Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

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 …

Investigations Into Bovine Luteolytic Mechanisms Utilizing A Long-Term Cell Culture System, Shari Jean Litch

Doctoral Dissertations

Luteal regression in the cow occurs every cycle in which pregnancy does not occur. The agent which induces luteolysis is a uterine prostaglandin, PGF$\sb{2\alpha}$, although the mechanism of its action remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mode of action of PGF$\sb{2\alpha}$ in a long-term, serum-free culture system of bovine luteal cells. Experiment I investigated the influence of LH and PGF$\sb{2\alpha}$ on 3$\beta$-HSD presence in cultured luteal cells. Total numbers of cells dropped slightly throughout the 8 day culture. Numbers of 3$\beta$-positive cells also dropped in all treatment groups. 3$\beta$-HSD was best maintained in the presence …

Chelation, Transport And Physiological Roles Of Iron In Aquaspirillum Magnetotacticum, Lawrence Charles Paoletti

Doctoral Dissertations

Iron is a required nutrient for all living organisms. The magnetic spirillum, Aquaspirillum magnetotacticum possesses the ability to transform this metal to intracellular magnetite. Presented in this dissertation are studies relating to iron chelation and transport mechanisms used by this Gram negative bacterium. In addition, physiological roles of iron, specifically in respiration and the cellular localization of iron-containing respiratory components are also addressed.

Ab Initio Molecular Orbital Investigations Of Molecular Structures For Lithiated Hydrocarbons, Shu-Jun Su

Doctoral Dissertations

Organolithium compounds are important reagents of widespread use in synthetic organic chemistry. Structures of organolithium hydrocarbons do not follow classical rules; replacement of a hydrogen by lithium in their molecules almost always results in a major change in geometry, electronic state, or both. The structures of many of these compounds still remain unknown and a subject of controversy.

This study investigated the geometries and electronic states of the ground states of dilithioacetylene and dilithiomethane molecules by using ab initio molecular orbital calculations. The geometries of both the molecules have been fully optimized at both the single determinant Hartree-Fock self consistent …

The Effects Of Endurance Exercise On Lipoproteins In Yucatan Miniature Swine, Arthur Francis Stucchi

Doctoral Dissertations

The effects of chronic, endurance exercise on the concentration of plasma lipids and on the composition and metabolism of plasma lipoproteins were examined in Yucatan miniature swine following more than two years of intensive exercise training. The exercise protocol employed produced significant training effects, as indicated by enhanced cardiovascular and aerobic capacities. Lipoprotein lipase and hepatic triglyceride lipase activities were also significantly increased in the exercised group. Neither total plasma cholesterol nor triglycerides differed between the two groups. Total high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) was not significantly greater in the exercised swine; however, exercise was associated with a shift in the …

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 …

The Role Of Histidine In The Mechanism Of Iron Release From Human Serum Transferrin, Donna M. Martin

Doctoral Dissertations

The role of non-coordinated histidines in the iron release mechanism of human serum transferrin has been investigated by chemical modification of the protein with ethoxyformic anhydride and aquopentaamine ruthenium(II), reagents specific for histidines under mild conditions. Kinetic studies of the iron release reaction at pH 5 under the action of different mediators e.g., PPi, Pi, Cit, ATP, GTP, and DPG, show that ethoxyformic anhydride imparts increased stability to the protein with rate constants for the C-terminal site decreased by factors from 2 to 10. The largest effects were seen with intracellular iron chelators GTP and DPG. A protonated imidazole group …

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 …

Dynamics Of The Solar Atmosphere: Spicules And Fibrils, Alphonse Christopher Sterling

Doctoral Dissertations

Numerical and analytical studies of MHD waves on magnetic flux tubes are applied to problems of the solar atmosphere. In particular, theoretical analysis of the chromospheric features known as spicules and fibrils are undertaken. The thesis consists of three principal segments:

i. A preexisting spicule model is extended and developed. In the model, a series of rebound shocks propagating on a vertical magnetic flux tube results in chromospheric material with spicule-like properties below a raised transition region. The model emphasizes dynamic motions and shock heating, but excludes radiative and ionization losses. At long times, the model approaches a new hydrostatic …

Regulation Of Zooplankton Vertical Migrations By Light, Food, And Fish, Elizabeth Susan Mclean

Doctoral Dissertations

The regulation of zooplankton vertical migration has been attributed to the physical environment, and, more recently, to biological factors. This study evaluated the influence of light, food and fish on vertical migration. Laboratory experiments quantified changes in vertical migrations of Daphnia pulex in tall columns in response to short term changes in food concentration and the presence of a fish, under a wide range of natural light conditions.

A stimulus-threshold model predicted the time of the start of migration from a threshold rate of relative light intensity change. Hypotheses that migrations follow isopleths of light intensity, and that velocity of …

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 …

An Origin Of Transfer Of The Vwa Plasmid Of Yersinia Pestis, John R. Allen

Doctoral Dissertations

The Vwa plasmid (pYV019::Tn5) of Yersinia pestis was transduced from Escherichia coli LE392 to several F-containing strains of E. coli. Agarose gel electrophoresis of plasmid extracts prepared from the transductants revealed that both plasmids coexisted in these cells, at least to some degree, as autonomous cytoplasmic elements. Transductants demonstrably sensitive to the male specific phage MS-2 and thus carrying the F plasmid were used as donors in matings with several F$\sp-$strains. The results of these matings indicated that the Vwa plasmid was mobilized and cotransferred at a low frequency (0.001%) along with F. Agarose gel electrophoresis of plasmid extracts prepared …

Factors That Influence Hypothetical Treatment Decisions For Newborns With Mental Retardation And An Accompanying Life-Threatening Medical Disorder, David Bruce Flint

Doctoral Dissertations

Treatment decisions made on behalf of newborns with mental retardation and an accompanying life-threatening medical disorder were studied. A group of 360 college students answered a set of questionnaires and responded to a vignette which asked for treatment decisions. The options ranged from full treatment including surgery to no treatment at all. The relationship of a number of variables to the treatment choices was assessed. The variables included level of moral reasoning, level of knowledge about and attitudes toward individuals with retardation, prior experience with individuals with retardation, religious affiliation, level of religious belief, prediction of quality of life for …

A Socio-Historical Analysis Of The American Steel Industry, 1865-1929: Factory Closures In The Cycle Of Capitalist Development, Daniel John Santoro

Doctoral Dissertations

The case of the development of the American steel industry from 1865-1929 is used in a socio-historical analysis of factory closures in order to critically address the theory of deindustrialization, influential in much current sociological work, developed by writers such as Bluestone and Harrison (1982). The historiography of the steel industry is analyzed in order to examine the role of factory closures in the formation and disformation of the nation's basic capacity to produce by comparing the course of steel industry development from Reconstruction through the first thirty years of the twentieth century to that following the Second World War, …

Abortion Policy Implementation: Understanding The Availability Of Abortion Services In The United States, Susan L. Frankel

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines five factors predicted to be related to abortion, and assesses their influence on the availability and use of abortion services. A policy implementation framework is used to explore, conceptualize and analyze the extent to which these factors may have important effects on abortion services. Availability and use of abortion services are viewed as measures of the implementation of the 1973 Supreme Court rulings on abortion. State level data are used to investigate the extent to which the predicted factors influence abortion services.

This study reveals that many factors associated with the issue of abortion work together to …

Dynamic Processes And Kinetic Theory Of Plasma Fluctuations: Arcs3, Keyun Tang

Doctoral Dissertations

Dynamic processes on the ARCS3 flight involve six related coordinate systems: Rocket System, Local Geographic System, Local Geomagnetic System, Global Geographic System, Wave Vector System and Artificial Argon Beam System. The present thesis has found the relationships needed to carry out coordinate transformations between all these six coordinate systems. These coordinate transformations are used to investigate ion trajectories and the directional response of the detector OCTO4. A technique to calculate the 3-component acceleration of the main payload was completed, and the trajectory of the main payload relative to the sub payload was given. A method to use the measured spin …

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. …

The Sociological Significance Of Gadamer's Hermeneutics, Thomas G. Mcgowan

Doctoral Dissertations

This study is a social-theoretical analysis of Hans-Georg Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics. Special attention is paid to Gadamer's analysis of the nature of interpretation, which is based in part on Martin Heidegger's concept of the fore-structure of understanding. This Heideggerian concept, which implies that interpretation cannot proceed without a prior understanding of its object, reappears in Gadamer's work in his notion of the prejudiced condition of interpretation. According to Gadamer, interpretation is prejudiced because it involves the application of preconscious linguistical concepts the truth status of which is assumed during their moment of application. Gadamer rejects a strictly pejorative view of …

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 …

The Role Of Term Symmetry In E-Unification And E-Completion, Blayne E. Mayfield

Doctoral Dissertations

“A major portion of the work and time involved in completing an incomplete set of reductions using an E-completion procedure such as the one described by Knuth and Bendix [KB70] or its extension to associative-commutative equational theories as described by Peterson and Stickel [PS81] is spent calculating critical pairs and subsequently testing them for coherence. A pruning technique which removes from consideration those critical pairs that represent redundant or superfluous information, either before, during, or after their calculation, can therefore make a marked difference in the run time and efficiency of an E-completion procedure to which it is applied.

The …

Solitary Waves And Nonlinear Klein-Gordon Equations, Panagiotis Andreas Papadopoulos

Doctoral Dissertations

We analytically study the kink-antikink (K-K) collisions in the classical one spatial dimension and time phi-fourth field theory as an example of inelastic collisions between solitary waves. We use the linear eigenvalue collective coordinate approach to describe the system in terms of the separation distance between the kink and the antikink and the amplitude of shape vibrations generated on each kink as a result of the collision. By calculating the energy given to the shape vibrations as a function of the incoming velocity, we find the critical value of the initial velocity above which the two colliding kinks always separate …

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 …

Symbolic Automation And Numerical Synthesis For Robot Kinematics, Jen Sriwattanathamma

Doctoral Dissertations

"This research analyzes three topics in robot arm kinematics. First, the direct kinematics which determines the Cartesian position and orientation of the end effector for the specified values of joint parameters is analyzed. Second, the differential motions concerning the differential relationships between the command variables in position and orientation of the end effector and the joint-controlled variables are studied. Finally, the inverse kinematics which determines the joint variables for a specified Cartesian position and orientation of the end effector is considered.

This dissertation presents a methodology for incorporating the artificial intelligence types of knowledge into automating solutions for the direct …

Resource Use Rates: Estimation Of Time Invariant Decision Rules (Erosion), Douglas John Lawrence

Doctoral Dissertations

As interest in soil conservation has increased, understanding the soil management decision rule used by farmers has become more important. The model developed to analyze the optimal decision rule for soil use rates is essentially a supply response model which assumes rational expectations. It can be characterized as a dynamic optimal control model with feedback from decisions to states. Three Stage Least Squares estimation is re-interpreted to fit the requirements of rational expectations. The estimated coefficients suggest that soil conservation policy must consider general economic variables as well as traditional variables such as soil depth and cost sharing to be …

Inelastic Electron Scattering From Molybdenum-92, Thomas Edward Milliman

Doctoral Dissertations

Differential cross sections for electron scattering from $\sp{92}{\rm Mo}$ have been measured for excitation energies less than 5.1 MeV. The momentum-transfer dependence of these cross sections has been mapped out over a range of 0.5 to 3.1 $fm\sp{-1}$ in the forward direction and 0.8 to 2.9 $fm\sp{-1}$ in the backward scattering direction. The elastic scattering data are analyzed along with existing data and muonic atom data to provide an improved description of the groundstate charge distribution. The inelastic scattering data for 23 excited states have been further analyzed to extract electromagnetic transition densities. These densities are discussed and when possible …

Major And Minor Ion Geochemistry Of Groundwaters From Bermuda, James Andre Kent Simmons

Doctoral Dissertations

Groundwaters near two Bermuda marshes were sampled and studied for variations in major and minor ion geochemistry. Factors which influence groundwater geochemistry include Ghyben-Herzberg/freshwater-seawater mixing, carbonate dissolution and recrystallization, redox and the hydrology. The major ions calcium, magnesium and strontium have been previously studied by Plummer et al. (1976) near these two marshes and across the Devonshire lens. This study focuses on two wells and the chemical variations which occur with depth down the groundwater column.

Samples were collected at specific depths from two wells, one near the Pembroke Rest Home (PRH) adjacent to the Pembroke marsh, and the other …