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Norris V. Harte Hankes Inc

2004 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

December 17, 2004, Ohio University Board Of Trustees Meeting Minutes, Ohio University Board Of Trustees

Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes

Meeting minutes document the activities of Ohio University's Board of Trustees.

Sub-Surface Corrosion Research On Rock Bolt System, Perforated Ss Sheets And Steel Sets For The Yucca Mountain Repository, Dhanesh Chandra, Jaak J.K. Daemen, Jaime Gonzalez, Raymond Keeler, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

The objective of the proposed investigation is to conduct corrosion research and predict the durability of rock-bolts and other underground metallic roof supports. In critical areas, it is possible to use highly corrosion resistant steels for rock bolts at Yucca Mountain (YM) repository, as the steel rock bolts, as well as other materials such as Bernold type shields for tunnels at YM site [1-4]. In addition, there is propensity for stress corrosion cracking as well as hydrogen induced cracking in rock bolts likely to occur in YM repository emplacement under drift conditions. As corrosion of these materials for underground support …

Access To Care: A Hospice Model Of Access To Care For The Homeless, Mary Ann Bridget Kinney

Theses and Graduate Projects

Access to Hospice for the terminally ill patient is a monumental problem for the disenfranchised person. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) in Washington D.C. there is an estimate of 3.5 million people who experience homelessness in a year (2003). The homeless face many health care service gaps including the vital service of end- of- life nursing care, which allows for death with dignity. The following paper will discuss the author's experience with the homeless, the need of access to Hospice Care for the homeless, and a review of literature regarding access to Hospice for the homeless. …

Winter Commencement: December 17, 2004, University Of North Dakota

UND Commencement Programs

UND Winter Commencement program from December 17, 2004.

Performance Analysis For Remote Power Systems In Rural Alaska, Tyler Chubb

Engineering

Due to the logistical difficulties involved in maintaining a rural Alaskan power generation facility, it is extremely important that the system function as efficiently as possible. Presently, many rural generation systems are not equipped with automated monitoring that enables knowledgeable personnel to view the performance of the system from a distant location. Consequently, system deficiencies resulting in increased fuel consumption and operating expense often go unnoticed as do potential system improvements. This thesis describes the design and implementation of a sophisticated monitoring system that consists of measurement sensors connected to an internet enabled data recorder. The monitoring system was used …

Transient Spatiotemporal Chaos On Complex Networks, Safia Rawoot

Physics

Some of today's most important questions regard complex dynamical systems with many interacting components. Network models provide a means to gain insight into such systems. This thesis focuses on a network model based upon the Gray-Scott cubic autocatalytic reaction-diffusion system that manifests transient spatiotemporal chaos. Motivated by recent studies on the small-world topology discovered by Watts and Strogatz, the network's original regular ring topology was modified by the addition of a few irregular connections. The effects of these added connections on the system's transience as well on the dynamics local to the added connections were examined. It was found that …

Genetic And Chemical Studies Relating To Α-Aminoisobutyri Acid (Aib) Metabolism, Jeffrey A. Bickmeier

Chemistry and Biochemistry

The non-protein amino acid a-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) occurs naturally in soil. Burkholderia cepacia utilizes Aib as a sole nitrogen source by virtue of a 2,2-dialkylglycine decarboxylase, which is encoded by the dgdA gene. In this study, 30 prokaryotes were cultured on minimal media containing Aib as the sole nitrogen source and identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Several attempts were made to clone dgd genes from these organisms. Plasmid libraries were constructed in E. coli from DNA isolated from four Aib-utilizing bacteria. Libraries were screened for clones which demonstrated the ability to grow on Aib containing media and therefore contained …

Tribological Comparison Of Materials, Bing Shi

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Approximately 600,000 total joint replacement surgeries are performed each year in the United States. Current artificial joint implants are mainly metal-on-plastic. The synthetic biomaterials undergo degradation through fatigue and corrosive wear from load-bearing and the aqueous ionic environment of the human body. Deposits o f inorganic salts can scratch weight-bearing surfaces, making artificial joints stiff and awkward. The excessive wear debris from polyethylene leads to osteolysis and potential loosening of the prosthesis. The lifetime for well-designed artificial joints is at most 10 to 15 years. A patient can usually have two total joint replacements during her/his lifetime. Durability is limited …

Market Opportunities For Carbon Sequestration In Alaska, Jennifer Elizabeth Duval

Economics

Global climate change has been at the forefront of environmental concerns for the last few decades. Based on the success of the United States' sulfur dioxide cap-and-trade program, a market for greenhouse gas emissions has slowly emerged. Russia's recent ratification of the Kyoto Protocol will bring an international market into force in February 2005. This thesis examines the economic theory behind cap-and-trade markets as solutions for environmental problems and discusses the characteristics of the markets for greenhouse gas emissions. The opportunities for Alaska's participation are examined, particularly offsetting diesel emissions from rural generators with wood or alternative energies. The calculations …

2004 Fall Commencement Program: Winona State University, Winona State University

WSU Commencement Programs

This is the Winona State University Fall 2004 commencement program. Commencement was on Friday, December 17, 2004.

Oscillatory Interlayer Exchange Coupling In [Pt/Co]N/Nio/[Co/Pt]N Multilayers With Perpendicular Anisotropy: Dependence On Nio And Pt Layer Thicknesses, Z. Y. Liu, Lanping Yue, D. J. Keavney, Shireen Adenwalla

Materials Research Science and Engineering Center: Faculty Publications

Interlayer exchange coupling has been studied in a series of [Pt( t_Pt Å)/Co(4 Å)]n/NiO( t_NiO)/[Co(4 Å)/Pt( t_Pt Å)]_n multilayers with perpendicular anisotropy. The coupling oscillates between antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic as a function of t_NiO with a period of ~5 Å, and the oscillatory behavior is related to the antiferromagnetic ordering of the NiO layer. This interlayer coupling between two Co/Pt multilayers is shown to occur domain by domain by magnetic force microscopy imaging. For the strongest antiferromagnetic coupling at t_NiO = 11 Å, an oscillation with a period of ~6 Å is superposed …

The Social And Economic Costs Of Employee Misclassification In Construction [Massachusetts Report], Françoise Carré, Randall Wilson

Center for Social Policy Publications

With this study, a cross disciplinary team of the Center for Construction Policy Research has taken a first and significant step in documenting employee misclassification in the Massachusetts construction industry. This report documents the dimensions of misclassification and its implications for tax collection and worker compensation insurance.

Misclassification occurs when employers treat workers who would otherwise be waged or salaried employees as independent contractors (self employed). Or as one report commissioned by the U.S. Department of Labor put it, misclassification occurs “when workers (who should be) getting W-2 forms for income tax filing instead receive 1099- Miscellaneous Income forms.”

Three Factor Authentication Using Java Ring And Biometrics, Jyothi Chitiprolu

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Computer security is a growing field in the IT industry. One of the important aspects of the computer security is authentication. Using passwords (something you know) is one of the most common ways of authentications. But passwords have proven to provide weak level of security as they can be easily compromised. Some other ways of authenticating a user are using physical tokens, (something you possess) and biometrics, (something you are). Using any one of these techniques to secure a system always has its own set of threats. One way to make sure a system is secure is to use multiple …

A Personnel-Driven Mini Assessment Approach For Supporting Continuous System And Software Process Improvement, Lee Mckinney

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Assessments are fundamental to the process improvement program of any organization in the software industry. Assessments provide a view of the state, capability, and maturity of processes in an organization relative to a reference model. Formal assessments are the most recognized, and are comprehensive in nature. Although the depth of their evaluation often results in significant process improvement opportunities, formal assessments are too costly for frequent use by many organizations. The interim between assessments typically leaves these organizations without the currency of process state information necessary to effectively drive continuous process improvement. Mini-assessments have emerged as a solution. This paper …

Algorithms And Data Structures For Automated Change Detection And Classification Of Sidescan Sonar Imagery, Marlin Gendron

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

During Mine Warfare (MIW) operations, MIW analysts perform change detection by visually comparing historical sidescan sonar imagery (SSI) collected by a sidescan sonar with recently collected SSI in an attempt to identify objects (which might be explosive mines) placed at sea since the last time the area was surveyed. This dissertation presents a data structure and three algorithms, developed by the author, that are part of an automated change detection and classification (ACDC) system. MIW analysts at the Naval Oceanographic Office, to reduce the amount of time to perform change detection, are currently using ACDC. The dissertation introductory chapter gives …

Natural Resource News, Vol. 04, No. 3 (December 2004), N/A N/A

Natural Resource News

No abstract provided.

University Of Nebraska At Omaha, December Commencement 2004, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Multiple-Model Target Tracking Algorithms, Ryan Pitre

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

There are many multiple-model (MM) target-tracking algorithms that are available but there has yet to be a comparison that includes all of them. This work compares seven of the currently most popular MM algorithms in terms of performance, credibility, and computational complexity. The algorithms to be considered are the autonomous multiple-model algorithm, generalized pseudo- Bayesian of first order, generalized pseudo-Bayesian of second order, interacting multiple-model algorithm, B-Best algorithm, Viterbi algorithm, and reweighted interacting multiple-model algorithm. The algorithms were compared using three scenarios consisting of maneuvers that were both in and out of the model set. Based on this comparison, there …

Kinetics Of Dcod Consumption By Bacterial Suspensions, Shirley Poliszuk

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this investigation was to study the kinetics of readily biodegradable soluble substrate, and the interactions between the bioflocculation process and such kinetics. Several batch test experiments were performed at different soluble-substratebiomass ratios in order to evaluate its impact on the kinetics and the order of the reaction. Similarly the consumption of dissolved substrate was compared using two different bacterial suspensions: (1) flocculated suspension; and (2) dispersed cells suspensions. In this research flocculated biomass from a complete mixed activated sludge (CMAS) system was tested using sequencing batch reactors (SBR). Results indicate that when the So/Xo ratio is low …

Dynamic Website And Data Engine Generators For Distributed Enterprise/Business Architectures, Fareed Qaddoura

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Creating websites providing dynamic services is an extensive process. Intelligent systems are used to create websites with dynamic services. Current intelligent systems are hard to use and configure by the average user. The generated websites are usually custom built to solve one problem and cannot be fully customizable for users on different environments. This thesis presents a technological solution that enables the average user to create websites with dynamic services by providing a number of parameters. The website generator is a web-based application that generates all the components of the website. The components act as portlets and the generated website …

Relationship Between The Sludge Settling Characteristics And The Parameters Of The Activated Sludge System, Jose Angel Rojas

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The activated sludge process is one of the most commonly employed domestic and industrial waste treatment process. Different types of mathematical models have been proposed for design and operation of this process, most of which do not consider the relationship between the sludge settling characteristics and the aeration unit performance. This project studies the validity of a model developed by La Motta (2004b) which links the operating parameters of an activated sludge system and the classical limiting flux sludge settling theory. Favorable results were obtained demonstrating that the model predicts very similar values of the parameters of the system in …

Secondary Municipal Wastewater Treatment Using The Uasb/Solids Contact Technology, Eudomar Silva

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Anaerobic pretreatment and aerobic post-treatment of municipal wastewater is being used more frequently. Recent investigations in this field using an AFBR/aeration chamber combination demonstrated the technical feasibility of this process. The investigation presented herein describes the use of a combined UASB/aeration chamber system for the treatment of municipal wastewater and attempts to demonstrate the technical feasibility of using the UASB process as both a pretreatment unit and a waste activated sludge digestion system. The results indicate that the UASB reactor has a TSS removal efficiency of about 37%. Of the solids removed by the unit, 33% were degraded by the …

A Novel Chirp Slope Keying Modulation Scheme For Underwater Communication, Lastri Simanjuntak

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

A digital modulation method using Chirp-Slope Keying (CSK) is developed for coherent underwater acoustic communications. Effective signal detection is a critical stage in the implementation of any communications system; we will see that CSK solves some significant challenges to reliable detection. This thesis is primarily based on analyzing the effectiveness of CSK through simulations using Matlab's Simulink for underwater communications. The procedure begins with modulating a chirp's slope by random binary data with a linear-down-slope chirp representing a 0, and a linear-up-slope chirp representing a 1. Each received symbol is demodulated by multiplying it with the exact linear-up-slope chirp and …

In Vitro Metabolism Study Of Brevetoxins By Lc-Esi-Ms, Weiqun Wang

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Brevetoxins are natural neurotoxins that are produced by "red tide" algae. In this study, brevetoxin-1 and brevetoxin-2 were incubated with rat liver hepatocytes and rat liver microsomes, respectively. After clean-up steps, samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with electrospray mass spectrometry (LC-MS). For the incubation sample of brevetoxin- 1, two metabolites were found: brevetoxin-1-M1 and brevetoxin- 1-M2. The tandem mass spectrometry study of the [brevetoxin-1- M1+H]+ led to the conclusion that it was formed by converting one double bond in the E or F ring of brevetoxin-1 into a diol. The second metabolite (brevetoxin-1-M2) is proposed to be …

Shrub Expansion In Arctic Alaska: 50 Years Of Change Documented Using Aerial Photography, Ken Tape

Geosciences

Evidence from arctic Alaska suggests that the terrestrial landscape is changing in response to warming. Between 1946 and 1951, several thousand low-altitude panchromatic oblique aerial photographs were taken as part of geologic reconnaissance and exploration of Alaska's Arctic Slope and Brooks Range. For this study, 202 of the landscapes in the old photographs were re-photographed. Comparison of the old and new photographs revealed an increase in shrub cover in the last half-century. The changes were observed over a 220,000 km2 tract of arctic tundra, and it is likely that they are more widespread. A quantitative method for comparing the photographs …

Effects Of Quantization, Saturation, And Sampling Time In Multi Output Systems, Chaouki T. Abdallah, R. Sandoval-Rodriguez, R. H. Byrne

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

We analyze the effects of sampling and quantization in the states of the plant, and the saturation of the control signal, on the behaviors of closed-loop systems. We present graphical and analytical tools to determine the minimum number of bits in the A/D converters, and the maximum sampling time to ensure stability of closed-loop LTI single input multiple output systems.

A System-On-Programmable-Chip Approach For Mimo Lattice Decoder, Vipul Hiralal Patel

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The past decade has shown distinct advances in the theory of multiple input multi output techniques for wireless communication systems. Now, the time has come to demonstrate this progress in terms of applications. This thesis introduces implementation of Schnorr- Euchner strategy based decoding algorithm applied on Altera system-on-chip (Stratix EP1S10F780C6) with Nios embedded processor. The lattice decoder is developed on FPGA using VHDL. The preprocessing part of algorithm is targeted for Nios embedded processor using C language. A controller is also designed to interface and communicate between the Nios embedded processor and lattice decoder.

Biomass Integrated Gasification Combined Cycles (Bigcc), Mun Roy Yap

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Conversion of biomass to energy does not contribute to the net increase of carbon dioxide in the environment, therefore the use of biomass waste as a clean and renewable fuel source is an attractive alternative to the use of fossil fuels. Biomass can be converted to energy via direct combustion or via thermo-chemical conversion to liquid or gas fuels. This study focuses on employing gasification technology to convert biomass waste to producer gas, which is then cleaned and fed as gaseous fuel into the gas turbine. Since the producer gases are usually low caloric values, the power plants performance under …

Biosorption Of Heavy Metals By Citrus Fruit Waste Materials, Santosh Bramhadev Patil

Engineering

Conventionally used processes for removing heavy metals from wastewater are usually either expensive, such as ion exchange, or inefficient, such as precipitation. An innovative technique that is both efficient and economical is biosorption, in which living and dead biomass can act as biosorbents through physical-chemical processes like ion exchange and micro-precipitation. Pectin, a structural polysaccharide present in plant cell walls, is similar to alginate, a molecule that is often responsible for the high metal uptake by algae. Based on the structural similarity between alginate and pectin, it was expected that pectin rich bio-wastes may be as good a biosorbent material …