Digital Commons Network^™

Preparation Of Different Polyamide Nanofiltration Membranes By Interfacial Polymerization And The Effect Of Post-Polymerization Treatment On Separation Performance, Yu Qin

Theses

Interfacial polymerization (IP) is a powerful technique for fabrication of thin film composite (TFC) membranes. In this study, polyamide nanofiltration (NF) composite membranes ware prepared by interfacial polymerization of polyethylenimine (PEI) or m-phenylene diamine (MPD) with isophthaloyl dichloride (IPD) on the surface of a porous polyethersulfone (PES) support. Concentrations of monomer reactants for this reaction were decided by equivalent weight ratio. A standard IP procedure was applied to successfully coat PES flat films. After preparation, three different post-polymerization treatments were employed and one optimal treatment was proven after membrane testing.

The TFC flat film membranes were characterized by nanofiltration of …

Techniques For Automatic Large Scale Change Analysis Of Temporal Multispectral Imagery, Ryan Mercovich

Theses

Change detection in remotely sensed imagery is a multi-faceted problem with a wide variety of desired solutions. Automatic change detection and analysis to assist in the coverage of large areas at high resolution is a popular area of research in the remote sensing community. Beyond basic change detection, the analysis of change is essential to provide results that positively impact an image analyst's job when examining potentially changed areas. Present change detection algorithms are geared toward low resolution imagery, and require analyst input to provide anything more than a simple pixel level map of the magnitude of change that has …

Consumer Perception Of Inkjet Printed Textiles, Arianna Valentini

Theses

Digital inkjet printing for textile printing represents a key development in clothing production. The application of inkjet printing for textiles follows the trends within both the printing and textile industries in regards to the demand for personalization in order to gain consumer interest and buying power. There has been much research done in the hopes of getting inkjet printed textiles to the public on a mass scale. However, very little is known regarding the consumer on their preferences when it comes to the image quality, look, and feel of digitally printed textiles. This study attempted to address this problem by …

Performance Comparison Between Ad Hoc On Demand Distance Vector And Dynamic Source Routing Protocols With Security Encryption Using Opnet, Jaseem Jafferi

Theses

Application for wireless networking has been evolving rapidly and is becoming an integral part in our everyday life. Also with the recent performance advancement in wireless communication technologies, mobile wireless ad-hoc networks has been used in many areas such as military, health and commercial applications. Mobile ad hoc networks utilize radio waves and microwaves to maintain communication channel between computers. 802.11 (Wi-Fi) is the pre-eminent technology for building general purpose wireless networks. Mobile ad-hoc networking (MANET) utilize the Internet Protocol (IP) suite and aims at supporting robust and efficient operation by incorporating routing functionality into the mobile nodes. MANET is …

Factors Affecting Minority Undergraduate Students' Enrollment In Agricultural Economics/Agribusiness, Sawde Salifou Labo

Theses

This study examines the factors that affect minority undergraduates' enrollment in agricultural economics/agribusiness at Land-grant institutions using a 2007 cross sectional demand model. Data for students enrolled in agribusiness, ethnicity, and sex were collected through Food and Agricultural Information Education Systems (FAIES). In-state tuition and financial aid were obtained via the Integrated Post Education Data System (IPEDS). The sample size is comprised of 53 land-grant institutions that offer undergraduate degree in agricultural economics/agribusiness. . Additionally, multiple regression models were used to identify factors that influence enrollment of minority. Results indicate that there are more males enrolled in agricultural economics/agribusiness than …

In Vitro Modulation Of Gene Expression In Bovine Blood Neutrophils, Ashley R. Turner

Theses

Concerns for animal welfare, food safety, and security fuel interest in understanding modulators of innate immunity. The accumulation of neutrophils and activation of toll-like receptors (TLRs) at infection sites are critical events of innate host defense. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of Lipopolysaccaride (LPS), Peptidoglycan (PGN), Nystatin (NYS), and Quebracho (Q) extract on bovine neutrophils activation in relation to expression of genes encoding TLR2, TLR4, natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 1 (Nramp1), and the cytokines TNF-α and IL-10. Genes in genomic DNA were detected from blood samples, except IL-10. Neutrophils were isolated from four Holstein Friesian …

Use Of Controlled Release (Encapsulated Chemical Oxidant) Polymer For Remediation Of Contaminated Water Used For Intentional Biothreat Terrorism And Its Potential Application For Disinfection Of Agricultural Waste Pollution., Christopher Ross Jackson

Theses

The threat of biological agents being used to harm mass populations are of extreme importance in the 21st century. Pathogenic agents such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoan, and helminthes are of major concern in the wake that they can be used to cause death to anyone exposed. Agents like these can be disseminated by air, through water, or from animal, food, or human-to-human transmission. Controlled release methods are extensively used in the medical and agricultural industry to release chemicals at controlled rates for drug delivery in the human body or pesticide treatments for farming. Few researchers have investigated the use …

Shear Horizontal Component Of Crack Growth Related Acoustic Emission Signals, Craig Russel Supria

Theses

In this research, the acoustic emissions from simulated crack growth and incremental crack growth in a cyclically loaded aluminum panel were detected by acoustic emission sensors. One of these sensors comprised of an array of thin strips of piezoelectric material bonded to the specimen and electrically connected. The geometry of these sensor strip arrays and their orientation to the fracture site enabled the sensors to capture the shear horizontal component of the acoustic emission waveform. Cyclical loading was used to grow the crack, allowing sensor performance to be assessed and compared to bonded piezoelectric sensors and resonant frequency acoustic emission …

Modeling And Analysis Of Cascading Effects Of Weapons Of Mass Destruction (Wmd) Events On Critical Infrastructure Systems, Sliman Amrani Joutei

Theses

This research studies how the global network behaves after a Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD) attack. The goal is to find a reliable model that will help capture the behavior of the network in the event of a WMD attack and then proceed to a systematic analysis of that model. We discuss a hierarchical model that visualizes how a WMD attack will impact different infrastructure systems. The second level of the Hierarchical Fault Model (HFM) illustrates the failure propagation from one Critical Infrastructure System (CIS) to another CIS. Next, we construct a stochastic Petri Net for HFM of which we …

Kinetic And Mechanistic Studies On The Simultaneous Removal Of Nox And So2 By Aqueous Persulfate Activated By Temperature And Fe(Ii) Ions, Nana Y. Sakyi

Theses

Nitric Oxide (NO) is regarded as a pollutant with multiple effects. These include visibility impairment, respiratory problems, declined crop yield, greenhouse effect and stratospheric ozone depletion. Together with SO2, NO is a major contributor to acid rain, ground-level ozone and photochemical smog. Of much recent concern for NOx (all oxides of nitrogen together) is its ability to form ground-level ozone with volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the presence of heat and sunlight. Consequently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is becoming stringent in terms of standards for NOx emissions to protect human health and the environment. Past and current existing methods …

Space Radiation Countermeasures In A Life Support System Of Extraterrestrial Environments, Candice Thompson Young

Theses

A Life Support System (LSS) sustains life for an extended period of time in a closed system that includes waste recycling as a functional method of support. For future space missions, the goal is to build extraterrestrial space bases which employ the concept design of a radiation free LSS environment. Effectively maintaining a LSS in an extraterrestrial space environment is difficult without protection from harmful space radiation such as galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) and solar radiation. Radiation produces high energy ions which penetrates tissue and destroys DNA. Without radiation protection, life in an extraterrestrial environment will perish. Therefore, it is …

Comparative Proteomic Analysis Of The Impact Of Management Programs On Porcine Airways, Chakia Joi Mcclendon

Theses

In North Carolina, swine are reared in confinement housing or pasture-based operations and air quality in confinement operations is known to contribute to health status. However, few if any reports investigate the impact of swine management operations on porcine airways; thus the goal of this project. The hypothesis was that airways of pigs reared indoors have morphological and proteome differences compared to pigs reared outdoors. Three experimental trials were conducted to observe airway morphology and proteomes. Trial I included three breed types raised indoors, Tamworth X Berkshire, Berkshire X Berkshire and Hertford X Berkshire (n = 4- 5 each). Trials …

Effect Of Feeding A Probiotic, Prebiotic Source, And Synbiotic Diet To Gestational And Lactational Sows On The Mucosal Immunity Of Their Weaned Piglets, Lauren Kloc

Theses

A common practice, in the swine industry, is to administer antibiotics in piglet diets to reduce the incidence of post-weaning diarrhea (PWD). However, due to the link between the overuse of antibiotics in agriculture and the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, alternatives to using antibiotics that boost natural immunity are being sought. Diets rich in probiotic, prebiotic, or synbiotics enhance intestinal health. Since research has shown that a mother’s diet during both gestation and lactation can play an important role in the development of their offspring, a study was designed to investigate whether feeding a probiotic, prebiotic source, or synbiotic diet …

Development Of Emotional Health Monitoring And Feedback System Based On Facial Expression Recognition,Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory, And Regional Agriculture, Franshaun Latrice Hardy

Theses

An individual’s emotional, as well as physical state plays a valuable role in their overall productivity. If one has a balance of physical and emotional well being, the likelihood of their performance will increase towards their daily tasks and assignments. One’s nutritional diet plays a vital role in creating and producing balance into their lives. Studies have shown that the foods you eat have a significant effect on your physical, mental and emotional state.The objective of this research was to develop a system that will enable more research for emotion monitoring and feedback with the long term goal of developing …

Soil And Water Remediation Using Controlled Release Polymer, Jerrine Theresa Foster

Theses

Water and soil treatment for the eradication of pathogens are important today and will forever be of importance in the future. It has been noted that poor water quality poses major threat to human health and is responsible for the deaths of 1.8 million people annually worldwide, with over 90% (1.6 million) of the reported cases being children under the age of five (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, 2005). Fresh water can be accessed for personal use and recreation through fresh water sources, such as rivers, lakes, groundwater and springs. These sources, especially surface water sources, are exposed to …

Examination Of Virulence-Associated Lipoproteins In Novel Strains Of Haemophilus Ducreyi, Quantil M. Melendez

Theses

Haemophilus ducreyi is a gram negative, sexually transmitted bacterial pathogen. This strict human pathogen causes the genital ulcer disease chancroid, which results in the formation of deep, painful ulcers. Chancroid infection has also been associated with high transmission rates of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. H. ducreyi virulence has been attributed, in part, to the extracellular virulence factors large supernatant protein A (LspA) and large supernatant protein B (LspB). Recently, H. ducreyi strains were assigned to two classes, Class I (CI) and Class II (CII). Strains were grouped based on common DNA sequences, expression of several known virulence factors, and differences …

3d Simulation Of Jet-A Combustion In A Model Aircraft Engine Combustion Chamber., Mohammad Golam Mostafa

Theses

Aviation transportation is a major source of gaseous pollutant emissions in modern society. It is important to understand the formation, classification and mitigation of the resulting pollutants. In this work we have designed a combustion chamber to perform CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulation using ANSYS FLUENT with simplified detailed jet-A/air combustion mechanism with the purpose of predicting the major gas pollutants - mainly NOx, CH, CO and C2H2.The primary objective was to compare the emission data measured on CFM56-2C1 engine during APEX (Aircraft Particle Emission eXperiment) campaign by NASA. Four engine operating conditions, idle/taxi, approach, climb and take-off have been …

The Role Of Fra-1 And Cd44 In Malignant Brain Tumor Cell Migration Rasheena Decarroll Edmondson, Rasheena Decarroll Edmondson

Theses

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common form of primary brain tumors. It is a highly aggressive tumor, characterized by an increased proliferation rate and a high capacity to invade surrounding tissues. Currently, GBM treatment includes surgical resection followed by chemotherapy and radiation treatment. However, these therapeutic options often do not alter the infiltrative and migratory capacity of GBMs. The invasive migration of glioblastoma multiforme has been associated with CD44, a cell surface glycoprotein and the principle receptor for hyaluronic acid (HA). The molecular basis of CD44 regulation in GBM is not fully understood. However, CD44 regulation has been shown …

Assessing The Impact Of Celebrity Ambassadors On The Pr Strategies Of Non-Profit Organisations: A Public Relations Perspective, Allison Kelleher

Theses

There has been increased interest from academics, public relations professionals and industry professionals regarding the impact of celebrity ambassadors on the PR strategies of non-profit organisations. This study aims to contribute to the understanding of the non-profit PR sector and the impact of celebrity ambassadors on this section of the PR industry. A qualitative research design was deemed most suitable by the researcher, and semi- structured interviews were used to collect the necessary primary research data. The researcher interviews two PR professionals and three non-profit organisation representatives regarding this particular study. Interviewees were chosen due to their knowledge, experience and …

Design Of A Distributed Hadoop Solution For The Multiple Sequence Alignment Algorithm: Clustal Omega, Jurate Daugelaite

Theses

Multiple Sequence Alignment (MSA) of DNA and protein sequences is one of the most essential techniques in the fields of molecular biology, computational biology and bioinformatics. It aids the identification and prediction of three dimensional structures, primary functions and evolutionary relatedness amongst groups of species, organisms, and genes. Since as the completion of the Human Genome Project and with the advent of sequencing initiatives such as the Genome 10K project, the rate of genome sequencing has increased exponentially, producing vast amounts of DNA and protein sequences. MSA algorithms, when applied to such sequence data, can identify common homology, structure and …

Investigation Of Factors Influencing Trichloromethane Levels In Milk And Its Control., Siobhan Ryan

Theses

Trichloromethane (TCM) is an undesirable chemical residue that can develop in milk. While TCM levels in milk are not within ranges of public health concern, it is important that minimal levels are maintained in order to promote the marketing of Irish dairy products abroad. Germany has enacted strict regulations on TCM concentrations in foodstuffs with a recommended level of0.002 mg/kg and re-analyse those milks, subsequent to cause identification and provision of advice on reducing TCM levels in milk. Milk samples were analysed using Gas chromatography (GC) with electron capture detection. The GC method was adapted and a standard curve was …

The Identification And Reduction Of Energy Streams Within The Pharmaceutical Sector Using Software Algorithms, Raymond Corbett

Theses

Pharmaceutical companies are under increasing financial pressure to optimise production costs, due to a growing number of products coming off patent, research and development costs increasing exponentially and the difficulty of bringing genuinely innovative products to market. Generic drug manufacturers are not exempt from these pressures; costs must be driven down by all drug manufacturers due to the increasingly competitive healthcare market.

The operating costs of a modern Pharmaceutical Plant run to several Million Euros per annum. Complex process’s involving the consumption of large amounts of energy, and hence costs, are a necessity. Any increase in the efficiency of a …

Isolation And Purification Of An Organophosphate Degrading Enzyme, Shannon W. Landvater

Theses

Organophosphates (OP) are a class of pesticide widely used in agriculture and are found in a number of insecticides and chemical warfare agents. OPs are extremely dangerous in that they inhibit cholinesterase function, which disrupts proper activity of the nervous system. . OPs are also harmful due to their broad target range and toxicity for nontarget species (Horne, Qiu, Ollis, Russell, & Oakeshott, 2006) . Furthermore, following the introduction and wide spread use of pesticides, great environmental concerns have arisen. Some of the methods used for removing OP residues are impractical and costly, or are themselves environmentally hazardous (Horne et …

An Assessment Of Animal Agricultural Producers Within North Carolina In Relation To Their Perceptions Regarding The Animal Agricultural Industry, Jessica Gowins

Theses

The purpose of this study was to analyze the perceptions of North Carolina animal agricultural producers relative to the sociological, biological, and economic aspects of the animal agricultural industry. A survey instrument was used in this study to obtain perceptions as well as demographic information. The survey was distributed to producers at the producer meetings and randomly throughout the state. A one-week interval, three round data collection method was used. Convenient sampling was used to collect 88 surveys. Producers agreed or strongly agreed that: people’s perceptions of animal agricultural industry are affected by animal rights groups; the prevention and control …

A Design Tool For Wsn Design In Buildings, Antony Guinard

Theses

The combination of sensing, processing, communication and actuation has made the monitoring and operation of buildings a significant emerging application area for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN). The design, implementation and management of WSN is a complex task requiring a broad spectrum of disciplines such as networking and protocols, information management and embedding engineering to be successful. Indoor environments in particular pose a number of challenges that make the design of wireless networks a difficult task. These include the influence of obstacles and people on radio propagation, ever evolving building layout and interference from other wireless networks. The large-scale adoption of …

Settlement Of Municipal Solid Waste, Emmet Burke

Theses

The mechanical properties of waste (compression index, elastic modulus, stresses) are an important aspect for the design, operation and post-closure uses of landfills. In recent years the requirement to utilise the acreage that the landfill occupies to its maximum potential has necessitated the landfill structure to accommodate a greater volume of waste over a smaller plan area. This pushes the boundaries of design relating to side-slope and infrastructural elements of landfill structures.

The objectives of this research were identified from significant gaps in the knowledge relating to the settlement and mechanical properties of municipal solid waste. The main objectives are …

Characterisation Of Crataegus Monogyna Fractions And Assessment Of Their Functional Properties, Eilish Shortle

Theses

Hawthorn {Crataegus monogyna) is a herb that has been used medicinally since ancient times. In modern medicine it is known for its cardiotonic properties and is used as a cardiovascular protective, hypotensive and hypocholesterolemic agent. In recent years supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) has become more popular as an extraction method for botanical material as it is an environmentally-friendly method that can produce toxic-free extracts. The optimal SFE extraction conditions for the extraction of antioxidant compounds from both, hawthorn leaf & dower and hawthorn berries, using carbon dioxide, were determined in this study. The optimized extracts were then compared to pre-prepared …

Poetry And Prose: The Story And The Slant, Carol Arnett

Theses

Not available.

Development And Trial Of A Report Card On Children’S Physical Activity In Western Australia, Maria Doolan

Theses

Current levels of physical activity in Western Australian children and adolescents do not meet national physical activity recommendations. Insufficient physical activity and increasing levels of sedentary behaviours endanger the physical, mental and social health of young Western Australians. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a Report Card to monitor Western Australia’s status in delivering the 10 Key Rights (identified and articulated in the

Charter for Active Kids and developed by the Children’s Physical Activity Coalition) which aim to guide current and future physical activity interventions for Western Australian children and adolescents. The Report Card targeted multiple …

The Effect Of An Evidence Based Bowel Protocol On Time Taken To Return To Normal Bowel Function In Post Operative Total Hip And Total Knee Replacement Patients, Gail Ross-Adjie

Theses

Total hip and knee replacement operations are one of the most commonly performed orthopaedic procedures in Australia. It is estimated however that up to 65% of patients will experience some degree of opioid-related bowel dysfunction in the post operative period. Often considered a mild and selflimiting problem, constipation can lead to significant morbidity and occasional mortality. Several clinical incidents and a lack of robust evidence to guide bowel management in this cohort was the impetus for this study.

This cluster randomised study sought to evaluate the Murdoch Bowel Protocol©, a simple nursing intervention based on the administration of polyethylene glycol …