Digital Commons Network^™

Agglomeration Of Bed Particles In Low-Temperature Black Liquor Gasification, Mark A. Woodruff

Theses and Dissertations

The increasing concern for emissions and pollutants from power generation plants has increased the desire for and the study of biomass fuels. Biomass combustion produces less carbon monoxide as well as other greenhouse gases. Black liquor is a byproduct from the Kraft process in making paper. Black liquor can be gasified and used as a fuel in recovery boilers and fluidized bed steam reformers. Recovery boilers have a low efficiency and are used today because of their reliability. Steam reformers have a much higher efficiency but they are a relatively new science and are not as reliable. One of the …

Microfabrication And Evaluation Of Planar Thin-Film Microfluidic Devices, Bridget Ann Peeni

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past 15 years, research in the field of microfluidics has rapidly gained popularity. By seeking to miniaturize and automate separation-based analysis, microfluidic research seeks to improve current methods through decreased cost, analysis time, and sources of contamination. My work has focused on developing a novel fabrication method, based on standard microfabrication techniques, to create thin-film microfluidic devices. This microfabrication format makes it possible to generate devices that provide high efficiencies, enable mass fabrication, and provide a platform capable of integrating the microfluidic and electronic components necessary for a micro-total analysis system (μ-TAS). Device fabrication combines the processes of …

The Enduring Mythological Role Of The Anonymous Source Deep Throat, Shana Lyris Hamilton

Theses and Dissertations

Deep Throat is one of the most famous anonymous newspaper sources in American journalism. He is known for helping Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncover the Watergate scandal that led to President Richard Nixon's impeachment and resignation in 1974. Deep Throat's identity was a source of curiosity until he was revealed in 2005 as the former number two figure at the FBI, William Mark Felt. This thesis will show that, despite Felt's notoriety, Deep Throat was not an indispensable part of Woodward and Bernstein's Watergate coverage, speaking with Woodward 16 times about Watergate during the reporters' coverage. …

The 2005 Japan Foundation-National Diet Library Training Program For Information Specialists Of Japanese Studies: A Report, Dawn Lawson, Fabiano Takashi Rocha

Journal of East Asian Libraries

No abstract provided.

Report On The Ncc 2006 Open Meeting, Beth Katzoff, Haruko Nakamura, Yoko Okunishi

Journal of East Asian Libraries

No abstract provided.

Group Purchasing Of Online Korean Databases, Jae Yong Chang, Mikyung Kang

Journal of East Asian Libraries

No abstract provided.

Dystopia And Civilizations: Comparison Of Social Movements In The Network Society, Adán Stevens-Díaz

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Using World History To Predict The Future Of The First Civilization, William Mcgaughey

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Open Source, Openness, And Higher Education, David Wiley

Faculty Publications

With the growth of open source software and other related trends, a culture of openness is advancing from the edges of society to the core of academic culture. In this article I provide an overview of how the expansion of open source software in culture at large has affected the world of education, describe how the greater use of open source software in education has unfolded hand-in-hand with the development of open course content and open access research, and argue that this more comprehensive shift towards "openness" in academic practice is not only a positive trend, but a necessary one …

Design And Realization Of A Single Stage Sigma-Delta Adc With Low Oversampling Ratio, Yongjie Cheng

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the rapid growth of the communication market, a large amount of research is in process toward a high speed and high resolution sigma-delta A/D converter. This dissertation focuses on the design of a single-stage sigma-delta A/D converter with very low oversampling ratio for the wireless application. An architecture for a multibit single-stage delta-sigma A/D converter with two-step quantization is proposed. Both the MSB and LSB signals produced by the two-step quantization are fed back simultaneously to all integrator stages, making it suitable for low oversampling ratios. The two-step ADC avoids the problem that the complexity of an internal …

Front Matter, Marriage &. Families

Marriage and Families

No abstract provided.

Responsible Citizenship To Strengthen Marriage And Family, Alan J. Hawkins

Marriage and Families

No abstract provided.

Performance Of Algebraic Multigrid For Parallelized Finite Element Dns/Les Solvers, Gregory James Larson

Theses and Dissertations

The implementation of a hybrid spectral/finite-element discretization on the unsteady, incompressible, Navier-Stokes equations with a semi-implicit time-stepping method, an explicit treatment of the advective terms, and an implicit treatment of the pressure and viscous terms leads to an algorithm capable of calculating 3D flows over complex 2D geometries. This also results in multiple Fourier mode linear systems which must be solved at every timestep, which naturally leads to two parallelization approaches: Fourier space partitioning, where each processor individually and simultaneously solves a linear system, and physical space partitioning, where all processors collectively solve each linear system, sequentially advancing through Fourier …

Numerical Simulation Of Plasma-Based Actuator Vortex Control Of A Turbulent Cylinder Wake, Nathan Keith Mcmullin

Theses and Dissertations

A numerical study has been performed to investigate the mechanics of the turbulent wake of a circular cylinder that is controlled by a plasma actuator. The numerical investigation implements a straightforward moving wall boundary condition to model the actuator's effects on the flow. Validations of the moving wall for this simulation are set forth with the understanding that the moving wall can model the plasma actuator bulk flow effects at a distance downstream and not in a region near or on the plasma actuator. The moving wall boundary condition is then applied to a circular cylinder at a Reynolds number …

Obstacle Avoidance For Small Unmanned Air Vehicles, Brandon R. Call

Theses and Dissertations

Small UAVs are used for low altitude surveillance flights where unknown obstacles can be encountered. These UAVs can be given the capability to navigate in uncertain environments if obstacles are identified. This research presents an obstacle avoidance system for small UAVs. First, a mission waypoint path is created that avoids all known obstacles using a genetic algorithm. Then, while the UAV is in flight, obstacles are detected using a forward looking, onboard camera. Image features are found using the Harris Corner Detector and tracked through multiple video frames which provides three dimensional localization of the features. A sparse three dimensional …

Studies On Cyclooxygenase-1, Its Structure And Splice Variants, And Modulation Of Cyclooxygenase-2 By Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase And Novel Phytochemicals., Yibing Xu

Theses and Dissertations

Cyclooxygenases (COXs) are of important therapeutic value as they are the target site of aspirin-like drugs. Here I report nine new COX-1 splice variants in chapter 1, which I characterized with regard to heme-binding and other properties. Inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) are co-inducible in many tissues following mitogenic and proinflammatory stimulation. In chapter 2, I investigate the physical and enzymatic properties of human COX-2 and iNOS and demonstrate that, despite reports to the contrary by another laboratory, they do not interact. The only reported COX-1 splice variant to exhibit cyclooxygenase activity has been isolated from …

“Arrogance Cloaked As Humility” And The Majoritarian First Amendment: The Free Speech Legacy Of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, Edward L. Carter, Brad Clark

Faculty Publications

In his 19 years as Chief Justice of theUnited States, William H. Rehnquist voted in favor of the individual expression interest asserted in approximately one-fifth of the Speech Clause cases heard by the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, he opposed protecting those constitutional interests in approximately two-thirds of the speech cases during that time. (His votes evidenced both speech-protective and non-protective elements just more than 10 percent of the time). This manuscript analyzes the Rehnquist jurisprudence in comparison with that of his two immediate predecessors as Chief, Warren Burger and Earl Warren. Rehnquist’s deference to government, reliance on history and formalist categorization …

Xhosa Single Mothers: Reasons For Remaining Single, Oertel Nicole Sparks

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study seeks to identify the situational and cultural influences related to single motherhood among a specific population in South Africa. Through semi-structured interviews and participant observation, this thesis reveals the life stories and experiences of the women utilizing the Salem Baby Care Centre. Hopefully, this contributed to a better understanding of these Xhosa mothers' reasons for remaining single. These single mothers are caught in a cycle of poverty. They often begin having children at a very young age, leading to children with different fathers. This differs from traditional family systems where women and children were protected. Women are …

Improving Error Discovery Using Guided Model Checking, Neha Shyam Rungta

Theses and Dissertations

State exploration in directed software model checking is guided using a heuristic function to move states near errors to the front of the search queue. Distance heuristic functions rank states based on the number of transitions needed to move the current program state into an error location. Lack of calling context information causes the heuristic function to underestimate the true distance to the error; however, inlining functions at call sites in the control flow graph to capture calling context leads to exponential growth in the computation. This paper presents a new algorithm that implicitly inlines functions at call sites to …

Detection Of A Landslide Glide Plane Using Seismic Reflection Methods: Investigation At Little Valley Landslide In Draper, Utah, Brady E. Tingey

Theses and Dissertations

An integration of geological and geophysical techniques has been used to characterize the internal structure of the Little Valley Landslide in Draper, Utah, USA. The Little Valley Landslide is a pre-historic landslide as old as 13ka B.P. It is found to consist of chaotic and disturbed weathered volcanic units derived from Tertiary age volcanics that comprise a great portion of the Wasatch Range. Geotechnical investigations that were integrated with the geophysical results included excavation of trenches and drilling of boreholes. Geophysical methods, in particular high-resolution seismic data, were used to provide a framework for interpreting the geotechnical observations. High-resolution seismic …

Design And Fabrication Of Rotationally Tristable Compliant Mechanisms, Tyler M. Pendleton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to develop the tools necessary to create tristable compliant mechanisms; the work presents the creation of models and concepts for design and a demonstration of the feasibility of the designs through the fabrication of tristable compliant mechanism prototypes on the macro scale. Prior methods to achieve tristable mechanisms rely on detents, friction, or power input; disadvantages to these methods include a high number of parts, the necessity for lubrication, and wear. A compliant tristable mechanism accomplishes tristability through strain energy storage. These mechanisms would be preferable because of increased performance and cost savings due …

Automatic, Unstructured Mesh Generation For 2d Shelf Based Tidal Models, Cameron L. Mcdonald

Theses and Dissertations

Numeric models use a collection of triangular facets called elements connected over a domain in what is referred to as a mesh or unstructured grid as the computational basis for calculations. The density of elements in a mesh affects the numeric stability of a model when performing computations. Furthermore, these meshes can be difficult and time consuming to create. This thesis describes an automated process of creating meshes which utilizes local truncation analysis to generate a spatially varied size function. An advancing frontal mesh generation algorithm uses this function to optimize node placement and density. Further analysis to better understand …

The Family History Artworks Of Valerie Atkisson, Josh E. Probert

BYU Studies

Valerie Atkisson, an artist who lives in the Bronx, New York, exemplifies a generation of Mormon artists who are at home navigating the world of Contemporary art while maintaining their personal and spiritual identity. Family history, transgenerational inquiry, and relatedness have been the majority subjects of Atkisson’s work thus far. “What began as an interest in my ancestors has turned into an insatiable desire to know as much about them as possible,” she says. “[My work] is a continuation of them, not just that my flesh and blood are a part of them, but the remembrance is also an extension …

Safe Journey: An African Adventure. By Glenn L. Pace; Walking In The Sand: A History Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints In Ghana. By Emmanuel Abu Kissi, William C. Olsen

BYU Studies

Glenn L. Pace. Safe Journey: An African Adventure. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003.

Emmanuel Abu Kissi. Walking in the Sand: A History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ghana. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press, 2004.

The 2005 Continuing Education Survey: What Science Librarians Want To Know, Elizabeth S. Hopkins, Terri Freedman, Camila Gabaldon, Virgina Baldwin, Jill Powell

Faculty Publications

The biennial STS continuing education survey was conducted at the end of 2005, in collaboration with two other organizations of science librarians. The top continuing education needs of science librarians include new technologies, professional development and keeping current, institutional repositories/digital archives, promoting science information literacy, collaboration between faculty and librarians, and finding free high-quality online data. This paper describes the process of developing and administering the survey and discusses the survey results.

Design Of Piezoresistive Mems Force And Displacement Sensors, Tyler Lane Waterfall

Theses and Dissertations

MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems) sensors are used in acceleration, flow, pressure and force sensing applications on the micro and macro levels. Much research has focused on improving sensor precision, range, reliability, and ease of manufacture and operation. One exciting possibility for improving the capability of micro sensors lies in exploiting the piezoresistive properties of silicon, the material of choice in many MEMS fabrication processes. Piezoresistivity—the change of electrical resistance due to an applied strain—is a valuable material property of silicon due to its potential for high signal output and on-chip and feedback-control possibilities. However, successful design of piezoresistive micro sensors requires …

The Wess East German Study Tour: A Report, Richard Hacken, Kizer Walker

Faculty Publications

Ten WESS members were selected to participate in a study tour of eastern Germany sponsored by the Goethe-Institut, New York; the U.S. Diplomatic Mission to Germany, Public Affairs Section; and Bibliothek & Information International, in cooperation with WESS. Titled "Leipzig, Dresden, Weimar: Exploring a Library Landscape," the tour was intended to acquaint German Studies specialists from US academic and research libraries with developments in librarianship and publishing in eastern Germany since unification. The tour, which ran March 16-23, 2006, was book-ended, start and finish, by the Leipzig Book Fair and Germany's national professional meeting of librarians, the Bibliothekartag, held this …

Detection Of Proteins By Two-Photon Excitation Of Native Fluorescence, Li Li

Theses and Dissertations

Proteins are of primary importance to the structure and function of all living cells. Study of proteins relies on the ability to separate a complex mixture so that individual proteins can be more easily processed by other techniques. Since protein samples often exist at low concentration in a small volume, the trend in chemical analysis is toward micro total analysis systems (µTAS) or lab-on-a-chip devices. Among µTAS separation methods, the relatively new electric field gradient focusing (EFGF) technique has shown potential. It focuses and separates analytes based on their electrophoretic migration in an opposing hydrodynamic flow. The detection principles that …

Sound Absorption And Sound Power Measurements In Reverberation Chambers Using Energy Density Methods, David B. Nutter

Theses and Dissertations

Measurements in a reverberation chamber use spatially averaged squared pressure to calculate sound absorption, sound power, and other sound measurements. While a reverberation chamber provides an approximation of a diffuse sound field, variations in the measurements introduce uncertainty in measurement results. Room qualification procedures require a sufficient number of source-receiver locations to obtain suitable measurements. The total acoustic energy density provides greater spatial uniformity than squared pressure, which requires fewer source-receiver positions to produce similar or better accuracy in measurement results. This paper explores the possibility of using energy density in place of squared pressure, using methods outlined in current …

Experimental And Modeling Investigations Of Biomass Particle Combustion, Hong Lu

Theses and Dissertations

This investigation provides a comprehensive analysis of entrained-flow biomass combustion processes. Experimental and theoretical investigations indicate how particle shape and size influence biomass combustion rates. Experimental samples include flake-like, cylinder-like, and equant (nearly spherical) shapes with similar particle masses and volumes but different surface areas. Samples of small (less than 500 µm) particles were passed through a laboratory entrained-flow reactor in a nitrogen/air atmosphere and a maximum reactor wall temperature of 1600 K, while large samples were reacted in suspension in a single particle furnace operated at similar conditions as the entrained-flow reactor. A separately developed computer and image analysis …