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Forestry Transfer Students: A Case Study. West Virginia University Forest Resources Management Curriculum., James B. Harrold Jan 2005

Forestry Transfer Students: A Case Study. West Virginia University Forest Resources Management Curriculum., James B. Harrold

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

College students are constantly transferring from one university, college or community college to another; or transferring within one university program to another. At West Virginia University, Division of Forestry, Forest Resources Management Curriculum, transfer students are enrolling at an increasing rate each year. This study is an attempt to determine the impact the transfer student has on the Forest Resources Management Curriculum at West Virginia University. The study addressed present and possible future impacts on the curriculum and present problems and suggested solutions associated with the transfer student. Student transfers in the Forest Resources Management Curriculum at West Virginia University …


Comparison Of 9.5 Mm Superpave And Marshall Wearing I Mixes In West Virginia., Jason W. Nelson Jan 2005

Comparison Of 9.5 Mm Superpave And Marshall Wearing I Mixes In West Virginia., Jason W. Nelson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

West Virginia currently uses the Superpave mix design method for high traffic volume roads and the Marshall method for other highways. This research evaluated the differences between these methods for asphalt concrete wearing course materials; Marshall Wearing I and Superpave 9.5 mm. Mixes were developed for light, medium and heavy traffic using 100 percent limestone and a blend of limestone and natural sand aggregates. Asphalt Pavement Analyzer evaluation demonstrated the mixes developed under either method have similar rutting potential. The optimum asphalt content of the mixes varied between the Marshall and Superpave methods. There was not a consistent trend that …


"Islam Is The Blackman's Religion": Syncretizing Islam With Black Nationalist Thought To Fulfill The Religio-Political Agenda Of The Nation Of Islam., Sultana Rahim-Barakzoy Jan 2005

"Islam Is The Blackman's Religion": Syncretizing Islam With Black Nationalist Thought To Fulfill The Religio-Political Agenda Of The Nation Of Islam., Sultana Rahim-Barakzoy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study intends to examine the efforts of the Nation of Islam, via its founder the "Messenger," Elijah Muhammad, in syncretizing Islamic tenets with black nationalist thought to further the religio-political agenda of the organization. Strongly influenced by Marcus Garvey's "Back to Africa" movement, the Nation of Islam coupled Garvey's political nationalism with the nationalist "Islamism" of the Moorish Science Temple movement to form its own immutable religio-political platform. The religion of Islam not only gave the black Moslems a firm religious identity, but it also represented a medium by which black Moslems could express their own originality and creativity …


The Connection Between Leadership And Pedagogy., Gregory M. Kuhns Jan 2005

The Connection Between Leadership And Pedagogy., Gregory M. Kuhns

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this descriptive case study is to examine leadership and pedagogy in search of a connection between these two components. By examining the literature from a variety of authors, background information about leadership and pedagogy has been assembled to assist this researcher. A research-based Lickert scale, the Teachers' Perception of Leadership and Instructional Leadership (TPLIL), was designed by this researcher as an instrument to select the active participants for this study. The TPLIL was examined by a panel of educational experts for its clarity and representativeness. A list of twenty interview questions was used to gather information about …


A Study Of The Continuum Of Integration Of Mathematics Content With Science Concepts At The Middle School Level In West Virginia., Edna Marie Meisel Jan 2005

A Study Of The Continuum Of Integration Of Mathematics Content With Science Concepts At The Middle School Level In West Virginia., Edna Marie Meisel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to examine the practices and perceptions of regular education seventh grade middle school mathematics teachers in West Virginia concerning the integration of mathematics objectives with science concepts. In addition, this study also emphasized the use of integrated curriculum continuum models to study mathematics teachers' practices and perceptions for teaching mathematics objectives in connection with science concepts. It was argued that the integrated curriculum continuum model can be used to help educators begin to form a common definition of integrated curriculum. The population was described as the regular education seventh grade middle school mathematics teachers …


Diffractive Optical Lens Design And Fabrication For Integrated Monitoring Of Microelectromechanical Lateral Comb Resonators, William Brent Mccormick Dec 2004

Diffractive Optical Lens Design And Fabrication For Integrated Monitoring Of Microelectromechanical Lateral Comb Resonators, William Brent Mccormick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Analysis of fault characteristics and control of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) is becoming increasingly important as these devices are incorporated into safety critical systems. Mechanically decoupled monitoring techniques are needed to ensure that accurate, low-noise positional information is gathered from these devices during operation. Optical monitoring has been shown by various groups to be capable of achieving this goal. However, Integrated Optical Monitoring (IOM) must be achieved in order to enable incorporation with the MEMS die in a single package for effective lifetime system monitoring. This research addresses the design, fabrication and testing of diffractive optical elements (DOES) for achieving IOM. …


Contextual Biometric Watermarking Of Fingerprint Images, Nikhil C. Tungala Dec 2004

Contextual Biometric Watermarking Of Fingerprint Images, Nikhil C. Tungala

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research presents contextual digital watermarking techniques using face and demographic text data as multiple watermarks for protecting the evidentiary integrity of fingerprint image. The proposed techniques embed the watermarks into selected regions of fingerprint image in MDCT and DWT domains. A general image watermarking algorithm is developed to investigate the application of MDCT in the elimination of blocking artifacts. The application of MDCT has improved the performance of the watermarking technique compared to DCT. Experimental results show that modifications to fingerprint image are visually imperceptible and maintain the minutiae detail. The integrity of the fingerprint image is verified through …


Use Of Commercial Cfd Software For Assessing The Performance Of Personal Aerosol Samplers, Aaron J. Bird Dec 2004

Use Of Commercial Cfd Software For Assessing The Performance Of Personal Aerosol Samplers, Aaron J. Bird

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Accurate performance of personal aerosol samplers is critical for industrial hygienists' successful efforts to protect workers. Performance assessments of personal samplers are necessarily conducted in controlled environments so unknown sources of variability will not influence the results. This is done in order that samplers may be used with confidence for monitoring workplace air quality. These performance evaluations are usually conducted in wind tunnels. However, recent advances in high-performance cluster computing---together with advanced flow modeling software---have made it possible to evaluate sampler performance with computer simulations. This was done in the current research. Simulations were conducted for air and particle behavior …


Strength Evaluation Of Honeycomb Frp Sandwich Panels With Sinusoidal Core Geometry, An Chen Dec 2004

Strength Evaluation Of Honeycomb Frp Sandwich Panels With Sinusoidal Core Geometry, An Chen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In recent years, the demands in civil infrastructure have provided opportunities for development and implementation of Honeycomb Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (HFRP) sandwich panels, both in rehabilitation projects and new constructions.;This dissertation is the first study on strength evaluation of HFRP sandwich panels with sinusoidal core geometry. Core materials for sandwich structures are primarily subjected to out-of-plane compression and shear. Therefore, three major contributions are included in this dissertation: out-of-plane compression, out-of-plane shear, and study on facesheet laminates. Two analytical models, corresponding to pure compression and elastic buckling failure, respectively, are provided for panels subject to out-of-plane compression. The facesheet and core …


Automatic Hydraulic Fracturing Design For Low Permeability Reservoirs Using Artificial Intelligence, Andrei Sergiu Popa Dec 2004

Automatic Hydraulic Fracturing Design For Low Permeability Reservoirs Using Artificial Intelligence, Andrei Sergiu Popa

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The hydraulic fracturing technique is one of the major developments in petroleum engineering in the last two decades. Today, nearly all the wells completed in low permeability gas reservoirs require a hydraulic fracturing treatment in order to produce at an economical level. This study presents a new methodology, applicable to tight gas reservoirs, for designing hydraulic fractures.;This study is intended to develop an automatic hydraulic fracture design tool to help users design fracture jobs without being an expert in the art and science of hydraulic fracturing. This process is composed entirely of an integration of several artificial intelligence techniques.;The methodology …


Characteristics Of West Virginia Secondary Agricultural Educators, James C. Beatty Dec 2004

Characteristics Of West Virginia Secondary Agricultural Educators, James C. Beatty

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

All agricultural educators are expected to teach each student the three aspects of the agricultural education program, FFA, Supervised Agricultural Experience programs, and classroom and laboratory instruction. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of an agricultural educator in the state of West Virginia. Agricultural educators rated reading, writing, and mathematics incorporation into the curriculum above average in the survey. They also felt that they encouraged professional and respectful relationships with their students almost all of the time. The amount of sarcasm used in the classroom, and bypassing school policy when the situation warranted it, returned varying …


Shrinkage And Strength Characterizations Of Concrete Containing Supplementary Cementing Materials, Aniruddha Chatterjee Dec 2004

Shrinkage And Strength Characterizations Of Concrete Containing Supplementary Cementing Materials, Aniruddha Chatterjee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Considerable differences in drying shrinkage strains and compressive strengths are observed in HPC containing supplementary cementing materials from normal concrete (without any supplementary cementing material). The differences in these properties due to addition of supplementary cementing materials occur because of different quantity of C-S-H gel formation. This limits the application to HPC of standard prediction equation for shrinkage and strength of normal concrete.;Therefore in this study a novel technique has been used to estimate the C-S-H gel for cement pastes containing supplementary cementing materials in varying replacement proportions and combinations. New shrinkage and compressive strength models have been developed using …


Experimental Validation Of The "Target Hood Static Pressure" Balancing Method For Exhaust Ventilation Systems, Michael Winifred Dodrill Dec 2004

Experimental Validation Of The "Target Hood Static Pressure" Balancing Method For Exhaust Ventilation Systems, Michael Winifred Dodrill

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

An experimental trial of a new method to balance industrial exhaust ventilation systems was performed. Although balance by design is considered preferable, many ventilation systems incorporate dampers to balance the system to a different airflow distribution after installation. The "target hood static pressure" method aims to minimize the time, effort, frustration and confusion invested in the balancing effort. It requires only one and one-half adjustment rounds, can be prepared as a computerized spreadsheet, and substitutes hood static pressure readings for airflow traverse readings. The method also minimizes the system static pressure to the least possible, thereby keeping friction losses at …


Resonant Optical Waveguide Biosensor Characterization, Shantanu Pathak Dec 2004

Resonant Optical Waveguide Biosensor Characterization, Shantanu Pathak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The importance of miniaturized sensors for quick and accurate assessments of a broad spectrum of hazardous biological agents has been highlighted by recent high profile events. Integrated optical devices based on evanescent wave interrogation techniques can register minute refractive index changes enabling detection of bioagents on the sensor surface and providing a potential for compact structure combined with a possibility of detecting several analytes simultaneously by fabricating multiple devices on the same chip. Most commonly integrated optical interrogation techniques suffer from issues of optical alignment and fabrication complexities. In addition the materials used to fabricate integrated optical devices experience drifts …


System Identification And Control Of The Standpipe In A Cold Flow Circulating Fluidized Bed, Juchirl Park Dec 2004

System Identification And Control Of The Standpipe In A Cold Flow Circulating Fluidized Bed, Juchirl Park

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Circulating fluidized beds (CFB) have been widely applied to many areas of industry such as chemical processing, petroleum refining, catalytic cracker processing, power generation, and waste treatment.;Recently, a mathematical model of the CFCFB standpipe was successfully developed and tested using an extended Kalman filter (EKF) and an Hinfinity estimator algorithm. Using this standpipe mathematical model requires a solids circulation rate (SCR) to be a measurable variable offered from a spiral installed in the standpipe of the CFCFB. In this research, a linear state space system model is developed in order to estimate the solids circulation rate, using a least squares …


Structure And Dynamics Of Interfaces In The Epitaxial Growth And Erosion On (110) And (100) Crystal Surfaces, Artem Levandovsky Dec 2004

Structure And Dynamics Of Interfaces In The Epitaxial Growth And Erosion On (110) And (100) Crystal Surfaces, Artem Levandovsky

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

We present unified theory of the far-from-equilibrium interfacial phenomena occurring in the multilayer homoepitaxial growth and erosion on (110) and (100) crystal surfaces. Within a unified model, here we elucidate the multitude of novel states on (110) and (100) surfaces as well as the transitions between them. In particular, by analytic arguments and numerical simulations, we address experimentally observed transitions between two types of rippled states on (110) surfaces. We discuss several intermediary interface states intervening, via consecutive transitions, between the two rippled states. One of the intermediary interface states, the Rhomboidal Pyramid State, was theoretically anticipated by us and …


Intraindividual Variability And Relations Between Daily Affect And Physical Activity Among Community -Dwelling Older Women, Jenessa C. Steele Dec 2004

Intraindividual Variability And Relations Between Daily Affect And Physical Activity Among Community -Dwelling Older Women, Jenessa C. Steele

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The current study investigated individual and group-level daily relations between affect and physical activity among 37 non-sedentary community-dwelling older women. The study expected that (a) positive affect would hold a significant, positive synchronous relation with physical activity and (b) negative affect would hold a significant, negative synchronous relation with physical activity over six consecutive days. Women over age 55 (M = 71.5, SD = 9.4) participated by completing four daily assessments (8am, 12pm, 4pm, 8pm) of positive and negative affect and physical activity on a hand-held computer Monday through Saturday. Affect was measured using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule …


Modeling And Real-Time Feedback Control Of Mems Device, Limin Wang Dec 2004

Modeling And Real-Time Feedback Control Of Mems Device, Limin Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Applying closed-loop control to a MEMS devices not only can handle the abnormal behaviors caused by manufactory imprecision or device failure, enabling MEMS devices to survive in critical conditions, but also can increase the application where MEMS devices are used to drive components under varying load conditions. This study mainly focuses on the effort of closed-loop control on the Lateral Comb Resonator (LCR) MEMS device. The success of closed-loop control has been achieved on lateral comb resonator with novel integrated through wafer optical monitoring technique.;Availability of a system model and feedback signals are mandatory conditions for the implementation of closed-loop …


Development Of New Protocols To Evaluate The Transverse Loading Of Mine Ventilation Stoppings, Thomas M. Barczak Dec 2004

Development Of New Protocols To Evaluate The Transverse Loading Of Mine Ventilation Stoppings, Thomas M. Barczak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The transverse loading requirement for stoppings as specified in the current Code of Federal Regulations is 39 psf. This measure is based on physical testing of a freestanding wall in accordance with ASTM E 72 specifications, where the dominant parameter is the tensile strength of the sealant. A new protocol based on rigid arching is proposed to determine the true transverse load capacity of stoppings. Arching is achieved by the restraint of the stopping against the mine roof and floor, whereby compressive forces are developed within the wall. A laboratory procedure using the NIOSH Mine Roof Simulator (MRS) to simulate …


Load-Based Energy Savings In Three-Phase Squirrel Cage Induction Motors, Subodh Chaudhari Dec 2004

Load-Based Energy Savings In Three-Phase Squirrel Cage Induction Motors, Subodh Chaudhari

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Energy is an extremely valuable resource which should be used carefully. After realizing this in the 1990's DOE started various energy efficiency measures in order to reduce the energy consumed by US industry. Motors use almost 50 percent of the electricity in the United States. If motor efficiency could be increased then energy consumption could be reduced. There have been efforts to increase motor efficiency over past decade which lead to development of premium efficiency motors. Designed motor efficiency is normally above 90 percent so motors do not waste energy. However, motor efficiency decreases when load factor is less than …


Development Of A Program To Gather And Process Data From Oil And Gas Fields, Joshua R. Cook Dec 2004

Development Of A Program To Gather And Process Data From Oil And Gas Fields, Joshua R. Cook

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this thesis new software is developed to examine the needs and available options to gather information from oil and gas fields and to analyze data in an efficient manner. The program outlines potential setups as well as practical analysis techniques. The result is a program to store field data and capability to analyze input in different formats.;The developed system uses accounting, economics, engineering, and management concepts to process data. The program uses the relationships between field data gathered in a number of methods. The developed program provides a useful tool for the engineer to gather oil and gas field …


Factors Influencing Basal Area Growth Of Yellow-Poplar ( Liriodendron Tulipifera L.) In Central West Virginia, Christopher T. Crum Dec 2004

Factors Influencing Basal Area Growth Of Yellow-Poplar ( Liriodendron Tulipifera L.) In Central West Virginia, Christopher T. Crum

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This paper uses data from continuous forest inventory (CFI) plots to evaluate basal area growth of yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) as related to four topographic factors (aspect, slope position, steepness, and landform), two competition variables (basal area per acre and trees per acre) and four tree characteristics (age, diameter, total height, and crown diameter). These variables were plotted against basal area growth per year using simple linear regression on 69 yellow-poplar trees. The four tree characteristics all had a highly significant (p < .01) relationship with basal area growth. While the other variables did not exhibit a significant relationship, the two competition variables did have a significant (p < .05) relationship with each other.


Constraint-Based Facilities Planning, Tafazzul Ahmed Khan Dec 2004

Constraint-Based Facilities Planning, Tafazzul Ahmed Khan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In recent years a large variation of production volume for the mass-production products happens frequently due to the changes in technology and market. Those changes cause introduction of new products having shorter life cycles, thus enforcing modification and renewal of production facilities much earlier than their lifetime. A model was built to assess the impact of manufacturing parameters on the effectiveness of the layout and the material handling system. A relationship was developed between variations in production oriented parameters and its impact on the facility size and final cost of the product being manufactured exclusively in terms of machine time, …


Design And Development Of A Target-Costing Model For Machining, Ameet Kokatnur Dec 2004

Design And Development Of A Target-Costing Model For Machining, Ameet Kokatnur

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In today's intensely competitive and highly volatile business environment, consistent development of low cost and high quality products meeting the functionality requirements is a key to a company's survival. Companies continuously strive to reduce the costs while still producing quality products to stay ahead in the competition. Many companies have turned to target costing to achieve this objective. Target costing is a structured approach to determine the cost at which a proposed product, meeting the quality and functionality requirements, must be produced in order to generate the desired profits. It subtracts the desired profit margin from the company's selling price …


Parametric And Predictive Analysis Of Horizontal Well Configurations For Coalbed Methane Reservoirs In Appalachian Basin, Nikola Maricic Dec 2004

Parametric And Predictive Analysis Of Horizontal Well Configurations For Coalbed Methane Reservoirs In Appalachian Basin, Nikola Maricic

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

It has been a well-established fact that the Appalachian Basin represents a high potential region for the Coalbed Methane (CBM) production. The thin coal beds in the Appalachian basin are characterized by low porosity and permeability values. Due to highly complex reservoir characteristics, different drilling techniques have been developed in order to improve ultimate gas recovery in the shortest possible time. It has been claimed that horizontal drilling is the optimum completion technique used in this region to maximize methane recovery from coalbed reservoirs.;Horizontal wells are considered to be effective in the relatively thin, naturally fractured reservoirs that are characterized …


Empirical Assessment Of Architecture-Based Reliability Of Open-Source Software, Ranganath Perugupalli Dec 2004

Empirical Assessment Of Architecture-Based Reliability Of Open-Source Software, Ranganath Perugupalli

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A number of analytical models have been proposed earlier for quantifying software reliability. Some of these models estimate the failure behavior of the software using black-box testing, which treats the software as a monolithic whole. With the evolution of component based software development, the necessity to use white-box testing increased. A few architecture-based reliability models, which use white-box approach, were proposed earlier and they have been validated using several small case studies and proved to be correct. However, there is a dearth of large-scale empirical data used for reliability analysis. This thesis enriches the empirical knowledge in software reliability engineering. …


Models Of High-Temperature Desulfurization Using Zinc-Based Sorbents, Yong Zhang Dec 2004

Models Of High-Temperature Desulfurization Using Zinc-Based Sorbents, Yong Zhang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study focuses on determining models that are currently available to describe gas-solid reactions to predict the observed (experimental) results from a series of TGA experiments. Variations of the GPM (Grainy Pellet Model) were used and shown to give good agreement with experimental conversion histories of zinc oxide particle undergoing sulfidation using H2S at temperature in the range of 482 to 593 degree centigrade.;By using SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) and Visilog(TM) imaging analysis software, the grain size distribution and grain sphericity can be obtained.;The basic forms of the SCM (Shrinking Core Model) and GPM models could not predict correctly the …


Design And Flight Testing Actuator Failure Accommodation Controllers On Wvu Yf-22 Research Uavs, Yu Gu Dec 2004

Design And Flight Testing Actuator Failure Accommodation Controllers On Wvu Yf-22 Research Uavs, Yu Gu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation describes the design, development, and flight testing of a Neural Network (NN) based Fault Tolerant Flight Control System (FTFCS) with the ability to accommodate for actuator failures. The goal of this research was to demonstrate the ability of a specific set of control laws to maintain aircraft handling qualities in the presence of failures in the actuator channels. In this study, two-failure scenarios have been investigated: aileron failure (locking of the right aileron at a trim position) and elevator failure (locking of the right elevator at a trim position). A fleet of WVU YF-22 research aircraft test-beds were …


K--12 Teachers' Technology Integration In Benedum Collaborative Professional Development Schools, Sabah Karayegen-Giraldo Dec 2004

K--12 Teachers' Technology Integration In Benedum Collaborative Professional Development Schools, Sabah Karayegen-Giraldo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study investigated how K--12 teachers and interns in West Virginia University's Professional Development Schools (PDS) are using technology as a tool to enhance their students' education. The study addressed the use of technology as a classroom tool for research, communication, productivity, and problem-solving as outlined by the National Technology Standards for students. Eleven research questions framed this study. Comparisons across grade levels (elementary, middle, and high schools) and subject areas (English, mathematics, science, and social studies) were included. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used as quantitative research methods. The study involved 327 teachers and 102 intern students in these …


Mathematical Writing In The Elementary Classroom, Dana D. Mccauley Dec 2004

Mathematical Writing In The Elementary Classroom, Dana D. Mccauley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this study, fourth and fifth grade students at River View Elementary participated in mathematics activities requiring written and oral dialogue. These dialogues were analyzed to determine how their mathematical understandings were reflected in their written and oral discussions. An examination of pre and post mathematical writing occurred to determine the effect the dialogue had on students' mathematical writing. Students were given a mathematics problem to solve. After reading the mathematics problem, each student wrote questions they had regarding the problem as well as a request for additional information that they felt was needed to solve the problem. Students exchanged …