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"Upon The Shoulders Of Giants": Deconstructing The Lost State Of Franklin, 1784-2005., Kevin T. Barksdale Jan 2005

"Upon The Shoulders Of Giants": Deconstructing The Lost State Of Franklin, 1784-2005., Kevin T. Barksdale

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In 1784, the residents of the upper east Tennessee Valley declared themselves independent from their parent state of North Carolina. The political and economic leadership of the newly formed state of Franklin utilized the ideology, symbolism, and rhetoric of the American Revolution to garner local, regional and national support for the movement. After the state's collapse in 1788, the state of Franklin continued to attract supporters and admirers, who considered the movement to be a noble extension of the revolution. Over the last two hundred years, historians, politicians, abolitionists, and business leaders have recast the legacy and meaning of the …

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The Startup And Evolution Of The State Journal: A Statewide Newspaper Reports On Business, Phillip Daniel Page Jan 2005

The Startup And Evolution Of The State Journal: A Statewide Newspaper Reports On Business, Phillip Daniel Page

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Two Charleston, West Virginia, brothers, Robert C. and Henry E. Payne, III, and Charleston lawyer Fred F. Holroyd established The State Journal in October 1984 as a weekly newspaper to serve a statewide business readership. The newspaper evolved through difficult early years and eventually became profitable through the sales leadership of Lorenelle White, who would purchase the newspaper with her husband in 1997. She eventually would re-establish the newspaper’s weekly publishing cycle. The Whites would sell The State Journal in 2001 to a newly formed media business, West Virginia Media Holdings, which would increase in the newspaper’s editorial resources. Since …

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Estimation Of Image Quality Factors For Face Recognition, Akintunde A. Akinbola Jan 2005

Estimation Of Image Quality Factors For Face Recognition, Akintunde A. Akinbola

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Over the past few years, verification and identification of humans using biometric has gained attention of researchers and of the public in general. Face recognition systems are used by the public and the government and are applied in different facets of life including security, identification of criminals and identification of terrorists. Because of the importance of these applications, it is of great necessity that face recognition systems be as accurate as possible. Some research has shown that image quality degrades the performance of face recognition systems. Most previous research has focused on designing algorithms for face recognition that deal or …

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Paradise Negotiated: Early Modern Women Writing Utopia, 1640--1760, Lisa K. Brewer Jan 2005

Paradise Negotiated: Early Modern Women Writing Utopia, 1640--1760, Lisa K. Brewer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Utopian writing by early modern women traditionally has been left out of the canon of utopian literature because it has been overlooked, undervalued, and often does not conform to the genre characteristics set forth by the example of Thomas More and other male writers of "classic utopias." The works recognized by scholars as fitting into this genre have all been written by men, and the few agreed upon works considered as "utopia proper" describe an imaginary, perfect, political state. However, because class and gender greatly influence the form and content of utopia, I argue for the expansion of the definition …

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Heating Ventilation And Air Conditioning Systems Condition Assessment Methodology, Anand Chandrashekaran Jan 2005

Heating Ventilation And Air Conditioning Systems Condition Assessment Methodology, Anand Chandrashekaran

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Facilities (equipment) renewal is assigned low priority due to insufficient budgets in universities, colleges, hospitals, and industries. Insufficient funds lead to postponement of major repairs and replacements of facilities. This lack of investments combined with deterioration of facilities increases the maintenance problem. When funds become available, replacement and repair maintenance projects are carried out, at the cost of the critical ones, due to lack of information on facilities conditions and deficiencies. Thereby developing a facilities condition assessment methodology with a prioritization technique will help in utilizing the available resources effectively. This assessment identifies the physical condition and maintenance deficiencies of …

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Assessment Of Constructibility And Serviceability For Straight And Skewed Steel I-Girder Bridges., Andrew Hayes Jan 2005

Assessment Of Constructibility And Serviceability For Straight And Skewed Steel I-Girder Bridges., Andrew Hayes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Recent changes to the AASHTO specifications for steel bridge design have incorporated specific provisions for handling lateral flange bending in I-shaped steel girders. The primary reason for the inclusion of this effect is to allow for a unification of design provisions for both straight and curved girders. In tangent bridges and in bridges with a small degree of skew the influence of lateral flange bending in the fully composite condition in positive bending are negligible. This is predominantly due to restraint offered by the deck and the diaphragm action offered by the deck in lateral load events. However, during construction …

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Application Of Radio Imaging Method (Rim-Iv) In Detecting Geological Anomalies: Two Case Studies., Hua Zhao Jan 2005

Application Of Radio Imaging Method (Rim-Iv) In Detecting Geological Anomalies: Two Case Studies., Hua Zhao

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

RIM-IV technology is the most promising geophysical method to identify and locate geological anomalies in advance of mining. In order to make this technology successful, ground-truth works are needed to explore its potentials and limitations in application. Two cases in which the RIM-IV technology has been applied to detecting various geological anomalies have been presented in this research. In the first case, the RIM-IV survey was conducted in a section of the longwall panel where sandstone intrusions, seam thinning and severe seam undulations were expected. In the second case, the RIM-IV survey was performed in a section of the longwall …

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A Study On The Impact Of Visual Stimuli On Initial Saccades., Sruti Ramnath Jan 2005

A Study On The Impact Of Visual Stimuli On Initial Saccades., Sruti Ramnath

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The ballistic movement of the human eye to comprehend a scene is known as saccades. Saccadic eye movements have been studied by researchers to understand their role in visual cognition. These eye movements are key to providing the brain with visual information that aids in the interpretation and perception of the scene being viewed. Though saccades are primarily task driven, it has been theorized that the first few saccades are triggered by low-level image properties that are inherent in a scene. Determining and evaluating these properties would enhance the understanding of visual cognition and, thus, benefit the development of “eye-friendly” …

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The Effects Of Roads And Culverts On Stream And Stream-Side Salamander Communities In Eastern West Virginia., Ryan Lee Ward Jan 2005

The Effects Of Roads And Culverts On Stream And Stream-Side Salamander Communities In Eastern West Virginia., Ryan Lee Ward

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Roads and culverts have many effects on stream salamanders. We examined 120 culvert crossings in the Shavers Fork and Dry Fork watersheds in eastern West Virginia. Complete barriers to salamander passage occurred at 55.0% of the sites visited and partial barriers at 34.2%. Analyses showed that 20.6% of the total stream length in the Dry Fork watershed and 18.4% in the Shavers Fork watershed were isolated by barriers. We conducted salamander sampling at 16 streams and used Akaikeís Information Criterion to select the best a priori models explaining salamander diversity, richness, and abundance. Roads benefited disturbance tolerant species while negatively …

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Evaluation Of An Air-To-Ratio Derived Exhaust Flow Rate For In-Use Emissions Testing., Jason D. Bolyard Jan 2005

Evaluation Of An Air-To-Ratio Derived Exhaust Flow Rate For In-Use Emissions Testing., Jason D. Bolyard

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A study was conducted to evaluate the accuracy of an air-to-fuel ratio derived exhaust flow rate for emissions testing. The Mobile Emissions Measurement System (MEMS) was developed by West Virginia University to perform in-use emissions testing for several heavy-duty diesel engine manufactures. The MEMS was modified to complete this study. A review of literature describing different on-board systems and flow measurement techniques was performed to aid in the completion of this project. Most of the exhaust flow measurement techniques require the modification of the test vehicle’s exhaust system. The air-to-fuel ratio derived exhaust flow rate only requires a probe to …

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A Regional Scale Steady-State Groundwater Flow Model Of A Steeply-Dipping Karst Aquifer, Shenandoah Valley Of West Virginia-Virginia., Jason S. Early Jan 2005

A Regional Scale Steady-State Groundwater Flow Model Of A Steeply-Dipping Karst Aquifer, Shenandoah Valley Of West Virginia-Virginia., Jason S. Early

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A regional equivalent porous medium (EPM) model was developed using available hydrogeologic data for the steeply-dipping karst aquifer of the Northern Shenandoah Valley of West Virginia and Virginia. The model employed uniform recharge and variable hydraulic conductivity (K) distributed at the formation level based on published field-test estimates. Three independent procedures were used for calibration, with the most acceptable approach using calibration to heads at wells and specified fluxes for springs. Although this procedure produced a reasonable regional head distribution and acceptable calibration statistics (mean error = 0.58 m, mean absolute error = 8.61 m), the use of specified fluxes …

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A Web Based Forensic Information Management System., Sriram Govindarajulu Jan 2005

A Web Based Forensic Information Management System., Sriram Govindarajulu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The focus of this work was on the design and implementation of a web based forensic information management system for the West Virginia State Police Forensics Laboratory (WVSPFL). The software tool enables law enforcement agents to submit crime information to the Forensic Laboratory via a secure Internet connection. The tool also enables each of the nine units of WVSPFL to process the information electronically. Online electronic forms were created to mirror the existing paper based forms, making the transition easier. The existing processes were standardized and streamlined, there by minimizing information inconsistency. The crime information once gathered is automatically uploaded …

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Geospatial Framework For Water Quality Impact Assessment: Corridor H., Jennifer R. Mcgee Jan 2005

Geospatial Framework For Water Quality Impact Assessment: Corridor H., Jennifer R. Mcgee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

West Virginia University’s Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering has been collecting water quality samples from streams that are anticipated to be impacted by the construction of Corridor H. With four active watersheds totaling 43 sites and 20 parameters being monitored, a large amount of data has been collected. In order to easily and quickly understand the general trends in the water quality, bar graphs were generated to represent the yearly averages of each parameter for each site. In order to understand the geospatial correlation between sites within a watershed, maps of each watershed were generated utilizing Geographic Information Systems …

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Structural Performance Of Low-Profile Frp Composite Cellular Modules., Deepthi Punyamurthula Jan 2005

Structural Performance Of Low-Profile Frp Composite Cellular Modules., Deepthi Punyamurthula

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Fiber Reinforced Polymeric (FRP) composites are being implemented as structural elements in the bridge deck construction in lieu of conventional bridge decks. In this study a 4” thick low profile FRP bridge deck module made of E-glass fiber and vinyl ester resin, having fiber volume fraction of approximately 50% and weighing about 10 lb/ft2 was developed. The focus of this study was to evaluate the structural performance of the low-profile FRP decks and determine its adequacy under AASHTO’s HS25 loading. The bridge deck module was also tested as a beam bending element with edge-wise orientation, and was structurally evaluated. The …

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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 …

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An Analysis Of The Shifts In Cultural Flows Between The United States And Germany, 1890-1929., Misty D. Rodeheaver Jan 2005

An Analysis Of The Shifts In Cultural Flows Between The United States And Germany, 1890-1929., Misty D. Rodeheaver

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis examines the period from the last decade of the nineteenth century to the start of the Great Depression to explore the dynamics of popular cultural flow from the United States and Germany. World War I serves as the medium for the emergence of drastic changes in the popular cultural structures of both states. This paper underscores the influence of the war as a seminal event transforming the cultural exchange between America and Germany, as well as provides an analysis of several cultural modes of expression such as music, film, architecture, and the press. Prior to World War I, …

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Finite Element Modeling Of Cells In Response To Loading: Effect Of Cytoskeleton., Chee Wui Loke Jan 2005

Finite Element Modeling Of Cells In Response To Loading: Effect Of Cytoskeleton., Chee Wui Loke

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis marked by degeneration of the cartilage and bone in joints, which causes severe joint pain associated with daily activities. Articular cartilage is one of the major load bearing tissue that transfers load across joints and with synovial fluid provides a bearing surface for the diarthrodial joints. It is made up of highly specialized cells called chondrocytes that are responsible for its growth and maintenance. Mechanical loading and cell-matrix interactions have been shown experimentally to influence the biological behavior of chondrocytes. Biological behavior of the chondrocytes is important because they are highly associative with the …

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Microstructure Evaluations And Thermomechanical Properties Of Spinel (Magnesium Aluminum Oxide) Dispersed Molybdenum Alloys., Chee Kiat Lee Jan 2005

Microstructure Evaluations And Thermomechanical Properties Of Spinel (Magnesium Aluminum Oxide) Dispersed Molybdenum Alloys., Chee Kiat Lee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Molybdenum based alloys are ductilized by dispersing MgAl2O4 or NiAl2O4 spinel particle. These additions of spinel particles getter impurities, such as Nitrogen, from the base alloys which render its ductility. The introduction of fine dispersions has also been postulated to improve ductility in body centered cubic (BCC) metals such as Mo, by acting as a dislocation source or reducing dislocation pile ups at grain boundaries. The spinel particles, on the other hand, would also act as local notches, crack initiation sites, which are detrimental to the ductilization. Further improvement of material processing, therefore, is very important. The objective of this …

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A Transnational Vision: John H. B. Latrobe And Maryland's African Colonization Movement., Eugene S. Van Sickle Jan 2005

A Transnational Vision: John H. B. Latrobe And Maryland's African Colonization Movement., Eugene S. Van Sickle

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The transnational vision of John H. B. Latrobe, the central figure in this study, was one that sought to tie America’s efforts to overcome the problem of slavery to the future of the West Coast of Africa. The vehicle for his ideas was African colonization, a prominent, long-enduring movement that began in Antebellum America. Latrobe participated in and directed the African colonization efforts of the Maryland State Colonization Society for much of that organization’s existence. The colonization efforts of the Maryland society differed in many ways from the national effort, an aspect this study illustrates. Essentially, Latrobe believed that colonization …

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Performance Evaluation Of Frp Bridge Deck Under Shear Loads, Woraphot Prachasaree Jan 2005

Performance Evaluation Of Frp Bridge Deck Under Shear Loads, Woraphot Prachasaree

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Shear behavior of glass fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite coupons, components, and systems is studied under torsional shear, in-plane shear, racking shear, out-of-plane shear, punching shear, and shear of web-flange junction. In addition, local deflection including web buckling of different FRP deck types has been evaluated and reported. FRP composites have been tested under a wide range of shear load conditions and their data has been compared with theoretical evaluations. Experimental data revealed that the shear modulus of FRP bridge decks ranged from 0.25 to 0.5 msi, shear stress ranged from 3 to 12 ksi, while the shear strain to …

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Evaluation Of Quality Control Parameters For Superpave Hot Mix Asphalt, Thomas W. Adams Jan 2005

Evaluation Of Quality Control Parameters For Superpave Hot Mix Asphalt, Thomas W. Adams

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Quality control of Superpave hot mix asphalt has profound consequences for both the West Virginia Department of Highways (WVDOH) and the constructor who has placed the asphalt. The quality control procedure includes taking samples from the job site, and performing various tests so that certain volumetric parameters can be evaluated against a standard set of tolerances. WVDOH currently uses a statistically based quality control - quality assurance method, QC/QA.;The current QC/QA requirements used by the WVDOH for Superpave projects have not been statistically evaluated to establish the risk to the agency and constructor for either accepting an unsatisfactory material or …

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An Analysis Of Fragmented Land-Use *Policy And Land-Use Change: The Case Study Of Metropolitan Pittsburgh, Richard J. Hoch Jan 2005

An Analysis Of Fragmented Land-Use *Policy And Land-Use Change: The Case Study Of Metropolitan Pittsburgh, Richard J. Hoch

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research examines the relationship between remotely sensed land-use changes and particular land-use policies within metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1992 to 2002. During the 1990's the Pittsburgh region experienced a tremendous expansion of residential and urban land-use change while simultaneously experiencing a population decline. Within the metropolitan Pittsburgh area there are 525 local and independent municipal governments with the legislative right to enact or not to enact land-use planning policies enabled by the Pennsylvania Municipal Planning Code. This fragmentation creates uneven intra-urban development patterns at the urban scale. This research demonstrates that certain land-use changes that occurred during the study …

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Analysis Of Aging Effects And Effectiveness Of Dewatering Treatment Methods On Acid Mine Drainage Sludge, Phanindra Kumar V. Kunderu Jan 2005

Analysis Of Aging Effects And Effectiveness Of Dewatering Treatment Methods On Acid Mine Drainage Sludge, Phanindra Kumar V. Kunderu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) is produced when sulfide minerals in overburden are subjected to oxygen and water, and generally contains low pH, high acidity and high dissolved metal concentrations. Typically, active treatment of AMD involves the addition of a neutralizing reagent to raise the pH and precipitate the metals as their respective insoluble metal hydroxides. As a by-product of the active treatment of AMD, a large amount of sludge is generated. A site, established in Monongalia County, WV for the active treatment of AMD using ammonia and hydrogen peroxide, generated sludge consisting mainly of water with a total solids concentration …

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Amending Subsoil With Composted Poultry Litter: Effects On Soil Physical And Chemical Properties, Turfgrass Establishment And Weed Pressure, Mili Mandal Jan 2005

Amending Subsoil With Composted Poultry Litter: Effects On Soil Physical And Chemical Properties, Turfgrass Establishment And Weed Pressure, Mili Mandal

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Experiments were established in fall 2003 at West Virginia University to evaluate the effects of incorporation of composted poultry litter (CPL) on subsoil physical and chemical properties, Kentucky bluegrass ( Poa Pratensis L.) establishment, root depth, and weed pressure. Twenty cm of topsoil was removed and CPL was incorporated to a depth of 12.7 cm at 10%, 20%, and 40% v/v prior to seeding or sodding. Composted plots were compared to N-fertilized (454 Kg ha-1) and control plots. Positive linear increases in total water content (thetaT), organic matter, pH, and CEC were observed following compost incorporation with a decrease in …

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Integrating Visible, Near Infrared And Short Wave Infrared Hyperspectral And Multispectral Thermal Imagery For Geological Mapping At Cuprite, Nevada, Xianfeng Chen Jan 2005

Integrating Visible, Near Infrared And Short Wave Infrared Hyperspectral And Multispectral Thermal Imagery For Geological Mapping At Cuprite, Nevada, Xianfeng Chen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Visible, near infrared (VNIR), and short wave infrared (SWIR) hyperspectral and thermal infrared (TIR) multispectral remote sensing have become potential tool for geological mapping. In this dissertation, a series of studies were carried out to investigate the potential impact of combining VNIR/SWIR hyperspectral and TIR multispectral data for surface geological mapping. First, a series of simulated data sets based on the characteristics of hyperspectral AVIRIS and multispectral TIR MASTER sensors was created from surface reflectance and emissivity library spectra. Five common used classification methods including minimum distance, maximum likelihood, spectral angle mapper (SAM), spectral feature fitting (SFF), and binary encoding …

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The Emergence And Decline Of The Delaware Indian Nation In Western Pennsylvania And The Ohio Country, 1730--1795, Richard S. Grimes Jan 2005

The Emergence And Decline Of The Delaware Indian Nation In Western Pennsylvania And The Ohio Country, 1730--1795, Richard S. Grimes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Many past and current generations of historians, anthropologists, and literary writers have acknowledged the existence of a Delaware Indian nation. They, however, have failed to thoroughly understand or address the historical and cultural dynamics that contributed to both the formation and quick decline of this Indian nation. This multidisciplinary study includes the oral traditions and oratory of Delaware Indians, the observances of Moravian missionaries and colonial-revolutionary officials, and contemporary anthropological and historical sources, to construct the building of the Delaware nation during the eighteenth century.;Once decentralized and living in the Delaware River watershed, three phratries or animal tribes (Turtle, Turkey, …

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Numerical Analysis Of Seepage In Earth Slopes, Kishan Kakarla Jan 2005

Numerical Analysis Of Seepage In Earth Slopes, Kishan Kakarla

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Seepage is one of the most prominent factors in causing slope stability problems. Installation of longitudinal drainage trenches along the face of the slope can be an alternative solution to reduce the seepage.;The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the longitudinal drains in reducing the seepage, by using MODFLOW, a three dimensional finite difference groundwater flow model. The influence of various parameters on the performance of longitudinal drains was investigated. These parameters include the trench spacing (w), seepage depth (h), slope angle (theta), length of slope (L) and soil type (K). Numerical analysis was performed for …

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Analysis Of Physiological Partners Of Protein Kinase Ck2 In Drosophila Melanogaster, Umesh C. Karandikar Jan 2005

Analysis Of Physiological Partners Of Protein Kinase Ck2 In Drosophila Melanogaster, Umesh C. Karandikar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

CK2 is a highly conserved Ser/Thr protein kinase composed of catalytic (alpha) and regulatory (beta) subunits. The enzyme targets proteins that are involved in a variety of cellular processes such as DNA replication, transcription, translation, cell cycle progression, and development. However, very little information is available on either the regulation of this enzyme or its role during development. These two aspects of CK2 have been addressed using the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a model organism. The first study (chapter 2) addresses the isolation and characterization of SSL, an ortholog of CK2beta. Using combinatorial approaches, we find that SSL associates …

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Tabu Search Heuristics For The Dynamic Facility Layout Problem, Wen-Hsing Liu Jan 2005

Tabu Search Heuristics For The Dynamic Facility Layout Problem, Wen-Hsing Liu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The facility layout dramatically influences the efficiency of material handling within a manufacturing system. In order to ensure optimal performance within a manufacturing system, the facility layout should reflect changes throughout time. However, the static facility layout problem with constant material flows between departments may not be a realistic scenario because a manufacturing facility is a dynamic system that constantly evolves. In other words, product demand constantly changes over time. As a result, the dynamic facility layout problem (DFLP) considers these changes and is defined as the problem of assigning departments to locations during a multi-period planning horizon such that …

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Validating A Neural Network-Based Online Adaptive System, Yan Liu Jan 2005

Validating A Neural Network-Based Online Adaptive System, Yan Liu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Neural networks are popular models used for online adaptation to accommodate system faults and recuperate against environmental changes in real-time automation and control applications. However, the adaptivity limits the applicability of conventional verification and validation (V&V) techniques to such systems. We investigated the V&V of neural network-based online adaptive systems and developed a novel validation approach consisting of two important methods. (1) An independent novelty detector at the system input layer detects failure conditions and tracks abnormal events/data that may cause unstable learning behavior. (2) At the system output layer, we perform a validity check on the network predictions to …

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