Digital Commons Network^™

Computational Study Of Red Cell Distribution In Simple Networks, Wen-Rong Fu

Doctoral Dissertations

The distribution of red blood cells (RBC) across the vessel lumen is disturbed when blood flows through a junction. As the blood flows downstream from the junction, the RBC distribution "corrects" itself to regain its original symmetric character. A dispersion-type process has been used to model this rearrangement process in 3-dimensional branching tubes.

In this study, the disturbance in the RBC profile is quantified by tracing streamlines through the junction. The tracing technique is based on scaled-up dye studies. The computation starts at a location where the velocity profile is fully developed. Both uniform and parabolic RBC profiles are examined …

Ground-Level Atmospheric Neutron Flux Measurements In The 10-170 Mev Range, Renu Saxena

Doctoral Dissertations

We report the results of ground level neutron measurements in the energy range of 10-170 MeV by the neutron double scatter telescope developed at the University of New Hampshire. Measurements were carried out at different altitudes and latitudes for the first time using the same telescope, yielding better correction values for comparison of fluxes measured at different altitudes and latitudes. The measurements were performed at four different locations in the U.S.A.: Leadville (3.1 km) and Boulder (1.66 km), Colorado in the rigidity range of 2.97 to 2.90 GV; Mt. Washington (1.85 km) and Durham (24 m), New Hampshire in the …

New Approaches To Fiber Optic Chemical Sensors For Ions, Marian Frances Mccurley

Doctoral Dissertations

Two problems of current fiber optic chemical sensors (FOCS) were addressed in this research. First, an immobilized ligand was characterized as a possible reagent for detecting anions selectively. Second, a new approach to fiber optic chemical sensing based on polymer swelling was demonstrated.

The immobilized reagent explored for selective detection of anions is marketed as tris(carboxymethyl) ethylenediaminediacetic acid (TED). Characterization of this reagent showed that it is actually a mixture of ligands with ethylenediaminediacetic acid (EDDA) being the major species. Conclusive evidence was found in the EPR spectra. Several model ligands including a sample of TED from a private source …

Stimulus Configuration And The Perceived Rigidity Of Eight-Vertex Polyhedra, John Edward Sparrow

Doctoral Dissertations

In a series of four experiments, subjects examined the perceived rigidity of rotating eight-vertex polyhedra. Four different categories of polyhedra were observed under parallel projection: (1) line drawings where the initial orientation appeared to be a cube (LN), though the depth components of the eight vertices were randomly positioned (upon rotation, it could be seen that the stimuli were not cubes); (2) line drawings where the vertices were randomly placed (LR); (3) vertex-only drawings where the initial orientation appeared to be a cube (VN), though the depth components of the eight vertices were randomly positioned; and (4) vertex-only drawings with …

British Romanticism And Composition Theory: The Traditions And Value Of Romantic Rhetoric, Sherrie L. Gradin

Doctoral Dissertations

My study examines, through the philosophies and writings of the British Romantic poets, particularly those of Wordsworth and Coleridge, their beliefs about education, their theories on composing, and their interaction with the political and social climate as they relate to current expressivist rhetorical theories and pedagogies. I explore the ways in which Romantic assumptions surface in subsequent philosophers, educators, and rhetoricians such as Matthew Arnold, John Stuart Mill, and John Dewey, and more recently, Ann Berthoff, Donald Murray, and Peter Elbow. I argue that like the Romantics, current expressivists are interested in cultivating an imaginative intellect in their writing students. …

The Influence Of Fly Ash On Obtaining Quality Plastic And Hardened Properties Of Portland Cement Concrete, Ashaari Bin Mohamad

Doctoral Dissertations

Coal fly ash produced at the Merrimack Power Station, Bow, New Hampshire was tested for chemical and physical properties. Concretes made with these fly ashes were tested for their plastic and hardened properties and compared to ordinary portland cement concrete.

An experimental test burn substituting coal with Refuse-Derived-Fuel(RDF) consisting mainly of waste paper and plastic with heating value of 6000 to 8000 BTU/lb. was done by Public Service of New Hampshire at the Merrimack Power Station. Five percent and ten percent RDF was substituted, on a BTU basis, for coal in the test burns. Twelve (12) test burn days were …

Ground-Level Atmospheric Gamma-Ray Flux Measurements In The 1-6 Mev Range, Parameswaran Sreekumar

Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis deals with the measurement of atmospheric gamma ray flux in the 1-6 MeV range at ground level. These measurements were carried out using a Compton gamma ray telescope, developed at the University of New Hampshire. It utilizes the Compton scattering principle to detect and image gamma ray sources. The telescope was used to measure ground level atmospheric gamma rays at four locations (Leadville (10200 ft), Boulder (5430 ft), Mt. Washington (6072 ft) and Durham (80 ft)) which ranged in atmospheric depth from 720-1033 g/cm$\sp2$ and in local cutoff rigidity from 1.4-2.9 GV. Data was collected over a two …

Remote In-Situ Detection Of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene And Other Explosives Using Fiber Optics, Yunke Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this research was to develop methods for the in-situ determination of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and other polynitroaromatic compounds in groundwater. The first approach was to use an adsorbent to preconcentrate TNT for direct determination. Poly(vinyl alcohol) was crosslinked with glutaraldehyde to form a clear gel that is transparent into the ultraviolet. The volume and swelling of the gel can be controlled by varying the amount of glutaraldehyde. The coefficient for TNT partitioning between the gel and water is 1.4. The gel offers important advantages as a matrix for chemical sensor development, but is not suitable for determining TNT …

Regulation Of Magnetosome Biogenesis By Oxygen And Nitrogen, Yuri Alan Gorby

Doctoral Dissertations

Magnetosomes were purified from broken cells of Aquaspirillum magnetotacticum by a magnetic separation technique. Electron microscopic and chemical analyses revealed they consisted of crystalline magnetite (Fe$\sb3$O$\sb4$) cores enclosed by a lipid bilayer membrane containing numerous proteins. Two membrane proteins were absent from the nonmagnetic (membrane or soluble) cell fractions and were absent from cells of non-magnetic mutant strains. Knowledge of their partial sequence is expected to lead to construction of hybridization probes to identify magnetosome-specific DNA sequences.

Cells of this organism in laboratory culture typically achieved low cell yields and were variably magnetic or non-magnetic. Therefore better understanding of physiological …

Ring-Chain Tautomerism Studies In 2-(2-Hydroxyethoxy)-Benzaldehydes And 2-(5-Hydroxy-3-Oxa-Pentyloxy)-Benzaldehydes, Adam John Jaglowski

Doctoral Dissertations

The synthesis, characterization and ring-chain tautomerism studies of substituted 2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-benzaldehydes and 2-(5-hydroxy-3-oxa-pentyloxy)-benzaldehydes are described. The benzaldehydes, substituted in the 3-, 5- or 3,5-positions with either nitro, bromo, chloro, iodo, phenyl or methyl groups, were studied by proton and carbon-13 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy as a means of determining their potential to exist as ring-chain tautomeric mixtures. The 2-(5-hydroxy-3-oxa-pentyloxy)-benzaldehydes and 5-substituted 2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-benzaldehydes exist solely as the chain tautomers in solution, while 3- and 3,5-substituted 2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-benzaldehydes are mixtures of ring and chain tautomers in solution. A correlation of K with substituents indicates that the size of the aromatic substituent in the 3-position …

Development Of An Analytical Method For The Determination Of Extractable Nitroaromatics And Nitramines In Soils, Thomas F. Jenkins

Doctoral Dissertations

An analytical method was developed to determine the concentrations of HMX, RDX, TNB, DNB, tetryl, TNT and 2,4-DNT in soil. The method relies on solvent extraction with analysis by reversed-phase liquid chromatography.

The extraction step was studied in terms of process kinetics and recovery. Two solvents (acetonitrile and methanol) and four extraction techniques (Soxhlet, ultrasonic bath, mechanical shaker and homogenizer-sonicator) were compared. Ultrasonic bath extraction with acetonitrile was selected based on extraction kinetics, overall analyte recovery, sample throughput, and instability of analytes at elevated temperature. The rate of extraction of analytes from field-contaminated soil was shown to be much slower …

Rustic Warriors: Warfare And The Provincial Soldier On The Northern Frontier, 1689-1748, Steven Charles Eames

Doctoral Dissertations

Utilizing the period of the early French wars as a whole, this study examines the experience of war on the northern frontier and its impact on the provincial soldier. Part One explores the warfare itself, with chapters on the initiation of war and the New England military system, garrison houses and community defense, provincial forts, patrols and raids, expeditions, and logistical problems associated with weapons and ammunition. The second part discusses the provincial soldiers themselves, including recruiting, officers, training and fighting spirit, the physical experience of combat and the tactical response to Indian warfare, wounds and medical care, and the …

The Synthesis And Characterization Of Transition Metal Complexes Of Triazacyclododecane And Its Tri-N-Methyl And Orthoamide Derivatives, Steven Paul Vankouwenberg

Doctoral Dissertations

The comparative study of the mono- and tricyclic triamine complexes based on twelve-membered rings and the group 6 and group 10 metals has been initiated. The four ligands used in this study were 1,5,9-triazacyclododecane ( (12) aneN$\sb3$), 1,5,9-trimethyl-1,5,9-triazacyclododecane (Me$\sb3$ (12) aneN$\sb3$), 1,5,9-triazacyclododecane orthoformamide (orthoformamide) and 1,5,9-triazacyclododecane orthoacetamide (orthoacetamide). Complexes with zero-valent group 6 metal (Cr, Mo, W) tricarbonyls were characterized and the single-crystal X-ray structures determined for each ligand-molybdenum tricarbonyl complex. Complexes with nickel(II), palladium(II) and platinum(IV) have been characterized and the single-crystal X-ray structure of orthoacetamide PdCl$\sb2$ has been determined. The tricyclic orthoamides have been found to be less …

A Conceptual Design Of A Propulsion System For An Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, Gerald Sedor

Doctoral Dissertations

The need for developing propulsion systems to support missions of increased endurance for autonomous underwater vehicles is investigated and a conceptual system is proposed, based on currently available technology and desired system characteristics.

The investigation evaluates and ranks alternative energy sources and proposes the use of a closed Brayton cycle gas turbine power plant using a chemical energy heat source with a metallic fuel. A thruster system using electric propulsion motors and screw propellers is selected. Evaluation factors include reliability, depth independent operation, weight, endurance, quietness and efficiency. Reliability of the proposed system is analyzed and the design modified to …

The Influence Of Sulfate In Aluminum Coagulation Of Water, Sekou Toure

Doctoral Dissertations

Aluminum salts are the most common coagulants used in water treatment to remove contaminants. The objectives of this research was to provide an understanding of some aspects of the influence of sulfate in aluminum coagulation chemistry of natural water. Al(III) solutions were titrated with base to study the role of sulfate in the hydrolysis/precipitation of aluminum. Jar tests were conducted to treat water samples containing varying concentrations of aquatic humic substances (AHS), sulfate and pH. The kinetics and adsorption isotherms of sulfate and aquatic humic substances on aluminum precipitate were developed in adsorption experiments using aluminum precipitate adsorbents. The application …

Time Characteristics Of Small Watersheds In Response To The Probable Maximum Precipitation, Brian Jay Swenty

Doctoral Dissertations

"The EPA Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) was used to perform single event simulations of Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP) level rainfall events on the Loss Lake watershed in southcentral Missouri. Overland flow was simulated using kinematic wave routing and channel flow was simulated using dynamic wave routing.

Lag time was defined as the time between the centroid of the excess rainfall hyetograph and the centroid of the direct runoff hydrograph.

Rainfall depth, rainfall duration, and the distribution of rainfall intensity were found to be significant predictor variables for lag time. Defined as hydrologic parameters for this study, channel flow roughness, …

Mixed Convection In Laminar/Turbulent Separated Backward-Facing Step Flows, Jen-Tai Lin

Doctoral Dissertations

"Mixed convective heat transfer results for two-dimensional laminar/turbulent flow in a duct with a backward-facing step are reported. The two walls forming the duct are maintained at uniform but different temperatures. The straight wall is maintained at the inlet air temperature, while the downstream section of the stepped wall is heated to a higher temperature. This study focuses on a backward-facing step geometry with an expansion ratio of two. The present laminar study examines a wide range of inlet flow and wall temperature conditions to cover the domain from buoyancy-assisting mixed convective flow, pure forced convective flow, buoyancy-opposing mixed convective …

Genetic Control Of Immune Responsiveness To The Avian Coccidium Eimeria Tenella, Robert Andrew Clare

Doctoral Dissertations

Specific inbred lines of chickens expressing different major histocompatibility (B) complex haplotypes were studied for their immunogenetic response to the avian coccidium Eimeria tenella and genetically-engineered antigens cloned from this parasite species. The relative influence of the B-F vs. B-G chromosomal regions on innnate resistance and immunity to E. tenella was studied among six B-F/B-G recombinant hosts. F$\sb1$ chicks of similar genotypes, $B\sp{\rm R3}$ and $B\sp{\rm R4} (B\sp{\rm F2-G23}B\sp{17}$), gained significantly more weight than those with $B\sp{\rm R1}(B\sp{\rm F24-G23}B\sp{17})$ and $B\sp{\rm R5} (B\sp{\rm F21-G19}B\sp{17})$ following exposure to a single high dose of 25,000 oocysts, although no differences in cecal lesion …

Chemical And Mineralogical Transformations Accompanying The Weathering Of Retorted Oil Shale, Irene Elizabeth Mcgee

Doctoral Dissertations

The development of western oil shale reserves will present major environmental problems due to the generation of huge quantities of mineral waste (retorted oil shale). The goals of this study are to investigate the extent of weathering within a retorted oil shale (ROS) spoil pile, in order to better understand the long term environmental impact of the material.

The U.S. Bureau of Mines operated a pilot scale retort facility in Rulison, Colorado from 1926 to 1929. Core samples from the spoil pile associated with this project were obtained by the U.S. Geological Survey, and serve as the basis for this …

Twist-Bending Vibrations Of Horizontally Circular Curved Beams Considering Effects Of Transverse Shear, Rotatory Inertia And Warping, Bor-Tsung Hsiao

Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis is devoted to the dynamic analysis of horizontally circular curved beams. The direct stiffness method is used to derive the dynamic stiffness matrix for finding the natural frequencies and joint moments of curved beams having different rectangular cross-sections. Four examples are presented to illustrate the application of the proposed method and to show the effects of rotatory inertias, shear deformation, warping and opening angle of the arc on the beam. First three examples are for the free vibration of the beam. In these examples, beams with different thickness are used for finding effects of warping. In each example, …

Determination Of The Deterioration Mechanisms Caused By Seawater Corrosion And Freeze-Thaw Action Of Portland Cement Solidified And Stabilized Heavy Metal Wastes, Tahar El-Korchi

Doctoral Dissertations

The use of cement based processes for stabilization-solidification of heavy metal wastes has been extensively studied and characterized. Microstructural characterization of the waste matrix was conducted using X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectroscopy, mercury intrusion and helium displacement porosimetry. The physio-chemical characteristics of the solidified waste are affected by the metal type, cement binder, additives, solution to cementitious ratio, and curing regime. All the heavy metals (Cd, Pb, As, Cr) analyzed were detected in the CSH structure; Cr, Cd and As were detected in ettringite, and only Cd was detected in CH. Cd was the only metal …

Selective Extraction Of Aquatic Sediments, Carolyn Kheboian Howard

Doctoral Dissertations

Sequential selective extraction procedures have been developed to determine the fate of potentially toxic trace metal pollutants in aquatic sediments. These multistep procedures operate through the application of reagents of increasing strength which solubilize different components of a sediment, thus releasing associated trace metals. Evaluation of the accuracy of these procedures is impossible with natural sediments because the location and concentration of trace metal pollutants are not known. Synthetic sediment standards must be made available to test extraction procedures.

For this research, model aquatic sediments are produced by combination of individually synthesized geochemical phases. Each phase is doped with a …

Economic Independence: Concepts And Strategies, A Theoretical Investigation And An Empirical Case Study, Eqbal Al-Rahmani

Doctoral Dissertations

The main goals of this dissertation are three-folds: (i) to define the concept of economic independence through theoretical investigation of five schools of thought: (1) The United Nations Economic Commission On Latin America (ECLA); (2) The Dependencia School; (3) The Soviet School; (4) The Work on Self-Reliance; (5) and the Work on Small Open Economies; (ii) to evaluate the main proposed strategies in the literature for achieving a higher level of economic independent for Third World Countries. These strategies include: Import-Substitution Industrialization, Basic Industrialization, Regional Cooperation and the New International Economic Order; (iii) to examine the Cuban experience since the …

Literacy For Living: What Literacy Means In The Lives Of Three Adults, Lorraine Ann Neilsen

Doctoral Dissertations

This research is an ethnographic study of the meaning of literacy in the lives of three adults. The two-year study, which took place in the community of Hubbards, Nova Scotia, investigated the literacy background and current literacy activities of two women and one man. The data were collected using interactive methods, such as participant observation and interviews, and non-interactive methods, such as collecting reading and writing artifacts. The results of the study described the holistic process of learning and demonstrating literate behaviours at home and at work, and illustrated the role that literacy plays in shaping the contexts of the …

Types Of Worlds: Writing And Reading Genres In A First Grade Process Classroom, Brenda Anne Miller

Doctoral Dissertations

The concept of genre has long been fundamental in both literature and literacy studies. In this qualitative study of first graders' concepts of genre, the researcher observed and interviewed Patricia McLure's class of first graders for six months. The teacher uses a process (or response-based) literacy curriculum.

The children were watched and interviewed while they wrote and read texts. As they defined their texts collectively in small and large groups, genres emerged. Many of these child-defined genres are different than adult-defined genres. The children's categories and conventions in texts reveal what the children and the teacher value in and outside …

Lewis Mumford And American Sociology, Susan Florence Kingsland

Doctoral Dissertations

The dissertation examines in detail the work of Lewis Mumford from 1922 to 1951. It concentrates specifically on his Renewal of Life Series (1934-1951). Mumford's work is examined to address current practices within American sociology. Most notably examination is given to our current trend of specialization and our treatment of fact and value. Mumford's distinct approach is understood as a form of sociology as Practical Reason (Bellah, 1983).

Mumford is a generalist in his method of understanding social change. Consequently, his work treats the various disciplines within the American colleges as complementary interests. While extremely informative, his generalism has been …

Experimental Study Of Simulated Micro-Gravity Vapor-Liquid Flow Regimes, S B Reddy Karri

Doctoral Dissertations

Space missions in the near future will require power plants and cooling systems to operate in space. Such systems will often incorporate two-phase (vapor-liquid) heat transfer loops. Heat transfer processes such as boiling and condensation involve two-phase flow and are gravity dependent. Such unit operations would, therefore, be expected to behave differently in a micro-gravitational ("micro-g") environment. In this study, a unique approach to study the flow patterns of vapor-liquid flow on earth is presented. Simulation of a micro-g vapor-liquid flow on earth is accomplished by the use of two immiscible liquids of equal density. This equal density two-liquid system …

Academic Discourse: An Ethnography Of The Public And Private Literacies Of University Students, Elizabeth Chiseri-Strater

Doctoral Dissertations

This study is about the various meanings that being literate holds for two students in an academic setting. The study begins in a description of a prose writing classroom where informants are located and then goes on to follow two students from prose writing into other settings across the curriculum to consider how talk, reading, and writing are used in these classrooms. The data was collected using a number of field methods such as participant observation and intensive interviews as well as non-interactive methods such as textual and transcript analysis. Two extensive case studies form the center of the study. …

Toward The Development Of A Knowledge-Based Construction Schedule Planning System, Nordin Bin Yunus

Doctoral Dissertations

"This research attempts to model and prototype a knowledge-based system for use in the construction industry to accomplish the automatic generation of initial construction schedules. The schedule can be transformed into a logical network that provides a physical representation of the construction operations plan. The prototype system, which requires symbolic processing and reasoning, is developed based on an intensive modeling that rationally examines industry practice.

The model identifies work breakdown and precedence relationship as the two major concepts in schedule planning. Work breakdown is concerned with the identification of construction activities that result in the completion of project elements. Precedence …

An Integrated Programming Environment For Pseudo-Code Development, Ipe-Pc, Nurcan Coskun

Doctoral Dissertations

"An Integrated Programming Environment, IPE-PC, that supports pseudo-code development has been designed and implemented. This environment is based on a Pascal-like language which is designed according to the requirements of a language-based environment. The nucleus of IPE-PC is a language-based editor which represents programs as graphs internally. The same representation is used in every mode of the environment (i.e., editing, compilation, execution, debugging and translation). The system provides facilities to take advantage of both top-down and bottom-up programming. Stepwise refinement has been supported by providing comment structures that can be transformed into procedures. Bottom-up programming is supported because it is …