Digital Commons Network^™

Assessment Of The Rhode Island Coastal Lagoon Ecosystem, Kathryn Hale Ford

Open Access Dissertations

The health of the Rhode Island coastal lagoon ecosystem is of importance due to its critical role as a wildlife habitat and recreation destination. As human population continues to expand along the coast, this ecosystem will receive increasing pressure from contaminants. By examining how the lagoons have changed in the past, we can postulate what variables are linked to change. Current conditions need to be thoroughly studied to provide a baseline with which to study future change, as well as to determine areas of concern in the lagoons. In order to understand how the ecosystem responds to such pressures, a …

On-Chip Timing Measurement, Tian Xia

Open Access Dissertations

In this dissertation, we propose an on-chip timing measurement technique. We design a TVC (time-to-voltage converter) circuit and demonstrate its application to on-chip phase locked loop jitter measurement and high-speed signal timing characterization. The core components of the TVC are a comparator with hysteresis, a capacitor, a binary counter and a charge pump. The charge pump consists of a current source and a current sink. During the measurement, a low frequency reference clock signal is used to control the current source to charge the capacitor with certain voltage offset, and the signal under measurement is used to control the current …

Behavioral Modeling And Simulations Of Mixed-Signal Integrated Circuits With Process Variations And Physical Defects, Yu-Yau Guo

Open Access Dissertations

During fabrication process, mixed analog and digital integrated circuits (ICs) are more susceptible to process variations and physical defects than pure digital ICs. Therefore, it is beneficial to simulate the effects of process variations and defects on mixed-signal designs even before the design goes into production. Simulations of ICs having process variations are performed with Monte Carlo simulations. And, simulations of ICs having physical defects are called fault simulations. However, both simulation schemes require large numbers of instances. Consequently, simulation times can be extremely long, e.g. hours or days. In this System-on-a-Chip (SoC) era, mixed-signal designs are becoming more complex …

Attribute-Level Interactivity, Satisfaction, And Loyalty In The Online Environment, Miao Zhao

Open Access Dissertations

Websites are a composite of multiple attributes, each of which has certain characteristics. One such characteristic is interactivity. This dissertation research focused on the impacts of a website's attribute-level interactivity on users' satisfaction with and loyalty to the website. Although some researchers have addressed interactivity of overall websites, there is little research focusing on interactivity of attributes within a website and the consequences on users' satisfaction with and loyalty to the site. This dissertation research examined the impacts of website attribute-level interactivity on user satisfaction with and loyalty to the site from different perspectives. First, this research tested the effects …

Quantification Of Injectability Of A New Self-Administered Intramuscular Injection, Roja Anandakumar

Open Access Master's Theses

Liquid Avonex® (Interferon beta-1 a) manufactured by Biogen, Inc. is indicated for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) to slow the accumulation of physical disability and decrease the frequency of clinical exacerbations. The recommended dosage of A vonex® for the treatment of relapsing forms of MS is 30 μg injected intramuscularly once a week. Several complications have been reported following intramuscular (IM) injections, of which pain at the injection site is the most common. Though factors such as site of injection, injection volume, concentration and nature of the drug may affect the reception of pain, one factor …

A Study Of Stainless Steel Reinforement To Replace Conventional Carbon Steel Reinforcement, Jalal Alsarraf

Open Access Master's Theses

Corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete has become a major factor in reducing the service life of vital transportation and building systems due to the exposure of chloride ions. The needs of this well known phenomenon for cost effective system for protection against corrosion has become increasingly clear. Thus, corrosion behavior of stainless 316L clad reinforcing steel was investigated in this study. The object of the present investigation was to develop quantitative data that would accurately access the pitting and crevice corrosion susceptibility of stainless steel 316L rebar in concrete environments.

Electrochemical corrosion potential measurement testing was conducted to all …

Use Of Ganna Ray Attenuation; Acoustic Velocity; And Electrical Resistivity In The Extracation Of Sediment Physical Properties, Veith Altmann

Open Access Master's Theses

Sediment physical properties, such as porosity, shear strength, shear modulus, and grain size, from six different geographical marine environments (Central Arctic Ocean, Central Scotian Shelf, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, North-Eastern Pacific, Western Equatorial Pacific and Mid-Atlantic Ridge) were analyzed and correlated with non-destructive measurements of compressional wave velocity, bulk density and electrical resistivity.

In coarse grained sediments (median grain diameter >4 μm) with a sand fraction greater than 15%, larger grain size is associated with higher velocity. In fine grained sediments (median grain diameter < 4 μm) velocity does not correlate with median grain size. However, a pronounced linear relationship exits between compressional wave velocity and percent clay fraction (grain diameter < 2 μm) regardless of sediment grain size.

The use of electrical resistivity is limited for predicting porosity in unconsolidated sediments. In general, …

Making The Grade: Academic Literacies And First-Generation College Students In A Highly Selective Liberal Arts College, Theresa Perri Ammirati

Open Access Dissertations

Previous research on first-generation college students has concentrated largely on students enrolled in community colleges or universities. This study examines first generation students at a single, highly selective, four-year, liberal arts college, and uses an academic literacies approach to understand the relationship between first-generation status and written and oral literacies as illustrated in academic papers and classroom performance. Twelve first-generation college students were interviewed extensively about their early literacy experiences, family background, relationship to family and home community, high school preparation, selection of and transition into a highly selective college, and written and oral literacy experiences at that institution. Writing …

The South Providence Kosher Meat Boycott Of 1910: A Study Of Jewish Women’S Consumer Activism, Kimberly Susan Nusco

Open Access Master's Theses

This thesis examines a kosher meat boycott in South Providence in 1910, placing this event in the broader context of Jewish immigrant women's activism around food issues and the popular strategy of consumer protest during the Progressive Era. Through an analysis of press accounts, census data, and community statistics, this study presents an analysis of the possible causes and impacts of this example of immigrant Jewish women's activism in early twentieth-century Providence.

As women serve as both preservers of culture and mediators of the outside world (as expressed through domestic consumption), such incidents as kosher meat boycotts provide an opportune …

Constance Cary Harrison, Refugitta Of Richmond : A Nineteenth-Century Southern Woman Writer's Critically Intriguing Antislavery Narrative Strategy, Gaillynn Marie Bowman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Although often maligned by literary scholars, Constance Cary Harrison, nineteenth-century novelist, journalist, essayist, and short-story author, achieved popular success with her subtle, but often radical, explorations of gender, and slavery during the antebellum and post-Civil War years. Furthermore, Harrison developed innovative characterizations of African-Americans while seeking nineteenth-century southern and northern readership through conciliatory prose. In particular, Harrison characterized a slave who gained his freedom and maintained a successful, independent life, without white assistance. This unique perspective for a Southern writer of her era stemmed from the war time destruction of her homestead, Vaucluse, which compelled Harrison to recreate an idealized …

Detection Of Masses In X-Ray Mammograms, Fyzodeen Khan

Open Access Dissertations

A circular filter having two disjoint regions, an inner disk and outer ring, is applied in two different nonparametric ways for identifying abnormal masses in digitized X-ray mammograms. Data points within an annulus are used to estimate a parameter of interest. In the first method, the number of texture features is extended from one to three, including standard deviation. The two additional features are skew and kurtosis. They are mapped to the center of a fixed size template and used to measure local texture characteristics within the mammograms. Feature images are created using histogram equalization and gray level scaling. The …

Self-Organization, Hierarchy, And Task Structure In Workgroups: An Empirical Study Of Complexity Theory, Matthew G. Paldy

Open Access Dissertations

Complexity theorists argue that an optimal organizational form results from the interactions of individual agents in the absence of an imposed management hierarchy (Anderson, 1999; Begun, 1994; Berreby, 1998; Coveney & Highfield, 1995; Guastello, 2002). There have been few empirical studies to support this claim. This research investigated the effects of self-organization and task interdependence types on group effectiveness and member satisfaction. Results show that groups allowed to self-organize had greater member satisfaction in sequential and reciprocal task structures, shorter task completion times in sequential task structures, and lower satisfaction in pooled task structures versus comparable groups with hierarchy imposed. …

Spc For Quality And Risk: Monitoring Processes With Cross-Sectional And Serial Interdependence, And Higher Moments, Xia Pan

Open Access Dissertations

This study attempts to improve the statistical process control (SPC) methods for quality control and improvement and introduce SPC methods into risk control. With systematic viewpoints, the quality and risk control in business organizations is an issue of the control of cross-sectional and serial interdependent processes. Quality and risk are also determined by not only the first and second moments but also the higher moments of the probabilistic process. Several contributions were made in this study. A correct bias correction coefficient with unequal sample sizes for Shewhart chart was given. The concordance of Shewhart mean and variability pair charts was …

Global Terrain Methods For Process Simulation, Feng Yang

Open Access Dissertations

The task of finding physically relevant solutions to mathematical models of physical systems remains an important and challenging area of active research in many branches of science and engineering. While there are several useful 'global' methods for finding one or more solutions to models for chemical and other processes, it is the solutions that are generally the primary focus. Singular points are often viewed as something to be avoided, and no use is made of the natural connectedness that exists between solutions and singular points. This thesis describes a completely different, novel and general geometric methodology for finding physically meaningful …

Improving The Aluminum-Air Battery System For Use In Electrical Vehicles, Shaohua Yang

Open Access Dissertations

The objectives of this study include improvement of the efficiency of the aluminum/air battery system and demonstration of its ability for vehicle applications. The aluminum/air battery system can generate enough energy and power for driving ranges and acceleration similar to that of gasoline powered cars. Therefore has the potential to be a power source for electrical vehicles. Aluminum/air battery vehicle life cycle analysis was conducted and compared to that of lead/acid and nickel-metal hydride vehicles. Only the aluminum/air vehicles can be projected to have a travel range comparable to that of internal combustion engine vehicles (ICE). From this analysis, an …

Static And Dynamic Constitutive Behavior And Fracture Of Particulate Composites, Vijaya Bhaskar Chalivendra

Open Access Dissertations

An experimental and analytical study has been conducted to investigate the static and dynamic constitutive behaviors and fracture of homogeneous and functionally graded particulate composite materials. In the first part of the study, fabrication and static and dynamic characterization of lightweight homogeneous polyurethane-cenosphere particulate composite was discussed. A predictive model to estimate the fracture toughness of the composite was developed. The dynamic constitutive behavior of the composite in compression was investigated using the split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) technique in conjunction with high-speed photography. Results indicated that the quasi-static stiffness, both in tension and compression, and the quasi-static fracture toughness …

Schizoanalysis, Tamsin E. Lorraine

Philosophy Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Seeds And Their Sociocultural Nexus, Hugh Lacey

Philosophy Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Washington University Magazine, Winter 2003

Washington University Magazine

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Lawyers In Strategic Alliances, Rachelle C. Sampson

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Spirituality And The Quality Of Life: Relationships Between Existential Well-Being And Aspectgs Of Life Functioning, Bettina Brigit Höppner

Open Access Master's Theses

The focus of this thesis is the role of spirituality within the quality of life. This role is explored in a macro-level approach by investigating the overall relationships between existential well-being, of which spirituality is seen as a part of, and life functioning. This macro-level investigation is then followed by a more detailed, variable specific micro-level delineation of relationships.

Recognizing the fact that spirituality cannot be discussed without an implicit reference to the overall concept of religion, the connections between spirituality and religion is explicitly discussed, although this connection is not the focus of this study. Thus, by way of …

Creative Providence, Dan Goodman

Open Access Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

An Assessment Of Regulatory And Planning Measures Affecting Land Conservation And Resource Protection In Eight Rhode Island Towns: Charlestown, Coventry, Exeter, Hopkinton, Richmond, South Kingstown, Westerly, And West Greenwich, Patricia S. Hickey

Open Access Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

International Regulation Of Underwater Sound: Establishing Rules And Standards To Address Ocean Noise Pollution, Elena Marie Mccarthy

Open Access Dissertations

An increasing awareness of anthropogenic sound in the ocean has generated international concern that it is affecting marine mammal behavior and could affect entire marine ecosystems as well. Presently there is a lack of a coherent policy framework for evaluating the environmental impacts of underwater noise pollution. No international treaties or laws specifically address the transmission of sound in waters under national jurisdiction or on the high seas. This dissertation examines the issue of underwater noise pollution in a global context and considers the extent to which the international legal and environmental community has addressed it. The sharp increase in …

Utilization Of Public Rights Of Ways In The State Of Rhode Island, Stephen M. Yankocy

Open Access Master's Theses

The 216 Public Rights of Ways (ROWs), which intersect the coast of Rhode Island are important in that they help to uphold the Public Trust Doctrine or the right of the public to freely enjoy the pleasures of the shoreline. Unfortunately, as the Ocean State's population has risen over the past decade and the pressures along its coastline have increased, the number of ROWs being designated from year to year as public has declined dramatically. Furthermore, the budget allotted to the Rhode Island Coastal Resource Management Council (CRMC) to discover and designate these pathways to the inter-tidal areas of the …

Diamond B-Y Ranches V. Tooele County And John Does I-V : Brief Of Appellant, Utah Supreme Court

Utah Supreme Court Briefs (2000–2020)

BRIEF OF PLAINTIFF-APPELLANT DIAMOND B-Y RANCHES

Appeal from the final Order of the Third Judicial District Court of Utah County, State of Utah The Honorable Randall N. Skanchy, District Court Judge

Peer-To-Peer Combat: The Entertainment Industry's Arsenal In Its War On Digital Piracy, Matthew C. Mousley

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

Interpolation Techniques For Overset Grids, Paul S. Sherman, Nathan B. Edgar

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The use of finite difference schemes in computational aeroacoustics requires the use of structured grids incomputational space. Complex geometries in the physical space can be modeled using multiple overlapping grids that are transformed into computational space. In this work, finite difference schemes are used that necessitate the addition of psuedo- or ghost-points in the overlap region of the grids for closure of the difference stencil. The functional values at these ghost points must be approximated from the values at the original grid points. This paper investigates interpolation techniques for these overset grids. An n th order interpolation scheme using Lagrange …

Novel High Frequency Silicon Carbide Static Induction Transistor-Based Test-Bed For The Acquisition Of Sic Power Device Reverse Recovery Characteristics, Kevin M. Speer, Ty R. Mcnutt, Alexander B. Lostetter, H. Alan Mantooth, Kraig J. Olejniczak

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

A test system is presented that utilizes a high-frequency Silicon Carbide (SiC) Static Induction Transistor (SIT) in place of the traditional MOSFET to test reverse recovery characteristics for the new class of SiC power diodes. An easily implementable drive circuit is presented that can drive the high-frequency SIT. The SiC SIT is also compared to a commonly used Si MOSFET in the test circuit application.

Parameter Extraction Software For Compact Diode Model, Maruf Hossain, Edgar Cilio, Ty R. Mcnutt, Alexander B. Lostetter, H. Alan Mantooth

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.