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Was There Satan's Face In The World Trade Center Fire? A Geometric Analysis, Vladik Kreinovich, Dima Iourinski

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

Some photos of the 2001 World Trade Center fire reveal a "face" in the smoke which was interpreted, by some people, as the face of Satan. Most journalists believe, however, that the visible smoke configuration can be explained by natural processes, and that the visible "face" is similar to animal shapes that are sometimes observed in the clouds. In this paper, we present a simple geometric analysis that supports this natural-process explanation.

Web-Based Interactive Self-Evaluation System For Computer Science In Generic Tutorial System For The Sciences Project, Supachai Praritsantik

Theses Digitization Project

The goal of this master project is to promote and facilitate the use of new web-based and Java-based technologies in the development of self-evaluation systems for computer science; in particular, analysis of sorting algorithms.

Personal Software Process (Psp) Scriber, Heng-Jui Tsao

Theses Digitization Project

Personal Software Process (PSP) Scriber is a Web-based software engineering tool designed to implement an automatic system for performing PSP. The basis of this strategy is a set of tools to facilitate collection and analysis of development data. By analyzing the collected data, the developer can make informed, accurate decisions about their individual development effort.

Mobile Order Entry System Based On The Wireless Technology, Sumit Imsuksri

Theses Digitization Project

The sales representatives primary duties are to attract wholesale and retail buyers and purchasing agents to their merchandise, and to address any of their client's questions or concerns. Aided by a laptop computer connected to the Internet, they can access the customer information and sell products to their customer immediately. This project, a Mobile Order Entry System using cellphones, will give sales representatives as state-of-the-art alternative in accessing anf selling products to their customers through cell phones instead of using laptop computers.

Managing Runoff Following Manure Application, John E. Gilley, L. Mark Risse, Bahman Eghball

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Rainfall patterns, soil factors, topography, climate, and land use may all influence runoff. To minimize environmental concerns, excessive runoff should be avoided on areas where manure has been applied. Management practices used to control runoff include contouring, strip cropping, conservation tillage, terraces, and buffer strips. In some cases, secondary containment systems, sedimentation basins, or ponds may be necessary to collect runoff. More than one runoff-control practice may be necessary for protection in areas with high runoff potential. Soil properties, including infiltration, may be improved by manure application. The method, rate and timing of manure application should be considered to reduce …

An On-Line Acid-Base Titration Applet In The Generic Tutorial System For The Sciences Project, Thomas Lee Gummo

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this Master's Project was to develop an Acid-Base Titration Simulator. It was also to be a part of the California State University - San Bernardino's GTSS, Generic Tutorial System for the Sciences, project. The main benefit is that students will be able to conduct titration experiments over the Internet without being in the laboratory and without costly equipment or dangerous chemicals. Instructors at the high school and college level can demonstrate the key principles of titration.

New Architecture For Heterogeneous Real-Time Simulation, Mandar Anil Mathure

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates a new architecture for modeling and simulating complex distributed real-time systems. Modeling adequately a large distributed real time system may involve, due to its complexity, several different theoretical vehicles such as queuing theory, finite state machines, and others. Currently there are no software tools, which would offer combining such heterogeneous features into a single comprehensive simulation environment.

This study involves integrating 3 tools, SES/workbench, an offline simulator using queuing theory as its modeling discipline, ObjecTime as a real-time simulator based on finite state machines as its modeling discipline, and VxWorks real-time kernel used for free modeling in …

Fiber Optic Sensor Response To High Levels Of Fat In Cream, Czarena L. Crofcheck, Frederick A. Payne, Clair L. Hicks, M. Pinar Mengüç, Sue E. Nokes

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

A light backscatter technique using optical fibers to deliver and receive light was investigated for measuring the milkfat content of unhomogenized cream. Light backscatter through cream at wavelengths of 450 to 900 nm was measured for fiber separation distances from 2 to 6.5 mm and for cream containing 10 to ~40 weight percent (wt%) milkfat. Unhomogenized cream (~40 wt% milkfat) was mixed with skim milk (~0.05 wt% milkfat) to yield samples with five different milkfat levels. Three optical response models were tested for correlation with milkfat content: one using the light intensity measurement at a single separation distance, the second …

A Functional Basis For Engineering Design: Reconciling And Evolving Previous Efforts, Julie Hirtz, Robert B. Stone, Daniel A. Mcadams, Simon Szykman, Kristin L. Wood

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In engineering design, all products and artifacts have some intended reason behind their existence: the product or artifact function. Functional modeling provides an abstract, yet direct, method for understanding and representing an overall product or artifact function. Functional modeling also strategically guides design activities such as problem decomposition, physical modeling, product architecting, concept generation, and team organization. A formal function representation is needed to support functional modeling, and a standardized set of function-related terminology leads to repeatable and meaningful results from such a representation. We refer to this representation as a functional basis; in this paper, we seek to reconcile …

Kentucky Traffic Collision Facts 2002 Report, Kentucky Transportation Center, Kentucky State Police

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

KENTUCKY’S TRAFFIC COLLISION FACTS report for 2002 is based on collision reports submitted to the Kentucky State Police Records Branch. As required by Kentucky Revised statutes 189.635, “every law enforcement agency whose officers investigate a vehicle accident of which a report must be made...shall file a report of the accident...within ten days after investigation of the accident upon forms supplied by the bureau.” The stated purpose of this requirement is to utilize data on traffic collisions for such purposes as will improve the traffic safety program in the Commonwealth. Data contained in this report are based solely on the observations …

Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute Annual Technical Report Fy 2001, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

KWRRI Annual Technical Reports (USGS’s 104b Grant Program)

The FY 2001 Annual Technical Report for Kentucky consolidates reporting requirements of the Section 104(b) base grant award in a single technical report that includes: 1) a synopsis of each research project supported during the period, 2) a list of related reports, 3) a description of information transfer activities, 4) a summary of student support during the reporting period, and 5) notable achievements and awards during the year.

A Quantitative Approach For Estimating Exposure To Pesticides In The Agricultural Health Study, Michael C. R. Alavanja, Andrew S. Rowland, David Mage, Shelia Hoar Zahm, Nathaniel Rothman, Jay H. Lubin, Mustafa Dosemeci, Jane A. Hoppin, Dale P. Sandler, Aaron Blair

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

We developed a quantitative method to estimate long-term chemical-specific pesticide exposures in a large prospective cohort study of more than 58000 pesticide applicators in North Carolina and Iowa. An enrollment questionnaire was administered to applicators to collect basic time- and intensity-related information on pesticide exposure such as mixing condition, duration and frequency of application, application methods and personal protective equipment used. In addition, a detailed take-home questionnaire was administered to collect further intensity- related exposure information such as maintenance or repair of mixing and application equipment, work practices and personal hygiene. More than 40% of the enrolled applicators responded to …

Design And Operation Of A Pilot Plant For Biodiesel Production From Triglycerides, Balasubramaniam Karthikeyan

Masters Theses

"In the wake of the events of September 11th 2001, the quest to relieve the nation’s dependence on petroleum fuels have taken a new urgency, there is a renewed interest in use of renewable biogenic fuels in particular -- the “biodiesel.” Biodiesel generally refers to fatty acid methyl esters of monohydric alcohols -- predominantly the methyl alcohol.

The principal sources of fatty acids are vegetable oils - soybean oil and canola oil. However, there are other “cheaper” sources of fatty acids that include beef tallow, poultry fats, pork fats and the used cooking oils. The first two are available in …

Biological Reduction Of Perchlorate In Ion Exchange Regenerant Solutions Containing High Salinity And Ammonium Levels, Tina M. Gingras, Jacimaria R. Batista

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

The most promising technologies to remove perchlorate from water are ion exchange and biological reduction. Although successful, ion exchange only separates perchlorate from water; it does not eliminate it from the environment. The waste streams from these systems contain the caustic or saline regenerant solutions used in the process as well as high levels of perchlorate. Biological reduction could be used to treat the regenerant waste solutions from the ion exchange process. A treatment scheme, combining ion exchange and biodegradation, is proposed to completely remove perchlorate from the environment. Perchlorate-laden resins generate brines containing salt concentrations up to 6% or …

Visco-Elastic Creep In The Lumbar Spine Associated With Static Flexion: A Feline Model, Guntulu Selen Hatipkarasulu

LSU Master's Theses

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) have become a major health concern with the industrial revolution and technological advances. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently estimated the cost of MSDs at $13 to $20 billion annually. Back, spine, and spinal cord disorders add up to 60% of the total MSD injuries. Based on pervious studies, it is known that lumbar ligaments play a limited or little role in stabilizing the spine; where as the musculature around the spine is the major stabilizing structure. However, repetitive or prolonged static displacement or load induces creep in passive tissues of the spine …

Development Of A Magnetite Tracer Protocol For Seasonal Measurement Of Bed Sediment Biodiffusion Coefficients, Paul D. Libbers

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis describes the development of a particle tracer technique for making short-term, in situ measurements of aquatic bed sediment biodiffusion coefficients. The bioturbation process in the upper sediment layers of streams, lakes, estuaries, and the marine environment moves particles and porewater. When present, organic chemicals, metals, colloids, etc., are transported across these layers and exchanges may occur at the sediment-water interface. Fickian biodiffusion coefficients that characterize such particle movements, Db (cm2/yr), are used for assessing chemical diagenesis rates and contaminant fluxes and are specific to each site. Chemical Fate and Transport (CFaT) models, developed for tracking contaminants in aquatic …

Utilization Of Rice Bran By Pythium Irregulare For Lipid Production, Hui Zhu

LSU Master's Theses

This research investigated the feasibility of utilizing rice bran as feedstock for submerged fermentation of Pythium irregulare to produce fungal lipids, which contain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) including arachidonic acid (AA, C20:4n6) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5n3). The fungal nutrient requirements, temperature characterization and growth modeling were determined in glucose-yeast extract media. Sixteen media combinations based on a 24 factorial design with four levels of glucose and yeast extract ranged from 1% to 4% and 0.25% to 1%, respectively, and corresponding carbon/nitrogen ratio (C/N) ranged from 4 to 64, were examined. The suitable C/N for Pythium irregulare growth ranged from …

Fecal Coliform Concentration In Surface Runoff From Pastures With Applied Dairy Manure, Alyson Kristine Bertges Hubbs

LSU Master's Theses

This study examined the magnitude of release of fecal coliform indicator bacteria in surface runoff from pasture amended with dairy manure. The experiment was conducted at Southeast Research Station in Franklinton, Louisiana between March and June, 2001. The experiment was designed to compare the effects of two methods of manure application on fecal coliform release. Manure application simulating natural deposition by cattle (Treatment A) was compared to that of land application of manure as fertilizer (Treatment B). Application of inorganic fertilizer was used as the control. Each Treatment was applied to three field plots. Simulated rainfalls were conducted on plots …

Nitrification Rates In A Reversed-Flow, Spouted-Bed, Bioreactor Applied To Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, Jonathan Thomas Scott

LSU Master's Theses

The effects of media selection and organic loading on nitrification rates in a reversed-flow, three-phase, spouted-bed, bioreactor with draft-tube (A-1 Aquaculture Continuous-Cleaning Multifunctional Biofilter or CCMB) were studied. Experiments were conducted on three identical recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) each having a CCMB unit with a unique plastic pelletized media and operated over five successive trials with varying components and operating conditions. Based upon organic loading, three of the five trials were grouped into two organic loading regimes of approximately 91 mg/L COD and 149 mg/L COD. Comparing nitrification rates against the three media types by organic loading showed that media …

Design And Microfabrication Of A Molded Polycarbonate Continuous Flow Polymerase Chain Reaction Device, Michael Mitchell

LSU Master's Theses

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is an amplification technique that is used with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and can produce millions of copies of the starting material, even from single molecules. Since its discovery by Kary Mullis in the mid-1980s, PCR has been one of the most important techniques in the arsenal of tools used for genetic analyses. For this research a continuous flow polymerase chain reaction (CFPCR) system was designed, microfabricated from molded polycarbonate, and tested. Finite element modeling was used to model thermal and microfluidic response of the system. X-ray LIGA was used to fabricate mold inserts for the …

Weaving A Computing Fabric, Michael N. Huhns, Larry M. Stevens, John W. Keele, Jim E. Wray, Warren M. Snelling, Greg P. Harhay, Randy R. Bradley

Faculty Publications

As sources of information relevant to a particular domain proliferate, we need a methodology for locating, aggregating, relating, fusing, reconciling, and presenting information to users. Interoperability thus must occur not only among the information, but also among the different software applications that process it. Given the large number of potential sources and applications, interoperability becomes an extremely large problem for which manual solutions are impractical. A combination of software agents and ontologies can supply the necessary methodology for interoperability.

Intrinsic Biodegradation Potential Of Crude Oil In Salt Marshes, Julius Enock

LSU Master's Theses

Understanding the influence of different perturbations on the fate of spilled oil in marine ecosystems is useful in assessing the environmental impact and remedial investigation. The effect of flooding and spill recurrence on the fate of an experimental crude oil spill (2 L/m²) was investigated using salt marsh intact cores, incubated for about 3 months, by monitoring residual petroleum hydrocarbons, heterotrophic microbial activity (fluorescein diacetate assay) and soluble organic carbon (SOC). For the flooding study, biodegradation rate of crude oil (with half-lives varying between 16.50 and 49.51 days and turnover times between 23.81 and 71.43 days) and microbial …

Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extraction Of Lipids From Raw And Bioconverted Rice Bran, Rohit Badal

LSU Master's Theses

Rice bran is often discarded despite its nutritional value because the oil in rice bran easily becomes rancid. This has necessitated the search for a method for utilizing the rice bran. The present study involves the application of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and bioprocessing (microbial growth on rice bran media) for increasing the value of the rice bran to produce products of high value (nutraceuticals) with superior health benefit. This study was focused on determining the effect of particle size (>48 mesh and 16-48 mesh) and biotreatment on the yield and quality of rice bran oil. SFE technique (40°C, …

Application Of Anoxic/Aerobic (A/A) Biological Treatment To Swine Wastewater, Dale G. Frederick

LSU Master's Theses

Residential expansion into traditionally rural areas, environmental issues and increasing integration and farm sizes, have placed steadily increasing pressure and demands on the modern pork producer. Waste management and odor control have become important priority issues. In this research, a controllable field scale biological treatment system was designed, constructed and investigated. The anoxic/aerobic (A/A) system consisted of an anoxic reactor, which receives the raw swine waste, in series with an aerobic reactor. The design of the system require the heterotrophic bacteria in the anoxic reactor to oxidize the organic carbon to carbon dioxide utilizing nitrate as the terminal electron acceptor …

Fecal Coliform Decay And Regrowth Kinetics In An Anaerobic Dairy Wastewater Environment, Shufang Liu

LSU Master's Theses

The kinetics of fecal coliforms (FC) decay and regrowth were analyzed under laboratory conditions using filtered dairy wastewater under anaerobic conditions. The mean specific growth rates during the regrowth phase, µr , in the batch study were 1.79, 1.46, and 1.27d-1 for initial organic carbon concentrations of 478, 235 and 127 mg/L COD, respectively. The substrate concentrations had a significant impact on the FC regrowth. A maximum specific growth rate (mmax) of 1.92 d-1, and half-saturated coefficient (ks) of 60.92mg/L were determined from these data. The mean dark FC decay rate coefficients, kd , at 35oC in the batch study …

High Definition Manufacturing Cell Model, Wayne Wakeland, Leupold & Stevens, Inc.

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose was to study the capacity, staffing requirements and alternative equipment configurations. This presentation provides a preview of the results.

Modeling Of Electrofusion Coils For Performance Optimization, Steve Farmer, Robert A. Sims

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Modeling physical parameters provides a virtual design environment allowing the confirmation and optimization of electrofusion characteristics. Finite element incorporate physical parameters and their interactions along common boundaries defined within a model geometry. The electrofusion of polymeric piping is a widely accepted means of assembling piping systems with zero-leakage integrity. The key parameters in the fusion process are the coil resistance, the current passing through the coil and the time the current is applied. Modeling the coil and applying current to the model is accomplished using the MATLABpartial differential equations (PDE) toolbox. This paper presents the method of modeling and the …

Circulatory Adjuncts: Newer Methods Of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, Charles F. Babbs

Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Current standard CPR only provides about one fifth of normal forward blood flow and only about one quarter of the blood flow that is theoretically possible with advanced external techniques. Two such techniques are now approved as optional alternatives in resuscitation guidelines. This chapter reviews modern understanding of the physiology of blood flow during CPR and practical aspects of utilizing more advanced resuscitation methods. When properly performed these methods produce statistically significant increases in survival.

Presented Antigen From Damaged Pancreatic Beta Cells Activates Autoreactive T Cells In Virus-Mediated Autoimmune Diabetes., Marc S. Horwitz, Alex Ilic, Cody Fine, Enrique Rodriguez, Nora Sarvetnick

Journal Articles: Regenerative Medicine

The induction of autoimmunity by viruses has been attributed to numerous mechanisms. In mice, coxsackievirus B4 (CB4) induces insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) resembling the final step of disease progression in humans. The immune response following the viral insult clearly precipitates IDDM. However, the molecular pathway between viral infection and the subsequent activation of T cells specific for islet antigen has not been elucidated. These T cells could become activated through exposure to sequestered antigens released by damaged beta cells, or they could have responded to factors secreted by the inflammatory response itself. To distinguish between these possibilities, we treated mice …

Defining Benthic Organism Exposure: Bioavailability And Effects Of Non-Polar Organics, Marc Samuel Greenberg

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Laboratory and field tests were conducted to evaluate the hypothesis that factors such as the total organic carbon (TOC) contents and groundwater-surface water interactions (GSI) in the sediments can affect chemical desorption, bioavailability and benthic organism exposure. Laboratory studies were conducted with the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon fluoranthene (FLU) and the herbicide trifluralin (TF). Toxicokinetic parameters were determined for Lumbriculus variegatus and Hyalella azteca in water-only exposures to 0, 5, 20 and 50 µg/L of the compounds and bioaccumulation was measured during exposures to 0, 100 and 200 mg/kg of FLU and TF spiked onto sediments from Lakes Erie and Huron. …