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The Calendar - April 1992, Nova University

The Calendar

No abstract provided.

The Application Of A Statistical Trend Analysis Program To Ground-Water Quality Monitoring Data From Eight Western Michigan Solid Waste Landfills, Amy Decosta Lachance

Masters Theses

A statistical analysis and interpretation of ground-water chemistry data from eight landfills in Western Michigan was performed. Data were collected over approximately the past ten years, pursuant to the requirements of Michigan's Solid Waste Management Act. A statistical regression model was used to reduce the data to identifiable trends and estimated magnitudes. These results were analyzed with respect to each landfill's characteristics and hydrogeological setting. Comparisons were made concerning the landfills' relative potential for environmental harm. Also, the effectiveness and applicability of this model to the analysis of ground-water monitoring data was assessed.

It was concluded that this analysis and …

Factors Affecting The Kinetics Of Light Intensity Adaptation In Marine Phytoplankton, Chunzhi Guo

OES Theses and Dissertations

It has been suggested that the recent light history of phytoplankton and the kinetics of photoadaptation can be used to provide information about the vertical mixing processes in the upper mixed layer. To be useful as a parameter in a model of photoadaptation and vertical mixing, the response of a photoadaptive variable to changes in growth irradiance must be monotonic, significant, and comparable in time rate scale to mixing processes. Previous studies of photoadaptation kinetics have focused on the response of phytoplankton to changes in light intensity under continuous illumination. This dissertation attempts to elucidate the effects of light:dark cycle, …

Monitoring Computer Systems: An Intelligent Approach, Myron Zhihong Xu

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

Monitoring modern computer systems is increasingly difficult due to their peculiar characteristics. To cope with this situation, the dissertation develops an approach to intelligent monitoring. The resulting model consists of three major designs: representing targets, controlling data collection, and autonomously refining monitoring performance. The model explores a more declarative object-oriented model by introducing virtual objects to dynamically compose abstract representations, while it treats conventional hard-wired hierarchies and predefined object classes as primitive structures. Taking the representational framework as a reasoning bed, the design for controlling mechanisms adopts default reasoning backed up with ordered constraints, so that the amount of data …

Responses Of The Adc Program To A Changing American Society, Bobby R. Acord

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 15th (1992)

Changes in the Animal Damage Control (ADC) program are reviewed relative to changes in American societal background and attitudes. Many of the program changes that occurred in the past were imposed on ADC in response to external factors, while more recent program changes have been and will continue to be more self-directed. Examples of ADC's proactive approach to dealing with critical issues are provided.

Administrative Procedures And Contracts For Vertebrate Pest Programs, Bruce A. Colvin, Curtis A. Meininger, Michael J. Grealy

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 15th (1992)

A proactive (rather than reactive) approach to rodent control includes effective planning, administration, and coordination. Centralized coordination, detailed scheduling, and well-defined contract specifications provide a solid basis for managing an integrated pest management program. Documentation and data management help to ensure cost effective and efficient operations. The ability to work with people and bureaucracies is essential for the science of rodent control to be applied effectively in real world situations and for vertebrate pest programs to succeed.

An Integrated Approach To The Management Of Urban Canada Goose Depredations, Steven D. Fairaizl

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 15th (1992)

Canada geese (Branta canadensis) in the Reno-Sparks, Nevada urban area have become a problem of increasing significance. Nuisance complaints from city parks, golf courses, and housing developments augment the bird hazard to aircraft operations at the local airport. Eleven goose collisions with commercial aircraft, between January 1986 and April 1989, caused $250,000 in structural damages but no injuries or loss of human life. The Federal Aviation Administration required action be taken to reduce the hazard if airport certification was to continue. A multi-agency task force was formed to develop and implement an integrated pest management plan. Population surveys …

Urban Crow Roosts In California, W. Paul Gorenzel, Terrell P. Salmon

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 15th (1992)

We reviewed the historical and current status of the American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), urban crow roosts and control efforts in California. Crows aggregate in traditional winter roosting areas. In the late 1930s most crows in California roosted in the Sacramento Valley in rural locations. Crow roosts were not a concern except for potential damage to adjacent farmlands. From the 1960s through 1980s crows colonized urban areas for nesting and winter roosting. A phone survey of vertebrate pest management officials indicated all known roosts were in urban areas, with most occurring in the Sacramento Valley. From 1970 to 1989 …

Closing Remarks For The Fifteenth Vertebrate Pest Conference, Wendy S. Halverson

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 15th (1992)

As chair-elect for the 16th Vertebrate Pest Conference it is my responsibility to provide the closing remarks for this conference. In achieving this objective I would like to accomplish three things: summarize the 15th conference, leave you with some thoughts to take home, and provide information and an invitation to the 16th Vertebrate Pest Conference to be held in 1994.

At this conference, over the last three days, eighty-one papers have been presented. There were 327 registered participants representing eleven foreign countries and thirty-two states. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the individuals who have worked very …

A Cage Trap For Live-Trapping Mountain Lions, James D. Shuler

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 15th (1992)

The use of cage traps to capture mountain lions (Felix concolor) has the potential to become a valuable tool in the USDA-APHIS-ADC program. Because of California public sentiment, many of the traditional methods can no longer be used or are being severely restricted. Due to increasing requests for assistance, California ADC personnel have had to develop a method that will be highly selective, humane, and effective in rural and urban areas. The development of the mountain lion cage trap and it’s applications are described.

Estimation Of Relative Pesticide Leaching In Nebraska Soils, P. J. Shea, L. N. Mielke, W. D. Nettleton

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

A computational procedure (RIPS, Relative Index for Pesticides and Soils) was developed as a conservative estimator of pesticide leaching and groundwater contamination based on soil and pesticide properties, and water table depth. RIPS values offer guidance in pesticide selection and identify situations where a detailed site-specific evaluation should be conducted.

The Calendar - March 1992, Nova University

The Calendar

No abstract provided.

Book Review, Thomas G. Field Jr.

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

Review of the following book: THOMAS GILOVICH, How WE KNOW WHAT ISN'T SO: THE FALLIABILITY OF REASON IN EVERYDAY LIFE. (The Free Press 1991) [216 pp.] Index, notes. CIP: 90-26727; ISBN: 0-02-911705-4. [Cloth $19.95. 866 Third Ave. New York, NY 10022.]

Design And Construction Of A Channel Electron Multiplier Based Mossbauer Spectroscopy System, Daniel J. Robbins

Theses and Dissertations

A channel electron multiplier (cem) detector system was designed and built to provide a signal to a Mossbauer spectroscopy system in an effort to obtain a better signal-to-noise ratio than achievable with a proportional counter system. Three cems are contained in a vacuum chamber built using standard components. Gamma, rays of 14.4-keV energy from a ⁵⁷Co source enter from outside the chamber through a window and are absorbed by an ⁵⁷Fe target near the cems. The target emits internal conversion electrons which are collected by the cems and a Mossbauer spectrometer collects the signal. The system produces a …

Reservable Transactions: An Approach For Reliable Multidatabase Transaction Management, Ahmed K. Elmagarmid, Jin Jing, James G. Mullen, Jamshid Sharif-Askary

Department of Computer Science Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Coprolite Analysis: A Biological Perspective On Archaeology, Karl J. Reinhard, Vaughn M. Bryant Jr.

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The most remarkable dietary remains recoverable from archaeological contexts are coprolites. Coprolites are desiccated or mineralized feces that are preserved in sheltered and open sites in arid regions, primarily in the New World. These dietary remains are remarkable from several perspectives. They typically contain a variety of macroscopic and microscopic remains that form interrelated data sets for the reconstruction of diets. Because contexts containing coprolites are typified by excellent preservation, the remains coprolites contain tend to be in better states of preservation than dietary remains recovered from nonfecal deposits. Coprolites also contain the well-preserved remains of intestinal parasites and pathogens …

Software Forensics: Can We Track Code To Its Authors?, Eugene H. Spafford, Stephen A. Weeber

Department of Computer Science Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Multiswitch Hardware Configuration, Douglas E. Comer, Victor Norman

Department of Computer Science Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

The Calendar - February 1992, Nova University

The Calendar

No abstract provided.

Environmental Education, Daniel Lynch, Charles Hutchinson

Dartmouth Scholarship

The need for a new profession devoted to environmental matters is asserted. The qualities of such a profession are sketched, and it is argued that new initiatives in environmental education are needed in the form of graduate, professional programs with primary emphasis on practice. An example 2-year program is presented. A fundamental requirement is scientific competence; undergraduate preparation in the sciences or engineering is mandatory. The graduate curriculum itself is built on three primary cores: environmental science and engineering, business and management, and public policy. Additionally, an environmental round table is proposed as a focal point for academic, industrial, governmental, …

Attempts To Demonstrate Reductive Dechlorination Of Chlorobenzenes By Anaerobic Microorganisms, Melissa S. Gross

Theses

Chlorobenzenes are a source of environmental pollution throughout the world. Investigations of the potential biodegradability of these compounds have been conducted employing different media under various conditions. In this study, the biodegradability of hexachlorobenzene (HCB), pentachlorobenzene (QCB), and 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorobenzene (1,2,3,4-TetCB) at a concentration of 70 uM (20 ppm), 80 uM (20 ppm), and 93 uM (20 ppm), respectively, was investigated. The source of inoculum was fresh anaerobic digester sewage sludge. Compound and sludge were combined in a serum bottle incubation system under anaerobic conditions and allowed to incubate at 30°C for several weeks. An extraction method utilizing hexane and acetone …

Recalcitrance Of Polychlorinated Biphenyls To Biodegradation By Phanerochaete Chrysosporium In Soil, Thierry B. Poncet

Theses

The white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium has been shown in the past to effectively degrade a number of chlorinated aromatic compounds. Previous investigators (Eaton, D. C., "Mineralization of Polychlorinated Biphenyls by Phanerochaete chrysosporium, a Lignolytic Fungus", Enz. Microb. Technol., 7, 194-196 (1985); Bumpus, J. A., Tien, M., Wright, D., and Aust, S. D., "Oxidation of Persistent Environmental Pollutants by White Rot Fungus", Science, 228, 1434-1436 (1985)) have also claimed that this fungus is capable of mineralizing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in submerged cultures under stationary conditions. Therefore, the objective of this work was to study the biodegradation activity of the fungus …

I. Removal Of Chromium From A Highly Contaminated Soil/Slag Matrix By Soil Washing At Low Ph, Ii. Removal Of Chromium From Impregnated Clay Matrices By Soil Washing At Low Ph, Erez Gotlieb

Theses

Section I. Chromium is a major soil contaminant of industrial sites in New Jersey, as well as in many of the Superfund sites throughout the United States. Removal of chromium by soil/slag washing with low pH sulfuric acid solutions is described. The extraction parameters are acid concentration, contact time, temperature, solvent/soil ratio, and acid type. The effect of two-stage extraction is discussed.

Soil/slag washing with sulfuric acid concentrations of 2% weight:volume (units are g/ml. This concentration is approximately equal to 0.4 N) at 75:1 v:w solvent/soil ratios yielded chromium extraction efficiencies of 95%, but 50% of the soil matrix was …

Immobilization Of Heavy Metals In Incinerator Ash Using A Microbiological System, Gordon Hinshalwood

Theses

The heavy metals contained in incinerator ash constitute an environmental hazard because they can be leached out of the ash matrix by rain water after the ash is landfilled. This study focused on a novel biological treatment process in which immobilization of the heavy metal content of incinerator ash is achieved using naturally occurring microorganisms. Specifically, immobilization was obtained by the use of a sulfide producing bacteriological system. The genus Desulfovibrio was cultured under anaerobic conditions, providing a source of sulfide from the reduction of sulfate as a natural metabolic function. The sulfide produced then formed highly insoluble precipitates with …

Characterization Of Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposited Silicon Dioxide Thin Films, Xue Du

Theses

LPCVD deposited amorphous silicon dioxide SiO₂ thin films from a new chemical vapor source, diethylsilane (DES), were characterized. This work is focused on evaluation of SiO₂ films prepared by varies deposition temperatures and flow rates series.

SiO₂ thin films were evaluated for density, porosity, and refractive index. Techniques for evaluation of the above mentioned parameters for this work included the use of infrared absorption spectroscopy, preferential etch procedures, optical measurement of refractive index and thickness, and thermal annealing of CVD films. The densification in vacuum ambient has been carried out at the temperature of 600 °, 750 …

Kinetics Of Phenol Biodegradation By Pseudomonas Resinovorans (Atcc 14235), Susmita Guptapal

Theses

The kinetics of phenol biodegradation were studied by using a pure culture of Pseudomonas resinovorans (ATCC 14235). Experiments were performed in shaker flasks and samples were analyzed for biomass content (based on optical density), and for phenol concentrations (based on HPLC measurements). The experimental data indicated that phenol is an inhibitory substrate at high concentrations. Specific growth rate data were fitted to an Andrews' expression with good success. The regressed kinetic constants were also used in predicting phenol biodegradation as a function of time. It was found that predicted and actual experimental values were close at least for the first …

Molecular-Statistical Theory For Curvature Elasticity Of Thermotropic Main-Chain-Polymer Liquid Crystals, Rolfe G. Petschek, Eugene M. Terentjev

Faculty Scholarship

We develop a microscopic molecular-statistical theory for thermotropic nematic polymers, composed of semiflexible chains of bonded nematogenic monomers. In the framework of a mean-field approximation we account for pair-interaction forces between monomers, including long-range attraction, steric repulsion, and effective rigidity of the bonds between subsequent monomers on the same chain. The functional correction to the probability distribution in a nonuniform orienting field is obtained for the case of very-long-wavelength deformations. We then derive a curvature-elastic free energy for this system, in which the Frank elastic constants are expressed in terms of definite molecular and thermodynamic parameters. It is shown that …

Track Structure Model Of Cell Damage In Space Flight, Robert Katz, Francis A. Cucinotta, John W. Wilson, Judy L. Shinn, Duc M. Ngo

Robert Katz Publications

Cell damage by high linear energy transfer (LET) radiations has been described by a phenomenological model (track theory) for more than 20 years. With track theory, molecules of biological significance (dry enzymes and viruses) act as one-hit detectors. Recent additions to tire class of one-hit detectors arc Escherichia coil B, and single- and double-strand breaks in SV-40 virus in EO buffer, where indirect effects predominate. The response of cells (survival, transformation, and chromosome aberration) to these radiations is typically described by a four-parameter model whose numerical values are determined from the equations of the theory being fit to experimental …

In The Astronomy Tradition At Augustana, Harry E. Nelson

Augustana Historical Society Publications

Abstract: “In the Astronomy Tradition at Augustana was written as a response to a suggestion made by Dr. Conrad Bergendoff, president emeritus at Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois. I had prepared a paper for the Contemporary Club of Davenport, Iowa which dealt with the program of the John Deere Planetarium on the campus and its contribution to the Quad-Cities community. Dr. Bergendoff felt that a more inclusive report was needed, and he convinced me that I should write the complete history of the astronomy department. His many creative suggestions have made the story most interesting and I am indebted …

The Western Public Lands: An Introduction, Sarah F. Bates, University Of Colorado Boulder. Western Lands Program, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center

Books, Reports, and Studies

72 p. : ill., maps ; 28 cm