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Reservoir Characterization And Enhanced Oil Recovery Potential In Middle Devonian Dundee Limestone Reservoirs, Michigan Basin, Usa, Abrahim Abduslam

Masters Theses

Middle Devonian Rogers City and subjacent Dundee Limestone formations have combined oil production in excess of 375 MMBO. In general, hydrocarbon production occurs in two distinct reservoir types: 1) bottom water drive, fractured dolomite reservoirs in the Rogers City and 2) gas expansion drive, depositional facies controlled limestone reservoirs of the Dundee.

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the enhanced oil recovery (EOR) potential in Dundee Limestone reservoirs on the basis of detailed geological reservoir characterization in several fields in the Michigan Basin. Seven main depositional facies were identified from core studies in six fields. Three of …

Statistical And Numerical Integrated Approach For Detecting Onset Of Prefabricated Bridge Component Connection Deterioration, Cem Mansiz

Masters Theses

Bridges are the substantial part of the transportation infrastructure. Most recent report shows that of the 605,086 bridges in the United States, 67,526 (11%) are deemed structurally deficient, and 76,363 (13%) are declared functionally obsolete (FHWA, 2011). Deck is the shelter of a bridge that is subjected to severe loads due to exposure and traffic. Importance of detecting deck deterioration is further highlighted with the introduction of accelerated bridge construction (ABC) where prefabricated components are brought to the site, assembled, and connected using field cast joints. However, durability performance of field cast connections is not encouraging. Hence, continuous monitoring of …

Integrating Depositional Facies And Stratigraphy In Characterizing Hydrothermal Dolomite Reservoirs: Trenton Group Of The Albion-Scipio Trend, Michigan, Marcel R. Robinson

Masters Theses

Reservoir characterization of carbonate rocks requires understanding the role of depositional and diagenetic parameters in reservoir distribution. This is especially true for the diagenetically-altered and structurally-influenced Trenton-Black River reservoirs of the Michigan Basin. Evaluating the depositional evolution and reservoir characteristics of component depositional facies through modeling and stratigraphic reconstruction would aid in exploration and characterization through providing a prediction tool for reservoir distribution, both within and outside of the Michigan Basin.

Results indicate that reservoir development is controlled by primary rock fabric related to depositional facies. Depositional and stratigraphic reconstructions show facies distribution trends occur consistently and therefore predictably away …

Geophysical And Remote Sensing Applications For A Better Understanding Of The Structural Controls On Groundwater Flow In The Lucerne Valley, California, Dale R. Dailey

Masters Theses

An integrated study was conducted in the Mojave Basin to investigate the potential role of faults and basement uplifts for groundwater flow in the Mojave Desert. Observations made include: 1) Very Low Frequency (VLF) measurements across mapped (using LIDAR and Geoeye-1 imagery) fault traces showed significant radio field dip angles indicative of presence of shallow sub-vertical, sheet-like conductors; many of the VLF tilt peaks coincided with changes in the magnetic profiles; 2) Vertical Electric Soundings indicate shallow basement west of, and parallel to, the Helendale Fault and deep saturated zones east of the fault/basement outcrop (F/B); and 3) isotopic analyses …

A Localized Investigation Of High Resolution Groundwater Flow Properties Of The Saginaw Aquifer Mason, Michigan, Amanda Hayden

Masters Theses

High resolution groundwater models can aid in better management of groundwater resources through more accurate characterization and quantification of aquifer systems. Detailed assessments of flow properties in the context of sedimentary facies can provide high quality data input for more accurate groundwater models.

The Pennsylvanian Grand River and Saginaw bedrock formations comprise the Saginaw Aquifer located in the Lansing, Michigan Tri-County region. The Saginaw Aquifer consists of a predominately shale and sandstone successions. These sandstone facies range up to 40 meters thick, and supply a significant amount water resources to the Lansing Tri-County area. Data used in this study was …

Structural Health Monitoring Of A Bridge Structure Using Wireless Sensor Network, Cheekian Teng

Masters Theses

Bridge Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) has rapidly become one of the main interests in civil engineering field. Inexpensive and efficient SHM method utilizing Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is helping to facilitate the selection of the bridges that require maintenance. The changes to structural properties (i.e. stiffness) caused by damage (i.e. corrosion) will change the structural responses (i.e. acceleration responses) to ambient motions. Modal analysis algorithms applied to the vibration responses acquired through WSN provide the modal properties (i.e. natural frequency, modal shape and damping ratio) that will change with the changes in stiffness indicating possible existence of damage. Three output-only …

Don't Take Orpheus Without The Lyre: The Intricacies Of Using Pagan Myths For Christian Purposes In The Divine Comedy And Paradise Lost, Rebekah J. Waltmann

Masters Theses

Because of their universal and artistic nature, the classical myths lend themselves well to use in literature, especially poetry. When used properly, as by Dante and Milton, the myths have the ability to enhance the work; when used poorly, they become gaudy ornamentation. It was, and is, this ability to enhance both the artistry and function of literature that pulled so many poets to the myths, despite the difficulties that could arise when the pagan myths did not quite match the Christian setting. My purpose in this thesis is not to explicate every use of myth within The Divine Comedy …

Evaluating The Effects Of Lithofacies And Thin Shales On The Lateral Distribution Of Hydrothermal Dolomite Reservoirs In The Michigan Basin, Peter J. Feutz

Masters Theses

The southern Michigan Basin contains numerous hydrothermal dolomite hydrocarbon fields, including the giant Albion-Scipio Field. The fields typically encompass narrow zones of faulting and fracturing which have been altered from a tight host limestone into a more porous and permeable dolomite by upward-moving hydrothermal fluids. Alternating layers of dolomite that spread laterally away from the main vertical fault conduits imply that structure alone may not define the resulting reservoir architectures within the region. A detailed analysis of primary depositional facies and thin shale seams suggests that secondary stratigraphic controls play a significant role in the development of reservoir rock within …

Effect Of Using Hand-Weights On Performance In The Standing Long Jump, Austin Filush

Masters Theses

Previous standing long jump studies have shown that jumping with hand weights can significantly increase jumping performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanisms that enable performance improvement in the standing long jump when using hand weights and test the hypothesis that releasing the hand weights during flight can further increase jump distance. Four college-aged male subjects were chosen based on participation in athletic activities and physical ability. Each subject executed 24 jumps (six trials for each of four different standing long jump techniques: without weights, with weights, releasing the weights backwards near the high point of …

Bears, Baby Carrots, And The Colbert Bump: An Analysis On Stephen Colbert's Use Of Humor To Set The Public's Political Agenda, Dominique Mckay

Masters Theses

In recent years, political satire has risen in popularity and recognition as an effective means of transmitting political news to a younger generation of voters. This recent development brings forth new questions about the role of political satire in setting the public's political agenda. Using Agenda-Setting Theory as a framework, this study takes The Colbert Report, one of the most popular satire television shows of this generation, and analyzes it for a possible political agenda. In the end, what this study finds is that in the six weeks leading up to the 2008 U.S. presidential election The Colbert Report chose …

Creating Original Garments Using Couture Sewing Methods, Nicole S. Eckerson

Masters Theses

As part of my research, I examined the techniques and methods used in couture sewing from the past to the present, drawing inspiration from historical couture garments by designers Charles Worth (19th century designer) and Charles James (20th century designer). The four pieces I drew inspiration from include Charles Worth and Bobergh’s evening gown (1861), Charles Frederick Worth’s evening gown (1883), and Charles James’s “Butterfly” ball gown (1954) and “Swan” ball gown (1954). These designers were chosen based on their use of structure and form throughout their pieces. After researching couture sewing methods and using the gowns mentioned above for …

Design Of A Catenoidal Shaped Anechoic Termination, Kyle Myers

Masters Theses

An analytical model is developed in this thesis to predict the reflection coefficient of an anechoic termination consisting of a catenoidal horn connected to a tube lined with absorbing material. The theoretical predictions are compared to experimental measurements on a prototype. Comparisons are made for a variety of arrangements, including, an open horn, and a horn connected to absorbing terminations of two different lengths. The absorbing terminations are either open or closed to the environment and the analytical model can account for both these scenarios. The results indicate that the new model can accurately predict the reflection coefficient for each …

The Variation Of Hydrogen Concentration In Ni/Mgh Thin Film With Temperature, Rex Nyadaufe Taibu

Masters Theses

The thermal stability of Ni/MgH thin film deposited on Si substrate by Unbalanced Magnetron Physical Vapor Deposition has been investigated using Ion Beam analysis (DBA) techniques. Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) and Non-Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (NRBS) have been used to find the composition of Magnesium, Nickel and Oxygen. Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis (ERDA) has been used to determine the concentration of hydrogen at each level of heating. Heating was done in the Ultra High Vacuum (UHV) environment using a non gassy button heater. Ni/MgH sample had lost most of its hydrogen after being heated to a temperature of about 125°C in …

And Then, He Folds His Patterned Rug: Repressive Reality And The Eternal Soul In Vladimir Nabokov, Elizabeth Cook

Masters Theses

While Vladimir Nabokov has deservedly earned fame as a stylist of the strange, most critics who study his novels approach his absurd and beautiful characters as little more than fractured victims of a wholly subjective reality. Compounding the misunderstanding is the tired debate over whether or not Lolita is literary, pornographic, or some cruel game of cat-and-mouse in which Nabokov seizes control of his readers' sense of morality. However, critics who read Nabokov as nothing more than a manipulative stylist neglect to realize that his characters suffer such absurd distortions of spirit and mind because their environment--the "average" reality of …

Automatic Atlas Based Analysis Of Radiotracer Uptake In Bones From Fused Nuclear Imaging/Ct Data Sets Of Mice, Jeffrey Lee Vanoss

Masters Theses

Preclinical in vivo imaging is a powerful tool used for a wide variety of biomedical research applications including oncology, cardiac disease, and neurological disease. Disease physiology can be imaged in vivo with molecular imaging such as PET and SPECT. Quality analysis of molecular in vivo images currently requires an expert technician. The feasibility of large preclinical molecular imaging studies is limited by the man hours required to process the overwhelming amount of data created from preclinical scans. Our proposed solution to the bottle neck of manual image analysis is to implement automation of preclinical molecular image analysis. The method described …

Development Of A Computer-Aided Detection (Cad) Tool For Contrast Micro Computed Tomography Imaging In Diagnosing Liver Metastases, Anderson Steadham Peck

Masters Theses

High morbidity of metastatic tumors in the liver has been observed in several different types of cancers. Liver failure from metastases is one of the primary causes of death in these patients. Effective treatments for liver metastases do not currently exist. However, new pharmaceutical treatments are being explored in a preclinical setting where the cancer and its treatments are designed in vitro and then studied in vivo in mice. Therefore, effective and accurate techniques for non-invasive imaging and analysis of liver metastases in mice are critical to the development of new treatments.

In-vivo micro CT imaging is not only one …

Structural Analysis Of Microsatellites, Yezad H. Anklesaria

Masters Theses

"Satellite design, development, fabrication, testing and entry into service is a complex process. Each step of this process involves intricate steps to achieve the desired objective. This thesis summarizes a study relating to the area of development and testing of microsatellites to support qualification and eventually preparing a spacecraft for spaceflight. Students in the Space Systems Engineering laboratory (SSE Lab) in the Aerospace Engineering Program are in the process of developing a pair of microsatellites for a technology demonstration in space.

After the initial design of the spacecraft is completed in the design phase a significant amount of time is …

Effects Of Test Preparatory Program For Illinois Basic Skills Test, Jennifer R. Rose

Masters Theses

The Basic Skills Test is required for admissions into all teacher certification programs in the state of Illinois. The aim of the study was to determine if the 6-week, test preparatory program had an impact on participants Basic Skills Test. The hypothesis of this study was that the test preparatory program would increase participants' post-test scores (i.e. actual Basic Skills test). Participants included 25 undergraduate students from a midwestern university (males = 6, females = 19) who committed to approximately 60 hours of workshops, tutoring and educational software alongside 90 minute group support sessions, once a week for a total …

Role Of Rural-Urban Migration In Explaining Economic Growth: Evidence From The Least Developed Countries, Karun Gyawali

Masters Theses

Rural-urban migration plays an important role in affecting population and labor composition in a country. In the least developed countries, population moving from a relatively low productive, rural, agricultural sector to a more productive, urban sector can affect overall economic productivity.

This paper investigates the relationship between rural-urban migration and economic growth in least developed counties. Using Dao's 2002 paper on determinants of internal migration, the modified model for migration is formulated in this study. The result from the modified migration model is then used in the GDP growth model to study the effect of ruralurban migration on GDP growth. …

"Have You Forgotten Us?": An Analysis Of Resources For Non-Traditional Students, Theresa Lindsay

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine how supported the non-traditional student population at Eastern Illinois University (EIU) felt and to assess what campus resources and services they use and need. An online survey was developed by the researcher and administered to 285 current non-traditional college students. The findings indicated that overall, non-traditional students at EIU felt supported by the university and their instructors. However the participants also reported that they were not using all of the services and resources the university offered. In addition, several respondents noted that there are some services that are not currently offered at …

Effect Of A Summer Bridge Program On Provisionally Admitted Students' Self-Efficacy, Merry Kathleen Lucas

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Dibenzimidazolium Salts And Their Interactions With 1,5-Dinaphtho-38-Crown-10, David B. Bernthal

Masters Theses

The use of imidazolium salts in mechanically interlocked molecules, like pseudorotaxanes, is of interest because they can be functionalized with side arms that allow for coordination chemistry. It has been previously shown that tetraakylbenzobisimidazolium salts successfully thread through crown ethers, such as 15DN38C10 or BPP34C10, to form pseudorotaxanes. As an extension of the results that were gathered about this novel template, it was our goal to explore the degree to which larger imidazolium salts interact with such crown ethers. This research focused on the interactions between 15DN38C10 and dibenzimidazolium cations that were tetra-substituted with methyl groups, butyl groups, and benzyl …

Internal Motion In Weakly Bound Halomethane Complexes, Amelia J. Thomas

Masters Theses

A complementary blend of computational and spectroscopic methods has been used to analyze three halomethane complexes which exhibit different types of internal motion. In CH2FrCO2, the CH2F2 undergoes a "rocking" motion which inverts the dipole moment component along the c axis. For thjs complex, the spectra of six isotopologues were measured and an experimental structure was determined (see figure). The barrier to inversion was 142(3) cm·1 based on an experimental AE (AE is the energy difference between v=0+ and v=ff), which is in good agreement with the ab imtio ZPE-corrected barrier of 122 cm •1 . Upon comparison with similar …

An Application Of Optical Tweezers, Patrick W. Swanson

Masters Theses

Oxycyte is a perfluorocarbon-based material that can mimic the oxygen carrying capabilities of hemoglobin and is in the testing stages of acting for use as a blood substitute. However, a problem associated with using Oxycyte as a blood substitute is that it clumps together too easily and does not coagulate. An approach for studying the problem uses optical tweezers to help model the forces between Oxycyte particles. Elements of optical tweezers, including laser beams, microscopes, and operation by trapping particles with light will be outlined. An experimental system created to study the forces between particles is presented. Experimental issues and …

Educational Technology: Podcasts, Vodcasts, And Blogs In The Science Classroom, Danielle N. Thompson

Masters Theses

Junior-level Chemistry students at De Soto High School, Missouri, were introduced to educational technology in the form of podcasts, vodcasts, and blogs to facilitate learning outside of the traditional four walls of the classroom. Educational technology was utilized to see if content knowledge could be delivered from the teacher to the students as well as from the students to the teacher. Students were surveyed eight weeks after educational technology was introduced in the classroom to see if participation, attitudes, and interests in science were influenced by the use of educational technology in addition to traditional pedagogical methods.

Thermal Modeling And Analysis Of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Open Cathode Fuel Cells, Blanca Ollero Loranca

Masters Theses

"In the past decade renewable energies have increasingly become a commodity in everyday life. Because of their high power densities and their application versatility, fuel cells have stood out among other sources of renewable energy. In order to improve this technology as the needs for it increases, thermal modeling is an essential step. Researchers in the past have investigated the effect that temperature has on fuel cells. However, not much work has been done on the thermal dynamics of these devices and no one, to the authors knowledge, has studied the speed of response in thermal changes as a function …

Analysis Of A Wound-Induced Gene Family In Glycine Max, Gena Robertson

Masters Theses

Gene families in plants are important in understanding genome evolution indicating when and where genome duplications and segmental duplications occurred as well as subsequent divergence and subfunctionalization. A gene family in Glycine max that encodes a WI12 protein, wound-induced protein, was found to consist of ten genes on five chromosomes. Wound-induced proteins are activated in response to wounding in plants, and the WI12 protein in particular is thought to be involved in cell wall modifications at the wound site. A variety of bioinformatics tools have been used to analyze the expansion of this family in soybean as well as identify …

Modeling Forward Base Camps As Complex Adaptive Sociotechnical Systems, Lori Ann Miller

Masters Theses

Work for this thesis focuses on managing complexity within complex adaptive sociotechnical systems by using model based systems engineering and virtual engineering tools. The hypothesis of the work is that integrated virtual models can be used to increase the understanding of these complex adaptive sociotechnical systems, resulting in a reduction in the perceived complexity. This was tested by the use of a two factor survey given to experts of a system (the customer and members of the model design team) and to a target user-group. This group received a demonstration and had hands on experience with a preliminary model of …

Prototyping And Testing Of Solar Hybrid Pv-T Panels, Joel Aaron Lamson

Masters Theses

"The combination of photovoltaic and solar thermal (PV-t) systems has been proven to provide greater efficiency than their stand-alone counterparts. Previous studies on hybrid assemblies have found favorable results supporting the combination of both systems. The research presented here builds on the work competed here at Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) yielding favorable results of increased efficiencies as compared to stand-alone systems. The main difference between this experiment and previous research at Missouri S&T is that the hybrid PV-t is unglazed. The effect of an unglazed panel is shown to reduce the thermal output of the PV-t …

Cerium-Based Conversion Coatings On Cast Aluminum 380 And 413 Alloys, Ci Lin

Masters Theses

"This investigation focused on the deposition and characterization of cerium-based conversion coatings (CeCCs) on cast aluminum alloys. Previous research has shown that CeCCs are viable alternatives to chromate conversion on high strength alloys such as 2024-T3 and 7075-T6. For the casting alloys such as 380 and 413, the presence of Si affects the composition and stability of the native oxide, which means that pretreatment plays an important role for the coating deposition. This thesis consists of two papers that describe the results of the study.

The first paper reports the effect of the final rinsing temperature before coating deposition on …