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Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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Recycling Baler Material Properties For Safer Baler Operation, Tracy A. Mick Aug 2005

Recycling Baler Material Properties For Safer Baler Operation, Tracy A. Mick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Between 1986 and 2002, there were 43 fatalities in the United States to operators of recycling industry balers. Of these fatalities, 29 involved horizontal balers that were baling paper and cardboard (Taylor, 2002). Balers often become jammed while the baling process is occurring, and the only way to remove the jam is manually. This requires an employee to place a limb of their body into the jamming area and remove the material that is causing the jam. While lockout and tagout procedures reduce the risk of hazardous energy being released, they can still be easily bypassed, ignored, or forgotten. Recent …

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Computer Aided Home Energy Management System, Asawari A. Moholkar Aug 2005

Computer Aided Home Energy Management System, Asawari A. Moholkar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

High prices are associated with the peak electricity demand and thus, price can be used as an indicator of power system condition in the peak load management programs. This paper investigates the potential of peak load management based on price-responsive load control for the residential sector. The Computer Aided Home Energy Management (CAHEM) system controls residential demand in response to the hourly market data including price, load and temperature data. A fuzzy demand controller incorporates customer preferences in determining operational settings of residential appliances. A prototype CAHEM system is demonstrated using X10 home networking technology. The aggregate level effects of …

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Microcontroller-Based Power Regulation For Induction Motors With Power Quality Conditioning, Joshua Scott Robinson Aug 2005

Microcontroller-Based Power Regulation For Induction Motors With Power Quality Conditioning, Joshua Scott Robinson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The focus of this thesis is to verify the power-saving characteristics of a triac-based motor controller and reduce the harmonics associated with the device by integrating a power quality conditioner. A hardware prototype of a motor controller was constructed using a microcontroller to detect the load magnitude and fire a triac accordingly. Test results showed an average decrease in active power consumption of 23.2% with a 426.6% average increase in harmonic distortion; the largest power savings occurred with light loads. A Simulink model of a line conditioner was created, verified, and adapted to utilize a digital controller. This conditioner uses …

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Perception Of Safety And Usability Of Powered Hand Tools, Mun-Su Seol Aug 2005

Perception Of Safety And Usability Of Powered Hand Tools, Mun-Su Seol

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this research was to identify the relationship between powered hand tool design features and risk and usability perception. The general goal of this research was to provide information that will help in the design of tools that do not create inaccurate impressions of safety or usability.;Safety and usability perception evaluations were conducted to identify which factors influence on user's safety and usability perception. Orthogonal view images of three categories of powered hand tools were developed and deployed at the web for their evaluation. One hundred and one subjects participated in this research. The estimated injury data (2001 …

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Water Quality Disturbances In An Aquaculture That Utilizes Treated Mine Water, Mark Wayne Smith Aug 2005

Water Quality Disturbances In An Aquaculture That Utilizes Treated Mine Water, Mark Wayne Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objectives of this study were to compare the performance of two feed treatments on a population of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, reared in a linear raceway system, which utilized mine water from a mine water treatment facility (MWTF); to measure and compare waste outputs; to monitor the water quality of the system; and to identify the impacts, if any, of the water quality on the fish population. Toward the end of the study, a spike in the turbidity of the water source led to additional objectives. First, the water quality was characterized during the events to determine the extent …

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Error Propagation Metrics From Xmi, Cihan Varol Aug 2005

Error Propagation Metrics From Xmi, Cihan Varol

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This work describes the production of an application Error Propagation Metrics from XMI which can extract process and display software design metrics from XMI files. The tool archives these design metrics in a standard XML format defined by a metric document type definition.;XMI is a flavour of XML allowing the description of UML models. As such, the XMI representation of a software design will include information from which a variety of software design metrics can be extracted. These metrics are potentially useful in improving the software design process, either throughout the early stages of design if a suitable XMI-enabled modelling …

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Crisis Manager Of The American Revolution: Henry Laurens, Jeffrey R. Gudzune Aug 2005

Crisis Manager Of The American Revolution: Henry Laurens, Jeffrey R. Gudzune

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As President of the Continental Congress, Henry Laurens was a firm leader amid a time of national emergency. When a dispute within the Continental Army threatened both the continuation of General Washington's command and the American alliance with France, Laurens went beyond his limited sphere of political authority to settle the matter. When a peace commission from England arrived in the United States to begin discussing terms for an end to the hostilities, Laurens found himself in an increasingly difficult diplomatic situation. While wrestling with the question of whether or not to accept the British offer, Laurens was also forced …

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A Candidate's Use Of Aggressive Communication And The Electorates' Response: Predicting Presidential Election Outcomes, Matthew Luke Sutton Aug 2005

A Candidate's Use Of Aggressive Communication And The Electorates' Response: Predicting Presidential Election Outcomes, Matthew Luke Sutton

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this examination is to determine the role of verbal aggression in Presidential debates. Using six types of verbally aggressive messages, coders examined one Presidential debate from nine Presidential elections to determine the amount of verbal aggression used by each candidate. The findings from this examination indicate that there is a pattern for the use of verbal aggression in Presidential debates. Challengers use significantly more verbal aggression than incumbents while five of the nine elections had the winner using less verbally aggressive messages than the loser. Results of this study support the theory that challengers are forced to …

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Views Of Health Care Providers On Low-Income Populations In West Virginia With Sexually Transmitted Disease, Genevieve R. Cox Aug 2005

Views Of Health Care Providers On Low-Income Populations In West Virginia With Sexually Transmitted Disease, Genevieve R. Cox

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis focuses on health care providers who consistently diagnose sexually transmitted disease (STDs) in low-income populations. Eighteen providers ranging from registered nurses to physicians were interviewed about their experiences dealing with low-income patients, mainly women, who were diagnosed with incurable and curable STDs for the first time. This qualitative analysis which utilized grounded theory methods reveals several interesting findings. First, that providers who consistently work with low-income populations have a high level of empathy. They believe patients undergo a negative change in self-image second to an incurable STD diagnosis. Providers have concerns about a number of issues related to …

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Refinement Of Numerical Models And Parametric Study Of Sofc Stack Performance, Andrew C. Burt Aug 2005

Refinement Of Numerical Models And Parametric Study Of Sofc Stack Performance, Andrew C. Burt

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The presence of multiple air and fuel channels per fuel cell and the need to combine many cells in series result in complex steady-state temperature distributions within Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) stacks. Flow distribution in these channels, when non-uniform, has a significant effect on cell and stack performance. Large SOFC stacks are very difficult to model using full 3-D CFD codes because of the resource requirements needed to solve for the many scales involved. Studies have shown that implementations based on Reduced Order Methods (ROM), if calibrated appropriately, can provide simulations of stacks consisting of more than 20 cells …

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Development Of A Heavy Duty Diesel Vehicle Emissions Inventory Prediction Methodology, Prakash Gajendran Aug 2005

Development Of A Heavy Duty Diesel Vehicle Emissions Inventory Prediction Methodology, Prakash Gajendran

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Emissions from heavy-duty diesel vehicles are known to contribute a substantial fraction of the oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and particulate matter (PM) to the atmospheric inventory. Prediction of heavy-duty diesel vehicle emissions inventory is substantially less mature than the prediction of gasoline car emissions.;Heavy-duty truck emissions are affected by various parameters like vehicle weight/load, driving schedule used, and injection timing control strategies employed to operate the engine at more fuel-efficient (but higher NO x) mode.;Research has revealed a variety of options for inventory prediction, including the use of emissions factors based upon instantaneous engine power and instantaneous vehicle behavior. Effects …

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Critical Issues For Predicting Worker Exposure To Gaseous Contaminants In A Wind Tunnel, Jun Li Aug 2005

Critical Issues For Predicting Worker Exposure To Gaseous Contaminants In A Wind Tunnel, Jun Li

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this study, three dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are used to investigate the distribution and level of contaminant concentrations in the breathing zone of a worker when airborne contaminants are released within an arm's-length in front of the worker who has his back to the airflow. The main goals were to numerically evaluate the effect of different factors on the worker exposure and to recommend a turbulence model preferable for this type of simulation. These factors include the body shape, the heat flux from the body, the ventilation intensity, the free stream turbulence, and the unsteadiness. The comparison …

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Differences Among Standardized Test Scores Due To Factors Of Internet Access At Home And Family Affluence, Steve Macho Aug 2005

Differences Among Standardized Test Scores Due To Factors Of Internet Access At Home And Family Affluence, Steve Macho

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to examine differences among the standardized test scores of students due to factors of Internet access at home, household income, and the highest level of education attained by mother, father or guardian. If students with Internet access at home have a different academic standing, is it the result of the Internet connection or confounding factors of family affluence?;The San Miguel GEAR UP program at New Mexico Highlands University, located in Las Vegas, New Mexico had existent data on program participants for Internet access at home, household income, highest level of education in the household, …

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Rotation Compatibility Approach To Moment Redistribution For Design And Rating Of Steel I -Girders, Jennifer E. Righman Aug 2005

Rotation Compatibility Approach To Moment Redistribution For Design And Rating Of Steel I -Girders, Jennifer E. Righman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Moment redistribution refers to the design practice where the inherent ductility of continuous-span steel bridge structures is acknowledged and consideration for the redistribution of the large negative bending moments at interior supports to the less heavily stressed positive bending regions is provided. One of the key assumptions made in moment redistribution procedures is that members have sufficient ductility to sustain a given moment capacity throughout the level of rotation required for redistribution moments to develop. However, there is presently no explicit verification that this assumption is satisfied. Instead, it is assumed that sufficient ductility can be obtained by: (1) limiting …

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The Design Of A Rotor Blade Test Facility, Jason W. Gill Aug 2005

The Design Of A Rotor Blade Test Facility, Jason W. Gill

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department has developed a need for test facilities related to rotorcraft, specifically facilities capable of testing scaled rotorcraft models and experimental propellers and rotors. A design was completed to fill these needs.;The design included several factors; aerodynamic conditions during operation, flexibility of application, ease and cost of construction, and safety. The aerodynamic conditions involved in the testing of rotors or propellers in static conditions were investigated. Other testing involving downwash impingement on wings was considered and incorporated into the design.;In addition, the design of the power transmission components was completed. This included the power requirements …

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The Use Of Heuristics In Identifying Self-Propagating Malicious Mobile Code, Jesse Twardus Aug 2005

The Use Of Heuristics In Identifying Self-Propagating Malicious Mobile Code, Jesse Twardus

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Self-propagating malicious mobile code, or worms, has become a major threat to modern computer systems. As these types of viruses thrive in a networked computing environment, they have exploded in popularity in recent years.;Modern defenses have proved inadequate in protecting computer systems from the worm threat. The most often used remedy is a signature-based detection system that scans each incoming network packet for the presence of a signature identifying a specific worm. As a new worm or variant of an existing worm is released, this signature set must be updated to include definitions for the new worm or variant.;In this …

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The Effects Of Contextual Factors On Dyadic Everyday Problem Solving In Adulthood, Tara L. Neely Aug 2005

The Effects Of Contextual Factors On Dyadic Everyday Problem Solving In Adulthood, Tara L. Neely

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The present study examined individual and dyadic everyday problem solving in 45 younger, middle-aged, and older adult married couples. The goal of the study was to investigate the effects of age, gender, collaboration, marital characteristics, and basic cognition on everyday problem-solving. Two research questions were addressed. First, were there group differences across three phases of problem solving? Second, what was the frequency of individual change, and which factors predicted improvement, stability, or decline? When addressing the first question, there was a significant four-way interaction, F (4, 78) = 2.83, p < .05, eta = .12, between participant age, gender, problem-solving condition, and problem-solving phase, emphasizing the multidimensionality of everyday cognition. When addressing the second question, a larger percentage of individuals who collaborated reliably improved compared to individuals who worked alone. Furthermore, basic cognitive abilities, education, and marital factors significantly accounted for individual reliable change in everyday problem solving.

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Response Of Clonal Genotypes Of Juncus Effusus L. To Different Environmental Regimes, Daniel Benjamin Stover Aug 2005

Response Of Clonal Genotypes Of Juncus Effusus L. To Different Environmental Regimes, Daniel Benjamin Stover

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A genetic tradeoff is hypothesized between resource use efficiency (RUE) and resource acquisition rate (RAR) in that it is impossible for selection to maximize both traits. In low-resource environments, RUE is expected to be favored while in high-resource environments RAR will be maximized. Growth rates and allocations of reciprocally transplanted clonal genotypes of J. effusus from differing nitrogen and elevation sites were examined. High-nitrogen populations outperformed their low-nitrogen counterparts, which were more nitrogen efficient. Plants originating from high-elevation sites grew larger irrespective of transplant environment. Elevation appears to be the dominant factor on biomass, nutrient allocation and growth at high …

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Bringing Down The Mountains: The Impact Of Mountaintop Removal Surface Coal Mining On Southern West Virginia Communities, 1970--2004, Shirley L. Stewart Burns Aug 2005

Bringing Down The Mountains: The Impact Of Mountaintop Removal Surface Coal Mining On Southern West Virginia Communities, 1970--2004, Shirley L. Stewart Burns

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

While surface mining began in West Virginia during WWI, the practice did not expand until WWII. Used to fuel the war effort, surface mining would become the industry-preferred means of mining coal and gained a permanent place in West Virginia's coal mining industry. Mountaintop removal surface coal mining began on Fayette County, West Virginia's, Bullpush Mountain in 1970. An extreme version of strip mining, during mountaintop removal the tops of mountains are removed via blasting in order to reveal the coal seams below. The last thirty-four years has seen an escalation in this mining method from forty-four permits covering 9,800 …

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Competing Fictions: Eighteenth-Century Domestic Novels, Women Writers, And The Trope Of Female Rivalry, Elizabeth Johnston Aug 2005

Competing Fictions: Eighteenth-Century Domestic Novels, Women Writers, And The Trope Of Female Rivalry, Elizabeth Johnston

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation focuses on mid to late eighteenth-century domestic fiction by Samuel Richardson, Sarah Scott, Frances Burney, and Maria Edgeworth, arguing that female rivalry in the novel performs a complex double function, both reinscribing domestic ideology and undermining it. I begin with the premise that Richardson's depiction of female rivalry differs significantly from those of the women writers who follow him. My chapter on Richardson's Clarissa examines his depiction of rivalry between Clarissa and all the other women of the novel, arguing that the "bad" women work to overshadow Lovelace's abuses; in other words, female rivalry effectively displaces a critique …

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Nondestructive Evaluation Of Wooden Logs Using Ground Penetrating Radar, Sachin Agrawal Aug 2005

Nondestructive Evaluation Of Wooden Logs Using Ground Penetrating Radar, Sachin Agrawal

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Presently there are no suitable non-invasive methods for precisely detecting the subsurface defects in logs in real time. Internal defects such as knots, decays, and embedded metals are of greatest concern for lumber production. While defects such as knots and decays (rots) are of major concern related to productivity and yield of high value wood products, embedded metals can damage the saw blade and significantly increase the down time and maintenance costs of saw mills.;Nondestructive scanning of logs using techniques such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) prior to sawing can greatly increase the productivity and yield of high value lumber. …

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Artificial Neural Network In Classification Of Severity Levels In Crashes With Guardrail, Fouad N. Shoukry Aug 2005

Artificial Neural Network In Classification Of Severity Levels In Crashes With Guardrail, Fouad N. Shoukry

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research focuses on using artificial neural networks to classify the severity levels of crashes involving guardrails, and to subsequently identify the most significant variables explaining severity in such crashes. Most of the existing research in analyzing guardrail crashes employs statistical analysis to measure severity of crashes and, unfortunately, does not incorporate much information about the factors that affect the severity concerning guardrail crashes. In the mean time, artificial neural networks have been utilized in different areas of transportation to solve engineering problems because of their ability to model non-linearity, and flexibility with large complex data sets. Data for this …

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The First Amendment Rights Of High School Students And Their Student Newspapers, Teresa J. Boggs Aug 2005

The First Amendment Rights Of High School Students And Their Student Newspapers, Teresa J. Boggs

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The greatest of all human rights are the freedoms of speech and expression included within the First Amendment to the Constitution. These allow all Americans to say what they feel, dress as they want, and print opinions that may not always be popular.;Throughout time journalists of all ages have endured criticism for printing questionable and controversial information. In student newspapers, however, rarely does one find a story of consequence, one that sparks criticism and casts a light of upheaval on the school system that supports it.;Student journalists across America have become victims of limited speech, whether by choice, by the …

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Field Measurement Of Ideal Saturation Flow Rate From The Highway Capacity Manual, Bruce M. Dunlap Aug 2005

Field Measurement Of Ideal Saturation Flow Rate From The Highway Capacity Manual, Bruce M. Dunlap

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In all signalized intersection analyses performed with Highway Capacity Manual (HCM), the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PENNDOT) District 12-0 uses an ideal saturation flow rate of 1800 pcphgpl, which is less than the default value of 1900 pcphgpl provided by HCM. This is to account for the less aggressive characteristics of the local drivers. The purpose of this study is to field measure a sample of saturation flow rates, from which ideal saturation flow rates can be computed, in District 12-0 to determine the appropriateness of the lower ideal saturation flow rate. This study will scientifically test this hypothesis, along …

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Controls, Characterization And Small Scale Chemical Variations Of A Karst System: A Geochemical Assessment Of Tuscarora Creek Watershed, West Virginia, Rachel V. Grand Aug 2005

Controls, Characterization And Small Scale Chemical Variations Of A Karst System: A Geochemical Assessment Of Tuscarora Creek Watershed, West Virginia, Rachel V. Grand

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Tuscarora Creek watershed is located in the Appalachian Great Valley in Berkeley County, West Virginia. Thirteen springs and seven creek locations were sampled to evaluate spatial and temporal variability in major ion geochemistry. The controlling chemical signature was carbonate dissolution; distinctions could not be made between carbonate units and little evidence was seen for the recharge from adjacent clastic rocks. The springs in the upper watershed had greater temporal variability that may be due to enhanced transmissivity associated with a creek-parallel thrust fault. Discharge data indicate the creek is supplied directly from ground water (>50%) as well as from …

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Post Retention With Mineral Trioxide Aggregate And Accelerated Portland Cement, Pamela P. Harrington Aug 2005

Post Retention With Mineral Trioxide Aggregate And Accelerated Portland Cement, Pamela P. Harrington

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Perforations occurring during post placement are problematic. Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) is slow to set. A trial demonstrated that CaCl2 accelerated the set of Portland cement. Forty single-rooted teeth were sectioned, treated with endodontic therapy and post prepared. The first group contained 20 teeth, evaluated at 72 hours. MTA, Portland cement with 10% CaCl2, 15% CaCl2 and zinc phosphate were used as post cements. The second group was evaluated at 28 days. The posts were cemented with either MTA or zinc phosphate. Instron mechanical testing was used to determine forces needed for post dislodgement. The 72 hour group showed statistically …

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Essays On The Publicness Of Education And The Effects Of School Choice On Student Achievement, Kerry A. King Aug 2005

Essays On The Publicness Of Education And The Effects Of School Choice On Student Achievement, Kerry A. King

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation is a collection of papers that focus on the effects of school choice in the education market. The first chapter introduces the concept of school choice and discusses the arguments both for and against its implementation into public education. In addition, this chapter outlines the research agenda for this dissertation. Chapter 2 empirically measures the spillover benefits created by K-12 public education and finds that they are not Pareto-relevant at the margin. Given the results, this chapter also examines the role of school choice in the market for K-12 public education. Chapter 3 provides a brief history of …

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Essays On Value Added Tax Evasion And Tax Amnesty Programs, Hari Sharan Luitel Aug 2005

Essays On Value Added Tax Evasion And Tax Amnesty Programs, Hari Sharan Luitel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Using a panel data from 1972 to 1999, the first essay of this dissertation analyzes how VAT evasion has changed as reliance on VAT in the sample of 25 OECD countries increased. The VAT ratio and VAT share are used as alternative measures of VAT reliance as independent variables. The results show that an increase in the VAT ratio and VAT share decreases VAT evasion. Overall, the results are quite robust to the various regression specifications.;Proponents argue that tax amnesties raise revenues both in the short run and the long run, by bringing former non-filers back into the tax system. …

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Glutathione Conjugation Of A Cocaine Pyrolysis Product Aeme And Related Compounds, Alan Lewis Myers Aug 2005

Glutathione Conjugation Of A Cocaine Pyrolysis Product Aeme And Related Compounds, Alan Lewis Myers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Free-base ("crack") cocaine smoking continues to be a popular method of drug abuse in the United States. Pyrolysis of free-base cocaine readily occurs, forming primarily benzoic acid and anhydroecgonine methyl ester (AEME), which structurally contains an alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl functional group. This electrophilic structure is suggestive of chemical reactivity with ubiquitously occurring cellular nucleophiles, such as glutathione. Glutathione adducts formed in vivo are metabolized to N-acetylcysteine derivatives by the enzymatically driven mercapturic acid pathway. AEME and its transesterification product in the presence of ethanol, anhydroecgonine ethyl ester (AEEE), were synthesized from cocaine hydrochloride. Glutathione (GSH) and mercapturic acid (NAC) conjugates of …

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Palladium And Nickel Interactions With Stepped 6h-Silicon Carbide, Andrew A. Woodworth Aug 2005

Palladium And Nickel Interactions With Stepped 6h-Silicon Carbide, Andrew A. Woodworth

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Silicon carbide (SiC) has long been recognized as a semiconductor with potential for use in a number of demanding environments. Recent developments in the quality of bulk grown 6H-SiC (and other hexagonal poly-types) have increased interest in issues surrounding the stability of device structures that operate at temperatures in excess of 600°C. It has been observed that the performance of metal-semiconductor devices created on SiC tend to degrade when operating at these temperatures. This change in device performance has been linked to inter-diffusion and reaction at the metal-semiconductor interface. Most of these devices have been fabricated on SiC substrates with …

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