Digital Commons Network^™

Analysis Of Adenovirus And Bovine Coronavirus., Kevin Lane

Theses

This investigation involved the analysis of selected gastroenteritis viruses, adenovirus and bovine coronavirus, obtained from faecal samples, collected from hospital and diagnostic laboratories respectively in Cork city, Ireland. The viruses isolated from these samples were subjected to analysis using cell culture and nucleic acid extraction. In addition adenovirus was analysed using PCR and PCR followed by restriction endonuclease digest. Many samples contained more than one gastroenteritis virus, the virus of interest and a natural co-infection with rotavirus species. Rotavirus infections in Ireland have been extensively studied and we were interested in studying singly and doubly infect samples.

Bovine enteric coronavirus …

Methyl Bromide Alternatives For Post-Harvest Disinfestation Of Dates, Shamsa Hareb Al-Dhahery

Theses

Methyl bromide is a highly effective fumigant to control infestation of dates by insects such as saw-toothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis. The use of methyl bromide will be phased out by 2015 due its adverse effects on Ozone layer. Therefore, environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternatives for controlling insects in dates during storage are needed. Such a treatment should not degrade quality of dates.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of conventional heating, freezing, and microwave heating as alternatives to methyl bromide fumigation and to determine the effect of these treatments on date’s quality. Date samples …

Sttructure-Function Correlations Of The Antagonist Effects Of Flavonoids Present In Medicinal Plants On Oxidative Reactive Molecules, Deema Khalil Al Jayousi

Theses

Flavonoids are phenolic compounds with significant antioxidant properties. The propensity of a flavonoid to inhibit free-radical mediated events is governed by its chemical structure. Since these compounds are based on the flavan nucleus, the number, positions, and types of substitutions influence radical scavenging and chelating activity. The main objective of this thesis was to establish structure-activity relationships of flavonoids by means of experimental and computational techniques.

Initially, a series of dietary flavonoids belonging to the most representative families (flavonols; myricetin, quercetin, morin, kaempferol, and 3-hydrxoyflavone, flavones; flavone and flavanones; naringenin) were studied during the reaction with DPPH radical following addition …

Automated Grazing Management, Gregory J. Von Pless

Theses

Management-intensive grazing is a grazing management strategy that relies on careful monitoring of animals at pasture and frequent relocation of animals between various regions of the pasture, or paddocks, in order to maximize the nutrients and sustenance the animals obtain through grazing. When applied successfully, this approach to grazing management yields higher animal production, while cutting feed costs; however, a great deal of overhead is introduced in monitoring and moving the animals throughout the pasture, making this approach very difficult to implement at a large scale. Recent successes in the field of dynamic virtual fencing have demonstrated the feasibility of …

Biologically Inspired Object Categorization In Cluttered Scenes, Theparit Peerasathien

Theses

The purpose of the thesis, Biologically Inspired Object Categorization system, is to provide an automatic system to classify the real-world images into categories. Generally, computer algorithms classify objects with much lower efficiency than human. Furthermore, some images with complex features such as cat and dog faces are difficult to be classified by ordinary computer algorithms. Therefore, the simulation of the structure and process of a mammalian’s visual cortex is created, which functions similarly to a human’s visual cortex, by using a computer. In this paper, I am presenting a biologically inspired neural network system which processes the images in a …

Evaluating The Usability And Security Of A Video Captcha, Kurt Alfred Kluever

Theses

A CAPTCHA is a variation of the Turing test, in which a challenge is used to distinguish humans from computers (`bots') on the internet. They are commonly used to prevent the abuse of online services. CAPTCHAs discriminate using hard articial intelligence problems: the most common type requires a user to transcribe distorted characters displayed within a noisy image. Unfortunately, many users and them frustrating and break rates as high as 60% have been reported (for Microsoft's Hotmail). We present a new CAPTCHA in which users provide three words (`tags') that describe a video. A challenge is passed if a user's …

Sculptural Jewelry In Line Composition, Jaesun Won

Theses

As a contemporary female Asian artist I want to create sculptural jewelry to be a bridge between western and eastern culture. The most concern for my thesis is developing line work which is one of the most interesting works to me. I created contemporary sculptural jewelry by engaging with the body line compositions. My intention to create jewelry that can be associated with both the body and also stand on its own as a sculptural form. Movement, pattern, rhythm, intersection, space, boundaries, scale, symmetry and asymmetry engage the body within the line compositions revealed in my works.

Script: Handful Of Fate, Ali Vatansever

Theses

It's a special day in town. They are getting ready to welcome their first foreign teacher. However, Julia, an accidental tourist is mistaken for her. And a wind of change starts to blow in the town. Handful of Fate, tells three stories on this very day.

Young Ahmet plans to run away with his forbidden lover from the village. Everything falls apart as he is assigned to be Julia's English guide. But she doesn't speak English.

Pharmacist Zeynep's story is about her struggle with her lover Celal and the townspeople over leaving for the city. With Volkan's arrival at the …

Transmute, Joseph Montroy

Theses

Man has an enduring subconscious connection with anthropological imagery and narrative. This association extends to the methods and practices that place importance on certain objects over others. In every culture throughout history the shared understanding of existence has been determined by images, symbols and archetypes. Intuitive logic and shared unconscious knowledge pervaded the daily lives of pre-modern man. Early people maintained a stronger connection with nature, spirituality and the subconscious. Archaic man acknowledged one stone among many as possessing spiritual properties. That stone could become a sacred receptacle that differentiated it from all others and saturated it with meaning and …

Vivum Excoriari, Kristina Marie Stafford

Theses

My inspirations for this body of sculpture are implements of torture and antique tools. I am interested in the relationship between historical value and psychological response; the push and pull of the terrible and beautiful. I am exploring the emotive substance of the objects by choosing implements that evoke an emotional and psychological response. I am obsessed with objects that crush, grasp, cut, constrict, and bind such as axes, meat hooks and, most recently, medieval torture devices. I find them simultaneously beautiful and unsettling. These objects express themselves so clearly as a threat through their form, allowing the viewers to …

Recollection, Erika Tada

Theses

My central thesis meaning is seeking to recollect my authentic experiences and memories, and to encapsulate my emotions and any "small happiness" I encounter. For the concept of preservation of my memories, I intend to document important times and places by recalling my childhood and family history, and to make my memories eternal. During the process of creating my glass art, I can signify my personal experience in relation to my inner life. I am working with my feelings, and I make objects important and of great reverence in my life. Moreover, this process helps me assimilate a new culture …

Digital Tools For Industrial Design, Thomas Myers

Theses

Not included.

Introducing Legacy Program Scripting To Molecular Biology Toolkit (Mbt), Todd Newell

Theses

Successful navigating of the ever-changing landscape of molecular visualization programs requires a common thread that can offer users an oasis from the maelstrom of new languages, proprietary applications, and miniscule software life-cycles. Crossapplication scripting remains the benchmark, allowing scientists and researchers to speak a common tongue. The introduction of a new, powerful visualization language, Molecular Biology Toolkit (MBT), has tempted many users to abandon previous methodologies and adopt a new mode of research. MBT, however, is not without drawbacks. Its lack of scripting capabilities creates unmanageable complexity for unsophisticated end-users, namely those without the ability to program. MBT, thus, lacks …

Interactive Television: Advancing Television Through Integrated Technology, Stephen Gallo

Theses

Television has been struggling to find its position in the evolving world of media. It remains mostly one directional output of content and it needs to fit into a world where people are growing to expect more and more interactivity in their experience. Adding a dense component of interactive options into the television experience could cater to revitalizing this centerpiece of entertainment and sustain its dominant place in our households’ entertainment center. There is a vast array of technology that has arisen that television could easily play off of and integrate into the main experience to revitalize itself. The goal …

Implementing A Forensic Educational Package For Registered Nurses In Two Emergency Departments In Western Australia, Christine M. Michel

Theses

The results of violence are a major public health problem that infiltrates hospital emergency departments (ED) daily. Often, ED nurses are the first healthcare professionals to see patients, speak with family members, handle personal property and collect laboratory specimens. Such actions can be of extreme importance to the 27 different categories of forensic patients. To adequately address forensic patient issues, ED nurses need exposure to forensic education. The aim of this research was to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a clinical forensic education package on ED nurses’ perceptions, knowledge and care of forensic patients. To accomplish this aim, this …

Assessment Of Favorable Conditions And Potentials Of Salinity Gradients In Solar Ponds (Sgsps) And The Production Of Solar Salt Along Abu Dhabi Coasts, Huda Ali Mohammed Saeed Al Mansouri

Theses

Coastal sabkha area of Abu Dhabi extends about 300km long and 15 km wide. It consist of a series of hypersaline (47%) lagoons surrounded by salt-entrusted flat sabkhas. Temperature there may reach 60° C in the summer. Moreover, the salinity of the lagoons is very high and may reach 70%.

The objective of this study was to assess the possibility of utilizing salinity gradient in solar ponds and/or production of solar salt along Abu Dhabi coasts. This study was conducted in sabkha area which extends from Al Mafraq-Al Sil’a Highway, near the Satellites Station (kilo 255, Dy 17 Street) until …

The Lord And Giver Of Life: The Person And Work Of The Holy Spirit In The Trinitarian Theology Of Colin E Gunton, Michael D. Stringer

Theses

Colin Gunton was one of the leading figures in a late twentieth century movement which sought to rejuvenate interest in systematic and trinitarian theology. Gunton’s theology was heavily influenced by the trinitarian thought of Karl Barth. As his thought matured, however, he was increasingly drawn to resources found in Irenaeus and the Cappadocian Fathers. Drawing from these patristic sources, Gunton sought to develop a trinitarian theology formulated upon personal and relational categories of thought as a corrective to the over-emphasis upon substantialist conceptuality in the Western tradition. He held that a doctrine of God that desires to remain consistent with …

Treatment Of Aqueous Waste Streams At Eli Lilly - Alternatives To Incineration, Barry Hennessy

Theses

The aim of this project was to investigate the potential to treat liquid waste (secondary) from production processes at Eli Lilly with the emphasis on minimising the volume of waste sent for thermal oxidation. In addition, the project aimed to investigate if the chosen technology was diverse and potentially capable of handling waste streams from different processes. Membrane technology was identified as one of the most suitable technologies and trials were carried out on secondary waste from three production processes. The literature review and practical thrials aswell as assessment of trial results ran from October 2003 to June 2005.

All …

Hydrogen Energy: A Study Of The Use Of Anaerobic Digester Gas To Generate Electricity Utilizing Stand-Alone Hydrogen Fuel Cells At Wastewater Treatment Plants, Charles W. Emerson

Theses

Not provided.

An Overview Of Packaging Sustainability Topics, Alexandros Astropekakis

Theses

This thesis presents the global challenges behind the need of sustainable development. It links packaging to this need and describes the way packaging can positively contribute to this process. It presents industry examples of "green packaging" that claim to or may actually contribute to sustainable development. It monitors the understanding of packaging professionals for what is called "packaging sustainability" through a custom made on-line survey. Finally it presents a comparison of environmental impacts for different polymer materials used for the production of rigid containers (HDPE, PP, PET, PVC and PLA) through an analysis of Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) data for …

Mr.Wolf, A Bad Guy?: Digital Multi-Language Story Book, Ya-Wen Chen

Theses

Interactive learning material can be beneficial to the study of languages. Given today's technology, books can not be regarded as the only source of learning or studying languages. However, by integrating the massive information readily available by means of books, World Wide Web, computer technology, and inter-personal relations, one can create digital interactive learning media, which will not only enhance the learning materials but also boost the interests in learning languages.

Self-Portrait, Hong Seon Jang

Theses

My primary aim is to investigate and analyze the ways in which my cultural identity as an Asian artist has been shaped, redefined, and recognized, and how my questions of cultural identities cannot be separated from the broader context of major social, philosophical, and cultural exchanges under the guise of 'Globalization.' [...] The thesis project is a continuation of my inquiries about my cultural identity and how my interpretation of others in the concepts of my art practice has been affected by the authoritative standards of art and humanities set by Western powers over the centuries. I seek to understand …

Computational Model Of Mst Neuron Receptive Field And Interaction Effect For The Perception Of Self-Motion, Chen-Ping Yu

Theses

Biologically plausible approach is an alternative to conventional engineering approaches when developing algorithms for intelligent systems. It is apparent that biologically inspired algorithms may yield more expensive calculations when comparing its run time to the more commonly used engineering algorithms. However, biologically inspired approaches have great potential in generating better and more accurate outputs as healthy human brains. Therefore more and more new and exciting researches are being experimented everyday in hope to develop better models of our brain that can be utilized by the machines. This thesis work is an effort to design and implement a computational model of …

The Road Ahead: A Dynamic, Interactive, And Multidimensional Flash Website, Hung-Ju Hsia

Theses

Everyone has several dreams in his/her life. To be an International student in the United States, I am fulfilling one of my dreams. At December 17th 2001, I stepped on the United States, a dream territory where I had never been to, and started a fantastic journey. Everything was so fresh to me. In California, I felt the warm sunshine, friendly people, and a vigorous life style. In New York, I found beautiful snow, a serious attitude on working, and a stylish life style. Traveling across the country, I realized why people call America a dream territory. Maybe two years …

Chemistry, Hiroki Sato

Theses

Chemistry by Hiroki Sato, M.F.A Thesis, Rochester Institute of Technology, 2008 A description of the creation of a 3D computer animated film, "Chemistry," a project whose goal is to invoke an emotional response in the audience as they watch a reaction between a crystal and a light bulb in a laboratory. Includes thesis proposal, budget, timeline, original story boards, color stills, and a code for a Maya Python tool that helps to create and animate some complex geometrical objects.

Assessment Of Noise Impact Of Air Traffic At Dubai International Airport, Maryam Ali Ahmad Al Balooshi

Theses

The aviation industry in UAE has experienced rapid expansion over the past decade due to increase in economic growth and technological advancements. UAE’s total fiscal investment on airport development over the coming 20 years is estimated to exceed Dh 71 billion (US$19.35 billion). Civil aviation now a day is considered one of the greatest environmental concerns which lead to many different environmental problems. The International Aviation Organization (ICAO) secretariat considered aircraft noise as the most significant cause of adverse community reaction relating to the operation and expansion of airports. This is expected to remain the case in most regions of …

Biological Control Of Fusarium Oxysporum Wilt Disease Of Tomato By Antagonistic And Plant Growth Promoting Actinomycetes, Nada Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Shugairan

Theses

Soil-borne fungal plant pathogens cause some of the most widespread and serious plant diseases. Root diseases caused by these pathogens such as wilt, root rot, collar rot, foot rot, seedling pre- and post-emergence damping-off are the foremost of problems which are gaining importance from day to day in the world and for which no direct control measures have been evolved so far. Fusarium spp. is a widespread soil-borne plant pathogen and is the causal agents of wilt disease of many economically important crops. Fusarium spp. is a limiting factor in the plant productivity in most agricultural soils. Wilt disease of …

Evaluation Of Nutrient (Protein) – Organism (Fish) Relationship Using A Saturation Kinetic Model, Zainab Saad Abdul Rahman

Theses

The primary objective of this thesis was to demonstrate that the net nutrient (protein) deposition and weight gain as a function of nutrient (protein) intake fits the Saturation Kinetic Model and utilize the model parameters to describe and predict intake-deposition relationship.

Groups of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, fry (0.01 g) and small fingerlings (0.15 g) were each separately fed twelve semi purified diets in triplicates to the fingerling and duplicate to the fry trial. Each test diet contains a percentage of protein. Protein levels were 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 and 54 percent …

Effect Of Oilfield Brine On Groundwater Quality In Marmul Area, Sultanate Of Oman, Salim Ahmed Sakroon

Theses

During a period of 28 years, more than 96 million m³ of oilfield produced water was re-injected in the shallow aquifer at Marmul oilfield area, and changed groundwater characteristics. The 10 wells of Shallow Water Disposal (SWD) have been used to inject water in shallow groundwater aquifers of Dammam and Rus formations. The disposal of oilfield produced water to shallow aquifer has been continuing since 1980, with approximately 96 Mm³ of produced water having been disposed and an estimation of approximately 9600 m³ oil has been disposed of in this case until the beginning of 2008.

The …

Transfer And The Fuzzy-Trace Theory, Michael Ryan Massey

Theses

Transfer occurs when something is learned under particular circumstances and is applied in a new, somehow different, situation. This paper will argue that fuzzy-trace theory can be used to explain the process of transfer. The advantage of fuzzy-trace theory is found in a dual-process theory of memory. Fuzzy-trace theory explains a broad range of phenomena and has the strength to conquer the elusive problem of transfer. Trace-cue compatibility theory is a theory of memory retrieval. By combining the trace-cue compatibility theory with fuzzy-trace theory, we get a method for treating both memory storage and memory retrieval. This combination provides a …