Digital Commons Network^™

Best Practices In Implementing Operational Controls Of Iso 14001 Environmental Management Systems Into Small And Medium Businesses, Kuldeep Khalsa

Theses

Studies show that many small and medium businesses (SMBs) that have implemented environmental management systems (EMSs) and got certified to the ISO 14001 Environmental Management Standard experienced obstacles along the way. For SMBs the standards appear unnecessarily bureaucratic, and represent a way of working that fits poorly into their organizational cultures and decision-making structures of small companies. Studies also show that environmental management systems such as ISO 14001 provide a framework for organizations that wish to effectively manage their environmental affairs. Implementing an EMS that conforms to the ISO 14001 standard helps businesses integrate environmental values into their operations.

This …

The Impact Of Information Technology On Mass Customization, Josephice M. Lim

Theses

Increasingly, companies are adopting mass customization as a business strategy to meet increasing customer demand for product variety to help compete in the global marketplace. This paper examines the effects and impacts of Information Technology (LT) on mass customization and how various IT tools are used as customizing mediums to enable mass customization and provide unique value to customers in the most efficient way possible. Examples are drawn from companies who leveraged IT technologies in their mass customization efforts. Recognizing the critical value of technology professionals, this paper further discusses IT professionals' roles and how they are an integral part …

Solid-Phase Combinatorial Synthesis: Wittig Reaction For C=C Formation In Tamoxifen Derivatives, David Yu-Chung Lee

Theses

Tamoxifen has a backbone structure of triphenylethylene and is a drug that has been used for over 20 years to treat patients with breast cancer. It has been discussed in the literature that the C=C formation would be the desired synthetic approach because of its flexibility in the introduction of suitable functional groups using readily available reagents. Solid-phase combinatorial approach is adopted for the purpose of product diversity and simplicity in product analysis. This research focused on optimization of each reaction step in the Wittig mechanism to overcome low yield caused by employing solid-state chemistry and the steric hindrance of …

Nature Through Sculpture, Jaewon Lee

Theses

"Human beings were born from nature and in death they return back to nature." This quote express how closely we are connected to nature which is defined a word as all the plants, animals and things that exist in the universe that are not made by people. We first came from nature, and in this complicated society, we sometimes feel like returning to the peaceful, magnificent and tranquil side of nature. Through my work, I would like to show his interpretation of how nature is. For example, a person can look at the ocean and feel peaceful, but someone else …

Analysis Of Space Employee Risk Acceptance, Aliya Bostubayeva

Theses

In the summer of 2002, eighty-one students, faculty and staff of RIT took a survey that was aimed at determining the possible employees expectations about the risk compensation if hired to work in space. Every mission in space entails a certain degree of health damage; the length of stay is directly related with more risk involved. The survey results help understand rough estimations of risk acceptance of the future space labor force (cosmonauts and astronauts not included). Three sets of questions described the consequences of space missions (short, month-long and long), where the extent of health damage is directly dependent …

Impact Of Reject Brine Chemical Composition From Inland Desalination Plants On Soil, Juma Bin Khalfan Bin Khamis Al-Handhaly

Theses

The impact of reject brine chemical composition and disposal from inland desalination plants on soil in the eastern region of Abu Dhabi Emirate, namely Al Wagan, Al Quaa and Urn Al Zumool, was evaluated. Twenty five (25) inland Brackish Water Reverse Osmoses (BWRO) desalination plants (11 at Al Wagan, 12 at Al Quaa, and 2 at Urn Al Zumool) were investigated. The average capacity of these plants varied between 26,400 G/d (99.93 m³/d) and 61,000 G/d (230.91 m³/d). The recovery rate varied from 60 and 70% and the reject brine accounts for about 30 - 40 …

Unsupervised Skin Lesion Classification And Matching, Paula Yandow-Reilly

Theses

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), since 1973, the mortality rate for melanoma has increased by 44%. The number of serious skin cancers diagnosed has also more than doubled in that same period. Even though serious skin cancers (melanoma) account for only 4% of skin cancer diagnoses (and skin cancer is the most common cancer) it is responsible for almost all (79%) cancer deaths. The ACS reports about 7,300 people in the United States are expected to die of melanomas in 2002, other sources put the number as high as 7,800. There are about 130,000 cases of melanoma worldwide, …

Animal Kingdom "Re-Creation", Rattapol Chaiyarat

Theses

Not provided.

A Review Of The Endocrine Disrupting Properties Of The Organochlorine Pesticides, And A Critique And Comparison Of The Laws And Regulations Governing Their Usage In The United States And The European Union., Kent Mitchell

Theses

Introduction to the effects of organochlorine based pesticides on the immune system so as to better understand the importance of governmental restrictions put on their usage

An Approach To Operational Control Determination For The Small Or Medium Size Organization, Dawn Collins

Theses

The purpose of this work was to design and assess an effective approach for a small or medium size organization to determine appropriate operational controls for its significant environmental aspects as part of developing and implementing an ISO 14001- type environmental management system. This new approach was determined to be necessary due to the generic nature and broad applicability of the ISO 14001 standard, the lack of appropriate methodology in the professional literature, and the lack of related knowledge and ability in most small or medium sized organizations. As controlling and influencing operations is a vital characteristic of an effective …

Effect On Participation In High School Extracurricular Activities On Grade Point Average, Nancy J. Aberasturi

Theses

Historically, studies have debated the relationship between student grade point average and student involvement in extracurricular activities. The present study investigated that relationship. A group of 47 high school sophomores and juniors voluntarily completed and returned a questionnaire designed by the researcher, which gathered data on involvement in all-inclusive extracurricular activities, plans for attending a college or university, gender, age, and date of birth. The sample included 22 females, 24 males, and I subject who did not indicate gender. Cumulative grade point average was determined by student records. A correlation analysis indicated that a significant, positive relationship existed between grade …

The Evolution Of The Long Term Performance Of Fiber Reinforced Composites Materials Based On Vinyl Easter Resin, Nasser Abdullah Ali-Al Ghailani

Theses

Fiber reinforced polymer (plastic) FRP composites are different from traditional

structural materials such as steel or aluminum since the an-isotropic nature of a Fiber _ reinforced composite material creates a unique opportunity of tailoring its properties according to the design requirements. With the accelerated change in the technological sphere, FRP composite materials

have taken a paramount importance in various structural applications, where they successfully replaced conventional materials such as steel. Such success is based on the advantages offered by composite materials such as a high strength to weight ratio. However one aspect that is still delaying full acceptance of these …

Between The Ankle And The Soul, Christine Carlson

Theses

None provided.

Dimensional Study Of Desaminotyrosyl Polyarylates, Kalsank Vaishali Pai

Theses

Synthetic polymers have found widespread usage and acceptance in various areas of the medical device industry. The recognition that no polymeric biornaterials are truly biocompatible has led to the search for bioerodible materials with desirable biological and physical properties for use as tissue engineering scaffolds and to enable in-vivo devices. Several methodologies have been tried and tested to invent the "ideal" biopolymer. The ideal polymeric biomaterial would be one that offers a favorable response at both the cellular and the systemic level with minimum alteration to its mechanical properties and chemistry. The systematic investigation of process-structure-property space to determine the …

Crystallographic Structure And Mechanical Properties Of Tantalum Coatings On Steel Deposited By Dc Magnetron Sputtering, Charanjeet Singh Paur

Theses

Tantalum metal exhibits excellent erosion and corrosion resistance property. Hence, tantalum coatings are investigated for protection of steel surface exposed to mechanical stresses, high temperature, and corrosive environment. Such conditions exist inside large army gun barrels. The goal of this work was to contribute to the development of technology for tantalum coating of steel, which would replace the presently used electrochemical chromium deposition. A DC magnetron sputtering process was used to deposit tantalum coatings on steel substrates. In sputtering, tantalum is deposited in two phases: ductile, body-centered cubic (bcc) phase (a-phase) and a metastable, brittle tetragonal ß-phase. Only a-phase of …

An Algorithm For Estimating The Quality Of Microarrays, Ajeet S. Sodhi

Theses

Microarray technology is currently one of the most valuable gene expression tools in molecular biology allowing the experimenter to simultaneously quantify the expression of thousands of genes. It is also one of the most difficult tools to use accurately as each microarray produces a large amount of information that needs to be inspected and normalized before analysis. As the size of a microarray or number of replicates increase, the use of manual inspection becomes impractical. The aim of this thesis is to introduce an algorithm that evaluates each feature of a microarray from the scanned data file. A quality score …

Creativity And Renewal A Personal Journey, Tatiana Evanitsky

Theses

None provided.

Monitoring Of Air Quality In Abu-Dhabi City 1998-2001, Fatima Yahya Abdullah Ahmed Al-Aidrous

Theses

Documentation of air pollution and sources in the emirate of Abu Dhabi has never been reviewed in terms of its effect on health. No research by means of a population-based study has been conducted in order to define the important epidemiological characteristics of air pollution in human health. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the levels of air pollutants in the environment of Abu Dhabi Emirate, and the effects of air pollution on human health. Additionally, a comprehensive time-series analysis was performed on the air quality data for a period of four years (1998-2001)

The study was undertaken …

Toner Usage Characteristics Of Electrophotography, Jon Cardin

Theses

Accurately estimating the amount of image area on a printed page provides a necessary factor for determining the cost of a given printed job. In conventional printing, the cost of the ink is relatively low in comparison to other factors such as paper. In electrophotography, having the cost associated with the colorant is substantially higher per sheet, it is more important to obtain a more accurate estimate of the amount of toner to be used. This higher toner cost often rivals paper for the highest cost-per-sheet item. The scope of this study is to determine what functional relationship exists between …

A Self Regenerating Diesel Emissions Particulate Trap Using A Non-Thermal Plasma, Bryce Rampersad

Theses

There is great concern about the adverse effects associated with exposure to diesel exhaust. There is increasing evidence that diesel exhaust particulate matter (PM) is carcinogenic and may cause cancer. Non-cancerous lung damage and respiratory problems are also associated with exposure to diesel exhaust as well as acid rain and smog. Diesel exhaust PM is very easily respirable once emitted into the atmosphere and therefore poses a significant health problem. A diesel engine emissions particle removal system which utilizes Electrostatic Precipitation (ESP) and Non Thermal Plasma (NTP) technologies was studied for trapping and oxidizing micron sized particles (0.01 to 10 …

Agricultural Land Reform Policy In Western Ukraine : The Influence Of Environmental History And Ethics, Andrew B. Wowk

Theses

Agricultural land privatization is an important environmental and economic policy within Ukraine, which is transitioning to a market-based economy. This thesis studied the influence of bioregional environmental history and environmental ethics on land privatization in Western Ukraine, within Lviv oblast, through historical research and field research of private farmers.

Historical research showed that due to its environmental history, the study area was particularly receptive to land privatization after Ukraine's independence in 1991. Field research indicated that farmers in the study area generally see private ownership of land as better for humans and the environment than collective land ownership. The farmers …

Determination Of Phase Composition Of Sputtered Tantalum On Steel Substrates By Resistivity Measurements, Younes Abbassi

Theses

The objective of this thesis was to develop a method of distinguishing between alpha and beta phases of tantalum films on steel substrates, using the four-point probe resistivity measurements. While there is a large difference between resistivities of the two Ta phases, the problem is challenging because the measurements are influenced by the low resistivity of steel.

For reference, the resistivity measurements of tantalum coatings (1-20 μm) on silicon and silicon dioxide substrates were conducted first. The measured resistivities were related to the crystallographic phase composition of Ta, which has lower resistivity in bcc form, α-phase, (13.5 to 42 μΩcm), …

A Case Study Of An Ergonomic Evaluation For A Shop Floor Facility, Ivan Siguencia

Theses

The aim of this paper is to discuss and recommend solutions for the ergonomic hazards present in a shop floor type of manufacturing facility. This type of study is important since the ergonomic issues that concern the shop floor worker are different than those faced by the assembly line worker. The shop floor employee for the most part enjoys work satisfaction, task variety, and is able to control his own work pace. From an ergonomic standpoint, this is the preferred work environment.

The focus of this paper is a case study. This study is a one-day ergonomic assessment of a …

Sustainable Agriculture : Pragmatism, Distinctions On Artifacts And The Role Of The Land Ethic, Dustin Mulvaney

Theses

This thesis will explore the ethical dimensions of global agriculture from the productionist paradigm to the land ethic in the context of the sustainable agriculture promoted in the fair trade, shade grown, and organic coffee movements. Much of the sustainable development debate in the environmental ethics literature has centered on justifications (from anthropocentric and nonanthropocentric worldviews) for preserving nature. Since agriculture is an artifact of human sedentary civilization, traditional nonanthropocentric arguments do not suffice because of the tendency to focus exclusively on natural systems. Building on the work of Katz's "Pragmatic ReConsideration" and Light's "methodological pragmatism," the role of anthropocentric …

Development Of A Method To Examine Shear Stress On Cardiomyocytes, Dhawal Desai

Theses

Cardiac hypertrophy is the remodeling or enlargement of the heart exhibited by individuals suffering from heart disease. Cardiac hypertrophy involves two mechanisms, mechanical stresses and humoral changes in the cardiac tissue. One such humoral change involves the Renin Angiotensin System (RAS). The primary fimction of RAS is maintenance of hemodynamics of the body mediated through an effector protein, Angiotensin 11. However, RAS has been shown to play a significant role in the pathophysiology of the heart; contributing to hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy and myocardial infarction. RAS acts through binding of Angiotensin 11 at its receptors. The two forms of Angiotensin 11 …

Manifestations Of A Social Addiction: Forms Of Despair And Desire, Jose Santisteban

Theses

Not Included

How Substance Abuse Affects Sibling Relationships: A Qualitative Study, Kellee Garney

Theses

The purpose of this research was to gain an understanding of the sibling relationship when one sibling abuses drugs and/or alcohol. It was hypothesized that a sibling relationship with a substance-abusing sibling would have lower levels of closeness and trust than non-substance abusing sibling relationships. Nineteen young adults aged 19-47 were interviewed regarding their perceptions of the sibling relationship. Nine participants had a sibling they perceived as abusing drugs or alcohol, 1 participant was a substance abuser with a non-abusing sibling, and 9 participants had a non-substance abusing sibling. The sample was not randomly selected with participants recruited from Rochester …

Teacher Perceptions Of The New York State Regents Requirements: A Pilot Study, Jennifer Lerner

Theses

This pilot study investigated teachers' perceptions of the effects of the New York State Regents requirements on teachers and students. An eight question Likert scale survey was administered to one hundred high school teachers in an upstate New York urban school district. Survey questions covered the impact of the new standards on teacher autonomy, in addition to student and teacher anxiety level. Teachers were asked about the fairness of the exams, the amount of time spent teaching to exams, and how they perceived the exams as impacting school drop-out rate. Results indicated that teachers believed that the new requirements had …

The Effects Of Life Space Crisis Intervention Training On Levels Of Teacher Stress And Time-Out Room Referrals, Michele Helfand

Theses

Student behavioral problems are often cited as factors contributing to school violence and teacher stress. School violence and teacher stress ultimately contribute to a deterioration in the quality of the educational system in our society. Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI) is a strategy for using student problems as an opportunity to promote insight and behavior change. The intent of this study was to empirically examine the effects of a Life Space Crisis Intervention training. The outcome variables were teacher responses to a self report measure of stress (The Teacher Stress Inventory) and number and severity of time out room referrals. …

The Improvement Of Some Natural Organic Fertilizers Using Beneficial Microorganisms, Mariam Naseeb Al Hameeri

Theses

The random uses of inorganic fertilizers in the UAE farms generate a serious threat about polluting the soil, and the environment. This motivates some researchers to find suitable alternatives, which can give a better crop yield, and at the same time become friendly to the environment.

The present study was performed to find environmentally friendly biological fertilizers to substitute or reduce the application of inorganic fertilizers. Actinomycetes, which are known to produce plant growth regulators (PGRs) were isolated from UAE soils. A total of fifty-seven actinomycetes were isolated from a cucumber rhizosphere soil at a farm in AI-Ain city. Out …