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Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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Skeletal And Dental Changes With The Acrylic Splint Herbst Appliance, Jorge Clemente Casellas May 2001

Skeletal And Dental Changes With The Acrylic Splint Herbst Appliance, Jorge Clemente Casellas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine the amount of skeletal and dental cephalometric changes of Class II patients treated with acrylic splint Herbst appliance. The sample consisted of one experimental group and one control group. These patients were matched in sex, age and craniofacial morphology. The cephalometric system described by Pancherz was used to determine the cephalometric changes. Significant differences in skeletal and dental changes were found in patients treated with the acrylic splint Herbst when compared with the control group. An overjet correction of 4.6 mm and a molar relation correction of 5.6 mm were obtained. The …

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Fastener Withdrawal Resistance Of Wood-Based Composite Panel Products, Steven M. Cook May 2001

Fastener Withdrawal Resistance Of Wood-Based Composite Panel Products, Steven M. Cook

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this research project was to evaluate the performance of currently available wood-based panel products as sub-floor materials when used under quality oak strip flooring and exposed to cyclic EMC conditions. The critical evaluation criterion was the fastener holding capacity of various sub-floor materials. To accomplish this, investigation of the in-plane density variations of currently available panel products was performed, as was an investigation of the relationship between panel density and the fastener holding capacity of different panel materials. In addition, a comparison of the fastener holding capacity of six different panel products was investigated during and after …

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Problem -Solving Communication Training And Behavioral Exchange For The Treatment Of Parent -Adolescent Conflict, Ethan Sage Long May 2001

Problem -Solving Communication Training And Behavioral Exchange For The Treatment Of Parent -Adolescent Conflict, Ethan Sage Long

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Elevated levels of parent-adolescent conflict have been associated with a number of adolescent problem behaviors. One treatment that appears to be effective in reducing family conflict is Problem Solving Communication Training (PSCT). Research has indicated that PSCT appears to be an effective and acceptable treatment program for reducing parent-adolescent conflict. However, researchers have suggested some possible limitations associated with PSCT treatment. Many of the identified limitations of PSCT potentially may be addressed with the inclusion of a Behavioral Exchange (BE) treatment component. Evidence supporting this hypothesis is provided by the documented success of Behavioral Marital Therapy, a treatment package that …

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Generic Pronouns And Their Influence On The Speakers' Language Awareness, Maike Engelhardt May 2001

Generic Pronouns And Their Influence On The Speakers' Language Awareness, Maike Engelhardt

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The English language is a genderless language in which nouns receive grammatical gender through natural gender assignment. The generic pronoun encoded in English is the pronoun he, which next to its secondary meaning of the generic also has the primary meaning of the third person masculine singular. Following the moderate version of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, English speaking societies may therefore be considered androcentric societies, since the unmarked use of the generic he makes everyone in this society male until explicitly proven otherwise. In this thesis I explore the history of the generic pronoun in English and offer suggestions for a …

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Wood Deck Bridges-Stress Laminated Wood Panels On Steel Beams, Bryan Lin King May 2001

Wood Deck Bridges-Stress Laminated Wood Panels On Steel Beams, Bryan Lin King

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this project was to simulate a stress laminated timber bridge deck model stiffened with wide flange steel stringers for performance monitoring. The simulation accounted for typical HS-20 repetitive loadings offered by a mechanically controlled actuator.;Based on the results incorporated in this report and additional projects accredited in the literature review, some general recommendations can be established regarding the best approach for constructing timber bridges in the future.;In general, short span prestressed timber bridges appear to be a reliable alternative in rural bridge design applications. Pure aesthetics responsive to timber construction add to the allure of this optional …

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Relational Specification As A Testing Oracle, Harjinder Sandhu May 2001

Relational Specification As A Testing Oracle, Harjinder Sandhu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Software engineering community is well aware of the usefulness of formal methods for specifying, designing and testing of the software. Despite this testing literature rarely deals with specification based testing. Testing from formal specifications offers a simple, structured and more rigorous approach to the functional tests than testing techniques. An important application of specification in testing is providing test oracles. The rise of use of computers in control safety critical systems, i.e., flight control systems, necessitates that rigorous system testing is performed before the deployment. In flight control systems, requirements are mostly concerned with the safety and maneuverability of an …

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Teaching Web Design At The Higher Education Level, Randall Franklin Mull May 2001

Teaching Web Design At The Higher Education Level, Randall Franklin Mull

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

For the latter half of the last decade the new phenomenon known as the Internet has taken over media and journalism in many ways. It has changed the way that news and information is delivered to the public. It has made people also perceive the media in a new way. The public now, more than ever, demands information fast and accurately.;That is why it is critical that students of journalism today learn about this new tool which they can use to their advantage. In order to address this need within the P. I. Reed School of Journalism a new course …

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Unethical Practices In Exhibiting Animals As Observed By West Virginia Extension Agents And High School Agriculture Teachers, Jared Nathaniel Nestor May 2001

Unethical Practices In Exhibiting Animals As Observed By West Virginia Extension Agents And High School Agriculture Teachers, Jared Nathaniel Nestor

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of unethical practices in exhibiting animals observed by West Virginia extension agents and high school teachers. A researcher-created demographic sheet and a fifty-eight-statement Lickert type questionnaire were sent to all extension agents and high school agriculture teachers in West Virginia (N = 154). Descriptive data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSSpc). Frequencies, t-values and means were used to describe and analyze the research results.;There are unethical practices in West Virginia concerning cruelty to animals but these practices are not a problem that has a high rate …

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Computer Usage By Building -Level Administrators In West Virginia Public Schools, Kevin Gail Cain May 2001

Computer Usage By Building -Level Administrators In West Virginia Public Schools, Kevin Gail Cain

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

By gaining a better understanding of the general computer usage of building-level administrators, effective training programs can be designed to enhance the leadership roles of the school principal. Administrators, supervisors, directors, and program coordinators at the West Virginia Department of Education will be able to use the information found through this study to assist administrators in becoming more effective leaders within their respective schools. More effective leaders will lead to more effective schools. Further, the technologically literate principal will be better equipped to take on a more active role in the technological advancements at his/her respective school.;The purpose of this …

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Governance Of A Private Japanese University Before And After The 1998 University Council Reforms, Clark Marshall Egnor May 2001

Governance Of A Private Japanese University Before And After The 1998 University Council Reforms, Clark Marshall Egnor

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A major crisis facing Japanese higher education is the inability of university leaders to respond to changes, such as enrollment declines and sudden economic downturns. In response, sweeping changes were proposed by the Japanese government-appointed University Council in October 1998 that may result in increased autonomy of universities and reduced control by the Ministry of Education. This case study describes the governance patterns of a single private university in Japan and explores the following question: What are the differences between the patterns of governance at Toshi University (not the real name of the university) before and after the 1998 University …

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Relationships And Differences On Self -Regulated Learning, Parental Involvement, Homework, And Academic Achievement, Among High School Students In Rural West Virginia, Samuel R. Heastie May 2001

Relationships And Differences On Self -Regulated Learning, Parental Involvement, Homework, And Academic Achievement, Among High School Students In Rural West Virginia, Samuel R. Heastie

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among self-regulated learning (SRL), parental involvement (PI), homework (HW), and cumulative grade point average (CGPA), and the differences between gender on these variables for high school students in rural West Virginia. Research was conducted at a rural high school, grades nine through 12, in North Central West Virginia. Participants in the study comprised of 50 students and 35 parents, for a combined total of 85 participants. Data were collected for students and parents from teachers' grade book, students' records, and two survey instruments---Bandura's Children's Self-Efficacy Scale (1990) and The Parent …

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Multimedia -Assisted Reading In Spanish And Its Relationship With The Cognitive Control Of Field Dependence And Field Independence, Laura Janes Little May 2001

Multimedia -Assisted Reading In Spanish And Its Relationship With The Cognitive Control Of Field Dependence And Field Independence, Laura Janes Little

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examines the influence of the cognitive controls of field independence and field dependence on the use of a multimedia-assisted reading program and reading recall. The participants were 11 university students of intermediate Spanish as a second language. The participants were classified as field dependent or field independent based on GEFT scores. The participants read a passage about Mayan architecture that was converted to a multimedia-assisted format. Participants could access as many or as few of the multimedia aids as they chose. After completing the reading, a recall measure was obtained in which participants wrote everything they could recall …

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Scheduling Flexible Flowshops With Sequence -Dependent Setup Times, Kanchana Sethanan May 2001

Scheduling Flexible Flowshops With Sequence -Dependent Setup Times, Kanchana Sethanan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation addresses the scheduling problem in a flexible flowshop with sequence-dependent setup times. The production line consists of S production stages, each of which may have more than one non-identical (uniform) machines. Prior to processing a job on a machine at the first stage, a setup time from idling is needed. Also sequence dependent setup times (SDST) are considered on each machine in each stage. The objective of this research is to minimize the makespan. A mathematical model was developed for small size problems and two heuristic algorithms (Flexible Flowshop with Sequence Dependent Setup Times Heuristic (FFSDSTH) and Tabu …

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Sensor Technology For The Breast Examination Training Instrument, Bratislav Matic May 2001

Sensor Technology For The Breast Examination Training Instrument, Bratislav Matic

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Latest medical research has shown high percentage of American women, diagnosed with breast cancer. If detected in its early stage, cancer can be treated successfully. Breast examination might be obtained through three procedures: breast self-examination (BSE), clinical breast examination (CBE) and mammography. Project BETI was developed with idea of educating and training women and health care professionals in BSE. This instrument consists of a silicone breast model, tactile sensors and serial communication capability. Software was developed for a generic PC that supports an integrated system including: (1) an interactive video demonstrating BSE techniques, (2) a practical examination using the instrumented …

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Metaphysical Detectives And Postmodern Spaces, Or The Case Of The Missing Boundaries, Richard A. Swope May 2001

Metaphysical Detectives And Postmodern Spaces, Or The Case Of The Missing Boundaries, Richard A. Swope

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Taking as its point of departure Henri Lefebvre's contention that "(Social) space is a (social) product," my dissertation explores the contemporary American novels of Pynchon, Acker, Reed, Auster, DeLillo, and McElroy as well as the two recent films Dark City and The Thirteenth Floor and their dramatization of the production of twentieth-century social space. I approach these works as metaphysical detective stories which evoke the classic detective figure only to frustrate his impulse to solve and contain. Following Foucault's contention that "space is fundamental to any exercise of power," I suggest that the detective figure is significant to an understanding …

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Space-Time Block Coding With Imperfect Channel Estimates, Dirk Alan Baker May 2001

Space-Time Block Coding With Imperfect Channel Estimates, Dirk Alan Baker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Space-time block coding (STBC) is a method that combines diversity and coding without a corresponding increase in bandwidth and with minimal complexity in the receiver. The performance of STBC with perfect channel state information (CSI) being available at the receiver has been shown to provide approximately 10 dB of improvement over uncoded transmission in Rayleigh fading when using Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) at a bit error rate of 10 -3. In this thesis, the performance of space-time block codes is analyzed when the receiver must rely on noisy, or imperfect, estimates of the channel. It is shown that for …

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Message Sequence Chart Specifications With Cross Verification, Timothy Shawn Boles May 2001

Message Sequence Chart Specifications With Cross Verification, Timothy Shawn Boles

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Current software specification verification methods are usually performed within the context of the specification method. There is little cross verification, pitting one type of specification against another, taking place. The most common techniques involve syntax checks across specifications or doing specification transformations and running verification within the new context. Since viewpoints of a system are different even within programming teams we concentrate on producing an efficient way to run cross verification on specifications, particularly specifications written with Message Sequence Charts and State Transition Diagrams.;In this work an algorithm is proposed in which all conditional MSCs are transformed into an algebraic …

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Computational Modeling Of Hydrogen Embrittlement Of Iron Aluminides, Roxana Cisloiu May 2001

Computational Modeling Of Hydrogen Embrittlement Of Iron Aluminides, Roxana Cisloiu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Comparative fracture tests of two Fe-28%Al iron aluminides revealed that alloys with B, Zr, and C addition (FA189) are extrinsically more susceptible to environmental embrittlement than the base ternary alloy (FA186) under constant tensile loading condition. This may due to the effect of smaller grain sizes caused by alloy addition. To further investigate the grain boundary size effect as related to the susceptibility of hydrogen embrittlement, comparative finite element modeling simulations of intergranular fracture of two iron aluminides (FA186 and FA189) were carried out. The computational simulations involved sequentially coupled stress and hydrogen diffusion analyses to determine crack-tip stress state …

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Evaluating Heavy-Duty Diesel Engine Aftertreatment Devices With A Split Exhaust Configuration, Eric Roy Corrigan May 2001

Evaluating Heavy-Duty Diesel Engine Aftertreatment Devices With A Split Exhaust Configuration, Eric Roy Corrigan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

West Virginia University evaluated diesel oxidation catalysts (DOC) and lean-NOx catalysts as part of the Diesel Emissions Control-Sulfur Effects (DECSE) program. In order to perform thermal aging of the DOC and lean-NOx catalysts simultaneously and economically, each catalyst was sized to accommodate half of the engine exhaust flow. Simultaneous catalyst aging was then achieved by splitting the engine exhaust into two streams such that approximately half of the total exhaust flowed through the DOC and half through the lean-NOx catalyst. This necessitated splitting the engine exhaust into two streams during emissions measurements. The fraction of exhaust entering the measurement system …

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Processing And Characterization Of Contacts On Mbe-Grown Gallium Nitride, Carlo Requiao Da Cunha May 2001

Processing And Characterization Of Contacts On Mbe-Grown Gallium Nitride, Carlo Requiao Da Cunha

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Gallium nitride, a III-V compound semiconductor, is a good candidate for applications such as blue laser diodes and power devices due to its wide bandgap. One of the main challenges related to this compound is the growth of high quality crystals. If crystals with high level of purity are grown, the carrier concentration is therefore low, and the resulting high resistivity of the bulk imposes some difficulties for capacitance-related measurements. This thesis deals with the problem of processing and characterization of contacts on highly resistive materials such as unintentionally doped n-type gallium nitride. The ideal electrical model of a depletion …

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Scenario-Based Verification And Validation Of Dynamic Uml Specifications, Alaa El-Sayed Ibrahim May 2001

Scenario-Based Verification And Validation Of Dynamic Uml Specifications, Alaa El-Sayed Ibrahim

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is the result of the unification process of earlier object oriented models and notations. Verification and validation (V&V) tasks, as applied to UML specifications, enable early detection of analysis and design flaws prior to implementation. In this work, we address four V&V analysis methods for UML dynamic specifications, namely: Timing analysis and automatic V&V of timing constraints, automated Architectural-level Risk assessment, Performance Modeling and Fault Injection analysis. For each we present: approaches, methods and/or automated techniques. We use two case studies: a Cardiac Pacemaker and a simplified Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) banking subsystem, for illustrating …

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Analyses Of Coal Extraction And Spoil Handling Techniques In Mountainous Areas, Shiva Prasad B. Kolli May 2001

Analyses Of Coal Extraction And Spoil Handling Techniques In Mountainous Areas, Shiva Prasad B. Kolli

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Surface mining of multiple seams by mountaintop mining methodology is complex in the Appalachian region of West Virginia. Mining operations in these mountainous areas can be considered as customized forms of surface mining techniques. The customization of the mining methods is greatly dominated by the location, geology, and stratigraphic succession of coal seams in the area.;Owing to its unique mining operations, and the environmental effects associated with it, mountaintop removal method of mining has become an issue of public concern. The pertinence of the present mountaintop mining operations and reclamation techniques, with respect to being in compliance with Surface Mining …

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Evaluation Of Exhaust Flowrate Measurement Techniques For A Mobile Emissions Monitoring System, Eric Todd Meyer May 2001

Evaluation Of Exhaust Flowrate Measurement Techniques For A Mobile Emissions Monitoring System, Eric Todd Meyer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

West Virginia University designed and developed Mobile Emissions Monitoring System (MEMS) for the six settling Heavy-Duty Diesel Engine (S-HDDE) manufacturers. The MEMS measures emissions concentrations while operating in a real world environment. The best method for measuring the emissions concentrations was found to be through raw exhaust sampling. In order to properly calculate the emissions concentrations the total exhaust flowrate through the engine must be determined. The devices evaluated were an Annubar, an Accutube, a hot film anemometer, a Pitot static tube, a venturi, and a vortex shedder.;The evaluation of the devices was broken down into two parts, the first …

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Design And Evaluation Of The Emissions Measurement Components For A Heavy-Duty Diesel-Powered Vehicle Mobile Emissions Measurement System (Mems), Wesley Clark Riddle May 2001

Design And Evaluation Of The Emissions Measurement Components For A Heavy-Duty Diesel-Powered Vehicle Mobile Emissions Measurement System (Mems), Wesley Clark Riddle

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this study was the design, construction, and preliminary qualification of the Mobile Emissions Measurement System (MEMS) for in-use, on-road testing of heavy-duty diesel-powered vehicles. This included selection of emissions analyzers and sampling system components capable of producing emissions results of similar accuracy to those attained with laboratory-grade instruments. A thorough investigation of commercially available systems, and a literature review, identified no suitable designs. Therefore, a complete emissions measurement system, designed specifically for the testing of heavy-duty diesel powered vehicles, was developed using available components.;The candidate analyzers that performed successfully during bottled gas bench tests were then incorporated …

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Mitigation Of Water Quality And Ecosystem Impacts Of Roadway Construction Through Retrospective Engineering Analyses, Jaime Monique Sayre May 2001

Mitigation Of Water Quality And Ecosystem Impacts Of Roadway Construction Through Retrospective Engineering Analyses, Jaime Monique Sayre

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

During the construction of a segment of Appalachian Corridor H between Buckhannon and Elkins, West Virginia, mine spoils and land use features related to historic mining were disturbed. An assessment of the water quality, benthic macro invertebrates, and fish populations was conducted to ascertain the condition of the water and to assess the biological productivity of Laurel Run, a tributary of the Tygart Valley River which runs parallel to Corridor H. The water quality and biological impairments were attributed to the ineffective vegetation of the spoils pile, which permitted water infiltration and thus, served as a source of metals and …

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Software Tool For Reliability Estimation, Manish Jhunjhunwala May 2001

Software Tool For Reliability Estimation, Manish Jhunjhunwala

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Reliability engineering is now an essential part of product development. In the area of electronics, reliability needs to be checked for each critical component before the product is shipped. Electronic products can range from computers to pace makers.;Over the years, several tools have been developed to estimate hardware/software reliability. Typically, such tools are either for hardware or software. This thesis presents a Software Tool for Reliability Estimation (STORE), which can be used for hardware components, software components, and for systems having both hardware and software components.;The objective of this research was to study several hardware-software reliability models, existing algorithms to …

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Pretreatment And Enzymatic Hydrolysis Of Lignocellulosic Materials, Wei Cheng May 2001

Pretreatment And Enzymatic Hydrolysis Of Lignocellulosic Materials, Wei Cheng

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research aims to increase the efficiency of utilizing lignocellulosic materials, which have great potential as future energy and chemical feed stocks, and may finally substitute the diminishing hydrocarbon resources. This work involved two main parts: (a) comparison of efficiency of different pretreatment methods on lignocellulosic materials; and (b) enhancing enzymatic hydrolysis in a continuous tubular membrane reactor (TMR) process.;The alkaline oxidation pretreatment method was found to be more efficient than ammonia steeping pretreatment in lignin removal and digestible cellulose enrichment for the raw substrates chosen for this study, namely, yellow poplar (hardwood) and corn cob (herbaceous crop).;A combination of …

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Optimum Hybrid Vehicle Configurations For Heavy Duty Applications, Jonathan Burke Smith May 2001

Optimum Hybrid Vehicle Configurations For Heavy Duty Applications, Jonathan Burke Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Increased concern about the fuel economy of and emissions from automobiles has led to interest in the use of hybrid electric powertrains and the introduction of several production vehicles in both heavy-duty and light-duty applications. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) use a combination of electric motor(s) and another power source such as an internal combustion engine (ICE) or fuel cell. While these vehicles show great potential for use in a wide variety of driving situations, the optimization of components and control strategies is quite complex.;In this thesis, Class 2B, Class 6, and Class 8 vehicles are determined by averaging a variety …

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Stress Concentration Around Dowel Bars In Jointed Rigid Concrete Pavements, Mourad Youssef Riad May 2001

Stress Concentration Around Dowel Bars In Jointed Rigid Concrete Pavements, Mourad Youssef Riad

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this study, the magnitude and state of stresses induced around dowel bars were identified through detailed 3D Finite Element (3DFE) modeling of dowel jointed rigid pavement structures. Both straight and skewed joints were modeled using extremely fine meshing that allows accurate modeling of the friction and separation at dowel concrete interfaces. The model response was examined for the case of joint loading with an equivalent axle load of 18000 lb. It was found that significantly large tensile stresses develop in the concrete on both sides of the loaded dowel. The magnitude of the tensile stress approaches the tensile modulus …

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Photoluminescence Study Of Cadmium Zinc Telluride, Swati Jain May 2001

Photoluminescence Study Of Cadmium Zinc Telluride, Swati Jain

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this thesis, I present a detailed study of Cd1-xZn xTe crystals with 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.14 using photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy in the temperature range from 5 K to 300 K with the purpose of: (1) identifying various radiative transitions that are signatures of various point defects in bulk CdZnTe, (2) determining the zinc concentration in these crystals, and (3) identifying the nature of room-temperature PL. PL spectra at 5 K was used to determine the bandgap and hence the zinc concentrations. In the current state-of-the-art CZT grown for radiation detectors, it is common to observe 5-K PL spectra …

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