Digital Commons Network^™

High Tech Transition And The Organization, Chetan H. Shah

Theses

The future outlook of any corporation depends upon the resourcefulness of those who manage the planning and operating functions of the business. Time and accuracy are two critical criteria in effective managerial reports for decision making. The electronic computer is a welcome addition into the industry. While its applications to payroll, accounting, sales, and inventory have been extensive, computing has nevertheless been criticized. This study concentrates on determining the impact computing has had on the managers and especially on the people working in the organization from clerks to the top level management.

While an investigation of the existing literature was …

The Non-Contacting Surface Area Assessment Of Burn Wounds Using Computer Imaging Methods, Sarmishtha Meeta Rath

Theses

The need for a reliable and accurate method for assessing the surface area of burn wounds currently exists in the branch of medicine involved with burn care and treatment. The percentage of the body affected by burns, measured by the percent total burn surface area, is of critical importance in evaluating fluid replacement amounts and nutritional support during the first 24 hours of postburn therapy. A simple technique has been developed which facilitates the measurement of burned areas non-invasively. Directly measuring burn surfaces yields quantitative results which can be used in assessing the extent of burns, monitoring the healing progression …

Benzene Losses From Aqueous Solutions During Geotechnical Laboratory Testing, Konstadinos Vogiatzis

Theses

This study addressed the problem of using volatile organics in geotechnical laboratory tests. Previous experiments with volatile organics such as benzene and trichloroethylene with soils had shown significant concentration losses during the tests. The purpose of the study was to identify the sources of loss and to quantify the magnitude of loss.

Vapor - liquid equilibrium was used to predict theoretical evaporation losses of benzene from aqueous solutions. Calculations were made for both an infinite volume of air and for a finite volume. Experiments were then performed to verify the theoretical predictions.

Other losses considered were those during solution preparation, …

Xilinx Asic Design For A Single Board Computer, Hong Zhan Ye

Theses

Xilinx Application-Specific IC is a new kind of programmable cell array with high design flexibility and functional density. It not only has excellent circuit-board utilization and low power consumption, but it also offers easy implementation with lower engineering cost and very short production-rampup period.

This thesis provides a complete and specific procedure for implementing Xilinx LCA into a 8052AH-BASIC based single board computer with XACT development system. It verifies all the results from debugging SBC2064 design using both XACT query system and P-SILOS simulator.

The technology of implementing a whole system design with software and hardware fully proves the possibility …

The Sunlight Effect On Trace Pollutants In Wastewater, Alan R. Sheu

Theses

In order to study the sunlight effect on the degradation rate of trace pollutants, ortho-cresol was selected to serve as a model compound in our studies. Solution of ortho-cresol alone, methylene blue alone, and the mixture of ortho-cresol and methylene blue were exposed to sunlight for more than four hours and aliquots analyzed with a spectrophotometer in order to follow the changes in absorption. Rate data were obtained for these three cases as a function of pH.

The results indicate that methylene blue does catalyze the degradation of ortho-cresol in the presence of sunlight with lower pH's affording higher reaction …

Particle Size Distribution In Isothermal Batch Emulsion Polymerization, Bhavin R. Patel

Theses

A detailed modified mathematical model for particle size distribution in isothermal batch emulsion polymerization of Styrene and Vinyl acetate is proposed on the basis of the population balance approach in presence of several kinetic and mass transfer processes. This study is limited to Smith-Ewart's case II, which assumes instantaneous free radical termination within the polymer particles. Radical desor¬ption mechanism from polymer particles is included in the model and the desorption rate is formulated from the diffu¬sion theory which suggests that the rate co-efficient should be inversely proportional to the surface area of polymer particles.

Experimental runs are made using laser …

Non-Linear Finite Element Of Analysis Of Reinforced Concrete Members, Chellathurai Jeyamohan

Theses

A finite element analysis of reinforced concrete members is used to study the initiation and propagation of cracks and the behavior at the interface of concrete and steel. The increase of concrete strength due to the biaxial compression and the shear capacity of the cracked elements are also considered in the analysis.

The results of the present analysis are compared with some available experimental data in beam tests. It has been found that the present analysis is capable of calculating the stress ( or moment ) and strain ( or deformation ) from zero load upto the ultimate load.

Time Series Analysis Of Respiration Component In Heart Rate Variability, Anuradha Ramaswamy Iyengar

Theses

Time series signal processing techniques (Fourier based) were applied to analyze the relationship between heart rate and respiration. This analysis takes advantage of the different timing charecteristics of the autonomic nervous system inputs to analyze their influence on the heart rate.

Data from three experiments were analyzed. The first set of data was from helicopter pilots of the US Army. They injected atropine into themselves on certain days. The effect of atropine on the heart rate spectrum and the relationship between heart rate and respiration was studied. It was found that atropine abolishes the respiration peak in the heart rate …

Analysis Of Nitrated Polycyclic Hydrocarbons, Pah-Quinones And Related Compounds In Ambient Air, Yalan Wang

Theses

Studies were conducted to characterized airborne particulate extractable organic matter (EOM) with respect to chemical composition and biological activity. It has been well established that the nitrated polycyclic hydrocarbons (nitroPAH) are environmental contaminants. To identify nitro-PAH in ambient air sample, a technique was developed involving introduction of a reducer column into an reversephase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system. Strong fluorescence signals were achieved from nitro-PAH and detected together with u.v. signals for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of nitro-PAH. 2-Nitrotriptycene was synthesized according to published procedures and used as an internal standard. By use of the above technique, 9nitroanthracene, …

Feasibility Of Using Canine Olfaction As A Means Of Detecting Hazardous Substances, Stuart David Messur

Theses

Two specific applications for using canine olfaction as a means of detecting hazardous substances have been recognized: detection of residual contamination on hazardous waste cleanup equipment (DECON), and detection of leaking underground gasoline tanks (LUST).

With the DECON project, the dog's ability to detect low emissions of some common hazardous compounds was tested. As a safe and effective training tool for presenting hazardous compounds to the dog, permeation tubes filled with m-xylene or 1,1,1-trichloroethane were constructed and calibrated. Hidden tubes emitting as low as 0.5 µg/min were consistently detected by the dogs. During olfactory field tests, "hot spots" of m-xylene …

An Investigation Of Electrical And Optical Properties Of Sputtered Amorphous Silicon Nitride And Germanium Thin Films, Rajendra S. Khandelwal

Theses

Low temperature preparation of thin amorphous Silicon Nitride and Germanium Films by direct RF sputter deposition was investigated. Influence of various sputtering parameters on film properties was studied. Infrared transmission spectrophotometry was used to evaluate optical properties of the films whereas electrical characteristics of the films were determined from current-voltage measurements of MIS structures. For Silicon Nitride films it was observed that the stoichiometry, as indicated by the IR transmission, dielectric constant and current density versus square root of electric field measurements, was a strong function of the sputtering gas composition and particularly the Ar/N ratio in the sputtering gas. …

Properties Of Sputtered A-Ge And A-Ge : H Thin Films, Hanjin Cho

Theses

The effect of the amorphous and glassy structure of amorphous germanium films on their electrical characteristics was investigated experimentally. The films were deposited onto silicon substrates using a modified MRC 8800 triode sputtering system. The Poole-Frenkel and Schottky mechanisms are discussed in detail and the shortcomings of the accepted picture of the former in amorphous materials are dealt with. It was concluded on the basis available evidence that the current flow in amorphous germanium favors the Poole-Frenkel mechanism at high fields.

Amorphous hydrogenated germanium films which were deposited by bias sputtering were characterized by measuring the infrared absorption. The films …

Construction Labor And Productivity : Productivity Improvements, Stavros C. Nicolaou

Theses

Construction productivity has been on the decline in the last decade. Although an important factor in the nation's economy, productivity of construction labor has been given little attention over the years. A review of the literature dealing with construction was performed that revealed the importance of the declining productivity as well as the confusion among construction managers and labor leaders as to what productivity is all about and how it can be improved. It has been found also, that construction labor motivation, which is the most important factor in improving productivity, is almost nonexist. Very few construction companies employ any …

Theoretical Studies Of A Norbornane Mimic Of Acyl-Alpha-Chymotrypsin, Pin-Nan Chen

Theses

Molecular mechanics calculations were used to investigate the structural flexibility of the norbornane mimic which is a model of an acyl-alpha-chymotrypsin intermediate. The Amber molecular mechanics force field was used to perform the conformational analysis.

Comparison of the optimized conformations of different energy has shown the relative structural rigidity of this molecule. Structural superposition of the minimized mimic to the native conformation of chymotrypsin shows that the mimic has a very similar spatial arrangement of its functional groups compared to the catalytic triad of the real enzyme.

Molecular electrostatic potential maps calculated in planes parallel to the average plane containing …

Hydrodechlorination Reactions On Silica-Supported Rhodium Catalysts, Yung-Ming Chen

Theses

The objectives of this study were to investigate the pathways of the hydrodechlorination reactions over silica-supported Rh catalysts as well as identify selectivities and deactivation properties.

Reaction of 1,2-dichloroethane with hydrogen over Rh/SiO₂ catalyst was studied in the temperature range 200 to 300°C. Formation of two intermediates was proposed while 1,2-dichloroethane was adsorbed on the catalyst, the reactive intermediates then produce ethane, ethylene, chloroethane and methane. From the methane formation, it was inferred that the ethane hydrogenolysis occured over the Rh/SiO₂ catalysts. Higher conversion to C₁ and C₂ hydrocarbons was observed at higher reaction temperature. The …

Separation Of Chromium From Waste Sludges By An Electric Membrane Process, Freeman Nai-Tchun Ho

Theses

The process is characterized by using metallic membrane as a filter which is charged by a separate DC-power supply and it may become experimentally very effective in increasing the separation potency and migration flux. The technique of integrating migration with electromembrane was evaluated for the removal of chromium. The transport was found to be adequately described by an equation in which the rate is proportional to the chromium concentration. The rate of dichromate ions transported across the membranes and the gel water content of membrane increased when the ratio of electromembrane potential and cell system potential was increased. The back …

Indicators Of Microbial Activity In Biological Treatment Of Hazardous Wastes, Alexander Mclean Sherrin

Theses

Three methods were used to measure the activity of mixed liquor from the Livingston, N.J. municipal wastewater treatment plant on exposure to phenol. The three methods were, substrate removal rate (SRR), dissolved oxygen uptake rate (DOUR), and the dye reduction rate (DRR). Parameters from each test were compared for reproducibility and ease of determination. The SRR test gave the most reproducible results, while the DOUR test was the least reproducible. Although the reproducibility of the DRR test was close to that of the SRR test, the DRR was more time consuming and required a greater degree of expertise and training. …

Construction Loan Proposal : A Model For Contractors, Saeed Ahmed

Theses

This thesis is an attempt to outline a construction loan proposal. The purpose is to provide an average contractor with an insight which could help him toward a preparation of a better proposal and better understanding of the subject matter itself.

Finite Element Stress Analysis Of The Femoral Hip Stem Prosthesis - Bone Interface, Mark C. Buechel

Theses

A three-dimensional finite element model is used to examine the stresses of the femoral hip stem prosthesis and surrounding bone, specifically at the interface between the stem and the bone. Using General Electric's GEOMOD modelling program, 3-dimensional models of the hip stem prosthesis, and both the cortical and cancellous bone, are generated. Due to the complexity of the individual models, General Electric's SUPERTAB modelling program is required to merge the three separate models into one complete model. The model is then broken down into finite elements for analysis. The model assumes isotropic properties to cortical bone and cancellous bone. Several …

Computer-Aided Storm Sewer Design For Apple Macintosh, Andrea Cancalosi

Theses

The design of storm sewer systems because of its repetitive calculations lends itself to the use of computers for time-efficient solutions. The program developed designs storm sewer systems. Runoff is calculated using the Rational method. The rational method yields satisfactory results for relatively small areas and is widely used for stormwater calculations in urban areas.

Before, during or after the calculation process, the input data can be edited using a user-friendly editor incorporated into the program. Input data can be viewed by display on the screen or printed at any time while editing.

From the given input data, the program …

Microcomputer-Based Automated System To Monitor Flow And Respiratory Quotient, Chung C. Chien

Theses

An instrument system has been designed to monitor Respiratory Quotient experiments on rats which are living within whole-body calorimeters. By using multiplexing techniques, this system is capable of monitoring Respiratory Quotients in six calorimeters (animal chambers). It exhibits some features that make it more versatile than the previous system. One of the features of this instrument is that it uses a more accurate method of determining rapid changes in gas exchange between subject and environment. The value of this method is its ability to assess the rapid change in metabolic rate which occurs as a result of change in activity, …

A Data Compression System Using Arithmetic Code, Seokrim Choi

Theses

Generally it is difficult to compress data, from statistically unknown sources, with significant compression ratio. To achieve this, the compression scheme should have an ability to gather context information of the source, adaptively. For better compression, it is desirable to separate the context gathering scheme from coding itself. Arithmetic code is very flexible and can accept any kind of context gathering scheme which can generate probabilities. One context gathering algorithm which generates Markov type probability adaptively is studied and implemented in software using Arithmetic code. This scheme performs well and results in compression ratio better than any existing algorithms such …

Management Controls And Modeling With Personal Computers (Pcs) For Material Procurement Within The Department Of Defense (Dod), Stefano Coppola

Theses

As an inevitable fallout of the microcomputer explosion, micro-to-mainframe links have been praised as an effective means of satisfying microcomputer users who insist for more processing power and less dependence on mainframe data processing. Personal Computers used to emulate terminals offer local storage capabilities as well as financial analysis and graphics.

Using a Personal Computer, Lotus 123, and a simulated PC-Link, a management control system was designed to satisfy the Department of Defense Instruction (DODI) 7000.2 for material procurement.

The resulting model provides both the Government and the contractor's management control system with a reliable, timely, and auditable system that …

A Study Of White-Collar Clerical Productivity : Composition, Issues And Implications For Human Resource Planning, Sheila Devereaux

Theses

During the past decade, there has been a growing concern and focus over declining American productivity. Declining productivity requires long-range thinking, and fundamental changes on the part of government, labor and management.

One of the major contributors identified is the labor force. What has gone unmeasured for years is the white-collar clerical workforce. The service sector has become the most dominant area where clerical workers have increased, consequently, productivity issues have become a top priority.

Management must assess the implications of losses in turnover, absenteeism, performance lag, and morale that affects bottom-line profits. Management is under pressure to develop action …

Fibrin Glue For Spilt-Thickness Skin Grafts And Microsurgical End-To-End Arterial Anastomoses In Live Rats, Susan Diane Drastal

Theses

Fibrinogen and thrombin were combined to make a "glue" for adherence in microvascular anastomoses and split-thickness autologous skin grafts in rats. The powdered human fibrinogen and bovine thrombin were mixed with sterile water and each applied drop-wise through separate syringes in equal concentrations. A gelatinous clot formed in 10 seconds, and was completely coagulated in 45 seconds. In part I, one-half of the group had their grafts sutured, and one-half had their grafts glued in place.

In part II, microvascular arterial anastomoses were performed. Group I had their arteries reanastomosed using sutures only; group II had their arteries reanastomosed by …

Human Resource Planning For Mergers And Acquisitions, Thomas Jide Fiki

Theses

When a firm is acquired or merged, everyone feels shaken.

When organizations merge, the people in them are touched by several real and poignant issues, with each issue having the potential for lowering morale and productivity. When mergers or acquisitions fail, either by falling short of stated objectives or more disastrously - by divestiture - a chief culprit is often inadequate or nonexistent human resource planning.

A solid people plan - which takes into account what and how to communicate before and during a merger not only helps retain a semblance of order and direction within the company facing a …

The Effect Of Platelet Activating Factor On Leukocyte Adhesion To The Post Capillary Walls And Developing Dose Response Relationships, Michael Francis Fitzpatrick

Theses

Blood circulation at the microcirculatory level plays an important role in the inflammatory process. Adhesion and emigration of white blood cells are among the major microcirculatory responses to inflammation. It has been recently suggested that platelet activating factor (PAF) may be a significant mediator in the local inflammatory response. This research was undertaken to characterize and quantitate the effects of PAF on the adhesion of white cells to the wall of postcapillary venules of 7-80um diameter.

The hamster cheek pouch microcirculation was used as a model for microcirculatory dynamics and was prepared for both bright field and fluorescent intravital microscopy. …

Thermal Desorption Of Hazardous And Toxic Organic Compounds From Soil Matrices, Michael L. Hornsby

Theses

The purpose of this initial laboratory scale research project was to study and demonstrate the feasibility in removal of selected toxic organic compounds from soil by thermal desorption and gas purge. Applying heat and a flow of inert gas to the soil increases the volatilization and effects removal of organic compounds from soil. The work was done in two parts: First, organic solvents were injected into columns containing real and simulated soil matrices. The columns were heated to one of the four temperatures and purged with a flow of nitrogen carrier gas. The organic vapors were deposited as a plug …

Empirical Study On Employee's Ownership, Anthony Chuks Ibida

Theses

Employees Ownership in the United States has been in existence for many years and it seemed to be a utopian idea of no real consequence to the general public. Now employee ownership has gone a drastic change and it has become a major focus of media attention, and we are observing an extra ordinarily rapid increase in interest and involvement among practitioners in law, banking, and organizational consulting, along with growing government interest.

As the name indicates employees ownership or worker cooperative firms have a long but spotty history in the United States. Some researchers traced over eight hundred firms …

Robotic Simulation Package For Personal Computers, Amitava Jana

Theses

A software package for three dimensional wire frame modeling of an educational robot is developed for personal computers. This package can be used by students as well as robot technicians to study basic principles of robot kinematics. The interactive simulation software supports both the joint-level and world-level motion control, enabling user to understand teach-pendant programming as well as robot level off-line programming. The desired orientation and position of the robot hand can also be specified through a homogeneous transformation matrix, allowing an advanced student to learn the concept of world modeling in the design of robot work cells. To help …