Digital Commons Network^™

Detection Of Solid Pigment In Dermatoscopy Images Using Texture Analysis, Murali Anantha, William V. Stoecker, Randy Hays Moss

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Background/aims: Epiluminescence microscopy (ELM), also known as dermoscopy or dermatoscopy, is a non-invasive, in vivo technique, that permits visualization of features of pigmented melanocytic neoplasms that are not discernable by examination with the naked eye. ELM offers a completely new range of visual features. One such feature is the solid pigment, also called the blotchy pigment or dark structureless area. Our goal was to automatically detect this feature and determine whether its presence is useful in distinguishing benign from malignant pigmented lesions.

Methods: Here, a texture-based algorithm is developed for the detection of solid pigment. The factors d and a …

Developing An Implementation Plan For The Montana Msri Coalition Workshop Summary - Final Report, Florida Solar Energy Center, Jennifer Szaro

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Workshop was conducted to develop an implementation plan for the Montana Million Solar Roofs Initiative.

Use Of Goes Thermal Infrared Imagery For Eruption Scale Measurements, Soufrière Hills, Montserrat, William I. Rose, Gari C. Mayberry

Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences Publications

GOES two-band IR data are used to estimate the magnitude of small eruption clouds (ash; <∼10⁵ tonnes of fine [1–25 µm in diameter] ash, and 5–15 km asl). The method is demonstrated on clouds from Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat in 1997–99. The clouds in early 1999 were much smaller, were generally emplaced lower in the atmosphere and contained an order of magnitude less fine ash than 1997 clouds generated during the most intense phase of the eruption to date. Although GOES has an excellent capability for large eruption clouds, its use for smaller eruptions like Montserrat highlights several shortcomings, including …

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 42 Number 2, Fall 2000, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

10 - I WANT MY IPO! By Susan Vogel. With so much venture capital available out there, why do women have to sprint to catch up with men in the race for funding?

14 - ON THE THRESHOLD OF A NEW ERA By George F. Giacomini, Jr. A long-time SCU professor offers his opinion of the most pivotal moments in the University's 150-year history, from wars to the admission of women.

18 - OF HEADHUNTERS AND SOLDIERS By Renato Rosaldo. Living with a headhunting Filipino tribe taught this author to be open to the possibility that other cultures have valid, …

The Faa: A Tombstone Agency? Putting The Nickname To The Test, Rebecca K. Lutte, Brent D. Bowen

Aviation Institute Faculty Publications

The purpose of this research was to investigate Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) activity before and after six catastrophic airline accidents to examine the alleged reactive policysetting reputation of the FAA. Actions reviewed were regulatory, inspection, and enforcement activities. The study revealed that change in agency activity does occur following an accident. The location of the event appears to influence the direction of change. When accidents occurred within the United States, FAA activity increased following the accident. The opposite occurred for airline accidents outside the U.S. The increase in FAA activity following U.S. based events, supports the reactive, 􀀀tombstone agency􀀀 reputation …

Modifications To An Existing Glycol Retention Pond And Alternative Technologies Review For Aircraft Deicing Operations And Glycol Recovery And Treatment: Dane County Regional Airport, Steven J. Sletten

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The purpose of this study was to review new aircraft deicing technologies and developments and surmise which approach may be the most appropriate for the Dane County Regional Airport’s (KMSN) expansion plans, size, available funds, and environmental impact reduction efforts. This paper focuses on the emerging glycol source reduction issues that may be most suitable for this particular airport. A new deicing technology at KMSN would reduce the amount of aircraft deicing fluid used, allow for effacing flight operations, limit environmental impact, and lessen the costs of maintaining and operating the current glycol fluid recovery and treatment system.

Storm water …

Fluid Mechanic Assessment Of The Total Cavopulmonary Connection Using Magnetic Resonance Phase Velocity Mapping And Digital Particle Image Velocimetry, Ann E. Ensley, Agnès Ramuzat, Timothy M. Healy, George P. Chatzimavroudis, Carol Lucas, Shiva Sharma, Roderic Pettigrew, Ajit P. Yoganathan

Chemical & Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

The total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC) is currently the most promising modification of the Fontan surgical repair for single ventricle congenital heart disease. The TCPC involves a surgical connection of the superior and inferior vena cavae directly to the left and right pulmonary arteries, bypassing the right heart. In the univentricular system, the ventricle experiences a workload which may be reduced by optimizing the cavae-to-pulmonary anastomosis. The hypothesis of this study was that the energetic efficiency of the connection is a consequence of the fluid dynamics which develop as a function of connection geometry. Magnetic resonance phase velocity mapping (MRPVM) and …

A Statewide Educational Program To Implement Comprehensive Nutrient Management Planning, Richard K. Koelsch, Charles A. Shapiro, R. Wozniak

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

EPA and USDA NRSC have stated that the most effective way for animal feeding operations (AFO's) to minimize water quality and public health risks is to develop and implement comprehensive nutrient management plans. In response a proposed CNMP workbook has been designed to serve as an animal operation's environmental operating plan. This project will initiate field testing of the proposed Nebraska CNMP with livestock producers and advisors. It will also assist with development of supporting resources and training for educational and technical advisors.

The Design And Performance Of An Evaporative Cooling Test Rig For A Maritime Climate, Ben Costelloe, Donal Finn

Conference Papers

Recent developments have prompted a review of the use of cooling tower based evaporative cooling technology as an effective means of cooling modern buildings. Prominent among these developments is the success of high temperature cooling systems such as radiant ceiling panels and chilled beams. At present, however, there is little published literature which gives a quantitative, in depth analysis of the performance or energy efficiency of cooling towers, used in maritime climates, in conjunction with heat exchangers and run at low approach and low wet bulb temperatures throughout the free cooling season. This lack of knowledge has meant that many …

Review Of: Joe Thornton, Pandora's Poison: Chlorine, Health, And A New Environmental Strategy, William Ronnenberg Jr.

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Review of the book Pandora's Poison: Chlorine, Health, and a New Environmental Strategy by Joe Thornton, (M.I.T. Press 2000). Appendices, notes, references, index. LC 99-057011; ISBN 0-262-20124-0 [599 pp. $34.95 cloth, Five Cambridge Center, Cambridge MA 02142-1493] .

Using Expert Systems For Simulation Modeling Of Patient Scheduling, Charles R. Standridge, Duane Steward

Peer Reviewed Articles

Modeling the scheduling of patient appointments is an important issue in simulating a health care delivery facility. A simulation model must include the control logic of appointment scheduling software and the explicit and implicit decision rules used by the human scheduler in selecting an appointment time. Expert systems provide one way of modeling such control logic and decision rules. We describe a structure for an expert system that models patient appointment scheduling and the integration of such an expert system within a simulation model. An example expert system for a small animal veterinary clinic is presented.

The Effect Of Anisotrophy On The Potential Distribution In Biological Tissues And Its Impact On Nerve Excitation Simulations, Robert B. Szlavik, Hubert De Bruin

Biomedical Engineering

Presents a finite difference solution of the potential distribution associated with electrical current stimulation in an anisotropic in-homogeneous tissue environment and compare it to the isotropic case. The results demonstrate that there can be significant errors associated with the assumption of isotropic tissue properties in calculating the potential distribution along an axon in nerve excitation simulations. These errors can have a significant impact on predicted nerve fiber recruitment patterns when evaluating the efficacy of specific surface or intramuscular stimulus electrode configurations. The results of this study also suggest when a more comprehensive tissue model should be implemented in an electrode …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Computing Optimal Pumping Strategies For Groundwater Contaminant Plume Remediation, Richard C. Peralta, Alaa H. Aly

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Simulation/Optimization (S/0) models can greatly simplify the process of designing remediation systems for contaminated groundwater. We describe some technical aspects of using S/0 models and possible S/0 model formulations for groundwater remediation design. We: discuss some S/0 model optimization algorithms; illustrate simple optimization problem solution; describe two real-world S/0 model applications; and demonstrate S/0 model application under uncertainty.

Human Error And Accident Causation Theories, Frameworks And Analytical Techniques: An Annotated Bibliography, Douglas A. Wiegmann, Aaron M. Rich, Scott A. Shappell

Publications

Over the last several decades, humans have played a progressively more important causal role in aviation accidents as aircraft have become more [complex]. Consequently, a growing number of aviation organizations are tasking their safety personnel with developing safety programs to address the highly complex and often nebulous issue of human error. However, there is generally no “off-the-shelf” or standard approach for addressing human error in aviation. Indeed, recent years have seen a proliferation of human error frameworks and accident investigation schemes to the point where there now appears to be as many human error models as there are people interested …

Feasibility Study To Extract Iron And Chromium From Chromium Contaminated Soils, Wiwat Kamolpornwijit

Dissertations

Chromium contaminated soils, besides being recognized for toxic and hazardous hexavalent chromium, contain high iron concentrations. At some sites, concentrations of iron oxide are higher than 30%. Both iron and chromium in soils have recyclable value provided they can be either concentrated in the oxide form or separated as metal. The concentrated oxide can be used as a substitute for the iron ore. The extracted metal can also be recycled in the steel industry. The objective of this study is to study the feasibility of extracting iron and chromium from soils.

Chromium contaminated soils, can be classified into two groups, …

Drowsy Driver Data Acquisition System, Rafael Norat

Theses

This thesis focuses on detecting the drowsiness of a driver based on differentiation of the EEG signal activity between the eyes open and eyes closed states. Here, it is observed that there is a significant increase 'in a 10 Hz component of the alpha rhythm activity when the subject under test closes his / her eyes. This phenomenon was observed when electrodes were attached to the occipital region. A more desirable approach is to develop a non-intrusive measurement based on a multiturn differential coil combination utilizing a low noise high gain amplifier. The system developed here used an 80,000 turn …

Autonomic Activity In Gulf War Veterans Using Heart Rate And Systolic Blood Pressure Variability, Maryann S. Fam

Theses

Heart rate variability (HRV) describes variations of heart rate and is attributed to cyclic fluctuations in autonomic tone. The different methods of heart rate variability analysis allow for a non-invasive assessment of autonomic activity. This study analyzes the heart rate variability through both frequency domain methods and joint time-frequency domain methods which were executed through the LabVJEW graphical programming language. These algorithms were utilized to assess autonomic nervous system activity in Gulf War veterans with no health complaints versus Gulf War veterans with chronic fatigue syndrome. The heart rate variability analysis was obtained from acquired measurements of heart rate and …

Phototrophic Anaerobic Lagoons As Affected By Copper And Zinc In Swine Diets, John E. Gilley, Daniel P. Spare, Richard K. Koelsch, Dennis D. Schulte, Phillip S. Miller, Anne M. Parkhurst

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Odor emissions from anaerobic lagoons containing large populations of phototrophic bacteria are usually minimal. This study was conducted to determine whether copper (123 ppm) and zinc (2,310 ppm) in diets fed to weanling pigs for therapeutic purposes affect phototrophic conditions within lagoons. Column reactors containing 47 L of swine lagoon sludge and supernatant were used to represent lagoons. The reactors were placed in an environmental chamber maintained at 24° C. Copper, zinc, and control manure were added to the reactors at a volatile solids loading rate of 128 g_vs m^–3 da^–1 using a hydraulic retention time of …

Investment Casting With Ice Patterns Made By Rapid Freeze Prototyping, Wei Zhang, Ming-Chuan Leu, Chao Feng, Rong Ren, Renjie Zhang, Qingping Lu, Jubu Jiang, Yongnian Yan

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

One of the most promising applications of rapid freeze prototyping (RFP) is making metal parts by investment casting with the built ice parts. The integration of RFP and investment casting allows fast creation of complex net-shape metal parts directly from their CAD models. The advantages of doing so include no part geometric complexity limitation, no experience of parting line design and assembling needed, clean and low-cost of process operation, and good performance. In this paper, we will present our recent study on binder selection, slurry making, ceramic shell making, and the casting results of the metal parts.

Benchmarking Irrigation, Charles M. Burt

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

A few performance indicators (e.g., “efficiency”) have been included in irrigation jargon for many decades. However, at the Rome meeting we will have a comprehensive discussion on irrigation benchmarking. It will be easy to fall into a discussion of definitions and specifics. Prior to that, it might be helpful to consider the following aspects that will help to set the stage for the details:

An Analysis Of The Influence Of Age And Ionizing Radiation On Cognitive Performance, Elizabeth L. Gerhardt

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

This thesis was designed to study whether age has a significant effect on cognitive test results among persons exposed to ionizing radiation. The data for this investigation came from the fourth year of a 1995-98 longitudinal study of subjects exposed to radiation from the 1986 Chernobyl, Ukraine, nuclear power plant accident. Accuracy and efficiency scores from four cognitive tests taken by 84 Ukrainian volunteers were divided into two age groups and three radiation dosage groups for analysis. The results of this study found that decrements in human performance on tasks involving spatial processing increase with age in persons who have …

Persistence Of Motor Adaptation During Constrained, Multi-Joint, Arm Movements, Robert A. Scheidt, David J. Reinkensmeyer, Michael A. Conditt, W. Zev Reymer, Ferdinando A. Mussa-Ivaldi

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

We studied the stability of changes in motor performance associated with adaptation to a novel dynamic environment during goal-directed movements of the dominant arm. Eleven normal, human subjects made targeted reaching movements in the horizontal plane while holding the handle of a two-joint robotic manipulator. This robot was programmed to generate a novel viscous force field that perturbed the limb perpendicular to the desired direction of movement. Following adaptation to this force field, we sought to determine the relative role of kinematic errors and dynamic criteria in promoting recovery from the adapted state. In particular, we compared kinematic and dynamic …

42nd Rocky Mountain Conference On Analytical Chemistry

Rocky Mountain Conference on Magnetic Resonance

Abstracts from the 42nd annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain Conference on Analytical Chemistry, co-sponsored by the Colorado Section of the American Chemical Society and the Rocky Mountain Section of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy. Held in Broomfield, Colorado, July 30 - August 3, 2000.

Inherently Safer Analysis Of The Attainable Region Process For The Adiabatic Oxidation Of Sulfur Dioxide, Neil L. Book, Venkata U.B. Challagulla

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The attainable region (AR) method is used to obtain the optimal design and operating conditions for the adiabatic oxidation of sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide. The optimum process layout for this exothermic, catalytic, reversible reaction is a complex interconnection of reactors that achieves a conversion in excess of the equilibrium value for a single adiabatic reactor. The complex design obtained from the AR method is technically and economically superior to a single adiabatic reactor, but it is inferior from a safety perspective as a result of its complex interconnections and its high preheat temperature. The strategies of inherently safer design …

Wavelet-Based Approach For Structural Damage Detection, Z. Hou, Mohammad N. Noori, R. St. Amand

Office of the Dean (CENG) Scholarship

A wavelet-based approach is proposed for structural damage detection and health monitoring. Characteristics of representative vibration signals under the wavelet transformation are examined. The methodology is then applied to simulation data generated from a simple structural model subjected to a harmonic excitation. The model consists of multiple breakable springs, some of which may suffer irreversible damage when the response exceeds a threshold value or the number of cycles of motion is accumulated beyond their fatigue life. In cases of either abrupt or accumulative damages, occurrence of damage and the moment when it occurs can be clearly determined in the details …

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 42 Number 1, Summer 2000, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

8 - ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES? By Miriam Schulman. Beyond the hype of the headlines, there are no simple answers to the ethical questions raised by genetically modified food.

14 - BRAVE NEW WORLD By Tamara Straus. Now the lawyers want inside your head as they struggle to answer, "Who owns an idea?" Just the mere question is changing the face of legal education.

18 - THE GREAT GRADE GIVEAWAY By Jeff Zorn. Today's grades don't mean jack. So says one Santa Clara professor in this memoir and commentary on the evils of modern day grade inflation.

22 - …

Effects Of Solvent Mixtures On Dispersion Of Lanthanum-Modified Lead Zirconate Titanate Tape Casting Slurries, Jian-Huei Feng, Fatih Dogan

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The effects of xylenes/ethanol solvent mixtures on lanthanum-modified lead zirconate titanate (PLZT) nonaqueous suspensions were investigated by measuring sediment height, viscosity, and adsorption of dispersant. Well-dispersed colloidal suspensions were obtained in xylene-rich solvents with a minimum amount of menhaden fish oil as a dispersant. It was also shown that adsorption of dispersant on particle surfaces strongly depends on selection of solvent(s). The ratio of solvent mixture affects PLZT solids content of unfired tapes, in which using insufficient as well as excess dispersant could decrease the packing density of particles. Solubility of other organic additives, such as binder, was also considered …

Simulation Studies Of Cellular Electroporation Due To Ultra-Fast Electric Pulses, Gayathri R. Barthaki

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Biological systems, from cells to ecosystems, are intrinsically complex information-processing networks. It often becomes difficult to predict their behavior during an experimental investigation, as their behavior is fundamentally chaotic, Hence, building models that mimic the dynamics of such systems and performing computer simulations would help in understanding, predicting, controlling and optimizing these systems. This thesis is aimed at the development of a mathematical model for the process of electroporation in biological cells when they are subjected to ultra-fast electric pulses and at conducting simulations to understand its dynamic behavior with special emphasis on the physics of ultra-short time scales.

With …

Validation Of Passive Air Sampling Monitors Onboard United States Navy Submarines, Larry A. Mcfarland

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

An operating submarine creates a unique air quality mixture of compounds that result from a combination of human metabolism, construction materials, materials brought onboard and compounds created through the interaction of ship systems. A comprehensive study of submarine atmospheres is ongoing during deployments of U.S. Navy nuclear submarines. As part of the overall effort, a paired air sampling comparison field validation was conducted to compare the air sampling effectiveness of passive diffusive monitors compared to more traditional active air sampling methods when sampling for acrolein, formaldehyde and ozone in the enclosed submarine atmosphere. Acrolein monitors containing 2-hydroxymethylpiperidine (HMP) impregnated glass …