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Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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Teaching Intermediate -Level Technical And Musical Skills Through The Study And Performance Of Selected Piano Duets, Hooi Yin Boey May 2004

Teaching Intermediate -Level Technical And Musical Skills Through The Study And Performance Of Selected Piano Duets, Hooi Yin Boey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Piano duet playing is a unique type of performing because it is the only musical experience where two people play music written for a single instrument. Duet playing offers not only joy and fun in music making with a partner, but also provides substantial instructional benefits at all levels. Duet playing is especially valuable for young pianists because it helps them develop basic musicianship and ensemble skills at an earlier level. Teachers should recognize the importance of teaching piano duets to elementary and intermediate piano students.;The present study investigates ways to help late-elementary and intermediate students master intermediate-level technical and …

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Effects Of A Curricular Model On Skill Development, Knowledge, And Game Performance, Tony Pritchard May 2004

Effects Of A Curricular Model On Skill Development, Knowledge, And Game Performance, Tony Pritchard

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Being able to play a sport has been a primary goal of any physical education program (NASPE, 1995). A tool used by physical education teachers in promoting sport has been the use of curricular models. Two models that have been of interest have been the Sport Education Curricular Model (SECM) and a multi-activity model. With little research investigating how these two models influence game play in the secondary level; the purpose of this study was to investigate how the SECM and a longer version of the multi-activity model called the Extended Multi-Activity Model (EMAM) would affect skill development, knowledge, and …

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Effective Verbal Behaviors During Cognitive Collaboration By Older Adult Partners, Kristopher J. Kimbler May 2004

Effective Verbal Behaviors During Cognitive Collaboration By Older Adult Partners, Kristopher J. Kimbler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The present study examined interactive behaviors in older adults (N = 80 individuals). The main goal of the current study was to examine the process of collaboration and how the interactive process related to the collaborative outcome. Three research questions were addressed. First, did partners exhibit similar levels of interactive behavior or did collaborative behaviors vary by partner familiarity, performance order, or sex? Second, to what extent did individual variables predict interactive behaviors? Finally, how were the dyadic interactive behaviors related to the outcome of the collaboration? The proportion of interactive behaviors varied based on performance order and partner familiarity. …

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Factors Influencing Older Adult Collaboration On Health Problems, Kelly L. Snyder May 2004

Factors Influencing Older Adult Collaboration On Health Problems, Kelly L. Snyder

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The current study examined the factors (i.e., gender, marital status, domain and severity of the problem) that influence older adults' strategy ratings on health-related problems. One hundred twenty-eight community-dwelling adults aged 60 and older (M = 71.4 years, SD = 7.21) rated strategies to solve four hypothetical health problems in two domains: heart, arthritis (one mild problem and one severe problem in each domain). Overall, results suggest that gender and marital status, as well as the domain, and severity of health problems impact older adults' rating of strategies to solve health-related problems. The effects of gender, marital status and severity …

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Fish Use Of Artificial Dyke Structures In The Kanawha River, West Virginia, Jennifer L. Titus May 2004

Fish Use Of Artificial Dyke Structures In The Kanawha River, West Virginia, Jennifer L. Titus

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Artificial structures have been used in the past to potentially increase fish production by providing cover, feeding grounds and spawning areas. In some areas the US Army Corp of Engineers has constructed dykes to provide additional habitat for river fishes and to mitigate against navigable related impacts. This study is designed to test whether such structures really function as viable habitats as evidenced by increased abundances relative to natural reference areas lacking structures. Five sets of structures in the Kanawha River, West Virginia were sampled via boat electrofishing using point-abundance sampling twice monthly from June through October 2002 and 2003. …

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Evaluation Of The Treatment Utility Of The Analog Functional Analysis And The Structured Descriptive Assessment, Carie L. English May 2004

Evaluation Of The Treatment Utility Of The Analog Functional Analysis And The Structured Descriptive Assessment, Carie L. English

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The analog functional analysis exerts a great deal of control over environmental variables due to the systematic manipulation of specific antecedent and consequent events. Previous research suggests that the treatment utility of the analog might be enhanced by including environmental variables specific to the participant (e.g., caregivers). An alternative to this is to conduct the functional assessment in the natural environment. The structured descriptive assessment (SDA) involves systematic manipulation of antecedent events but is conducted by caregivers in individuals' natural environment. The purpose of this study was to examine the treatment utility of the analog functional analysis and the SDA …

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Origins And The Twentieth-Century Long Poem, Joe W. Moffett May 2004

Origins And The Twentieth-Century Long Poem, Joe W. Moffett

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The long poem is often seen by critics as beginning in the nineteenth-century with the publication of Walt Whitman's Song of Myself. It is generally agreed, however, that the form did not come of age until the following century when it became a premier poetic endeavor. Although the long poem has been used to various ends, one theme identifiable among a variety of twentieth-century texts is a concern with origins. In this dissertation poets are seen as seeking to evaluate the societies in which they live by looking into the past to find originary cultures from which their own descend. …

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Modeling The Oriented Strandboard Manufacturing Process And The Oriented Strandboard Continuous Rotary Drying System, John R. Noffsinger May 2004

Modeling The Oriented Strandboard Manufacturing Process And The Oriented Strandboard Continuous Rotary Drying System, John R. Noffsinger

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Oriented Strand Board (OSB) is the leading structural panel product used in residential building construction. This dissertation describes three models and a statistical process control technique all designed to aid manufacturers to cost effectively manufacture OSB. The first model is an OSB Mill Process Flow Model that defines the processing steps and the desired outcomes. The second model is an OSB Mill Model, an ExcelRTM based computer program, designed to answer operational "what if" and "trade-off" questions. The model is a spreadsheet representation of the OSB production process. The third model is an OSB Dryer Model that predicts the dryer …

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Maternal Diabetes And Perinatal Outcomes, Rachael E. Gainor May 2004

Maternal Diabetes And Perinatal Outcomes, Rachael E. Gainor

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Diabetes is a serious problem in the nation and in the state of West Virginia (WV). Having diabetes during pregnancy has been associated with several negative perinatal outcomes. This study was done to test the hypothesis that women with diabetes would have more negative perinatal outcomes than those who do not. A secondary hypothesis was women with pre-gestational diabetes would have more negative perinatal outcomes than women with gestational diabetes.;Data were analyzed for the years 2001 and 2002 on all babies born to mothers enrolled in the West Virginia Medicaid program. Data for those two years were analyzed using three …

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Nutrition Knowledge Of High School Athletes, Charis Mitchell May 2004

Nutrition Knowledge Of High School Athletes, Charis Mitchell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to see where high school athletes are receiving their nutrition information and if they acquire proper nutrition knowledge. The athletes' sources of nutrition information, scores on the nutrition knowledge questionnaire, and the five groups of questions were analyzed by year in school, gender, and primary sports (top 6 primary sports for the questionnaire and 5 groups). 139 high school athletes completed a nutrition knowledge questionnaire. There was a statistical significance for teammates, gender, and primary sports. Thirty (21%) participants answered 19 questions or more correctly on the nutrition knowledge questionnaire. There was no statistical …

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Frictional Resistance Of Concrete On A Geocomposite Material, Joshua Bryan Cook May 2004

Frictional Resistance Of Concrete On A Geocomposite Material, Joshua Bryan Cook

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The frictional resistance provided by the underlying layers of a concrete slabs on ground has a large influence on the cracking behavior. To adequately judge the quality of performance of the slabs, it is imperative to investigate the frictional resistance to movement and other relations of the concrete and sub-layer system. It's also crucial to understand exactly how to introduce a drainage layer to the slab without adversely affecting the cracking pattern of the concrete by dramatically altering the resistance provided by the underlying layers.;Frictional resistance of sub-grade systems which incorporate the geocomposite material Tendrain were tested in a laboratory …

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Identification Of Technical Barriers And Preferred Practices For Oil Production In The Appalachian Basin, Sandra M. Del Bufalo Paez May 2004

Identification Of Technical Barriers And Preferred Practices For Oil Production In The Appalachian Basin, Sandra M. Del Bufalo Paez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Appalachian Basin is characterized by great number of stripper wells and marginally producing oilfields that face a number of production problems. The purpose of this study was to identify the main problematic issues and preferred solutions for oil production in the Appalachian Basin. Investigation and identification of oil production problems and preferred solutions began with searches in the Society of Petroleum Engineer (SPE) library, and Petroleum Technology Transfer Council (PTTC) website. In addition, journals, workshop, conference were used to find additional information. Formal interviews were arranged with oil producers to gain more insight into problems in the Appalachian Basin. …

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Development Of Gas Production Type Curves For Coalbed Methane Reservoirs, Anangela Garcia Arenas May 2004

Development Of Gas Production Type Curves For Coalbed Methane Reservoirs, Anangela Garcia Arenas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Coalbed methane is an unconventional gas resource that consists on methane production from the coal seams. The unique coal characteristic results in a dual-porosity system. CBM reservoir performance is also influenced by the interrelationship of reservoir, geologic, and operation parameters. Coalbed methane production data is considered a complex and difficult to analyze especially at the early stages of the recovery.;This study was conducted to develop a simple and reliable tool to predict the performance of CBM in The Northern Appalachian Basin. To achieve this objective, four steps were performed. A unique set of gas production type curves for coalbed methane …

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Fem Simulation Of Ultrasonic Wave Propagation In Solid Rods, Tuan-Chun Fu May 2004

Fem Simulation Of Ultrasonic Wave Propagation In Solid Rods, Tuan-Chun Fu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The main objective of this study is to simulate ultrasonic wave propagation in solid cylindrical rods. In this study, both experimental investigations and theoretical analyses are conducted. In the experiment, the 4.2 mm diameter center wire of the commonly used Grad 250 7-wire strand have been employed as the specimen and all the specimens are under zero tensile force. There are 3 rods (center wire) of different lengths used in this study. The DS345 arbitrary function generator, PICO sensors, and S9208 displacement transducer is used for measuring the results of the ultrasonic wave propagations. In the FEM analyses, each specimen …

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Parametric Modeling And Analysis Of Structural Bonded Joints, Sailaja Malladi May 2004

Parametric Modeling And Analysis Of Structural Bonded Joints, Sailaja Malladi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A closed form model of a double lap bonded joint based on the Hart-Smith Model is considered. An extensional link is added to the inner adherend in order to minimize the magnitude of the shear distribution in the adhesive along the overlap length and equations are formulated for this new model. Various parametric studies are performed on the closed form model to observe their effect on the behavior of the shear stress distribution in the adhesive. Overlap length, stiffness of the extensional link, thickness of the adhesive and stiffness of the adherends are varied in the parametric study.;A 2D finite …

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Evaluation Of The Compacted Aggregate Resistance Test, Sean P. Rafferty May 2004

Evaluation Of The Compacted Aggregate Resistance Test, Sean P. Rafferty

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Compacted Aggregate Resistance (CAR) test is a procedure used to analyze the quality of asphalt. It is a punch shear test that indirectly measures the shape and angularity of fine aggregates. The CAR test is in the developing process of replacing the current Superpave standard for fine aggregate angularity.;The primary objective of this paper is to determine if there is a direct correlation between the results from the CAR test and the quality of asphalt that corresponds to the results from an Asphalt Pavement Analyzer. Currently, there has been good quality Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) that cannot pass the …

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Identification And Functional Characterization Of Cataract-Specific Gene Expression Changes Reveals Important Pathways For Human Lens Maintenance, Aging And Disease, John R. Hawse Iv May 2004

Identification And Functional Characterization Of Cataract-Specific Gene Expression Changes Reveals Important Pathways For Human Lens Maintenance, Aging And Disease, John R. Hawse Iv

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Human age-related cataract, and opacity of the eye lens, is a multifactorial disease with a poorly understood etiology and is the leading cause of world blindness and low vision. It has been estimated that any therapy that could delay the onset of age-related cataract by ten years would halve the number of individuals requiring surgery in their lifetime. To accomplish such a feat, it is essential to understand the molecular mechanisms and biological pathways associated with this disease. Here, I describe the global gene expression profiles of human age-related cataracts compared to clear lenses, differentiate these changes from those that …

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Current Issues In Empirical Trade Estimation, Matthew Quinn Mcpherson May 2004

Current Issues In Empirical Trade Estimation, Matthew Quinn Mcpherson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The study of empirical trade estimation has been a staple in international economics literature since the early 1960s. I focus on three current topics in empirical trade estimation. In chapter 1, I use a time-series approach and in the context of the effect of exchange-rate volatility on trade, provide both theoretical and empirical explanations for positive volatility effects. My results show a clear pattern; when the effect of exchange-rate uncertainty on trade volume is positive [negative] for importers, the effect for exporters is negative [positive]. In addition, the U.K. provides evidence that trade balance is an important factor in determining …

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Software Architectural Risk Assessment, Ajith Reddy Guedem May 2004

Software Architectural Risk Assessment, Ajith Reddy Guedem

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Risk assessment is an essential part of the software development life cycle. Performing risk analysis early in the life cycle enhances resource allocation decisions, enables us to compare alternative software architectural designs and helps in identifying high-risk components in the system. As a result, remedial actions to control and optimize the process and improve the quality of the software product can be taken. In this thesis we investigate two types of risk---reliability-based and performance-based risk. The reliability-based risk assessment takes into account the probability of the failures and the severity of failures. For the reliability-based risk analysis we use UML …

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Comparison Of Partially Decoupled And Combined Methods Of Path Planning And Task Allocation, Jennifer Beth Hazelton May 2004

Comparison Of Partially Decoupled And Combined Methods Of Path Planning And Task Allocation, Jennifer Beth Hazelton

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Developing autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) reduces the risks to which soldiers are subjected by enabling the UAVs to make efficient decisions, regardless of the situation. This requires each group of UAVs to be proficient in planning their own paths and assigning tasks in a way that minimizes the total cost of the mission. Two methods are presented for doing this, the partially decoupled approach and the combined approach. After comparing two methods, the partially decoupled approach costs an average of 3.0 meters less than the combined approach, while taking an average of 0.327 seconds longer to complete. This indicates …

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Comparison Of Path-Planning And Search Methods For Cooperating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Zachary Wilson Spritzer May 2004

Comparison Of Path-Planning And Search Methods For Cooperating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Zachary Wilson Spritzer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The main goal of this research effort is develop a simulation environment for cooperating UAVs within MATLAB's SIMULINK. This is the first step in a process that will eventually lead to the implementation of model UAVs on a model battlefield. The interest in cooperation of UAVs over the past decade has grown significantly. This is due to several reasons including lower operational cost, lower risk for humans, and greater maneuverability.;This research explores two scenarios. The first is a scenario in which all of the characteristics of a battlefield are known prior to the UAVs being launched. Three prevalent path-planning methods …

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Forensic Information Management System, Arunshankar Srinivasan May 2004

Forensic Information Management System, Arunshankar Srinivasan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The primary objectives of this project were to reduce the paper work, increase data reliability and reduce process turnaround time at the West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory (WVSPFL) Charleston, WV. The objective was achieved by reengineering and automating various processes in the seven units of the laboratory. A software tool called Forensic Information Management System (FIMS) was developed. FIMS was implemented in Visual Studio.Net; MS-SQL server was used as the database. The FIMS can be accessed via the internet/intranet, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), or a stand-alone desktop computer. The key benefits of FIMS are its ability to integrate information …

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Perspectives On The Leadership Styles Of West Virginia University Extension Service County Program Coordinators, Elaine Bowen May 2004

Perspectives On The Leadership Styles Of West Virginia University Extension Service County Program Coordinators, Elaine Bowen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research study examined the leadership styles of West Virginia University Extension Service County Program Coordinators from two perspectives. A sample of coordinators (n = 33) completed Bolman and Deal's Leadership Orientations (Self) Survey and Extension Service Committee members (n = 152) completed a Leadership Orientations (Other ) Survey. Descriptive procedures, Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficients, and qualitative techniques were used to analyze the data.;Survey scores for the structural, human resource, political, and symbolic leadership frames were categorized into four leadership styles. Findings revealed the majority of coordinators (39%) reported none of the four leadership frames were used frequently. The single …

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Cohesive Zone Model For Facesheet -Core Interface Delamination In Honeycomb Frp Sandwich Panels, Weiqiao Wang May 2004

Cohesive Zone Model For Facesheet -Core Interface Delamination In Honeycomb Frp Sandwich Panels, Weiqiao Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The focus of this dissertation is on developing efficient modeling techniques to study facesheet-core interface delamination in honeycomb fiber-reinforced polymer (HFRP) sandwich panels. Delamination problems are usually treated from a fracture mechanics point of view. However, interface delamination is generally very complex in nature and difficult to solve, because it involves not only geometric and material discontinuities, but also the inherently coupled Mode I, II and III fracture in layered material systems attributed to the well-known oscillatory singularity nature of the stress and displacement field in the vicinity of the delamination crack tip. One of the key issues in this …

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Effects Of Drought On The Growth Of Young And Mature Temperate Forests In West Virginia, Nicholas R. Doner May 2004

Effects Of Drought On The Growth Of Young And Mature Temperate Forests In West Virginia, Nicholas R. Doner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Recent research suggests that the temperate deciduous forests of the eastern United States may have played a significant role in the sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide over the last 100 years. However, little is known about the role of forest management and climatic variability on the productivity of these forests. The purpose of this study was to determine the variation in aboveground production between two different aged forest stands and to evaluate the effect of drought on inter-annual variation in productivity. Aboveground net primary production (ANPP) was compared with precipitation and the Palmer Drought Severity Index to determine the effects …

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Employment Opportunities And Skills Necessary For Entry-Level Employment In The Timber Industry, Robert E. Driscole May 2004

Employment Opportunities And Skills Necessary For Entry-Level Employment In The Timber Industry, Robert E. Driscole

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine the skills and knowledge needed by entry-level employees in the timber harvesting industry as viewed by the Owner/Operators in the four county area of northern West Virginia. The population consisted of 163 owner/operators in Monongalia, Marion, Taylor and Preston counties. A descriptive survey approach was utilized to explore the training need for persons wishing to enter the timber harvesting industry. The most significant finding was that the owner/operators viewed good work ethics as the most important trait for entry-level employees in the timber industry.

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Using The Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale As A Tool For Classroom Improvement, Brittany K. Lucci May 2004

Using The Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale As A Tool For Classroom Improvement, Brittany K. Lucci

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study's intent was to examine the use of the ECERS as a training tool for classroom improvement. Quality ratings for classrooms were measured using the two ECERS observations with a training session in between. The participants of this study were 15 Educare classrooms from a northern county in West Virginia.;An alpha level of .05 was used in all statistical analysis. The results of the one-tailed paired-sampled t-test of the ECERS displayed two significant findings. A second analysis resulted in additional significant findings, after removing a center from the study.;This was an important study for child care centers and directors. …

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Factors Affecting Iron Status Among Infants Age 6--24 Months, Christopher Melonas May 2004

Factors Affecting Iron Status Among Infants Age 6--24 Months, Christopher Melonas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Iron deficiency has been shown to have a multitude of negative effects on the growing infant. The diet plays a key role in alleviating iron deficiency within a younger population. The objective of this study was to search out specific nutrients in the diet that have some affect on iron status in a population of infants age 6 to 24 months.;This was a cross-sectional study that included 57 rural infants who participated in the WIC program. Dietary intake data was collected by 2 multiple-pass 24-hour intakes done 3 to 4 days apart. Blood was collected by venipuncture and analyzed for …

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Pic 18f452 Implementation Of Digital Filters, Vikram A. Bose-Mullick May 2004

Pic 18f452 Implementation Of Digital Filters, Vikram A. Bose-Mullick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research hopes to explore the computational limits of the PIC18f452 chip by encompassing the designing and implementation of two types of filters for the PIC 18F452 microcontroller. The main purpose of this research is to implement a floating-point least mean square (LMS) error adaptive filter and its secondary goal is a fixed-point implementation of finite impulse response (FIR) filter. FIR filters are specified via a graphical user interface (GUI) and upon demand, optimized C-language code is generated for the popular CCS PIC C-Compiler. In is the intent of this research to learn whether FIR filters can be made computationally …

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Sensitivity Analysis Of The C-130 Sensor Deployment System Arm Using Finite Element Methods, Lawrence Anthony Feragotti May 2004

Sensitivity Analysis Of The C-130 Sensor Deployment System Arm Using Finite Element Methods, Lawrence Anthony Feragotti

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Finite Element Method may be the most powerful tool in the engineer's toolbox today, and can be used in many different applications. The purpose of this thesis is to utilize this tool to optimize the current design of the roll-on roll-off sensor deployment system support arm for the C-130 Hercules. The Department of Defense (DOD) and the National Guard (NG) will be using these sensor pallet systems in a variety of command and control configurations for counter narco-terrorism applications. The original design for the sensor deployment arm will be drawn using CAD, and then a Finite Element Analysis will …

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