 And Mmp-9 To The Postnatal Cerebellar Corticogenesis, Albert E. Ayoub

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The development of the cerebellar cortex is dependent on orchestrated cell-cell, cell-matrix interactions, as well as intrinsic genetic programs. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are proteolytic enzymes that degrade ECM molecules and are involved in neuronal migration, process extension, and synaptic plasticity. The current study investigated (1) the developmental expression and activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9, and (2) the effect of blocking the activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 by a specific inhibitor on the histogenesis of the cerebellar cortex. Cerebella were collected from rat pups every three days starting at postnatal day 3 (P3) until P25---a period equivalent to the third gestational …


Reducing Of Iron Corrosion In Water Pipelines By Hydrogen Addition, Feraih Sh. Alenazey Dec 2003

Reducing Of Iron Corrosion In Water Pipelines By Hydrogen Addition, Feraih Sh. Alenazey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Water is provided to the citizenry of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by the desalination of seawater. The purified water is then transported through extensive pipelines to the cities where it is used. During the process of transport the water becomes polluted with soluble iron.;The corrosion of iron in the pipelines is the result of an oxidation reduction reaction. In that reaction hydrogen ion is reduced and the iron is oxidized. The hypothesis of this thesis is that the electrochemical potential of the hydrogen half-cell reaction can be reduce by dissolution of hydrogen gas in the water. If that value …


Fungi Associated With Northern Red Oak (Quercus Rubra ) Acorns, Dawn M. Washington Dec 2003

Fungi Associated With Northern Red Oak (Quercus Rubra ) Acorns, Dawn M. Washington

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Poor regeneration of northern red oak is widespread in the central hardwood region. A two-part study was conducted to determine what fungi are associated with and cause cotyledon discoloration of northern red oak acorns. The field study determined that simulated small mammal notching, surface sowing, time, and site all play a significant role in the amount of cotyledon discoloration in acorns as well as the number of acorns with discoloration. However, germination rate was only affected by site and surface sowing, while seedling vigor ratings were actually higher when acorns had discolored cotyledons. The five species of fungi isolated most …


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 Concrete Median Barrier Delineation Under Poor Visibility Conditions, Kari A. French Dec 2003

Evaluation Of Concrete Median Barrier Delineation Under Poor Visibility Conditions, Kari A. French

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

A nationwide survey, durability test, and visibility test were conducted for concrete median barrier delineation. PENNDOT was encountering with delineators becoming detached due to harsh conditions in the roadside areas, as well as visibility problems in spot locations prone to fog. From the results of the research it was recommended that in areas prone to poor visibility conditions, PENNDOT consider decreasing the longitudinal spacing and providing delineation lower on the barrier than shown in the standards. With respect to the durability, in instances where the "peel-n-stick" delineators are comparable in price to obtaining the delineator and adhesive separately, that special …


Characterization And Recommendations For The Remediation Of Acid Mine Drainage Impacted Streams, Patrick F. Hudnall Dec 2003

Characterization And Recommendations For The Remediation Of Acid Mine Drainage Impacted Streams, Patrick F. Hudnall

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The Beaver Creek watershed (located in West Virginia) has been severely impacted by Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) from surface mining operations. Water quality was monitored via water quality grab samples, in-situ water quality monitoring devices (YSI Sondes), and fish and macroinvertebrate community sampling. High concentrations of metal ions (Fe, Mn, Al, and SO 4) and acidity along with low pH and alkalinity values were observed from water quality sampling sites. The water quality data collected from the in-situ monitoring devices and fish and macroinvertebrate sampling supported the findings from the water quality grab sampling. Recommendations were made for the remediation, …


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 …


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 …