Digital Commons Network^™

Fiber-Reinforced Plastic Composite Beam Stability And Load And Resistance Factor Design Approach, Mojtaba B. Sirjani

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) structural members are rapidly gaining impetus in civil engineering applications. Also, thin-walled open beams with I-shaped, channel, and other types of sections are of practical importance to both structural analysts and designers. This dissertation presents the outcome of a detailed experimental and theoretical investigation of the strength and stability of FRP composite beams. Three- and four-point loading tests are conducted on FRP I- and channel section beams. The behavior of these beams is studied under gradually increasing static loads up to the maximum load-carrying capacity corresponding to either material cracking or flexural-torsional instability. First, the theoretical …

Building Web Sites That Attract Visitors, C. David Shepherd, Daniel Fell

Faculty Articles

The article discusses the use of web sites for health care service marketing. The potential benefits of Internet services for users and care providers are mentioned, but challenges in implementation are also listed. A three generation model of web site design is offered, distinguishing various levels of interactivity, customization, and perceived value. Suggestions are offered applying this model to health care service web sites and their marketing potential.

A Generic Multi-Electrode Automated/Semi-Automated Field Resistivity System, Douglas D. Werkema

Masters Theses

Geophysical field exploration using electrical resistivity typically employs the use of four electrodes which are progressively relocated to positions that differ from a few meters to hundreds of meters. Consequently, field operations are tiresome and often lead to imprecise locations of electrodes and poor data quality. This project develops an automated field resistivity system.

This automation of resistivity measurements is accomplished by using multiple sets of field electrodes, a programmable switch box, remotely controlling the acquisition instrument and digitally storing the results. Controlling the process is the Acquisition Control^©software, for Windows 95^© .The prototype switch box has …

Effect Of Sampling Errors On Estimates Of Recruitment And Fishing Mortality From Separable Virtual Population Analysis, Emmanis Dorval

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Separable virtual population analysis (SVPA) models provide estimates of historical recruitment and fishing mortality from analyzing catch data based on the separability of fishing mortality into age specific-gear selection and yearly mortality. These models assume that the catch is randomly sampled and that sampling error is a random variable with constant variance and mean equal to zero. These models do not account for sampling measurement errors that occur when the catch partitioned by age is not measured on every sampling unit without error, and spatio-temporal errors that occur when the observed catch is not representative of the harvested population throughout …

Spectral/Temporal Segment Features For Automatic Speech Recognition, Xi Hong Wang

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis an approach for efficiently computing a compact spectral/temporal feature set for representing a segment of speech, with effective resolution depending on both frequency and time position within the segment, is developed, analyzed, and tested. The goal of this method is to mimic the resolution properties of the human auditory system, but using a computationally efficient FFT-based front end rather than a more complex auditory model. In particular this method applies both frequency and time "warping" to FFT spectra to obtain good frequency resolution at low frequencies and good time resolution at high frequencies. Time resolution is also …

Material Evaluation By Pulsed Diode Laser Optoacoustics, Xiaodong Xu

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Pulsed diode laser optoacoustic diagnostics were carried out to characterize solid sample materials. The apparatus developed is compact, portable, cost-effective and therefore very promising for both industrial as well as laboratory applications. To our knowledge, this is the first time that optoacoustic characterization and measurement have been performed with a diode laser. The method was successfully applied to measure the thickness of a multilayer structure non-intrusively. Internal cracks of the material were detected by this technique.

A theory for optoacoustic signal generation, propagation and detection is given. A numerical analysis technique is developed to solve for the expected signal. In …

Electrocortical Output And Hemispheric Contributions To The Alert State During A Sustained Attention Task, Treven Curtis Pickett

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the relative electrocortical contributions of specified cerebral locations and the potential motoric influence of handedness in a biocybernetic feedback environment. Thirty six right-handed subjects engaged in two sixteen minute trials of a compensatory tracking task by guiding (via a joystick) a circle over a stationary target presented on a computer screen, performing one trial with their preferred (right) and one using their non-preferred (left) hand.

For each subject, a Macintosh computer interpreted electrocortical activity through an engagement index (20*beta/(alpha+theta)) and changed the task mode, i.e. manual (subject guides the task) or automatic (computer guides the task) as …

Steps Toward Determination Of The Size And Structure Of The Broad-Line Region In Active Galactic Nuclei, Xii: Ground-Based Monitoring Of 3c 390.3, M. Dietrich, Bradley M. Peterson, P. Albrecht, M. Altmann, A. J. Barth, P. J. Bennie, R. Bertram, N. G. Bochkarev, H. Bock, J. M. Braun, A. Burenkov, S. Collier, L.-Z. Fang, O. P. Francis, A. V. Filippenko, C. B. Foltz, W. Gassler, C. Martin Gaskell, M. Geffert, K. K. Ghosh, R. W. Hilditch, R.K. Honeycutt, K. Horne, J. P. Huchra, Shai Kaspi, M. Kummel, K. M. Leighly, D. C, Leonard, Yu. F. Malkov, V. Mikhailov, H. Richard Miller, A. C. Morrill, J. Noble, Paul T. O'Brien, T. D. Oswalt, S. P. Pebley, M. Pfeiffer, V. I. Pronik, B.-C. Qian, J. W. Robertson, A. Robinson, Kenneth S. Rumstay, J. Schmoll, S. G. Sergeev, E. A. Sergeeva, A. I. Shapovalova, D. R. Skillman, Stephanie A. Snedden, S. Soundararajaperumal, G. M. Stirpe, J. Tao, G. W. Turner, R. M. Wagner, S. J. Wagner, J. Y. Wei, H. Wu, W. Zheng, Z. L. Zhou

C. Martin Gaskell Publications

Results of a ground-based optical monitoring campaign on 3C 390.3 in 1994-1995 are presented. The broadband fluxes (B, V , R, and I), the spectrophotometric optical continuum flux F_λ(5177 Å), integrated emission-line fluxes of Hα, Hβ, Hγ, He _I λ5876, and He _II λ4686 all show a nearly monotonic increase with episodes of milder short-term variations superposed. The amplitude of the continuum variations increases with decreasing wavelength (4400-9000 Å). The optical continuum variations follow the variations in the ultraviolet and X-ray with time delays, measured from the centroids of the crosscorrelation functions, typically around …

Search For The Decay B→DS1+(2536)X, M. Bishai, Kenneth A. Bloom, Cleo Collaboration

Kenneth Bloom Publications

We have searched for the decay B→D_s1⁺ (2536)X and measured an upper limit for the inclusive branching fraction of B(B→D_s1⁺X) < 0.96% at the 90% confidence level. This limit is small compared with the total expected B→D‾^(*)D^(*) KX rate. Assuming factorization, the D_s1⁺ 1 decay constant is constrained to be f_Ds1⁺ < 114 MeV at the 90% confidence level, at least 2.5 times smaller than that of D_s.

Distribution And Environmental Fate Of Pesticides In Prairie Wetlands, L. Gordon Goldsborough, William G. Crumpton

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

There is abundant, albeit fragmentary, evidence that prairie wetlands are being contaminated extensively by agricultural pesticides (primarily herbicides and insecticides) and other anthropogenic contaminants. Such inputs can affect fundamental ecosystem properties such as primary production which, in turn, affects habitat and resource supply for wetland fauna. We review data on the use of pesticides, off-site transport of residues from treated land, and the frequency with which these residues are subsequently detected in receiving streams and wetlands on the prairies. As the environmental distribution of a pesticide is affected by its chemical and physical properties, and the abiotic and biotic characteristics …

Physiological Effects Of Varying Power Output In A Cycling Time Trial, Mark Alan Liedl

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

During a bicycle time trial, varying power slightly to counter external conditions may result in improved performance [Swain, 1997], but it is not known if such power variations result in added physiological stress. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine if variable power (VP) cycling produced greater physiological stress than constant power (CP) cycling of the same mean intensity. Eight trained male cyclists (age 28 ± 2 yr, mass 74.4 ± 2.3 kg, VO_2max 4.24 ± 0.13 L•min^-1, weekly training 277 ± 44 km) performed three 1 h ergometer trials. The first trial was performed …

Resonant Structure And Flavour Tagging In The Bπ± System Using Fully Reconstructed B Decays, Barate, R.; Et Al., M. Thulasidas

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

No abstract provided.

Reaction-Diffusion Models Of Cancer Dispersion, Kim Yvette Ward

Mathematics & Statistics Theses & Dissertations

The phenomenological modeling of the spatial distribution and temporal evolution of one-dimensional models of cancer dispersion are studied. The models discussed pertain primarily to the transition of a tumor from an initial neoplasm to the dormant avascular state, i.e. just prior to the vascular state, whenever that may occur. Initiating the study is the mathematical analysis of a reaction-diffusion model describing the interaction between cancer cells, normal cells and growth inhibitor. The model leads to several predictions, some of which are supported by experimental data and clinical observations $\lbrack25\rbrack$. We will examine the effects of additional terms on these characteristics. …

The Effects Of Fabry-Perot Fringing On The Sensitivity Of A Wavelength Modulation Experiment, Patrick C. Shea

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Parasitic Fabry-Perot etaloning plagues many experiments which use wavelength modulation spectroscopy. This fringing, which is an artifact that almost always appears in such experiments, arises from multiple reflections in the optical elements in the experimental apparatus. The etaloning plays a detrimental role and limits the ultimate sensitivity of wavelength modulation spectroscopy experiments. The research described in this thesis investigates this phenomenon. Experimental results are presented which show that when the Q-factor of the parasitic etalon is smaller that that of the absorption line being measured, significant improvement in the Signal to Fringe Noise Ratio can be obtained through the use …

A Calibrated Shoreline Change Model For The Southeast Atlantic Ocean Coast Of Virginia, Prasert Vangsantitrakul

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The idea that the long-term historic shoreline change at a given site is mainly caused by spatial gradients in the net longshore sediment transport is generally accepted. The position changes of the coastline can therefore be modeled by calculating the coastal erosion or accretion from the longshore sediment transport. This study used the GENESIS software program, one-line model, to simulate and calibrate the long-term shoreline change of the southeast coast of Virginia from 1925 to 1980. The study reach covers 45- km from Cape Henry to the Virginia-North Carolina border.

This study experienced the lack of certain important historic data …

The Citizen Initiative Petition To Amend State Constitutions: A Concept Whose Time Has Passed, Or A Vigorous Component Of Participatory Democracy At The State Level?, John F. Cooper

New Mexico Law Review

No abstract provided.

Faculty Senate Degree Candidates, Spring 1998, Vol 23, P 640, Unm Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Documents

No abstract provided.

Faculty Senate Voting Faculty-Spring 1998, Vol 25, P 1211-1264, Unm Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Documents

No abstract provided.

Predicting Academic Success Of Entering Freshmen At An Urban University Through The Assessment Of Oral And Written Language Competency, Karen D. Cobbs

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

In Moores and Klas' (1989) definitive study on college student retention, postsecondary administrators ranked the maintenance of student enrollment second in importance on a list of twenty critical issues facing higher education. Of particular relevance to college administrators has been the retention and graduation of African-American college students (D. B. Hawkins, 1994; Western Reserve, 1991).

Researchers, in considering the overall problem of student attrition, particularly, among African-Americans, have explored such questions as these: Which students are dropping out (Sherman, Giles and Green, 1994; Robinson, 1992)? Why do they discontinue their studies (Austin, 1982; Bohr et al., 1995; Kraft, 1992; Tinto, …

System Identification And Control Of Cavity Noise Reduction, Chien-Hsun Kuo

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation first presents indirect closed-loop system identification through residual whitening, then identifies the cavity noise system and applies controllers to reduce the noise. High speed air flow over the cavity produces a complex oscillatory flow-field and induces pressure oscillations within the cavity. The existence of cavities induces large pressure fluctuations which generate undesirable and loud noise. This may have an adverse effect on the objects, such as reducing the stability and performance of overall system, or damaging the sensitive instruments within the cavity.

System identification is the process of building mathematical models of dynamical systems based on the available …

Building Lms Adaptive Filters With Register-Based Fpgas, Li Ding

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis, an 8-bit least mean squares (LMS) adaptive digital filter with 16 coefficients is implemented on a single FPGA, using the MaxPlus+2 design environment. The system is constructed as a hierarchical structure, using four different levels of design hierarchy. Subdesigns at each level of the hierarchy project are complied, fitted and simulated to test and verify their functional correctness. The complete system is tested and verified by checking the MaxPlus+2 simulator results against fixed-point integer arithmetic simulations written in Matlab. The resulting adaptive filter is subsequently mapped to the Alters FLEX I OK20TC144-3 device, resulting in a 14,500 …

Factors Governing The Rate Of Appearance Of Fuels In Monitoring Wells, Bradley A. Green

Masters Theses

Delays in the appearance of free product (e.g. fuels) in groundwater monitoring wells often cause costly delays in site evaluation. Little is known about how monitoring well design and installation affect this rate of appearance. This study examined the effects of well screen open area, filter pack grain size and wettability, and well development methods on the rate of appearance and subsequent thickness of free product in wells.

Laboratory and field results indicate that free product appears faster in hydrophilic filter packs than in hydrophobic filter packs. Hydrophobic filter packs with a finer grain size than the "industry standard", seem …

Sm-Nd Systematics As Indicators Of Displaced Plutons: A Test In The Idaho Batholith-Boulder Batholith Region, Christine J. Brand

Masters Theses

In east-central Idaho and western Montana a 400km-long Cretaceous and Tertiary magmatic corridor extends from the Wallowa-Seven Devils terrane to the Helena Salient. Three basement provinces underlie this area: Archean basement to the east, Permo-Triassic basement to the west, and Proterozoic basement in-between. Ideally, if Cretaceous plutons were decapitated and translated eastward along thrusts over a different basement province, then the Cretaceous pluton and the in-place Tertiary pluton would show different isotopic signatures. Pluton samples from locations evenly spaced throughout the magmatic corridor were analyzed for ε⁰_Nd, ε^t_Nd, and ¹⁴⁷Sm/¹⁴³Nd model ages …

Functional Relations Among Constructs In The Same Content Domain At Different Levels Of Analysis: A Typology Of Composition Models, David Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Composition models specify the functional relationships among phenomena or constructs at different levels of analysis (e.g., individual level, team level, organizational level) that reference essentially the same content but that are qualitatively different at different levels (M. T. Hannan, 1971, K. H. Roberts, C. L. Hulin, & D. M. Rousseau, 1978, D. M. Rousseau, 1985). Specifying adequate composition models is a critical component of good multilevel research. A typology of composition models is proposed to provide a framework for organizing, evaluating, and developing constructs and theories in multilevel research. Five basic forms of composition are described and illustrated. Implications of …

Laboratory Evaluation Of Predator Odors For Eliciting An Avoidance Response In Roof Rats (Rattus Rattus), Michael D. Burwash, Mark E. Tobin, Anthony D. Woolhouse, Thomas P. Sullivan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We evaluated eight synthetic predator odors and mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) feces for eliciting avoidance responses and/or reduced feeding by wild captured Hawaiian roof rats (Rattus rattus). In a bioassay arena, we recorded: (1) time until each rat entered the arena, (2) time elapsed until first eating bout, (3) time spent in each half of the arena, (4) number of eating bouts, and (5) consumption. Rats displayed a response to the predator odors in terms of increased elapsed time before initial arena entry and initial eating bout, a lower number of eating bouts, and less food consumption …

Assessing The Needs Of 4-H'Ers, Cathy L. Butler, Janette B. Bowman

Journal of Extension

This article identifies 4-H program topics of most interest to junior high and high school students. One hundred fourteen students in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, completed a 4-H needs assessment survey. Topics of highest interest among 4-H members and non-members were: coping with unemployment, fashion, dating, computers, and after high school. Members also ranked: teen pregnancy, suicide, and drugs as programs of highest interest. Non-members ranked: fitness, jobs, and health as priority areas. Results from this study have major implications for programming decisions regarding senior 4-H'ers.

The Illusion Of Efficiency In Workers' Compensation "Reform", Martha T. Mccluskey

Journal Articles

From the late 1980s to 1990s, most states enacted major revisions to their workers' compensation systems. These law changes aim to restrict benefits for injured workers in response to perceptions that rising workers' compensation insurance costs had reached crisis levels by the late 1980s. This article analyzes the main features of these benefit reforms, and shows how these reforms reveal the problems of the predominant economic efficiency rationales underlying recent retrenchment of social welfare programs in general.

Using workers' compensation as an example, I argue that a premise central to much of contemporary law and policy - the distinction between …

Mu Newsletter, March 31, 1998, Office Of University Relations

MU NewsLetter, 1987-1999

No abstract provided.

03-31-98 (The Liberty Champion, Volume 15, Issue 20)

1997 -- 1998

No abstract provided.

Spartan Daily, March 31, 1998, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 110, Issue 41