Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Of University Participation In Integrated Coastal Zone Management : A Case Study Of The Ria De Aviero, Amie Barbosa Figueiredo

Theses

The purpose of this investigation is to examine the efforts of the Universidade de Aveiro to create a public participation process and provide information for the management of the Ria de Aveiro, a lagoon system, in Portugal. This thesis examines whether universities are effective as coordinators and facilitators of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). The Universidade de Aveiro, through the European Union-ICZM Demonstration Programme, spearheaded two projects, MARIA and ESGIRA-Maria, in efforts towards moving forward with ICZM in the area. A framework was created and then applied through a series of pilot-projects. Examination of the results of these pilot projects …

2d Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship Modeling Of Methylphenidate Analogues Using Algorithm And Partial Least Square Regression, Noureen Wadhwaniya

Theses

Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) analysis attempts to develop a predictive model of biological activity based on molecular descriptors. 2D QSAR uses descriptors, such as topological indices, that are independent of molecular conformation. A genetic algorithm - partial least squares (GA-PLS) approach was used to identify the molecular descriptors that correlate to the biological activity (binding affinity) of a set of 80 methylphenidate analogues and to construct a predictive model. The GA code was implemented using the fitness function (1-(n-1)(1-q²)/ (n - c)), where n is the number of compounds, c is the optimal number of components, and q …

Obtaining Optimal Data Length For Fmri Images, Vikram M. Natarajan

Theses

Interest in brain hemodynamics has led to a substantial increase in state of the art research within the field of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). FMRI enables research to be conducted on brain mapping in healthy individuals, as well as in patient populations. The need for accurate functional images is required. The primary objective was the development of a method to determine the optimal number of time points required to obtain reliable activation maps. The second phase involved the development of a program, which enabled the conversion of functional magnetic resonance images to a format that the neurosurgeon's scanner could …

The Construction And Maintenance Of A School Intranet Based Discipline Monitoring System : Design Development And Implementation Using Open Source Software Mysql, Php And Apache, Seán Geary

Theses

This aim of this project is to build a School Discipline Database, which will record and display student breaches of discipline, using dynamic web pages. Management presently implements a school discipline system based on the issuing of Yellow or Red cards to students, depending on the gravity of the offence. A student incurs detention, when 3 Yellow Card offences for general misbehaviour or 1 Red Card offence for serious misbehaviour occurs. The database is created and populated using open source software MySQL, PHP and Apache. A database driven web site allows the content of the site to reside in a …

Elucidation Of The Mass Spectral Fragmentation Pathways Of Cyclic Hepatopeptides Microcystins, Paloma Muniz Ortea

Theses

The most frequently found cyanobacterial toxins in blooms from fresh and brackish waters are the cyclic peptide microcystins (MCs) and nodularin family. These toxins cause fatal poisonings of agricultural livestock, wild animals, birds and fish on a worldwide basis. The involvement of these toxins in human health problems has also been inferred in several countries and their presence in drinking water sources is of interest to the drinking water industry.

One of the biggest problems in the analysis of MCs is the lack of commercially available standards to be used for the identification and characterisation of these cyanobacterial toxins. One …

Optimal Selection Of The Desalination Intakes And Outlets Considering The Environmental And Hydrodynamic Conditions Prevailing In The Uae Western Coastal Water, Ahmed Ali Basioni

Theses

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Anti-Oxidants On Endocrine And Metabolic Parameters Of Diabetic Rats, Maryam Suroor Al Shamsi

Theses

Diabetes mellitus is recognized as one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. About 5 to 6% of the world population suffers from this disease and the number of people diagnosed with diabetes is rapidly increasing. Diabetes has been demonstrated to be associated with oxidative stress and hyperglycemia, one of the most important indictors of oxidative stress. Normally the endogenous mechanisms of enzymes and antioxidants are able to destroy the reactive species and create a balance between antioxidant and free radicals. In diabetes, the oxidative stress is increased due to the deficiency in the antioxidant defense. …

Analytical And Synthetic Methods For Anatoxins., Janet Crowley

Theses

This thesis is focused on the potent cyanobacterial neurotoxins anatoxin-a (AN), its methyl analogue homoanatoxin-a (HMAN) and their non-toxic dihydro- and epoxydegradation products. In commencing the investigation into this area a literature review was performed in order to identify areas where more research and method development was required (Chapter 1). The review highlighted the fact that although a number of analytical methods had been developed for the analysis of AN, there were few methods for the determination of its potent homologue HMAN and their non-toxic degradation products. As these neurotoxins degrade quickly it is important to monitor their degradation products, …

Validation Of An Immunomagnetic-Electrochemiluminescence Detection System For The Detection Of Escherichia Coli 0157 In Food And Comparison With An Iso Standard Method, Eimear Carney

Theses

Rapid and sensitive methods for detecting Escherichia coli 0157 in contaminated food, water and other biological samples are important in limiting and preventing the spread of this pathogen. Traditional culture based methods for bacterial identification and detection can be time consuming and labour intensive. Modem alternative methods should be faster whilst maintaining sensitivity. Immunomagnetic separation (IMS) methodology has been investigated and appears promising for rapid bacterial detection in unrelated food and environmental samples. In this study, a commercial sensor which combined IMS with electrochemiluminescence (ECL) was evaluated for the detection of E. coli 0157 in unrelated food matrices. Emitted signals …

Dredging And Dredge Disposal And Reuse In Ireland, Séamus Sutton

Theses

Dredging involves raising material from a river or estuary bed to the surface and transporting it some distance for disposal or reuse. It may be required to improve navigational access, to allow for port development or for mining aggregates.

This thesis includes a literature review and a detailed study of the dredging industry in Ireland. This study is partly based on a nationwide survey undertaken on dredging and dredge disposal and reuse, the results of which are included in a dredging database created for this project. All the main stakeholders in the industry were invited to complete questionnaire forms for …

Numerical Modelling Of Sediments In Cork Harbour, Jérémy Pingon

Theses

In recent years there have been considerable developments in the new and emerging field of hydroinformatics. This relatively new discipline is concerned with the application of computer and networking technology for the planning, management and protection of water bodies.

Environmental issues in estuaries require accurate and detailed knowledge of cohesive sediment transport processes to assess different issues including water quality, pollutant dispersion, and dredging and maintenance of navigation channels.

This thesis presents a review of the main sediment properties and processes required for modelling the behaviour and transport of sediments. It also introduces a new approach to sediment properties using …

An Investigation Of Verbal Versus Visual Persuasive Elements In Travel And Gambling Pop-Up Advertisements, Elizabeth Karras

Theses

Although pop-up advertisements generate ill will, these ads, have an above average clickthrough rate compared to other forms of Internet advertising such as the banner ad, illustrating the significance this form has in modern day advertising. Travel and gambling ads are analyzed in the following study. Previous literature includes studies on factors that play an integral role in the success or failure of an online advertisement, the effectiveness of internet marketing on internet users, persuasive appeals used in advertising, and experiential consumption. Research on pop-up advertisements has focused primarily on tactics, their effects on the consumer, and their failures and …

Development Of A Porous Silicon Flow-Through Field Effect Sensing System For Chemical And Biological Detection, Jeffrey Clarkson

Theses

With an increasing need for homeland security, and breakthrough advancements in sensing applications, the demand for highly sensitive, compact, biological and chemical sensing devices is evident. Macroporous silicon (MPS) is an ideal material for meeting these demands because it exhibits a large degree of internal surface area and is fully compatible with silicon technologies. Since the surface is sensitive to charged molecules, localized field effects from analytes interfaced with MPS will cause modulation of a space charge region in the semiconductor. In this work, a porous silicon based sensing system is designed, fabricated, and characterized. The unique properties of porous …

The Pedagogical And Practical Issues Of Using Ict In Post-Primary Schools, Kay O'Sullivan Mc Carty

Theses

This study was an investigation into some of the pedagogical and practical issues that need to be considered when using ICT, with particular reference to post-primary schools. This investigation was prompted by the introduction of broadband into Irish schools in the next twelve months. Resources need to be developed that are subject specific and relevant to the Irish curriculum. The principle learning theories were examined and their pedagogical implications for post-primary teachers were discussed. The definition of learning styles was explored, different measurements were looked at and several internet based inventories were examined. The VARK questionnaire was administered to a …

Investigations Of The Kinetics Of Liquid Droplets On Soil Substrates Using A Novel Approach: Contact Ratio, Abdelhafiz “Moh’D Adnan” Herbawi

Theses

In view of young’s equation, in which the contact angle “ϑ” and the liquid surface tension γ_lv are the only measurable parameters, the contact angle has been widely conceived as a thermodynamic quantity. Accordingly “ϑ” has been the main focus of most theoretical and experimental investigations. The rate of change in the contact angle has been commonly used as the relevant parameter of spreading dynamics in spite of difficulties associated with contact angle measurements that are well recognized in the literature. Considering that the velocity of the contact line is the pertinent quantity for spreading, it is therefore reasonable …

"An Investigation Into The Potential Of Immobilized Nitrifies In Wastewater Treatment", Ahmed S. Embaby

Theses

Removal of ammonia from wastewater is one of the problematic issues in wastewater treatment because nitrifies are very slow growing and can be washed out from activated sludge processes. There is a need to use higher advanced techniques to retain biomass. Among these techniques is cell immobilization in appropriate reactor environments. Cell immobilization technology can be approached by various methods, including cell entrapment or biofilms. However, these immobilization techniques are often accompanied by challenges in terms of biomass activity preservation and recovery following the immobilization treatment, reduction of nutrients mass transfer rates, adequate performance under shock situations and preservation of …

Quantitative And Qualitative Assessment Of Groundwater Resources In Al-Khatim Area, Uae, Ahmed Khaled Othman

Theses

The UAE has achieved remarkable progress in transformation from separated small emirates to a modern union country with a high standard of living. The country is however, considered an extreme arid region.

In spite of these harsh conditions, The UAE government has encouraged plantation in towns, villages and country side. This has led to sharp increase in the agricultural sector particularly during the last three decades. As the irrigated land kept increasing, there was a deep concern about the water demand and the impact of agriculture activities on groundwater systems. Al-Khatim area is considered one of the most important agricultural …

Investigation Of Epoxy Resin Spreading On Glass Surfaces, Haneen Nemer Al-Dahdooh

Theses

The spreading of a small epoxy resin droplet (l.5tL) on a glass surface was examined with the objective of developing a new type of hydrophobic polymer coated glass which has the ability to reduce heat gain inside a building. The study covered three main aspects; the spreading kinetics of epoxy resin on a glass surface, the hydophopicity of the developed polymer-coated glass surface, and the reduction of solar radiation of this surface, As wettability and spreading phenomena arc a fundamental prerequisite for coating, the spreading kinetics of different curing agent concentrations (15:200, 18:200, 21:200) of epoxy resin on the glass …

Identification Of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia Coli In The Uae, Khawla Hamad Mohd Al-Areef Al-Dhaheri

Theses

Identification of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli in the UAE

By

Khawla Hamad Mohd Al-Areef Al-Dhaheri

Abstract

Various patho-groups of Escherichia coli strains are important causes of diarrheal diseases worldwide. Among these strains Shiga toxin producing isolates are particularly important. They are carried by various animals and upon infection, in humans, they may cause serious bloody diarrhea, and in some cases even life threatening sequels as hemolytic uremic syndrome. However, these infections are often under-diagnosed due to the fact that pathogenic strains do not differ from their nonpathogenic counterparts in characters investigated by standard microbiological techniques. Consequently, they can only be …

Assessment Of The Effect Of Desalination Brine Waste On Marine Water Quality In Ruwais Area: A Numerical Modeling Application, Samer Jouda Al Nahhal

Theses

This thesis aims to investigate the fate and transport of the effluents discharged from

The desalination plant as well other facilities located in the Ruwais Industrial Complex

(RIC) in the United Arab Emirates. These effluents are discharged in to the Ruwais

Coastal marine waters. The effluents from the desalination plant are characterized by

warm water with high salinity, whereas one other effluent is characterized by high n

Nutrient loads. The characterization of the Ruwais environment and such effluents are

Addressed through comprehensive field surveys of the Ruwais costal water over one

Full year.

In order to investigate the impacts of …

Morphological And Physiological Abnormalities In Tissue Culture-Derived Date Palm (Phoenix Dactylifera L.) Plants, Hamad Saif Al-Mazroui

Theses

The UAE attaches great importance to agricultural development with a sound focus on date palms. This special attention is obvious in the ongoing expansion of agricultural resources and investments, the growing number of palm trees, and in the extensive use of modern technologies. Mass cultivation of date palm trees is required to continue according to the country's agricultural plans.

In order to achieve these agricultural expansion of date palm, new techniques of propagation other than traditional techniques (seed and offshoot propagation) are critically required. Tissue culture is a modern and reliable technology being one of the main methods for date …

Total Synthesis Of Montiporyne E, Jian Chen

Theses

Montiporyne A-F is a family of new diacetylenic natural products recently isolated from stony coral Montipora sp. Biological study shows that these compounds exhibit bioactivity against certain solid tumor cells. Of particular interest is Montiporyne E, whose molecular structure is comprised of an interesting seven-membered lactam ring and a diacetylenic sidechain, which is a common structural feature among the Montiporyne family members.

An efficient synthesis of Montiporyne E is described in this paper. The seven-membered lactam ring was constructed using a Beckmann rearrangement. The desired natural product was synthesized using a Sonograshira coupling of the seven-membered lactam vinyl triflate with …

Asthma Brochure And Logo For Rochester General Hospital's Camp Bronchopower And Pediatric Associates, Christine Marie Curtiss

Theses

This thesis describes the creation of a lay public educational brochure for Rochester General Hospital, showing asthmatic children how to use a spacer device with a metered dose inhaler. The thesis was created using the author's original artwork and was translated and adapted for a Spanish version. The second part of the thesis describes the revision of the logo for Camp Bronchopower, a children's asthma camp run by Rochester General Hospital.

Evaluation Of Numerical, Analytical, And Experimental Particle Deposition In Simple And Lung Geometries, Pamela M. Snyder

Theses

Particle deposition is utilized to determine exposure limits, design inhaled medications, and study pulmonary disorders that are a result of airborne pathogens. This information can be obtained from analytical equations, experimental studies, empirical relationships, and numerical analysis.

This research utilizes analytical equations, empirical relationships, and experimental data to investigate the accuracy of three Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software packages; Fluent Discrete Phase Model (DPM), Fluent Fine Particle Model (FPM) and CFX. The sedimentation, molecular diffusion and impaction deposition mechanisms are investigated in a straight tube, bifurcating tube, and three generation lung geometry.

Sedimentation is evaluated in the straight tube for …

Experimental And Theoretical Study Of A Uv Disinfection System For Water Treatment, Wei Yang

Theses

An innovative energy saving ultraviolet disinfection reactor has been developed and tested. The technical approach taken is to establish a relationship between the power consumption and the design features of a UV disinfection system, and then determine these design features by minimizing the power consumption function.

The circular-array type (CAT) UV reactor design consists of four short straight UV bulbs located circumferentially outside a quartz tube. A 4 inches diameter prototype was tested with a water flow rate of 1 1 GPM. Experimental results showed that the CAT UV reactor requires 30% less power consumption (9.6W) compared with a commercial …

Effect Of Casting Conditions On The Crystallization And Resulting Morphology In Compatibilized And Uncompatibilized Poly (Ethylene Oxide )-Poly (Vinylidene Fluoride) Blends, Tejas Upasani

Theses

This thesis describes the effect of casting conditions on the crystallization and resulting morphology in compatibilized and uncompatibilized blends of poly(ethylene oxide) and poly (vinylidene fluoride). Two systems based on grades of PVDF were used: Kynar 301, pure PVDF, and Kynar7201, a 80:20 copolymer of PVDF and hexafluoro propylene. Poly (methyl methacrylate) and poly (vinyl acetate) were used as compatibilizers. Acetonitrile and tetrahydrofuran were used as common solvents to prepare the polymer blends. Two casting conditions were employed. In the first, hot polymer solutions were precipitated in cold hexane. In the second, the hot solutions were cast on aluminum pans. …

Development Of Control Algorithm And A Simulation Tool For Self-Assembly Of Microsystems Based On Swarm Technology, Siddharth Mestry

Theses

"Chunxel" Technology is a novel concept of constructing 3-dimensional structures using a group of intelligent, autonomous, and cooperating micro robots. Chunxels are small robotic modules, cubical in shape, which are immersed in a tank containing a viscous fluid. The chunxels are propelled by the electromagnetic forces created by passing direct current through a set of large coils placed on each face of the tank and small coils embedded in the micro device. The chunxels follow a set of rules which mimic a swarm behavior and selfassemble in the liquid to form a 3-D structure. Swarm behavior is a dynamic problem …

Five Year Study Of The Effectiveness Of Safety Incentive Programs Instituted At Bj's Wholesale Club, Peter D. Van Derlyke

Theses

Safety incentive programs have been employed for many years as a means of keeping employee injuries under control. There are many ways incentives can be implemented and little is known about which are the most effective. This thesis project reports on a study conducted over five (5) years at some of BJ's Wholesale Club's highest accident frequency rate locations. Each year several locations with high accident frequency rates were chosen to be on what was called the Safety Task Force. The purpose of this thesis was to determine if safety incentives would aid in the reduction of workplace accidents. This …

Application Of Phenology To Assist In Hyperspectral Species Classification Of A Northern Hardwood Forest, Gretchen Sprehe

Theses

Tree species have unique spectral reflectance patterns that allows them to be both compared to other objects and to other types of trees. Increasing the spectral separation of such images may assist with surveying and forestry inventories. In past studies, most classifications were done with summer leaves, which darken and become very similar shades of green. This study utilized the phenology of trees to investigate how the changing colors of young or senescing leaves may assist in species classification based on aerial images. Images were taken of the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, which is mainly dominated by sugar maple (Acer …

The Mother Immaculate, Calvert J. Waller Iii

Theses

Not included.