Digital Commons Network^™

A Proposal For A Development Platform For Microcontroller-Based Devices, Michael L. Wetton

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis is concerned with designing, implementing and testing a miniaturised temperature data logging device. Investigations demonstrated that a microcontroller could provide a low-cost single-chip solution to this problem and after a detailed review of 8-bit microcontrollers, the MC68HCll was chosen for this task. This document also includes discussion on an environment that was developed for creating and testing MC68HC11 software and the use of Motorola's evaluation boards. To ensure that the device was designed to software engineering standards an investigation into software engineering analysis techniques took place. This resulted in the Jackson Structured Programming (JSP) methodology being adapted to …

Modelling And Risk Analysis Of The Western Rock Lobster (Panulirus Cygnus) Fishery Of Western Australia, C. S. Yap

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The predictive power for short-term forecasting of selected biomass dynamic models was examined using the standardised catch and effort data from the 1944/45 to 1990/91 season of the western rock lobster. Risk analysis of the fishery based on the predicted fishing efforts with the Deriso-Schnute delay-difference model indicates a high probability of recruitment failure. Some hypothetical management strategies of reducing fishing effort were evaluated by taking into consideration the total catch and biological risk to the fishery.

Calibration Of A Conceptual Rainfall-Runoff Model Using Simulated Annealing, Neil R. Sumner

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Simulated annealing (Kirkpatrick et al, 1983) is used to estimate the parameters of a mathematical model that predicts the water yield from a catchment. The calibration problem involves finding the global minimum of a multivariate function that has many extraneous local minima, a situation in which conventional optimisation methods are ineffective. The objective function which quantifies discrepancies between the computed and observed streamflows must be carefully selected to satisfy the least square assumptions. Several published simulated annealing algorithms have been implemented, tested and evaluated using standard test functions. Appropriate cooling schedules are found for each algorithm and test function investigated. …

Glacial Deposits, Vol. 23, 1994-1995, Department Of Geography-Geology

Glacial Deposits

Newsletter of the Department of Geography-Geology

Monomeric And Polymeric Fluoroalkyl Sulfonyl Fluorides, Sulfonate Salts And Sulfonic Acids For Use As Electrolytes And Coatings, Nicolas Noel Hamel

Dissertations and Theses

Monomeric and polymeric fluoroalkyl sulfonyl fluorides, sulfonate salts and sulfonic acids have qualities desirable for use as electrolytes in alternative energy sources such as fuel cells and solid polymer electrolyte lithium batteries. Since the nature of the fluoroalkyl group affects the properties of these compounds, new monomeric and polymeric fluoroalkyl sulfonyl fluorides, sulfonate salts and sulfonic acids were prepared in this work. Simple compounds prepared in this work were: the fluoroalkyl sulfonyl fluorides, sulfonate salts and sulfonic acid CHF (OCF₂CF2SO₂ F)₂ CF₂(OCF₂CF₂SO₂F) ₂ CH₂(OCF₂CF₂SO3Na) ₂ CF₂(OCF₂CF₂SO3 ) ₂Ca , CF₂(OCF₂CF₂SO3H) ₂ prepared by means of electrochemical fluorination; FC (CF3 ) …

Towards An Ontology Of Problems, Martin Zwick

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

Systems theory offers a language in which one might formulate a metaphysics (or more specifically an ontology) of problems. This proposal is based upon a conception of systems theory shared by von Bertalanffy, Wiener, Boulding, Rapoport, Ashby, Klir, and others, and expressed succinctly by Bunge, who considered game theory, information theory, feedback control theory, and the like to be attempts to construct an "exact and scientific metaphysics." Our prevailing conceptions of "problems" are concretized yet also fragmented and in fact dissolved by the standard reductionist model of science, which cannot provide a general framework for analysis. The idea of a …

Karst In Siliceous Rocks: The Speleothem Medium Of Finger Flutings And Its Isotopic Geochemistry, Robert G. Bednarik

International Journal of Speleology

The isotopic geochemistry relating to the re-precipitation of calcite in caves is considered, in terms of its theory, natural manifestations, and relationship with questions of radiometric dating of carbonate speleothems. Specific forms of’ such deposits are considered, together with the various modification processes they are subjected to. More specifically, particular forms of rock art found within, as well as on or under such deposits are examined, such as finger flutings commonly found in caves of Europe and Australia. Some of the variables relating to their occurrence are elucidated, their preservation and possible dating is reviewed in the light of these …

Indicators Of Nutrient Limited Plankton Growth In Lakes Near Mount Saint Helens, Washington, Kurt Davis Carpenter

Dissertations and Theses

Several lakes located in the blast zone of the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens were studied to determine if the plankton in the lakes were limited in their growth by nitrogen or phosphorus availability. Long term nutrient enrichment experiments were performed on lake water from five lakes and measures of chlorophyll-a, carbon fixation, and nutrient uptake were used to evaluate the extent of limitation. Nutrient concentrations, ratios, and uptake from 14 lakes provided additional evidence for limitation by nitrogen and/or phosphorus. The physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the lakes were also examined to monitor the return of these …

Portable, High-Bandwidth Frequency-Domain Photon Migration Instrument For Tissue Spectroscopy, Steen J. Madsen, Eric R. Anderson, Richard C. Haskell, Bruce J. Tromberg

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

We describe a novel frequency-domain photon migration instrument employing direct diode laser modulation and avalanche photodiode detection, which is capable of noninvasively determinating the optical properties of biological tissues in near real time. An infinite medium diffusion model was used to extract absorption and transport scattering coefficients from 300-kHz to 800-MHz photon-density wave phase data. Optical properties measured in tissue-simulating solutions at 670 nm agreed to within 10% of those expected.

Determination Of The Seasonal Changes In Nitrate And Phosphate Concentration And Phytoplankton Composition Within Selected Fertilized Lakes, Richard L. Meyer

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

A Survey Of Source And Finished Water Supplies For Giardia Cysts And Cryptosporidium Oocysts, Lisa Martin Sexton

KWRRI Research Reports

The occurrence of Giardia lamblia cysts and Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts was determined from source and treated drinking water supplies at selected water treatment facilities in Eastern Kentucky. Giardia and Cryptosporidium are two human protozoan parasites often found in water supplies due to fecal contamination. Characteristic cysts and oocysts were identified from large volume water samples, typically 100 gallons for raw samples and 1,000 gallons for finished water, using an indirect fluorescent antibody specific for Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Source water from four different water treatment facilities utilizing a reservoir, river, and two creeks were assayed. All sites exhibited Giardia lamblia …

A Preliminary Mass Balance Model Of Primary Productivity And Dissolved Oxygen In The Mississippi River Plume/Inner Gulf Shelf Region, Victor J. Bierman Jr., Scott C. Hinz, William J. Wiseman Jr., Nancy N. Rabalais, R. Eugene Turner

Faculty Publications

A deterministic, mass balance model for phytoplankton, nutrients, and dissolved oxygen was applied to the Mississippi River Plume/Inner Gulf Shelf (MRP/IGS) region. The model was calibrated to a comprehensive set of field data collected during July 1990 at over 200 sampling stations in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The spatial domain of the model is represented by a three-dimensional, 21-segment water-column .grid extending from the Mississippi River Delta west to the Louisiana-Texas border, and from the shoreline seaward to the 30-60 m bathymetric contours. Diagnostic analyses and numerical experiments were conducted with the calibrated model to better understand the environmental …

Comparison Of Continuous Records Of Near-Bottom Dissolved Oxygen From The Hypoxia Zone Along The Louisiana Coast, Nancy N. Rabalais, William J. Wiseman, R. Eugene Turner

Faculty Publications

Oxygen depletion is a seasonally dominant feature of the lower water column on the highly-stratified, riverine-influenced continental shelf of Louisiana. The areal extent of hypoxia (bottom waters ≤2 mg l−1 dissolved oxygen) in mid-summer may encompass up to 9,500 km2, from the Mississippi River delta to the upper Texas coast, with the spatial configuration of the zone varying interannually. We placed two continuously recording oxygen meters (Endeco 1184) within 1 m of the seabed in 20-m water depth at two locations 77 km apart where we previously documented midsummer bottom water hypoxia. The oxygen meters recorded considerably different oxygen conditions …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 26, No. 4. December 1994

The Prairie Naturalist

REPRODUCTION OF RING-NECKED PHEASANTS IN IOWA ▪ T Z. Riley, J. B. Wooley, Jr. , and W. B. Rybarczyk

DIETARY COMPARISONS OF ADULT MALE COMMON GRACKLES, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, AND YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS IN NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA ▪ H. J. Homan, GM. Linz, W. J. Bleier, and R. B. Carlson

ECOGEOGRAPHY OF SOUTHERN BOG LEMMING AND MEADOW VOLE IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS ▪ T. L. Welker and J. R. Choate

SUMMER AND FALL FOOD HABITS OF COYOTES IN SOUTHWESTERN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ T. L. Lewis, W. F. Jensen, K. A. Keehr, and R. W. Seabloom

MOVEMENT PATTERNS OF WHITE-TAILED DEER AT …

Baseline Water Quality Data Inventory And Analysis: Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Volume Ii Of Ii, National Park Service

Publications (WR)

This document presents the results of surface-water-quality data retrievals for Lake Mead National Recreation Area (LAME) from five of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) national databases: (1) Storage and Retrieval (STORET) database management system; (2) River Reach File (RF3); (3) Industrial Facilities Discharge (IFD); (4) Drinking Water Supplies (DRINKS); and (5) Flow Gages (GAGES). This document is one product resulting from a cooperative contractual endeavor between the National Park Service's Servicewide Inventory and Monitoring Program, the National Park Service's Water Resources Division (WRD), and Horizon Systems Corporation to retrieve, format, and analyze water quality data for all units …

Water Current, Volume 26, No. 6, December 1994

Water Current Newsletter

Waste Management Problem Focus of '95 Seminars
From the Director
Policies Topic of '95 Conference
Glossary of Water-Related Terms
Researchers Try to Outsmart Hardy Pests
Reflections on a Year Well Spent
Scientific Conference "In the Bush"
Symposium Spurs Water Discussion

Subsurface Glacial Geology Of The Area Between The Tekonsha And Kalamazoo Moraines, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Kim Finkbeiner

Masters Theses

Cross sections profiling the stratigraphy of the glacial sediments were created using the geological logs recorded on water well records. Glacial sediments in the study area comprise a large outwash complex between two moraines. The surficial landforms are the result of the last Wisconsinan advance and retreat through the area.

Cross sections contructed for this project reveal at least three major till units. An additional till unit contains a weathered soil sequence. Therefore, it is possible that this paleosol represents the Sangamon Interglacial period between the Wisconsinan and Illinoian stages. No obvious evidence of movement of the Saginaw Lobe remains …

Embedology And Neural Estimation For Time Series Prediction, Robert E. Garza

Theses and Dissertations

Time series prediction has widespread application, ranging from predicting the stock market to trying to predict future locations of scud missiles. Recent work by Sauer and Casdagli has developed into the embedology theorem, which sets forth the procedures for state space manipulation and reconstruction for time series prediction. This includes embedding the time series into a higher dimensional space in order to form an attractor, a structure defined by the embedded vectors. Embedology is combined with neural technologies in an effort to create a more accurate prediction algorithm. These algorithms consist of embedology, neural networks, Euclidean space nearest neighbors, and …

Performance Monitoring Of Hybrid Intelligent Systems, Nariman Abdel Baky, Fikret Ercal

Computer Science Technical Reports

Development of an automated system to enable the ongoing monitoring and control of the performance of HIS is a step towards increasing the confidence and security with which ordinary users will perceive AI-based Systems. The main objective of this research was to develop a prototype intelligent system to perform this monitoring. The proposed monitming system integrates performance metrics for the HIS's components with heuristics for evaluating data quality by checking data types, data ranges, percentage of missing data and the composition of data. The research demonstrated the possibility of developing such system and the feasibility of using it for a …

Baseline Water Quality Data Inventory And Analysis: Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Volume I Of Ii, National Park Service

Publications (WR)

This document presents the results of surface-water-quality data retrievals for Lake Mead National Recreation Area (LAME) from five of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) national databases: (1) Storage and Retrieval (STORET) database management system; (2) River Reach File (RF3); (3) Industrial Facilities Discharge (IFD); (4) Drinking Water Supplies (DRINKS); and (5) Flow Gages (GAGES). This document is one product resulting from a cooperative contractual endeavor between the National Park Service's Servicewide Inventory and Monitoring Program, the National Park Service's Water Resources Division (WRD), and Horizon Systems Corporation to retrieve, format, and analyze water quality data for all units …

Parallelization Of The 2d Roe Scheme On The Intel Paragon, John R. Graham Iii

Theses and Dissertations

This study presented a methodology for determining the general performance characteristics of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) algorithm on the Intel Paragon. By performing a rigorous time complexity analysis of a parallel CFD algorithm, the general performance could be characterized before the code was actually parallelized. This was shown by implementing a serial version of the 2-D Roe Scheme on the Paragon. This explicit code was parallelized by the addition of generic yet efficient routines that decomposed the domain, automatically adjusted partition indices, and performed 2-D and 3-D buffer exchanges. Additionally, efficient global routines available for the Paragon were used …

Msda A Machinery Selection Decision Aid For Stubble Management Practices, Linda Leonard, Andrew Green

Grain and other field crops published reports

MSDA is a user friendly program developed to help farmers predict stubble outcomes before acting on their management practice. This manual is an accompaniment to a computer program designed on Micorsoft Excel-macros. Its aim is to help farmers assess their current machinery and stubble handling ability and view options that may be adopted as best practice for their properties.

The program is designed with the complete season in mind. Information is gathered on the full complement of machinery used from harvest through to seeding, to allow farmers to see all choices available and enable them to choose the best system …

Magnetotaxis And Magnetic Particles In Bacteria, Richard B. Frankel, Dennis A. Bazylinski

Physics

Magnetotactic bacteria contain magnetic particles that constitute a permanent magnetic dipole and cause each cell to orient and migrate along geomagnetic field lines. Recent results relevant to the biomineralization process and to the function of magnetotaxis are discussed.

The Pollution Effects Of Pleasure/Work Boat Sewage Discharges On Fecal Contamination Levels Of Waters In And Around Marinas And Other Places Where Boats Are Moored On The Eastern Shore Of Virginia, George H. Bangs

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

Contamination of seafood harvested from and recreational areas of the Chesapeake Bay, its tributaries and the Atlantic coast inshore waters may cause health problems for people consuming the seafood or coming in contact with the waters by swimming, water skiing, or other water sports. These health problems include, but not limited to, dysentery, typhoid and hepatitis (Natchez, 1990). This is a preliminary study into the level of fecal pollution generated by sewage discharges from boats in marinas and other places where boats are moored on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Sites selected for the study included; (I) marinas and other …

Generation Of A Single-Lobe, Far-Field Intensity Pattern From A Laser Diode Array Using An Optical Delay Line, Thomas A. Summers

Theses and Dissertations

A simple and practical technique is demonstrated to generate a stable, single-lobe, far-field intensity pattern from a one-dimensional, antiphased, laser diode array with gain-guided elements. The two far-field lobes of the array are combined after introducing an optical delay line into the path of one of the lobes to make the lobes mutually incoherent. The incoherent superposition of intensities produces a near-diffraction-limited, single-lobe, far-field intensity pattern containing 84% of the power, exceeding any previous (known) phase control experiments. This technique compares favorably with more elaborate schemes advanced previously using integrated phase plates, etc. The method is directly applicable to one-dimensional …

Predicting Protein Structure Using Parallel Genetic Algorithms, George H. Gates Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The protein folding problem is a biochemistry Grand Challenge problem. The challenge is to reliably predict natural three-dimensional structures of polypeptides. Genetic algorithms (GAs) are robust, semi-optimal search techniques modeling natural evolutionary processes. Fast messy GAs (fmGAs) are variants of messy GAs that reduce the exponential time complexity to polynomial. This investigation evaluates the merits of parallel SGAs and fmGAs for minimizing the potential energy of a pentapeptide, (Met)-enkephalin. AFIT's energy model is compared to a similar model in a commercial package called QUANTA. Differences between the two models are identified and resolved to enhance GAs' abilities to correctly fold …

Ua3/8/1 Ward Sumpter Professorship Report, Wku Ogden College Of Science & Technology

WKU Administration Documents

Report of Dr. Wei-Ping Pan, Ward Sumpter Professor of activities for 1993-94 funded by the Ogden Foundation.

Ua3/8/1 John Robinson Professorship Report, John Riley

WKU Administration Documents

Report of activities of Dr. John Riley as the John Robinson Professor of Science for 1993-1994 funded by the Ogden Foundation.

A Comparison Of Plotless Density Estimators Using Monte Carlo Simulation, Richard M. Engeman, Robert T. Sugihara, Larry F. Pank, William E. Dusenberry

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We conducted an extensive simulation study to compare the performance of a large group of plotless density estimators (PDEs) to obtain clarification of their relative performance in a diversity of sampling situations. The PDEs studied included well-known ones from the literature plus some extensions and modifications introduced here. The simulations cover 96 combinations of 6 spatial patterns, 4 sample sizes, and 4 population densities. We made comparisons within classes of similar estimators, and we indicate the best-performing PDEs out of the complete set studied. Over all spatial patterns, the angle-order estimator with measurements to the third closest individual in each …

Multimedia Authoring, Development Environments, And Digital Video Editing, Fillia Makedon, James W. Matthews, Charles B. Owen, Samuel A. Rebelsky

Dartmouth Scholarship

Multimedia systems integrate text, audio, video, graphics, and other media and allow them to be utilized in a combined and interactive manner. Using this exciting and rapidly developing technology, multimedia applications can provide extensive benefits in a variety of arenas, including research, education, medicine, and commerce. While there are many commercial multimedia development packages, the easy and fast creation of a useful, full-featured multimedia document is not yet a straightforward task.

This paper addresses issues in the development of multimedia documents, ranging from user-interface tools that manipulate multimedia documents to multimedia communication technologies such as compression, digital video editing and …