Digital Commons Network^™

Use Of Vegetative Mulch As Daily And Intermediate Landfill Cover, Assal Edwar Haddad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Management of yard waste is a significant challenge in the US, where in 2008 13.2% of the 250 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) was reported to be yard waste. This study describes research conducted in the laboratory and field to examine the application of vegetative mulch as daily and intermediate landfill cover. Mulch was found to exhibit stronger physical properties than soil, leading to a more stable landfill slope. Compaction of mulch was found to be significantly greater than soil, potentially resulting in airspace recovery. Degradation of mulch produced a soil-like material; degradation resulted in lower physical strength …

Environmental Study Of Solid Waste Collection, Mousa Awad Maimoun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The growing municipal solid waste generation rates have necessitated more efficient, optimized waste collection facilities. The majority of the US collection fleet is composed of diesel-fueled vehicles which contribute significant atmospheric emissions including greenhouse gases. In order to reduce emissions to the atmosphere, more collection agencies are investigating alternative fuel technologies such as natural gas, biofuels (bio-gas and bio-diesel), and hybrid electric technology. This research is an in-depth environmental analysis of potential alternative fuel technologies for waste collection vehicles. This study will evaluate the use of alternative fuels by waste collection vehicles. Lifecycle emissions, cost, fuel and energy consumption were …

Exploring Techniques For Measurement And Improvement Of Data Quality With Application To Determination Of The Last Known Position (Lkp) In Search And Rescue (Sar) Data, Abhijit Wakchaure

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a tremendous volume of data being generated in today’s world. As organizations around the globe realize the increased importance of their data as being a valuable asset in gaining a competitive edge in a fast-paced and a dynamic business world, more and more attention is being paid to the quality of the data. Advances in the fields of data mining, predictive modeling, text mining, web mining, business intelligence, health care analytics, etc. all depend on clean, accurate data. That one cannot effectively mine data, which is dirty, comes as no surprise. This research is an exploratory study of …

A Model To Integrate Sustainability Into The User-Centered Design Process, Adrienne Shevonne Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With concerns for the environment becoming more prevalent in business and the government, it is increasingly important to re-evaluate and update processes to include sustainability considerations early in the design process. In response to this charge, this research effort was designed to integrate sustainability factors into the usercentered design process. The results of this research highlight the benefits of sustainability requirement planning, as well as those derived from integrating sustainability into the current user-centered design model

A Framework For Quantifying Sustainability Of Lean Implementation In Healthcare Organizations, Haitham Ahmed Bahaitham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to the remarkable positive effect of lean adoption in various firms in the manufacturing sector, it has been adopted by several organizations within the healthcare industry. Although the rate of adopting lean by hospitals in the developed countries is slower than it should be, it proved to be effective in helping healthcare organizations maintain or even improve their quality of care while containing their related costs. However, such adoption did not take place until the beginning of the new millennium. And with such adoption, it has been accompanied with major challenges related to proper lean implementation, sustainability of achieved …

Stress Shielding Minimized In Femoral Hip Implants A Finite Element Model Optimized By Virtual Compatibility, Christian E. Feldt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bone mechanics and traditional implant materials produce a recurring problem for patients of total hip arthroplasty (THA): the bone is “shielded” from the loading it has become accustomed to over many years of development. Bone adheres to what is called “Wolff’s Law”, meaning it is an adaptive structure which adjusts its geometry based on the loads experienced over its life (Pearson; Goldstein). As the new femoral hip implant transmits reduced stresses to the remaining bone, bone tissue atrophies at the interface, permitting loosening of the implant, pain, and thereby obliging additional surgery to correct the issue (Meade). In the present …

A Multiscale Model Of The Neonatal Circulatory System Following Hybrid Norwood Palliation, Andres Ceballos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hypoplastic left heat syndrome (HLHS) is a complex cardiac malformation in neonates suffering from congenital heart disease and occurs in nearly 1 per 5000 births. HLHS is uniformly fatal within the first hours or days after birth as the severly malformed anatomies of the left ventricle, mitral, and aortic valves, and ascending aorta are not compatable with life. The regularly implemented treatment, the Norwood operation, is a complex open heart procedure that attempts to establish univenticular circulation by removing the atrial septum ( communicating the right and left ventricle), reconstructing the malformed aortic arch, and connecting the main pulmonary artery …

Mass Conservation Analysis For The Lower St. Johns River Using Continuous And Discontinuous Galerkin Finite Element Methods, Lillie E. Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides a mass conservation analysis of the Lower St. Johns River for the purpose of providing basis for future salinity transport modeling. The analysis provides an assessment of the continuous (CG) and discontinuous (DG) Galerkin finite element methods with respect to their mass conservation properties. The following thesis also presents a rigorous literature review pertaining to salinity transport in the Lower St. Johns River, from which this effort generates the data used to initialize and validate numerical simulations. Two research questions are posed and studied in this thesis: can a DG-based modeling approach produce mass conservative numerical solutions; …

Thermomechanical Behavior Of High-Temperature Shape Memory Alloy Ni-Ti-Pd-Pt Actuators, Douglas E. Nicholson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To date the commercial use of shape memory alloys (SMAs) has been mostly limited to binary NiTi alloys with transformation temperatures approximately in the -100 to 100 ºC range. In an ongoing effort to develop high-temperature shape memory alloys (HTSMAs), ternary and quaternary additions are being made to binary NiTi to form NiTi-X (e.g., X: Pd, Pt, Au and Hf) alloys. Stability and repeatability can be further increased at these higher temperatures by limiting the stress, but the tradeoff is reduced work output and stroke. However, HTSMAs operating at decreased stresses can still be used effectively in actuator applications that …

Geographic Clusters And Firm Innovation, Alex Vestal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Scholars dating back to the early 1900s have been interested in the idea that organizations benefit from locating in close proximity to other similar organizations (Marshall, 1920). Largely, this research suggests that economies of agglomeration accrue to clustered organizations which create performance advantages when compared to more isolated organizations. Recently, agglomeration theory researchers have focused on high technology clusters where the primary benefit of collocation is argued to be access to knowledge spillovers from local organizations. This dissertation argues that in order to access local knowledge, firms must be active participants in the local research community. Furthermore, in clusters where …

Duplicated Laboratory Tests : A Hospital Audit And Evaluation Of A Computerized Alert Intervention, Sharon Bridges

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Laboratory testing is necessary when it contributes to the overall clinical management of the patient. Redundant testing, however, is often unnecessary and expensive and contributes to overall reductions in healthcare system efficiency. The purpose of this study is two-fold. First, to evaluate the frequency of ordering duplicate laboratory tests in hospitalized patients and the costs associated with this practice. Second, it was designed to determine if the use of a computerized alert or prompt will reduce the total number of unnecessarily duplicated Acute Hepatitis Profile (AHP) laboratory tests. This two-phase study took place in an inpatient facility that was part …

Nutrient Removal From Urban Stormwater Using Floating Treatment Wetland System, Md Kamrul Islam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the technology advancement, degradation of water quality due to stormwater continues to be a significant threat to the water and ecosystems due to the exponential growth of industries and agricultural enterprises that discharge stormwater. These anthropogenic activities are the sources of high nitrogen and phosphorus quantities in stormwater, which is responsible for eutrophication phenomena and deterioration of public health. Floating Treatment Wetlands (FTWs) are a potential solution to this problem. Both microcosm and mesocosm level studies were conducted for the effective removal of nutrients in stormwater wet detention ponds with different sorption media under varying nutrient concentrations and weather …

Correlating Microstructural Development And Failure Mechanisms To Photo Stimulated Luminescence Spectroscopy And Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy In Thermal Barrier Coatings, Balaji Jayaraj

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are widely used for thermal protection of hot section components in turbines for propulsion and power generation. Applications of TBCs based on a clearer understanding of failure mechanisms can help increase the performance and life-cycle cost of advanced gas turbine engines. Development and refinement of robust nondestructive evaluation techniques can also enhance the reliability, availability and maintainability of hot section components in gas turbines engines. In this work, degradation of TBCs was non-destructively examined by photostimulated luminescence spectroscopy (PSLS) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) as a function of furnace thermal cycling carried out in air with …

A 2009 Mobile Source Emissions Inventory Of The University Of Central Florida, Johanna Marie Clifford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis reports on the results of a mobile source emissions inventory for the University of Central Florida (UCF). For a large urban university, the majority of volatile organic compounds (VOC), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions come from onroad sources: personal vehicles and campus shuttles carrying students, faculty, staff, and administrators to and from the university, as well as university business trips. In addition to emissions from daily commutes, non-road equipment such as lawnmowers, leaf blowers, small maintenance vehicles, and other such equipment utilized on campus contributes to a significant portion to the total emissions from …

Bayesian Model Selection For Classification With Possibly Large Number Of Groups, Justin Kyle Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present dissertation is to study model selection techniques which are specifically designed for classification of high-dimensional data with a large number of classes. To the best of our knowledge, this problem has never been studied in depth previously. We assume that the number of components p is much larger than the number of samples n, and that only few of those p components are useful for subsequent classification. In what follows, we introduce two Bayesian models which use two different approaches to the problem: one which discards components which have “almost constant” values (Model 1) and …

The Israeli Military's Key Relationship To Hezbollah Terror, Mazen Kurdy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the establishment and expansion of Hezbollah. It uses a policy perspective in explaining the growth of this organization. Moreover, it focuses on Israel’s disproportionate use of force in Lebanon as a major cause behind the very existence of Hezbollah. The analysis of Israeli policy will be done by examining three separate conflicts as case studies. These events are: the 1982 (Peace for Galilee) invasion of Lebanon that helped to create Hezbollah, the 1996 (Operation Grapes of Wrath) Hezbollah-Israeli conflict which served to bolster Hezbollah in Lebanon, and finally the 2006 Hezbollah-Israeli war which solidified Hezbollah as a …

Self-Assembly Of Amyloid Aggregates Simulated With Molecular Dynamics, Workalemahu Mikre Berhanu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Amyloids are highly ordered cross-β sheet aggregates that are associated with many diseases such as Alzheimer‟s, type II diabetes and prion diseases. Recently a progress has been made in structure elucidation, environmental effects and thermodynamic properties of amyloid aggregates. However, detailed understanding of how mutation, packing polymorphism and small organic molecules influence amyloid structure and dynamics is still lacking. Atomistic modeling of these phenomena with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations holds a great promise to bridge this gap. This Thesis describes the results of MD simulations, which provide insight into the effects of mutation, packing polymorphism and molecular inhibitors on amyloid …

Productivity And Trophic Interactions In The Missouri River Impoundments, Mark J. Fincel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Standardized monitoring is a vital component of fisheries assessment in Missouri River impoundments. In South Dakota, annual variation in fish growth and abundance is used to monitor changes in fish populations and develop strategies (i.e. regulations) for managing recreational fishes. Although variation in fish abundance provides important insight into the status of fish populations, it can be difficult to link these changes to environmental conditions (i.e. hydrology) without concurrent information about reservoir productivity. Measures of nutrient concentration, algal biomass, and zooplankton composition/abundance provide important insights into reservoir productivity, but standardized approaches for collecting these measures have not been developed for …

Development And Bioavailability/Bioequivalence Of A Fixed-Dose Combination Antiretroviral Reconstitutable Suspension Intended For Pediatrics, Fredrick Esseku

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation was designed to develop and assess bioavailability/ bioequivalence of age-appropriate fixed-dose combination granules of lamivudine/zidovudine/nevirapine as reconstitutable suspension for pediatrics for use in pediatric patients. The granules were developed via roller compaction process to improve granule flow characteristics, minimize segregation of the multi-component active pharmaceutical ingredients, and avoid introducing moisture into the formulation and thereby improve the stability of the product. Optimization of the roller compaction process for the roll pressure and the ratio of the horizontal feed screw speed to the roll speed showed that these parameters had minimal effect on granule quality. Subsequently, a replicated 32 …

Application Of Speciated Isotopes Dilution Mass Spectronmetry To The Assessment Of Human Health And Toxic Exposure, Timothy Fahrenholz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous work by our research group demonstrated that quantitative chemical analysis of analytes, such as mercury and chromium species, in environmental matrices could be successfully carried out without using calibration curves and with correction for species interconversion by using EPA Method 6800A. This method encompasses isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) and speciated isotope dilution mass spectrometry (SIDMS), both of which are described in detail in chapter 1. Research described in this dissertation expands upon our earlier work by applying the method to the speciation of mercury in biological matrices, the speciation of glutathione in red blood cells and whole blood, …

Cultural Expressions, Meanings, Beliefs, And Practices Of Mexican American Women During The Postpartum Period: An Ethnonursing Study, Valera Hascup

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this ethnonursing study was to discover, understand, describe, and explicate the emic expressions, meanings, beliefs, practices, and experiences of postpartum Mexican American women living in a Passaic, New Jersey, community and to gain an understanding of any phenomena in the postpartum period. Leininger's culture care diversity and universality theory was utilized as the undergirding framework for this study. Eight key and 15 general informants participated in this study. The ethnodemographic interview guide, a qualitative enabler, was used to assist with the collection and analysis of data. NVivo 8.0, a qualitative software program, was used to assist with …

Structural Determinants For Inhibitor Recognition By The Dopamine Transporter, Yi Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The dissertation will give an introduction, background and our research progress in the areas of dopamine transporter (DAT). A 3-D DAT computer model was generated in our laboratory based on the X-ray crystal structure of the bacterial leucine transporter LeuT, a distant homolog of DAT. The ability of this LeuTAa-based 3-D DAT computer model to identify specific DAT residues involved in inhibitor recognition was assessed through site-directed mutagenesis and subsequent pharmacologic characterization in the present study. Feedback from these experiments confirmed some of the suggestion from the DAT model, which is encouraging that the comparative DAT model is valid to …

The Contribution Of Foundational New Testament Theological Themes To The Meaning Of Basic Bioethics Principles, R. Dennis Macaleer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Beauchamp and Childress' Principles of Biomedical Ethics is a well accepted approach to contemporary bioethics. Those principles are based on what Beauchamp and Childress call the common morality. This dissertation employs New Testament theological themes to enhance the meaning of contemporary principles of bioethics. Beginning with the incarnation in the New Testament, the invitation-response hermeneutic is developed as a hermeneutic to use in studying the New Testament. The primary New Testament text for this study is the twin commands from Jesus to love God and love one's neighbor. Three theological themes are developed from this study and these three themes …

Cyanate Formation Following 2-Chloroacrylonitrile Exposure And The Role Of Cytochrome P-450, Paul Malichky

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

2-Chloroacrylonitrile (2-CAN) is a volatile, toxic chemical used as a raw material to manufacture pesticides. Although the toxic mechanism is not fully understood, the hypothesis in the literature is that 2-CAN may be metabolized to cyanide. An understanding of the mechanism of 2-CAN toxicity will permit more appropriate treatments in the event of an accidental exposure.

Four groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats were given intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections. Group 1 was a control that received only saline. Group 2 received 40 mg/kg of 2-CAN. Group 3 received 100 mg/kg of 5-phenyl-1-pentyne (5P1P) an inhibitor of cytochrome P-450. Group 4 received 100 …

Finding Voice: An Introduction To Philosophy And Psychotherapeutic Practice, Ryan Mest

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Finding Voice faces the challenge of introducing therapists to philosophy and philosophers to psychotherapy in the same breath. Balancing philosophical rigor with an accessible writing style, I introduce psychotherapeutic practice by interpreting carefully selected philosophical texts as scholarship on psychotherapy. Throughout the work, I offer clinical vignettes, examples, and stories to illustrate the ideas as well as enrich the reading experience.

Part One introduces psychotherapy as an ethical treatment for moral pain. I dare to present the Kierkegaard of Fear and Trembling (1846/2006) as a good therapist for Abraham. I turn to the Derrida of "Whom to Give to (Knowing …

Influences On The Reentry And Rehabilitation Of Ex-Offenders: A Case Study Of First Step Recovery Homes, Luke Christopher Moos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With a significant amount of the United States' population incarcerated, scholars and communities are becoming increasingly concerned with ex-offenders return to mainstream society. The risk factors that influenced these individuals' crimes also impact their reentry following incarceration. Community-based therapeutic communities attempt to address these risk factors and facilitate the transition from incarceration to community. The main risk factors of residence, family, financial concerns, and substance abuse must be properly addressed in order for ex-offenders to be successfully reintegrated. This thesis is a case study of the First Step Recovery Homes program of McKeesport, Pennsylvania. It is an examination of the …

The Factors That Influence The Attitudes Of Teachers And Administrators Affliliated With The National Association Of Independent Schools (Nais) Regarding The Inclusion Of Students With Disabilities, Shannon Mcquone Mulholland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the practice of inclusion gained momentum in educational communities during the 1990s, attitudes toward the concept of inclusion were positive, and few educators opposed it completely. However, the enthusiasm surrounding inclusion led to a hurried approach toward implementation, and practices within public school classrooms went unchecked. As a result, a lack of clarity, and confusion arose regarding the practice of inclusion in general. Inclusion is a pervasive concept in all educational communities today, and private schools are not exempt from integrating students with disabilities into their classrooms. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to extend the research in …

Attachment And Anxiety In Aggressive Children And Adolescents, Erinn Obeldobel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is rising concern among the general public regarding childhood aggression and its impact on society. This study sought to further the understanding of childhood aggression by examining the variables of anxiety and current attachment in an aggressive population of youth. There is a substantial body of research that relates poor attachment to aggressive-related behaviors (e.g., Allen, Hauser, Borman-Spurrell, 1996; Gacono & Meloy, 1994; Meesters & Muris, 2002; NICHD-ECCRN, 2006; Simons, Paternite, & Shore, 2001). In comparison to the research on the relationship between attachment and aggression in children and adolescents, the relationship between anxiety and aggression is more contradictory …

The Resident Assistant As Paraprofessional Counselor And Crisis Interventionist: A Study Of Lived Experience, Eric W. Owens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Counseling and helping services on college campuses have changed greatly in recent decades, yet the services provided by college counseling centers are hardly keeping pace. Campuses have turned to other means of addressing the increased need for helping services, including training paraprofessionals to address many counseling and crisis situations that occur on college campuses. One of the most ubiquitous groups of paraprofessional helpers are resident assistants, undergraduate students trained to work with students living on campus who present with counseling or crisis intervention needs.

The concerns students bring to resident assistants are often beyond the scope of their training and …

A Descriptive Case Study Of 21st Century Skills In Schools: Exploring The Challenges And Opportunities Of Adaptive Change And Innovation For Educational Leaders And The Schools They Lead, Sharon Perry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The consensus is clear: our schools and instructional methods are in desperate need of an update (Carnoy, 1998; Daggett, n.d.; Fullan, 2007; Keigel & Patler, 1991; Schwahn & McGarvey, 2011; and Wagner, 2008). In order for students to be globally competitive, school leaders need to identify what students need to know, what they need to be able to do, and what they need to be like to be successful post-graduation, and then change and adapt school practices to meet global needs with an awareness of the 21st century learner. 21st century skills development is necessary in order for students to …