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Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
Evaluation Of Skin Factor From Single-Rate Gas Well Test, Fahad M. Al Mutairi
Evaluation Of Skin Factor From Single-Rate Gas Well Test, Fahad M. Al Mutairi
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
Skin factor is generally used as an indicator for well flow efficiency and the criterion for performing stimulation treatment to improve well productivity. This skin factor is a composite factor and should be divided into its different components in order to evaluate near-wellbore damage. Therefore, the total skin factor obtained from a gas well pressure transient test has two primary components, rate-independent and rate-dependent skins. Both of these skin factors can be determined directly from the interpretation of pressure transient well tests if several transient tests are performed at different rates. However, the multi-rate tests are time consuming and expensive. …
Software Process Control Without Calibration, Oussama El-Rawas
Software Process Control Without Calibration, Oussama El-Rawas
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
Software process control is important for large enterprise since it is essential for software project management. Boehm [10, 12--15, 20] argues that the best way to do software process control is reusing old proven models (e.g. COCOMO for effort, COQUALMO for defects, etc) while tuning them to local data in order to obtain accurate estimates. This however suggests that historic data is available related to the use of these models in previous software projects. This is not the case, as the availability of relevant historic data related to the use of the above models in a specific software environment is …
Caveolin-1 Recruitment To The Trailing Edge Of Motile Cells Results In Focal Adhesion Disassembly And Nascent Interaction With Actin Stress Fibers, Andrew Beardsley
Caveolin-1 Recruitment To The Trailing Edge Of Motile Cells Results In Focal Adhesion Disassembly And Nascent Interaction With Actin Stress Fibers, Andrew Beardsley
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
The protein caveolin-1 has been shown to positively affect angiogenesis and vascular remodeling in vivo via studies using knockout mice. In fact, defects in these two processes are among the major hallmarks of an otherwise benign caveolin-null phenotype. Current dogma on the function of caveolin-1 does not predict or account for these deficits. The overall objective of the following studies was to uncover the role of caveolin-1 in angiogenesis and vascular remodeling through study of the protein in cell-substratum remodeling during cell motility in vitro.;In the first study, caveolin-1 and its parent organelle, caveolae, conspicuously polarize to the rear of …
Code Comparison Of Methane Hydrate Reservoir Simulators Using Cmg Stars, Manohar Gaddipati
Code Comparison Of Methane Hydrate Reservoir Simulators Using Cmg Stars, Manohar Gaddipati
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
Natural gas is an important energy source contributing to 23% of the total energy consumption in United States. Domestic conventional natural gas production does not keep pace with increase in natural gas demand. Development of new alternatives like natural gas from methane hydrate can play a major role in ensuring adequate future energy supplies in the United States.;Methane hydrates are crystalline solids, very similar to ice, in which non-polar molecules are trapped inside the cages of water molecules. Methane hydrates could be potentially a vast source of energy. It is estimated that the total amount of natural gas trapped inside …
Observations Of The Tapered Element Oscillating Microbalance As Compared To A Gravimetric Method For Particulate Matter Measurement, Gregory Shane Thomas
Observations Of The Tapered Element Oscillating Microbalance As Compared To A Gravimetric Method For Particulate Matter Measurement, Gregory Shane Thomas
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
A direct comparison has been made between a tapered element oscillating microbalance (TEOM) and the traditional gravimetric filter method designed per 40 CFR §1065.145. A repeatability test, consisting of multiple emission tests, was also performed for the TEOM system that shows that the TEOM was a consistent instrument. The TEOM was also tested with and without a diesel particular filter (DPF) during an 8-mode test on a 1997/1998 Kubota 2.2L engine to see if the concentration of the particular matter (PM) flowing through the TEOM has an effect on accuracy. The flow rate was varied to find the optimal setting …
Hemodynamics Of Intracranial Aneurysms: Factors That May Influence Occurrence, Francisco Adolfo Pino Romainville
Hemodynamics Of Intracranial Aneurysms: Factors That May Influence Occurrence, Francisco Adolfo Pino Romainville
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
The formation and growth of intracranial aneurysms are partly attributed to various hemodynamic factors, such as the wall shear stress and pressure. However, the exact nature of the hemodynamic variables responsible for triggering aneurismal growth is still unknown. The conclusions drawn by various studies in this regard are found to be speculative and sometimes ambiguous. This issue is further investigated in the present work using some new insight gained from passive scalar dispersion in the blood flow for realistic aneurysm geometries. Intracranial aneurysms are best visualized using selective catheter angiogram technique where a contrast agent added to the blood flow …
Deindustrialization And The Decline Of Community In The Coalfields: Mcdowell County, West Virginia, 1950--2000, Mark S. Myers
Deindustrialization And The Decline Of Community In The Coalfields: Mcdowell County, West Virginia, 1950--2000, Mark S. Myers
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, the coal industry entered McDowell County, a predominantly rural county in southern West Virginia. Because of common experiences working and living in the coalfields, workers of significantly different backgrounds created a unique, working-class community in McDowell County. Although the coal industry experienced numerous downturns during the first half of the twentieth century, there was a long-term rise in the number of workers employed by the industry. By 1950, McDowell County had a population of almost 100,000, most of which was impacted by the coal industry.;After World War II, however, the industry began …
Intrinsic And Extrinsic Factors That Influence Instructors' Use Of E-Learning, Salem A. Albalwi
Intrinsic And Extrinsic Factors That Influence Instructors' Use Of E-Learning, Salem A. Albalwi
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
The purpose of the study was to determine whether significant differences exist among instructors at King Abdulaziz University's (KAU) Humanities and Scientific Colleges concerning their perceived levels of expertise and current use of e-learning technologies as part of their teaching. The proposed study also assessed influential factors (motivators and barriers) as measured by a survey questionnaire and examined them in terms of sex, academic field, and years of teaching experience.;Statistical methods of analysis for this study used means, standard deviations, frequencies, percentages, factor analysis, a 3-way factorial ANOVA, and Scheffe's Post Hoc Analysis. Based on 227 responses, the findings indicate …
The Partisan Politics That Led To The Spanish-American War, Donald E. Thompson Jr.
The Partisan Politics That Led To The Spanish-American War, Donald E. Thompson Jr.
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
This thesis explores how partisan politics played a major role in leading the United States into the Spanish-American War. With the unprecedented economic depression that began in 1893, many American politicians exploited a rebellion in Cuba to distract Americans from their own financial problems. During the administration of Grover Cleveland politicians from all political parties supported American intervention in Cuba on behalf of the rebels. This show of support for the Cuban rebels by politicians was designed to rally the American public around a common cause and highlight the difference between them and the unpopular President Cleveland who opposed American …
Quantification Of Soluble Organic Fraction Measurement Variation In Diesel Particulate Matter Emissions, John Wesley Hardin
Quantification Of Soluble Organic Fraction Measurement Variation In Diesel Particulate Matter Emissions, John Wesley Hardin
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
Heavy-duty diesel engines (HDDE) are the dominate prime movers of goods and services in the United States (US) and the world today. HDDE will continue to lead the transportation sector in the near term because of its superior fuel economy and performance compared to existing alternatives. However, HDDE produce many harmful emissions constituents that include: hydrocarbons (HC), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate matter (PM). Due to these harmful emissions, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been entrusted to enforce the Clean Air Act to limit the amount of emissions that can be produced from these …
Optimization Of Magnetic Force Microscopy For Retrieval Of Data From An Erased Or Altered Audiotape, Chandar Prasad Palamadai Subramanian
Optimization Of Magnetic Force Microscopy For Retrieval Of Data From An Erased Or Altered Audiotape, Chandar Prasad Palamadai Subramanian
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) has been used to investigate the potential for retrieving information from an erased or altered audiotape. The audiotape recording process, the reasons for the distortion of signals during the recording process are presented. An in-depth study has been conducted to investigate the effects of MFM operation parameters on the data retrieval process. Most importantly, these include interleave height and tip speed. Interleave height (i.e., the height of the MFM tip above the surface) has been optimized for maximum clarity of MFM images. Tip speed studies have been carried out to optimize the data retrieval time and …
Online Communities' Impact On The Profession Of Newspaper Design, Amanda Miller
Online Communities' Impact On The Profession Of Newspaper Design, Amanda Miller
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
The importance of the Internet to visual journalists is increasing with every technological progression. Recently online communities have formed, creating a commonplace for creative professionals to meet and share visual work. This study focuses on the possible impact of these emerging online communities on the newspaper design profession. Interviews of newspaper designers who participate in online communities specifically focused on the profession unveiled current and important transformations occurring within the newspaper design profession. Additionally, this study expands on both offline and online community theory, giving qualitative insight into future studies which may focus on the Internet's effects on various professions.
Analysis Of Tomato Synthetic Seeds For The Development Of An Optimized Encapsulation System, John E. Porter
Analysis Of Tomato Synthetic Seeds For The Development Of An Optimized Encapsulation System, John E. Porter
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
In vitro propagules of tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) were used to evaluate the effects of alginate encapsulation and subsequent storage for synthetic seed (synseed) production. Nodal segments were encapsulated in hollow alginate beads with and without supplemental nutrients, auxin (0, 2.5 and 5 muM IBA) and fungicide (0, 50 and 100 muM Daconil 2787). Synseeds were stored for 0, 30 and 90 days at 4+/-1°C in darkness and were given a light treatment (none vs. one week at 25+/-2°C with a 16 hour photoperiod) before sowing in a greenhouse hydroponic system. There was no survival across all treatments of …
Organic Methods To Control Root Rot Of Peas And Spinach In North-Central West Virginia, Hannah Witten Schrum
Organic Methods To Control Root Rot Of Peas And Spinach In North-Central West Virginia, Hannah Witten Schrum
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
Root rot disease is a limiting factor in organic production of cool season crops for many growers in North central West Virginia. In attempt to control root rot and its devastating impact on crop stands we decided to study a number of environmental, cultural, and biological control methods. The purpose of this work was to study the effect of alterations of the seed environment on disease incidence (measured by crop emergence and survival 21 days after planting) and thereby define techniques which are suitable for small growers to adopt if they have root rot problems. We therefore explored four broadly …
Ultrasound-Assisted Surface-Modification Of Wood Particulates For Improved Wood/Plastic Composites, Wei-Ping Chang
Ultrasound-Assisted Surface-Modification Of Wood Particulates For Improved Wood/Plastic Composites, Wei-Ping Chang
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
The combined effects of alkali and ultrasound treatment of wood flour on the mechanical properties of polypropylene-based wood/plastic composites (WPCs) were examined. FTIR measurements confirmed that the alkali treatment removed both hemicellulose and lignin from the wood, and there was an increase in the number of hydroxyl groups on the cellulose surface. This process was promoted by the application of ultrasound. Mechanical testing of injection-molded WPC samples revealed that alkali treatment improved both composite strength and modulus when polypropylene grafted with maleic acid was used as a coupling agent. The strength increase is due to improved adhesion between the fiber …
Current Practices Utilized By Independent Garden Centers To Extend The Profitable Season By Returning Customers, Raising Profit Margins And Implementing New Practices, Nona Kay Hunt
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
The purpose of this study was to identify the measures that independently owned retail garden centers subscribe to extend their profitable season beyond the spring and early summer. This study was descriptive survey research conducted with independent retail garden centers that were members of the Ohio Floriculture Association as of November 2006, and resided in West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Kentucky. The ten most successful practices in getting customers to return identified by independent garden center retailers, were (in order of successfulness); customer friendly staff, knowledgeable and experienced staff, growing your own plants to allow for diverse product …
Impact Of Attribution Retraining With Students Enrolled In An Internet-Based Instructional Technology Course At A Community College, Bonnie Mccall Ordonez
Impact Of Attribution Retraining With Students Enrolled In An Internet-Based Instructional Technology Course At A Community College, Bonnie Mccall Ordonez
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
This study explores the use of attribution retraining in a community college, distance learning course. Attribution training is a form of psychotherapy used in an attempt to shift an individual's attitude, motivation, and locus of control (LOC).;Locus of control is a measure of how one attributes success and failure. Those with internal locus of control believe they are responsible and control their fate while those with external locus of control tend to look for fault outside of themselves.;The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of attribution training, which consisted of a multimedia, interactive intervention called Just Think …
Iconography Profiles, Matthew Forrest
Iconography Profiles, Matthew Forrest
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
This thesis examines the connection between art and its viewer and how this understanding of audience interaction impacts the way I create my work. The inspiration and spiritual basis for my work is explored to show the meaning behind my thesis collection. This document also explores the methodology and processes I use in the creation of my art. I also discuss the way in which my work is displayed with consideration towards lighting and the creation of the art being exposed from start to finish for my audience. The concluding thoughts in this thesis sum up the importance of religious …
Relay Communications Over Frequency-Selective Fading Channels, John Paul Mazzie
Relay Communications Over Frequency-Selective Fading Channels, John Paul Mazzie
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
Wireless communications over long distances can be assisted by a third radio acting as a relay. If the relay is placed close to the source, then the source-relay link will be characterized as a fairly benign additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel. However, the long distance link from relay to destination is susceptible to frequency-selective fading. This thesis explores the design and analysis of a particular relay communication system characterized by a low power source, a relay that is close to the source, and a frequency-selective channel from relay to destination. Because the direct link from source to destination is …
Evaluation Of Information Transfer Between Extension Agents And Dairy Producers In Pennsylvania, Carrie B. Nelson
Evaluation Of Information Transfer Between Extension Agents And Dairy Producers In Pennsylvania, Carrie B. Nelson
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
The purpose of this study was to determine how information from Extension Agents was being disseminated to dairy producers in Pennsylvania in areas of program advertisement and teaching methods. It also sought to determine if Extension Agents are reaching special populations of producers (e.g. Amish, Hispanic, disabled) in their areas. A descriptive research design was used to collect the data for this study. The target population was all dairy producers in Pennsylvania and the Extension Agents that serve these producers. The study found that Extension Agents and dairy producers agree on advertisement methods but disagree on teaching methods. Furthermore, the …
Application Of The Biolog Microplate System To Monitor The Physiological Response Of Heat-Stressed Bacteria, Matthew G. Mccarroll
Application Of The Biolog Microplate System To Monitor The Physiological Response Of Heat-Stressed Bacteria, Matthew G. Mccarroll
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
The BIOLOG microplate system was originally evaluated by Miller and Rhoden (1991) for its ability to correctly identify clinical and environmental isolates. The system determines identity based on the exchange of electrons produced during utilization of a carbon substrate and subsequent respiration, leading to the reduction of a tetrazolium-based color change. Enteric bacteria ( Escherichia coli, Enterobacter sakazakii, and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium) were exposed to heat stress (52°C) and samples were removed as a function of time (0, 15, 30 and 90 min). Stressed cells were monitored with traditional viable cell counts and inoculated into BIOLOG GN plates. The …
Periconceptional Treatment With Growth Hormone Alters Fetal Growth And Development In Sheep, Jill Marie Koch
Periconceptional Treatment With Growth Hormone Alters Fetal Growth And Development In Sheep, Jill Marie Koch
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
Altering the fetal environment can modify the composition or growth rate of the fetus, a concept known as fetal programming. A majority of the research in this area has focused on intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), which has been linked to adult diseases. A few studies have attempted to ameliorate the negative effects of IUGR, by applying growth promoters late in gestation, and have only observed transient effects. Our laboratory has previously shown that growth hormone (GH) treatment around the time of breeding alters the uterine environment early in gestation and results in larger lambs at birth. Therefore there were three …
Putative Role Of Palmitate And Akt Signaling In Attenuating Skeletal Muscle Growth In The Obese Zucker Rat, Jonathan Michael Peterson
Putative Role Of Palmitate And Akt Signaling In Attenuating Skeletal Muscle Growth In The Obese Zucker Rat, Jonathan Michael Peterson
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
The Obese zucker rat (OZR) is a model of obesity and metabolic syndrome, with a reduced skeletal muscle mass compared with the lean zucker rat (LZR). Growth and hypertrophy of muscle fibers critically depend on activation and differentiation of satellite cells into new myonuclei, as well as the prevention of myonuclear apoptosis. Akt is known to regulate satellite cell activation and differentiation and inhibit apoptotic signaling. Akt activity is also reduced in the OZR compared to the LZR. The present study had two primary purposes; first, to observe, in vitro, the effects of the saturated free fatty acid palmitate on …
Franz Joseph Haydn's Writing For Wind Instruments And The Evolution Of The Military Band And Orchestral Wind Section, Jonathan Neiderhiser
Franz Joseph Haydn's Writing For Wind Instruments And The Evolution Of The Military Band And Orchestral Wind Section, Jonathan Neiderhiser
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
The compositional career of Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) spans a crucial period in Western musical history. Haydn's early compositions show the influence of the late Baroque, while his late symphonies and Masses can be heard as early examples of musical Romanticism. At this same time, the development of new wind instruments within European military bands heavily influenced the establishment of the symphony orchestra, as instruments initially deemed inappropriate for indoor performance became accepted as core members of the ensemble. Haydn's critical role in the growth of the symphony has long been acknowledged, but the increasing sophistication of his wind writing …
Information-Outage Analysis Of Finite-Length Codes, David Scott Buckingham
Information-Outage Analysis Of Finite-Length Codes, David Scott Buckingham
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
The performance of random error control codes approaches the Shannon capacity limit as the code length goes to infinity. When the code length is finite, then the code will be unable to achieve arbitrarily low error probability and a nonzero codeword error rate is inevitable. Information-theoretic bounds on codeword error rate may be found as a function of length through traditional methods such as sphere packing. Alternatively, the behavior of finite-length codes can be characterized in terms of an information-outage probability. The information-outage probability is the probability that the mutual-information rate, which is a random variable, is less than the …
Data Recovery From Magnetic Media Using Magnetic Force Microscopy, Terry R. Ferrett
Data Recovery From Magnetic Media Using Magnetic Force Microscopy, Terry R. Ferrett
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
Magnetic tapes are widely used to store voice and other data. Due to the effect of hysteresis, modification of the magnetization pattern written to a tape by overwriting, erasing, or physical damage leaves remanent information about the previous magnetization state that can not be discerned by standard audio playback devices. Recently, a high resolution microscopy technique known as magnetoresistive microscopy was used by Pappas et al. in an attempt to recover data from audio tapes which were physically damaged. However, the device, while having a higher resolution than tape playback heads, still averages over entire audio track widths when collecting …
Responsive Liquid Crystal Polymer Rods, Matthew S. Shafran
Responsive Liquid Crystal Polymer Rods, Matthew S. Shafran
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
In this dissertation I report on the successful fabrication of anisotropic liquid crystal polymer rods. These polymer rods demonstrated re-orientation by an applied external field. The polymer rods, 200 nm in diameter and a maximum of 60 mum in length, were produced by a template synthesis technique. A reactive liquid crystal monomer was filled into porous Anopore membranes which were used as a confining media. The liquid crystal monomer was polymerized by UV light while the liquid crystal remained in the nematic temperature range. The polymerization process permanently "freezes" the orientational order of the confined liquid crystal molecules, producing rods …
Increasing The Performance And Realism Of Procedurally Generated Buildings, Brian Sowers
Increasing The Performance And Realism Of Procedurally Generated Buildings, Brian Sowers
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
As multimedia such as games and movies grow, so does the need for content. Textures, 3D models, expansive terrain, sound effects, and other data must be generated to support and enrich these multimedia productions. As this need for content continues to grow, two critical problems emerge: the cost of hiring artists to create the content becomes extremely large, as does the amount of memory needed to store and manipulate the content.;To combat these issues, procedural content generation, or content generated algorithmically rather than via an artist, has been introduced. Algorithmically generating content allows for rapid creation of large amounts of …
Evaluation Of Exhaust After-Treatment Device Effectiveness In Reducing Regulated And Unregulated Emissions From Natural Gas Fueled Heavy Duty Transit Bus, Arvind Padmavathy Thiruvengadam
Evaluation Of Exhaust After-Treatment Device Effectiveness In Reducing Regulated And Unregulated Emissions From Natural Gas Fueled Heavy Duty Transit Bus, Arvind Padmavathy Thiruvengadam
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
The promulgation of the public transit fleet rule by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in 2000, has given transit fleet operators the option of choosing the alternative fuel path in order to reduce their fleet average NOx and PM emissions. Natural gas being an abundant domestic fuel, has found its way as an economically and technologically feasible alternative fuel option. Many studies have shown the clean burning nature of natural gas with lower NOx and near zero Particulate Matter (PM) emissions from heavy duty natural gas vehicles. Though natural gas fueled vehicles emit lower NOx and PM than their …
State Policy And Food Insecurity In Kenya's Arid And Semi-Arid Land (Asal) Regions, Naomi Shanguhyia
State Policy And Food Insecurity In Kenya's Arid And Semi-Arid Land (Asal) Regions, Naomi Shanguhyia
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
Kenya's arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) have continued to experience chronic and persistent food crises despite the efforts made by governmental and non-governmental organizations to address the problem. Inappropriate policies and poor approaches have partly been blamed for this persistence. This study therefore seeks to examine how food insecurity is conceptualized within policy documents, the perceived causes and solutions, and potential drawbacks of such perceptions. The study adopts a political ecology framework within which Ellis' (2000) rural livelihood approach and Sen's (1981) entitlement thesis are used to analyze selected government policy documents and related reports. A brief historical overview of …