Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year
File Type

Articles 2551 - 2580 of 2867

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Determination Of Vitality From A Non-Invasive Biomedical Measurement For Use In Integrated Biometric Devices, Reza Derakhshani Dec 1999

Determination Of Vitality From A Non-Invasive Biomedical Measurement For Use In Integrated Biometric Devices, Reza Derakhshani

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Personal identification is a very important issue in today's mobile and electronically networked societies. Among the available measures, fingerprints are the oldest and most widely used. Unfortunately, it is usually possible to deceive automatic fingerprint identification systems by presenting a well-duplicated synthetic or dismembered finger. This project is one method to provide fingerprint vitality authentication in order to solve this problem. Using a sensor that is composed of an array of capacitors, this method identifies the vitality of a fingerprint by detecting a specific changing pattern over the human skin. Mapping the two-dimensional images into one-dimensional signals, two ensembles of …

Go to article

Tissue Thickness Measurement Tool For Craniofacial Reconstruction, Hari Kinan Gopal Boddupalli Dec 1999

Tissue Thickness Measurement Tool For Craniofacial Reconstruction, Hari Kinan Gopal Boddupalli

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Craniofacial Reconstruction is a method of recreating the appearance of the face on the skull of a deceased individual for identification purposes. Older clay methods of reconstruction are inaccurate, time consuming and inflexible. The tremendous increase in the processing power of the computers and rapid strides in visualization can be used to perform the reconstruction, saving time and providing greater accuracy and flexibility, without the necessity for a skillful modeler.;This thesis introduces our approach to computerized 3D craniofacial reconstruction. Three phases have been identified. The first phase of the project is to generate a facial tissue thickness database. In the …

Go to article

Modeling And Simulation Of Selected Distributed Generation Sources And Their Assessment, Ju-Chirl Park Dec 1999

Modeling And Simulation Of Selected Distributed Generation Sources And Their Assessment, Ju-Chirl Park

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The models of small turbine generators (i.e. a combustion turbine, a diesel engine, etc), that are used for distributed generation will be obtained as dynamic. Also, the detailed synchronous machine and the excitation system model are obtained for the standard simulation. The simulation will be performed with an infinite bus system model. The synchronous machine is connected with a local load in order to develop the terminal voltage, avoiding the differentiation.;In order to use fuel cells and solar cells, which are new forms of technology, have the potential to reduce costs, and can be used for the DG in the …

Go to article

Probability Analysis Of Slope Stability, Jennifer Lynn Peterson Dec 1999

Probability Analysis Of Slope Stability, Jennifer Lynn Peterson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The ability of geotechnical engineers to accurately model slope performance is compromised by a variety of factors. The net result of these considerations is that the exact behavior of slopes cannot be accurately predicted. Hence, geotechnical engineers resort to a factor of safety approach to reduce the risk of slope failure. However, the factor of safety approach cannot quantify the probability of failure, or level of risk, associated with a particular design situation.;A probabilistic approach to studying geotechnical issues offers a systematic way to treat uncertainties, especially slope stability. In terms of probability, uncertainties can be related quantitatively to the …

Go to article

Bending Behavior Of Concrete T-Beams Reinforced With Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (Gfrp) Bars, Rajesh Kumar Kalluri Dec 1999

Bending Behavior Of Concrete T-Beams Reinforced With Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (Gfrp) Bars, Rajesh Kumar Kalluri

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Concrete slabs are integrally cast with girders or stringers (stiffening system) resulting in floor slabs, bridge decks, footers, retaining structures and others. A portion of slab between a stiffening system acts as flange and bends in unison with the stiffening system, i.e., classic T-beam action. The emphasis of this study is to determine the effective flange width, failure modes, deformability factors, pre- and post-cracking deflections and crack widths at first crack and at ultimate failure of T-beams.;Eight concrete T-beams with two different flange widths and two reinforcement configurations were tested under four point bending to study the factors cited above. …

Go to article

Design And Development Of Fuzzy Expert System For Handy Board, Aditya Kumar Singh Dec 1999

Design And Development Of Fuzzy Expert System For Handy Board, Aditya Kumar Singh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The recent trend in global manufacturing scenario has resulted in the emergence of many innovative techniques that have revolutionized the manufacturing industry as a whole. A lot of states of art advances have been associated with the increasing use of microprocessors in advance manufacturing systems. Out of many the one, which has predominantly captured the real time, behavioral use is the Fuzzy Logic.;Fuzzy logic implementation in real time environment involves the integration of multi-disciplinary area like computer engineering, mechanical and electronic systems tailored towards smart systems that enable a very precise control on the process. The fuzzy logic based project …

Go to article

Study Of The Kalman Filter For Arrhythmia Detection With Intracardiac Electrograms, Pisut Raphisak Dec 1999

Study Of The Kalman Filter For Arrhythmia Detection With Intracardiac Electrograms, Pisut Raphisak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Third generation implantable antitachycardia devices offer tiered-therapy to reverse ventricular fibrillation (VF) by defibrillation and ventricular tachycardia (VT) by low-energy cardioversion or antitachycardia pacing. The schemes for detecting cardiac arrhythmias often realize nonpathologic tachycardia as serious arrhythmias and deliver false shocks. In this study, an arrhythmia classification technique has been developed with the use of Kalman filter applied on cyclostationary autoregressive model. This new algorithm was developed with a training set of 24 arrhythmia passages and tested on a different data set of 29 arrhythmia passages. The algorithm provides 100% detection of VF on the test set. 77.8% of VTs …

Go to article

Effects Of Turbidity On The Foraging Abilities Of Brook Trout (Salvelinus Fontinalis) And Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus Dolomieu), John A. Sweka Dec 1999

Effects Of Turbidity On The Foraging Abilities Of Brook Trout (Salvelinus Fontinalis) And Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus Dolomieu), John A. Sweka

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Sedimentation is the major pollutant of waters in North America. Most research on the effects of increased sedimentation has focussed on its effects on stream habitat and its ramification on the reproductive potential of fish. Although relatively large sediment loads may be necessary to alter stream habitat, only small loads are needed to raise mean stream turbidity levels. Turbidity may be an important, yet relatively unexamined factor in stream fish production. With this, I sought to determine the influence of elevated turbidity on the foraging abilities of two predatory species representing both cold and warm water stream habitas, brook trout …

Go to article

Development Of Decision Support System For Reliability, Mitesh Bhupendra Parekh Dec 1999

Development Of Decision Support System For Reliability, Mitesh Bhupendra Parekh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Reliability analysis is now an essential part of any product development. In the field of Electrical Engineering, reliability models are developed and analyzed for every component before it comes to market. The complexity of the product can range from a simple transistor to an integrated circuit chip, from a simple communication link to a complex network, and from a small generator to a large powerhouse.;Over the period, several techniques have been developed to systematically model real systems and then analyze them. These techniques are constantly being enhanced to improve the modeling process and to reduce the time required for the …

Go to article

Measurement Of Particulate Matter Size, Concentration And Mass Emissions From In-Use Heavy Duty Vehicles, Richard Jason Byers Dec 1999

Measurement Of Particulate Matter Size, Concentration And Mass Emissions From In-Use Heavy Duty Vehicles, Richard Jason Byers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As technological advancements lower heavy duty vehicle particulate matter (PM) mass emission rates, there is concern that these improvements are increasing the toxicity of the PM by virtue of a subsequent reduction in particle size. These ultrafine particles are able to better penetrate the alveolar region where they can cause serious lung disorders. Alternative fuels such as compressed and liquefied natural gas (CNG and LNG) and the synthetic diesel fuel Mossgas are attractive in that they reduce the levels of total PM. However, use of natural gas in internal combustion engines may produce a larger number of smaller particles than …

Go to article

Evaluation Of Ceramic Candle Filters Degradation And Damage Location Using Four-Point Bending Tests, Wu Tseng Peng Dec 1999

Evaluation Of Ceramic Candle Filters Degradation And Damage Location Using Four-Point Bending Tests, Wu Tseng Peng

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The structural integrity of ceramic candle filters is a key element for hot gas cleanup systems. Ceramic candle filters used in demonstration plants have experienced degradation and fracturing. Preliminary examination of these ceramic filters indicated that damage of the filters may have resulted from strength degradation due to persistent high temperature operation, thermal transient events, excessive ash accumulation and bridging, and pulse cleaning. This study proposes a nondestructive evaluation of the structural properties of these ceramic filters. The ceramic candle filter is a slender structure made of layers of porous materials. The structure has high acoustic attenuation, which has greatly …

Go to article

Design And Development Of A Microwave-Enhanced Diesel Soot Oxidation System, Bret Allen Rankin Dec 1999

Design And Development Of A Microwave-Enhanced Diesel Soot Oxidation System, Bret Allen Rankin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Diesel particulate matter (PM) emissions have created considerable concern because PM is a suspected carcinogen. Up to this point, improved engine and fuel system design and control schemes have made the use of diesel particulate aftertreatment systems unnecessary for most applications in the United States, but the continued decreasing trend of emissions regulations may necessitate the use of PM filters for many applications.;Many methods have been developed to generate a controlled, reliable regeneration event within PM filters, none of which have been proven to be completely successful. These methods include exhaust throttling, fuel catalysis, filter catalysis, electrical heating, and burner …

Go to article

Forecasting Of Work In Process Quality Using Holt-Winters Method For Missing Observations, Sarang Ram Kayande Aug 1999

Forecasting Of Work In Process Quality Using Holt-Winters Method For Missing Observations, Sarang Ram Kayande

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Since the pace of technological change is so great, and since new products and processes may be key to a company's future plans, an increasing number of companies are emphasizing regular and complete technological forecasts affecting their industry. Those companies which have gone far in developing planning premises from their technological forecasts have tended to be high-technology enterprises. What has been done in these instances is to encourage members of their technical staffs to be alert to future developments; to think in terms of the impact of current scientific developments on the future state of technology; and to develop orderly …

Go to article

Optimization Of A Brushless Permanent Magnet Linear Alternator For Use With A Linear Internal Combustion Engine, William Robert Cawthorne Aug 1999

Optimization Of A Brushless Permanent Magnet Linear Alternator For Use With A Linear Internal Combustion Engine, William Robert Cawthorne

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Numerous applications require the generation of electric power without connection to the utility power system. Many industrial, commercial, and personal applications require uninterrupted electrical power in the event of a utility failure. Additionally, the nature of military field operations necessitates the ability to generate electricity in areas where connection to the utility is impractical or impossible. Generation units selected for these applications must be reliable, efficient, compact, and lightweight.;Presently, rotary internal combustion engines coupled with rotary alternators are the primary generation unit used in these applications. This research contends that a tubular brushless permanent magnet linear alternator with a linear …

Go to article

Broadcasting In Grid Graphs, Iwona Wojciechowska Aug 1999

Broadcasting In Grid Graphs, Iwona Wojciechowska

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This work consists of two separate parts. The first part deals with the problem of multiple message broadcasting, and the topic of the second part is line broadcasting. Broadcasting is a process in which one vertex in a graph knows one or more messages. The goal is to inform all remaining vertices as fast as possible. In this work we consider a special kind of graphs, grids.;In 1980 A. M. Farley showed that the minimum time required to broadcast a set of M messages in any connected graph with diameter d is d + 2(M - 1). This work presents …

Go to article

Experiences Of Selected West Virginia Agriculture Teachers Who Have Established Aquaculture Units In Their Schools And Have Taught Aquaculture Classes For Two Years Or More, Paul A. Lovett Aug 1999

Experiences Of Selected West Virginia Agriculture Teachers Who Have Established Aquaculture Units In Their Schools And Have Taught Aquaculture Classes For Two Years Or More, Paul A. Lovett

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study was designed to ascertain and record the experiences of West Virginia agriculture teachers who have established aquaculture units in their schools and have taught aquaculture for two or more years. This study will provide suggestions to those who may yet integrate aquaculture into their curriculum.;A "Focused Interview" was used to gather qualitative data from eight-experienced aquaculture teachers. The respondents answered eight questions that were asked and recorded by the secretary in agricultural and environmental education at WVU to eliminate bias and improve the validity of this study.;The results of this study found that agricultural teachers used aquaculture to …

Go to article

What Is The Relationship, If Any, Between The Teacher -Perceived School Climate And The State Accreditation Status Of Elementary Schools In West Virginia?, Elaine Dellamea Gayton Aug 1999

What Is The Relationship, If Any, Between The Teacher -Perceived School Climate And The State Accreditation Status Of Elementary Schools In West Virginia?, Elaine Dellamea Gayton

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of the study was to determine if a significant relationship exists between teacher-perceived school climate and state accreditation of elementary schools in West Virginia. Teacher-perceived school climate was measured by the CFK School Climate Profile.;The sample consisted of 100 schools. Included were 53 randomly-selected elementary schools which earned full accreditation and 47 elementary schools which lacked full accreditation in 1998 due to results on the Stanford Achievement Test. The response rate was 65%. Statistical analysis of data occurred through t-tests and stepwise multiple regression with an alpha level of .05 applied.;Findings. The percentage of students eligible to receive …

Go to article

Various Pushing Methods On Grid Graphs, Jiaxin Wang Aug 1999

Various Pushing Methods On Grid Graphs, Jiaxin Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis describes algorithms for determining if a grid of switches can be turned into all-off state from any initial configuration by various methods of activation operation (push). Among these push methods, besides the regular "+" push, "+" push with no center, "X" push, "X" push with no center, and a "V"-typed unbalanced push are studied. The research methods used in this work are mainly linear algebra and algorithm analysis. Results obtained include that the grid m x n is completely solvable with push "+" no center, if and only if co-prime (m+1, n+1).

Go to article

Trip Generation Rates For Consolidated Schools In West Virginia, Amy Marie Balmer Aug 1999

Trip Generation Rates For Consolidated Schools In West Virginia, Amy Marie Balmer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Currently, there are no trip generation rates for consolidated schools in West Virginia. A consolidated school is a public school that formed from the consolidation of other schools of the same type or a county-wide school. Because West Virginia is rural in nature and declining school-age population, the trip rates for consolidated schools would tend to be different than the national averages for traditional schools.;This research developed trip rates specific to consolidated high, middle, and elementary schools in West Virginia. In total, sixteen different schools in West Virginia were studied. Of the sixteen sites studied, seven were high schools, two …

Go to article

Simulation Of Packed Column Jigging, Qiang Dai Aug 1999

Simulation Of Packed Column Jigging, Qiang Dai

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Packed column jig has been demonstrated a number of promising results in processing iron ore, coal, chromite and other finely disseminated particulate materials. The packing materials in the jig divide the column into a large number of virtual cells. Each cell performs the similar separation action. A model about the movement of a particle in the packed column jig was derived to interpret the separation mechanism of particles in the virtual cell. A computer program was developed to simulate the particle movement in the jig based on the derived model, which can simulate the packed column jigging with different jig …

Go to article

Determination Of Optimal Pricing And Warranty Policies, Ozcan Mutlu Aug 1999

Determination Of Optimal Pricing And Warranty Policies, Ozcan Mutlu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

An important problem facing manufacturers in today's competitive market is the determination of the selling price of a product and its warranty period. A longer warranty may serve as a signal of product reliability; however, it may also lead to an increase in cost and hence reduce the profit if the product reliability is low. A burn-in test may be used to improve the reliability of products prior to their shipment.;This research presented integrated models for maximizing the expected profit for products that are subjected to a burn-in test and sold with warranty. The burn-in time, warranty period, and price …

Go to article

Variational Results And Solutions In Gauge Gravity And A Bifurcation Analysis Of Black Hole Orbital Dynamics, Bruce Herold Dean Aug 1999

Variational Results And Solutions In Gauge Gravity And A Bifurcation Analysis Of Black Hole Orbital Dynamics, Bruce Herold Dean

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

An analysis of all known spherically symmetric solutions to the field equations originating from the Riemann tensor quadratic curvature Lagrangian is presented. A new exact solution is found for the field equation originating from the "energy-momentum" equation of the gauge gravity theory. Imposing equivalence between the Palatini and standard variational field equations yields an algebraic condition that restricts the number spacetime solutions to gauge gravity. A class of spherically symmetric solutions to the conformally invariant theory of gravitation is shown to be shared by the gauge gravity field equations. An analysis of a spherically symmetric solution to the conformal gravity …

Go to article

Head Impact Characterization Of Generic A-Pillar Of An Automobile, Subramani Balasubramanyam May 1999

Head Impact Characterization Of Generic A-Pillar Of An Automobile, Subramani Balasubramanyam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The need to provide enhanced occupant protection for all impact conditions experienced in automobile crashes poses a great challenge. Several safety features such as seatbelts and airbags have been developed to reduce occupant injuries in the event of a crash. However, new studies have indicated that even with these safety features, head impact with the upper interior components have resulted in many injuries leading to fatalities in certain impact conditions such as side collision and rollover. Recent regulations imposed by NHTSA concerning head impact scenarios in automotive crashes are designed to provide maximum head impact protection against several locations on …

Go to article

Dynamic Stability Of An Elliptical Pendulum With Unilateral Simple Supports, Heins Naim Karam May 1999

Dynamic Stability Of An Elliptical Pendulum With Unilateral Simple Supports, Heins Naim Karam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The study of rollover stability of partially filled tanker trucks often requires the use of mechanical pendulums to substitute the sloshing dynamics of the fluid. Cylindrical tanks have been effectively characterized by simple pendulums combined with some fixed masses. Just recently, a WVU team proposed the use of an elliptical pendulum to substitute the sloshing dynamics in partially filled elliptical tankers.;In this research, a trammel mechanism is configured as an elliptical pendulum with a unilaterally supported base. That is, the supports on either side can lift off the ground to allow for rollover under certain critical lateral accelerations. Two generalized …

Go to article

Aging And Design Of Concrete Members Reinforced With Gfrp Bars, P. V. Vijay May 1999

Aging And Design Of Concrete Members Reinforced With Gfrp Bars, P. V. Vijay

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Strength and stiffness properties of GFRP bars and moisture transport phenomenon into the bars was investigated in this research for various conditioning schemes with and without the application of sustained loads. Low viscosity urethane modified vinylester resin is identified as the most suitable resin, from the durability viewpoint.;Based on accelerated test results calibrated with respect to naturally aged results it is safely concluded that the service life of the FRP bars with durable resin is about 60 years as a minimum with 20% sustained stress on the bar. Concrete cover protection on the GFRP bars enhanced the service life up …

Go to article

The Evaluation Of Research For Promotion And Tenure: An Organizational Perspective, Elsa G. Nadler May 1999

The Evaluation Of Research For Promotion And Tenure: An Organizational Perspective, Elsa G. Nadler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The literature on promotion and tenure in institutions of higher education includes a substantial amount of research on various aspects of faculty productivity. Yet other research concentrates on the organizational structure of higher education. In his 1986 book, Burton Clark called for research that would examine how what he called the enterprise (the local university as opposed to the statewide system) and departments within it interact in important arenas.;This dissertation takes up Clark's challenge to examine the interaction of enterprise and department in promotion and tenure in three areas: goals, structure and operations. Content analysis of faculty handbooks from 25 …

Go to article

The Effects Of Varying Concentration And Duration Of Cfc-113 Exposure On End-Exhaled Breath Cfc-113 Concentration, Demetra Grace Dalamagas May 1999

The Effects Of Varying Concentration And Duration Of Cfc-113 Exposure On End-Exhaled Breath Cfc-113 Concentration, Demetra Grace Dalamagas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Subjects were exposed to different concentrations of CFC-113 for variable duration while conducting 30-minute exercise regiments. End-exhaled breath samples were collected 25, 30 and 35 minutes after the exercise regiment and quantified using gas chromatography. Three comparative studies were conducted.;A short duration administration delivered at the beginning or at the end of the regiment was compared to a long duration administration delivered at the beginning or at the end of the exercise regiment. The second study compared breath samples when 500 ppm of CFC-113 was administered at the beginning or end six minutes of the regiment. The third compared continuous …

Go to article

Simulation Study Of A Kanban-Controlled Production System, Arvind R. Krishnappa May 1999

Simulation Study Of A Kanban-Controlled Production System, Arvind R. Krishnappa

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Just-In-Time (JIT) has become one of the most popular production control philosophies in the last three decades. JIT did not find acceptance in the American companies until after the oil crisis. To be more flexible and to adapt quickly to changes in the market, many American companies took to the recourse of JIT and have been extremely successful. JIT systems typically employ kanbans as a means of inventory control. A JIT system operating under kanban control is commonly termed as a "pull system" due to the way in which succeeding stages trigger production at preceding stages. Owing to this close …

Go to article

Full-Scale Operation Of A Tubular Ultrafiltration System In The Treatment Of Oily Waste, Michael Christopher Malak May 1999

Full-Scale Operation Of A Tubular Ultrafiltration System In The Treatment Of Oily Waste, Michael Christopher Malak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

An aluminum company in West Virginia uses an oil-water (metal working fluid) in their rolling mill process for lubrication. In the past, the company collected the oily-waste into two lined waste ponds with a combined holding capacity of 5 million gallons. Separation of the oil-water mixture occurred as emulsifiers in the metal working fluid broke down. Free oil was skimmed resulting in a pond effluent, which contained 0.2 to 1.0% oil. Pond effluent was sprayed on a treatment field and the remaining oil was degraded naturally. The daily flow to the spray fields averaged 80,000 gallons. In 1993, concerns about …

Go to article

The Relationship Of Disease Severity, Health Beliefs, And Medication Adherence Among Hiv Patients, Xin Gao May 1999

The Relationship Of Disease Severity, Health Beliefs, And Medication Adherence Among Hiv Patients, Xin Gao

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Purpose. To investigate the relationship of disease severity, health beliefs, and medication adherence among HIV/AIDS patients.;Results. Seventy-two HIV patients were enrolled. There were no significant differences in patients' perceived severity of HIV/AIDS and perceptions of benefits and barriers of the treatment across three disease stages. However, patients who had greater experience with the disease (stage C) perceived a higher risk to develop complications if they were not adherent compared to asymptomatic patients (stage A). Results also revealed that patients in stage B and C were more adherent to their medications compared to patients in stage A when regimen complexity was …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last