Digital Commons Network^™

A Two-Dimensional Analog Vlsi Circuit For Detecting Discontinuities In Early Vision, John G. Harris, Christof Koch, Jin Luo

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A large number of computer vision algorithms for finding intensity edges, computing motion, depth, and color, and recovering the three-dimensional shape of objects have been developed within the framework of minimizing an associated "energy" or "cost" functional. Particularly successful has been the introduction of binary variables coding for discontinuities in intensity, optical flow field, depth, and other variables, allowing image segmentation to occur in these modalities. The associated nonconvex variational functionals can be mapped onto analog, resistive networks, such that the stationary voltage distribution in the network corresponds to a minimum of the functional. The performance of an experimental analog …

Simulation Of Free Radical Reactions In Biology And Medicine: A New Two-Compartment Kinetic Model Of Intracellular Lipid Peroxidation, Charles F. Babbs, Melissa Gale Steiner

Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

To explore mechanisms of free radical reactions leading to intracellular lipid peroxidation in living systems, we developed a computational model of up to 109 simultaneous enzymatic and free radical reactions thought to be involved in the initiation, propagation, and termination of membrane lipid peroxidation. Rate constants for the various reactions were obtained from the published literature. The simulation model included a lipid membrane compartment and an aqueous cytosolic compartment, between which various chemical species were partitioned. Lipid peroxidation was initiated by the iron-catalyzed, superoxide-driven Fenton reaction. A "C"-language computer program implemented numerical solution of the steady-state rate equations for concentrations …

A Pressure Sensitive Mat For Measuring Contact Pressure Distributions Of Patients Lying On Hospital Beds, Charles F. Babbs, Joe D. Bourland, George P. Graber, James T. Jones, William E. Schoenlein

Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

The authors describe a novel system for sensing and displaying the distribution of contact pressure caused by a patient's lying on a hospital bed. The system includes a flexible, pressure sensitive mat, electronics to activate the mat, a small computer to process data, and a color video display. The present prototypes can sense pressure at 1,536 discrete locations in a rectangular grid of 24 x 64 nodes, each node representing an area of 4 cm2. The computer receives data from each node and displays the results as a false-color map, refreshable every 5 seconds. The pressure sensitive mat itself includes …

Quantitation Of The Hydroxyl Radical By Reaction With Dimethyl Sulfoxide, Melissa G. Steiner, Charles F. Babbs

Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

This investigation was conducted to validate the use of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a quantitative molecular probe for the generation of hydroxyl radicals (HO) in aqueous systems. Reaction of HO with DMSO produces methane sulfinic acid as a primary product, which can be detected by a simple calorimetric assay. To evaluate this method for estimating total HO production, we studied three model systems, including the Fenton reaction,  irradiation of water, and ultraviolet photolysis of hydrogen peroxide, for which the theoretical maximum yield of HO could be calculated and compared to measured DMSO oxidation. The results confirm that 0.05 to …

Free Radicals And The Etiology Of Colon Cancer, Charles F. Babbs

Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

This hypothesis paper reviews diverse evidence suggesting that intracolonic production of oxygen radicals may play a role in carcinogenesis. The hypothesis began to evolve when the author made the chance discovery that 1/10,000 dilutions of feces generated detectable quantities of highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (HO). The rate of HO formation, detected using DMSO as a molecular probe, was quite remarkable, corresponding to that which would be produced by over 10,000 rads of gamma irradiation per day, absorbed in the periphery of the fecal mass adjacent to the mucosa. The relatively high concentrations of iron in feces, together with the ability …

Accuracy And Precision Of Computer-Simulated Tissue Temperatures In Individual Human Intracranial Tumours Treated With Interstitial Hyperthermia, J A. Deford, Charles F. Babbs, U H. Patel, N E. Fearnot, J A. Marchosky, C J. Moran

Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Accurate knowledge of tissue temperature is necessary for effective delivery of clinical hyperthermia in the treatment of malignant tumours. This report compares computer-predicted versus measured intratumoral temperatures in 11 human subjects with intracranial tumours, treated with a conceptually simple 'conductive' interstitial hyperthermia system. Interstitial hyperthermia was achieved by the use of parallel arrays of implanted, electrically heated catheters. The tissue was warmed by thermal conduction and blood convection. Simulation of intratumoral temperatures was achieved by solving a modified bioheat transfer equation on a digital computer using a finite difference method. Comparison of intratumoral temperatures from simulations and measured values differed …

Adsorption Of Bromide Tracers Onto Sediment, John E. Gilley, S. C. Finkner, John W. Doran, E. R. Kottwitz

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Information concerning hydraulic parameters on upland areas could be greatly expanded through the use of tracing techniques. If bromide is used as a tracer, adsorption of bromide onto sediment may be of concern. Therefore, a laboratory study was conducted to identify the effects of sediment content and initial bromide concentration on adsorption of bromide for selected soils.
When bromide solutions were used within the appropriate instrument measurement range, neither soil texture, liming, nor sediment content were found to significantly affect adsorption of bromide. In contrast to systems using fluorescent dyes, correction factors for estimating adsorption of bromide are unnecessary. Since …

Counterpropagation Neural Network Detection Of Visual Primitives, Cynthia Lynn Johnson

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Psychological testing has shown that there is an early preattentive stage in the human visual system. At this level, simple features and properties of objects known as visual primitives are detected spatially in parallel by groupings of cells in the visual cortex known as feature maps. In order to study this preattentive stage in a machine vision system, the biologically inspired, highly parallel architecture of the artificial neural network shows great promise. This paper describes how the unique architecture of the counterpropagation neural network was used to simulate the feature maps which detect visual primitives in the human visual system. …

Spatial Control Of Crop Inputs Via Laptop And Typical Field Travel, Joseph Alan Schumacher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Field Grid Sense (FGS) is a system developed for use with a laptop computer to control crop production inputs. FGS can be used for spatially controlling and recording field inputs according to regional requirements within the field. Location is identified via the travel lanes formed during field operations. Grid areas within lanes are formed by measuring from the beginning of each lane to the start of each grid within the lane. Distance measurements are reset at the beginning of each lane in order to eliminate accumulated distance error in the field. A fifth wheel, which runs in the smooth path …

Reconnaissance-Level Alternative Optimal Groundwater Use Strategies, Richard C. Peralta, Bithin Datta

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This study develops regionally optimal ground-water extraction strategies. Alternative explicit planning objectives arc: (1) Maximize total pumping from the underlying aquifer while causing the evolution of a steady potentiometric: surface: and (2) maintain a prespecified target potentiometric surface. Implicit objectives involve controlling stream/aquifer interflow and water flow across a state boundary, and attempting to avoid poss disruption of current cropping patterns. Models, bounds, constraints, and data arc: formulated. Alternative optimal strategies and the rationale for preferring one strategy arc: presented for a region in Arkansas. The objective of maintaining the relatively unstressed target potentiometric: surl1ce yields politically and socially unacceptable …

Approach To Bioremediation Of Contaminated Surface Soils, J. L. Sims, Ronald C. Sims, J. E. Matthews

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Biological processes, including microbial degradation, have been identified as critical mechanisms for attenuating organic contaminants during transit through the vadose zone to the groundwater. On-site soil remedial measures using biological processes can reduce or eliminate groundwater contamination, thus reducing the need for extensive groundwater monitoring and treatment requirements. On-site remedial systems that utilize the soil as the treatment system accomplish treatment by using naturally occurring microorganisms to treat the contaminants. Treatment often may be enhanced by a variety of physical/chemical methods, such as fertilization, tilling, soil Ph adjustment, moisture control, etc. The development of a bioremediation program for a specific …

Exeis, Expert Screening And Optimal Extraction/Injection Pumping Systems For Short-Term Plume Immobilization, R. L. Ward, Richard C. Peralta

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This report presents the EXEIS family of micro-computer based programs for achieving short-term contaminant plume containment. EXEIS is applicable if contaminated water cannot be extracted and water cannot be imported to or exported from the site. There are two main purposes and types of users. For persons relatively unfamiliar with groundwater remedial actions, an expert screening system gives guidance concerning whether extraction/injection (Eli) pumping, slurry wall or sheet piling are most appropriate. For personal more experienced in remedial actions, management models compute optimal E/I strategies for short-term containment. Via deterministic and stochastic multiobjective optimization models, uncertainty in both planning horizon …

Exposure To Phosphine Gas During Application Of Magnesium Phosphide In Stored Product Warehouses, Mark Anthony Harrison

Theses and Dissertations

The use of phosphine gas requires that respiratory protection be used if exposures exceed the OSHA permissible exposure limit. As with other chemical exposures limits many of the references used to establish occupational health guidelines date back to the 1930’s and 1940’s. This is quite common and is the case with phosphine gas. Initial planning for fumigations involving magnesium phosphide requires that a hazard assessment be performed. Expected worker exposures based on previous monitoring or test data was not readily available. Many current practices and procedures for fumigations are based on recommendations from applicators who used the product in the …

The Importance Of Technology Assessment Procedures For Missionary Trainees, James Michael Hoeksema

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to identify those technology assessment (TA) procedures that are most important to teach to missionary trainees. This was based on the perceptions of the chief executive officers of U.S. Protestant mission agencies.

A survey was used to collect the research data. A total of 175 usable survey instruments were returned (25.6%). Analysis of the data consisted of frequency distributions and Chi-square.

A "common core" of TA procedures which are being used by mission agencies was identified. These were: (a) on-site field investigation, (b) committee meetings, (c) brainstorming, (d) personal interviews, (e) review of related …

Composition And Method For Radiation Synovectomy Of Arthritic Joints, D. E. Day, Gary J. Ehrhardt

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Radioactive microspheres for radiation synovectomy of arithmetic joints in a mammal comprise a biodegradable glass material and a beta radiation emitting radioisotope chemically dissolved in and distributed substantially uniformly throughout the glass material. The biodegradable glass material may be lithium silicate, lithium aluminosilicate, lithium aluminoborate, lithium germa- nate, lithium aluminogermanate, potassium silicate, potassium aluminosilicate, potassium, aluminoborate, potassium germanate or potassium aluminogermanate and the beta radiation emitting radioisotope may be samarium-153, holmium-166, erbium-169, dysprosium-165, rhenium-186, rhenium-188 or yttrium-90. Methods for preparing such microspheres and for carrying out radiation synovectomy of arthritic joints utilizing such microspheres are also disclosed.

Motor Vehicle Air Pollution Control: The Remaining Issues, Michael P. Walsh

Air Quality Protection in the West (November 27-28)

26 pages (includes illustrations).

Contains references.

Agenda: Air Quality Protection In The West, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center

Air Quality Protection in the West (November 27-28)

Conference organizers, session moderators and/or speakers included University of Colorado School of Law professor Mark S. Squillace.

Visibility, acid rain, air toxics, and urban air pollution are the topics of an upcoming Center conference on air quality in the West. The conference will be held at the School of Law in Boulder on November 27-28, 1989. Presentations will describe the nature and scope of the issues, the existing legal framework and experience with its implementation, and proposed changes in the law. Emphasis will be placed on air quality issues in the West and efforts underway to address these problems. Special …

Conformational Changes In An Epitope Localized To The Nh2-Terminal Region Of Protein C, Carolyn L. Orthener, Rapti D. Madurawe, William H. Velander, William N. Drohan, Frances D. Bettey, Dudley K. Strickhand

Papers in Biotechnology

Murine monoclonal antibodies, developed following immunization with human protein C, were characterized for their ability tboin d antigen in thpe resence of either CaClz or excess EDTA. Three stablec lones were obtained which produced antiboditehsa t bound to protein C only itnh e presence of EDTA. Allt hree antibodies bound to the light choafi np rotein C on immunoblots and also bound to the homologous proteins factor X and prothrombin in solid-phase radioimmunoassays. One antibody, 7D7B10 was purified and studied further. The binding of 7D7B10 to human protein C was characterized bya KOo f 1.4 nM. In competition studies, it …

Investigation Of Flow Patterns In Various Wastewater Treatment Facilities, Thomas Joseph Martin Jr

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The theoretical hydraulic retention time of wastewater treatment plants is often used to predict the efficiency of treatment and to calculate operational parameters. However, these values are related to the actual hydraulic retention time. When there is a large discrepancy between the actual and predicted values, the actual hydraulic retention time can be determined by marking a parcel of wastewater and recording its passage through the system. This investigation utilized rhodamine WT, a fluorescent dye, to track the movement of wastewater through a stabilization lagoon and a rock-reed filter. The loss of rhodamine WT to sorption, biodegradation and photodegradation was …

Law Enforcement And Engineering Incident Management—A Necessary Partnership: Incident Management, Jerry L. Lentz, James H. (Mike) Molloy, Sam W. Lester, Pat Dugger, William R. Monhollon, Robert L. Freeman, Mike Duncan

Kentucky's Annual Forum on Transportation

No abstract provided.

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 32 Number 1, Fall 1989, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

10 - A TIME TO DIE? The debate over euthanasia changes and grows more interesting as we grow older and live longer. By Julie Sly

15 - LOOKING FOR LIFE IN SPACE SCU's scientist-in-residence talks about how resumption of planetary probe aids his origin of life research. By Maureen Mclnaney

20 - MEMORIES - THE WAY WE WERE A 1939 alumnus tells what Santa Clara was like 50 years ago and offers vignettes of Jesuits he remembers. By Norman Bayley

24 - EASTSIDE PROJECT Students and faculty are involved in this special partnership between SCU and East San Jose communities. …

Pesticide Movement And Water Management, Majid Ehteshami, Richard C. Peralta

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Agricultural chemicals are essential components of agricultural production systems in the United states. Pesticides control weeds, insects, and have had an important role in increasing agricultural productivity in the last 50 years, despite diminishing crop land acreage. The benefits of chemicals use options in agriculture must be balanced against potential contamination of surface water and ground water resources. This study shows the effect of water management practices on pesticide movement and its potential pollution to ground water. It indicates that careful use of pesticides, water management practices and irrigation system design alternatives could cause a major reduction in ground water …

A Simplified Equation For Modeling Sediment Transport Capacity, S. C. Finkner, M. A. Nearing, G. R. Foster, John E. Gilley

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Sediment transport capacity for shallow overland flow was represented as a quadratic function of downslope distance using the assumption of a linear increase in overland flow discharge with downslope distance and an approximation to the Yalin equation for sediment transport capacity. The simplified equation for sediment transport applies to complex topography having uniform soil and management characteristics. The simplified equation accurately approximated the Yalin equation when calibrated using the average of the hydraulic shear stresses at the end of a constant slope reference profile and the end of the actual profile. The simplified equation is useful in deriving closed-form solutions …

On The Orders Of Magnitude Of Epigenic Dynamics And Monoclonal Antibody Production, Joanne M. Savinell (Belovich), Gyun Min Lee, Bernhard O. Palsson

Chemical & Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

The hybridoma cell's maximum capacity for monoclonal antibody (MAb) production is estimated to be 2300–8000 MAb molecules/cell/s, using measured rates of transcription and translation, and the limitations imposed by the size of the polymerase molecule and the ribosome. Nearly all the production rates reported in the literature fall into or below this range of production rates. Data from batch cultures of hybridomas demonstrate a constant specific rate of MAb production until the time integral of the viable cell concentration reaches about 10⁸ cells · h/cm³. At this point, some essential nutrients from the standard media …

Irrigation Soybeans By Growth Stages In Nebraska, N. L. Klocke, Dean E. Eisenhauer, James E. Specht, Roger Wesley Elmore, Gary W. Hergert

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Irrigated soybean production in Nebraska spans a region with diverse soils and climates. Irrigators can easily adopt irrigation scheduling using a stage of growth for timing applications. However, simplifying assumptions, including soil water holding capacity, rainfall, stored soil water, and adequate irrigation system capacity, are implicit in the development of stage of growth irrigation scheduling recommendations. Reliance on these can lead to misapplication of irrigation water.
This project tested irrigation scheduling techniques for indeterminate soybean production in Nebraska, with stage of growth indicating the initiation of irrigation. The range of soils and climate in the study area gave a range …

Application Of Bmp For Prevention Of Ground-Water Contamination, Majid Ehteshami, Richard C. Peralta

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The use of pesticides is an integral part of today's agriculture. In many cases, pesticides safeguard crops from severe pest infestation, or increase yield by suppressing competing weed growth. Pesticides often make the difference between profits and losses in farming operations. However, pesticides, even in extremely low concentrations, can pose a risk to human health and to the environment. Applied to plant or soil surfaces, or injected into the soil, pesticides may leach to the ground water or may be washed off with surface water. Pesticide contaminated surface water can reach ground water, or contaminated ground water can reach the …

Protein Separation With Mathematical Modeling For Chromatographic Operation, Hsien-Chih Ma

Dissertations

We have performed experiments and derived mathematical models for packed bed columns used for liquid phase chromatographic separations of proteins with impulse input of feed solutions. These models can now be used to describe the relationships between the elution characteristics (peak height, peak position, and shapes) and the operating conditions (flow rate and buffer conditions) of ion exchange and gel permeation column chromatography for protein separations.

The surface adsorption model was discussed relative to the nature of the mobile and stationary phases in ion exchange column chromatography for two distinct cases: with and without pore diffusion. For large solute molecules, …

Bioremediation Of Contaminated Surface Soils, J. L. Sims, R. C. Sims, J. E. Matthews

Reports

Biological remediation of soils contaminated with organic chemicals is an alternative treatment technology that can often meet the goal of achieving a permanent clean-up remedy at hazardous waste sites, as encouraged by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) for implementation of The Superfund Amendments and Authorization Act (SARA) of 1986. Bioremediation is consistent with the philosophical thrust of SARA, for it involves the use of naturally occurring microorganisms to degrade and/or detoxify hazardous constituents in the soil at a contaminated slip to protect public health and the environment.Bioremediation of contaminated soils, including applications and limitations, has been addressed.

Fm 8-10-8, Medical Intelligence In A Theater Of Operations, July 1989, Us Army, Academy Of Health Sciences, Robert Bolin , Depositor

United States Department of Defense Military Intelligence

This manual explains the importance of medical intelligence in planning and execution of military operations. It describes the responsibilities of medical and intelligence staffs and personnel at each echelon especially within a US military command in the field. It explains the role and functions of the Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center which provides “medical scientific and technical intelligence and general medical intelligence” for the US Armed Forces.

The manual explains procedures used to report intelligence information and to request intelligence reports as well as the forms used for those purposes.

The references anticipated the publication of an overdue updated to …

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 31 Number 4, Summer 1989, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

10 - COMPETITION AND CHANGE The way we organize human affairs is undergoing its most profound transformation in 2,000 years. By Thomas J. Peters

15 - WHAT'S A CHRISTIAN FAMILY TO DO? Some practical suggestions on family life in today's too busy world. By Mitch Finley '73

18 - REFLECTIONS OF A JESUIT'S EARLY YEARS Santa Clara's former president writes movingly of his experiences as a Jesuit novice. By William J. Rewak, SJ.

24 - A TOUCH OF WRY B.T. Collins '70 is an outrageously funny man who just can't seem to leave politics alone. By Barbara Wyman

28 - …