Digital Commons Network^™

Analysis And Shape Modeling Of Thin Piezoelectric Actuators, Makram Mouhli

Theses and Dissertations

The field of smart materials is an increasingly growing area of research. In aerodynamics applications especially, transducers have to fulfill a series of requirements such as light weight, size, energy consumption, robustness and durability. Piezoelectric transducers, devices which transform an electrical signal into motion, fulfill many of these requirements. Specifically, piezoelectric composites are of interest due to their added toughness and ease of integration into a structure. Resulting composites have a characteristic initial curvature with accompanying residual stresses that are responsible for enhanced performance, relative to flat actuators, when the active material is energized. A number of transducer designs based …

The Relationship Between Breastfeeding And The Development Of Asthma In Early Childhood, River Anne Pugsley

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Asthma can have significant adverse effects on the health and quality of life of children, and the prevalence of this condition continues to rise. Breastfeeding may protect against asthma, but some uncertainty remains. The purpose of this study was to further examine the relationship between breastfeeding and the risk of developing asthma in early childhood. Methods: Data were collected from the State and Local Area Integrated Telephone Survey: National Survey of Children's Health, 2003. The study population consisted of 33,315 children ages 0 to 5 years. Prevalence rates of asthma and breastfeeding ,were calculated, as were crude and Mantel-Haenszel …

Indigenous Peoples And Intellectual Property, Stephen M. Mcjohn, Lorie Graham

Suffolk University Law School Faculty Works

This paper, following on Michael F. Brown's Who Owns Native Culture?, suggests that intellectual property law, negotiation, and human rights precepts can work together to address indigenous claims to heritage protection. Granting intellectual property rights in such spheres as traditional knowledge and folklore does not threaten the public domain in the same way that expansion of intellectual property rights in more commercial spheres does. It is not so much a question of the public domain versus corporate and indigenous interests, as it is a question of the impact corporate interests have had on the indigenous claims. Indeed indigenous peoples' claims …

The Use Of Prebiotics To Improve Fish Health, Michelle Stone

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The aim of this project was to analyse critically the potential use of prebiotics in aquaculture. Initially, the intestinal microflora of rainbow trout, raised in the aquarium facilities at CEFAS, Weymouth, was investigated using both conventional bacteriological (culture, BiOLOG) and molecular (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP), 16S rRNA gene sequencing) techniques. Dominant colony types were identified as Aeromonas sobria, Carnobacterium piscicola and Clostridium gasigenes. A series of in vitro growth curve studies was carried out using a selection of intestinal bacteria and known fish pathogens, to determine the ability of intestinal bacteria to utilise the potential prebiotic candidates inulin, lactulose …

The Aphidophagus Coccinellid (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) Species In Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, Mahmut Murat Aslan, Nedi̇m Uygun

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Aphidophagus coccinellid (Coccinellidae: Coleoptera) species were determined in cultivated and uncultivated fields in Kahramanmaraş. Furthermore, aphid species preyed upon by each coccinellid species were also specified. Adult coccinellids observed feeding on the aphid species were collected by suction tube while immature stages were collected with their preys and cultivated in order to obtain adults. This study yielded 33 coccinellid species feeding upon 59 aphid species. The most encountered coccinellid species that fed on many aphid species were Coccinella septempunctata (L.) 41, Hippodamia variegata (Goeze) 19, Scymnus subvillosus (Goeze) 15, Adalia fasciatopunctata revelieri Muls. 10 and Oenopia conglobata (L.) 9. On …

Determination Of Some Biological Characteristics Of Calosoma Sycophanta L. (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Mehmet Kanat, Özgür Toprak, Süleyman Akbulut

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This study was conducted to determine some biological characteristics of Calosoma sycophanta L. under laboratory conditions between 2001 and 2003 in Kahramanmaraş. The adult emergence period of C. sycophanta started at the end of February and extended until the first week of March (from soil). When they emerged, they fed on caterpillars of the pine processionary moth. After 1-1.5 weeks of feeding, adult beetles copulated and deposited their eggs into humid soil. The oviposition period continued for 20-25 days. The first instars hatched from eggs within 6-13 days. The first instars were 7-8 mm in length and dirty whitish–yellow, but …

Cover And Contents

Turkish Journal of Zoology

No abstract provided.

Comments On: Shells Of Mollusca Collected From The Seas Of Turkey, Bi̇lal Öztürk

Turkish Journal of Zoology

No abstract provided.

Cover And Contents

Turkish Journal of Zoology

No abstract provided.

Geographical Distributions And Taxonomical States Of Telescopus Fallax (Fleischman, 1831) And Vipera Barani Böhme-Joger, 1983, İbrahi̇m Baran, Yusuf Kumlutaş, Çeti̇n Ilgaz, Fatma İret

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Taxonomical states and the distribution of 40 Telescopus fallax specimens collected from various regions of Turkey over the past 35 years were evaluated. Information relating to a female Vipera barani and its 2 male juveniles, which were collected 35 km south of the provincial capital Adapazarı is presented. Biological information regarding the latter species is provided for the first time.

Cover And Contents

Turkish Journal of Zoology

No abstract provided.

Some Biological Characteristics Of Crayfish (Astacus Leptodactylus Eschscholtz, 1823) In Lake Eğirdir, İsmet Balik, Hidir Çubuk, Remzi̇ye Özkök, Rahmi̇ Uysal

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This study was conducted in Lake Eğirdir in 2001 and 2002, to investigate some biological characteristics, i.e. sex and length compositions, length-weight relationship and reproduction, of the crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus Eschscholtz, 1823) population. Sex ratios of crayfish caught with fykenets of 34 - mm mesh size (stretched mesh) were 65.2% male and 34.8% female. The total body lengths of both sexes ranged from 40 to 150 mm and the majority were in the 110 mm length class. Although the average lengths of both sexes were nearly the same, the average weight of male crayfish was higher than that of females. …

Some Biological Aspects Of The Himri Barbel, Barbus Luteus, In The Intermediate Reaches Of The Euphrates River, Ramez Al Hazzaa

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Growth; length-weight, standard-, fork-, and total length relationships; age composition; sex ratios; age at first maturity; and fecundity of the himri, Barbus luteus, from different sites along the middle reaches of the Euphrates River were investigated. Von Bertalanffy's growth models were L_t = 54.71 (1-e^{0.110 (t+0.163)}), W_t = 1252.833 (1-e^{0.127 (t+1.825)})^{2.454} in males, and L_t = 56.93 (1-e^{0.105 (t+0.377)}), W_t = 1395.363 (1-e^{0.107 (t-1.81)})^{2.545} in females. Isometric growth was identified from length-weight relationships. Younger age groups dominated the catches, with identifiable ages ranged from II to VII years. Sexual ratios were unbiased and did not deviate from 1:1. Most fish …

Cover And Contents

Turkish Journal of Zoology

No abstract provided.

The Mirror Has Many Faces: Recognizing Gender Identity In Canadian Anti-Discrimination Law, Frank Durnford

Dalhousie Journal of Legal Studies

Owing to our failure to acknowledge the complexity and diversity of gender identity, gender and gender politics are contentious subjects in Canadian anti-discrimination law. On the one hand, Queer theorists continue to challenge the rigidity of the male/female binary, while on the other hand, Canadian law insists that identity is invariably determined by one’s biological sex. The result is a power struggle, pitting those who fit neatly into rigid male/female categories against the marginalized Other—the transgendered community. Transgendered persons have encountered many barriers in their search for equality in the law, partly owing to a lack of a proper legal …

Tangled Up In Khaki And Blue: Lethal And Non-Lethal Weapons In Recent Confrontations, David A. Koplow

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Too often, military and law enforcement authorities have found themselves constrained by inadequate weaponry: the tools available to them, in addressing confrontations with entrenched opponents of various sorts, are either too weak (not sufficing to disarm or defeat the enemy) or too strong (generating unacceptable "collateral damage" in harming innocent people or property). An emerging category of "non-lethal weapons" carries promise for resolving this dilemma, proffering deft new capabilities for disabling, dissuading, or defeating opponents without inflicting death or permanent injury.

Some primitive non-lethal weapons (such as truncheons, tear gas, and water cannon) have long been staples in the inventories …

Room-Temperature Atmospheric Pressure Plasma For Biomedical Applications, Mounir Laroussi, Xinpei Lu

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

As low-temperature non-equilibrium plasmas come to play an increasing role in biomedical applications, reliable and user-friendly sources need to be developed. These plasma sources have to meet stringent requirements such as low temperature (at or near room temperature), no risk of arcing, operation at atmospheric pressure, preferably hand-held operation, low concentration of ozone generation, etc. In this letter, we present a device that meets exactly such requirements. This device is capable of generating a cold plasma plume several centimeters in length. It exhibits low power requirements as shown by its current-voltage characteristics. Using helium as a carrier gas, very little …

Influences On The Decision To Authorize Wildland Fire Use, Martha A. Williamson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Transportation And Development On Black Bear Movement, Mortality, And Use Of The Highway 93 Corridor In Nw Montana, Karin R. Mccoy

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Computerized Smell Of Memory, Brandon Spencer

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

It has long been recognized that there is a major correlation between smell and memory. Until recently, commercialized multi-sensory experiences involving olfaction were limited to non-computerized mediums. Companies that manufacture computerized scent technologies tout the educational benefits of their product, yet prior to this study, there appeared to be no scholarly research in regard to the efficacy of computerized scent producing peripherals in educational environments. The aim of this research was to determine the odor memory enhancement benefits of incorporating olfactory, computerized peripherals into computerized multimedia-learning environments, from both a context dependent and context independent stand point. Specifically, within a …

Global Stability Of Periodic Orbits Of Non-Autonomous Difference Equations And Population Biology, Saber Elaydi, Robert J. Sacker

Mathematics Faculty Research

Elaydi and Yakubu showed that a globally asymptotically stable(GAS) periodic orbit in an autonomous difference equation must in fact be a fixed point whenever the phase space is connected. In this paper we extend this result to periodic nonautonomous difference equations via the concept of skew-product dynamical systems. We show that for a k-periodic difference equation, if a periodic orbit of period r is GAS, then r must be a divisor of k. In particular sub-harmonic, or long periodic, oscillations cannot occur. Moreover, if r divides k we construct a non-autonomous dynamical system having minimum period k and …

Les Aspects Éthiques De L'Utilisation Des Bioindicateurs En Santé Au Travail, Chantal Caux, Claude Viau, Louise Guilbert, David J. Roy

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les bioindicateurs et la santé au travail…

Certains travailleurs, dans le cadre de leurs activités professionnelles, sont exposés à des produits potentiellement néfastes pour leur santé. Afin de nous aider à comprendre le lien entre les expositions à ces produits et les maladies qui peuvent apparaître, il peut être utile et même nécessaire d’utiliser des bioindicateurs d’exposition, d’effets, ou encore de susceptibilité. Les premiers (bioindicateurs d’exposition) sont la mesure, dans le sang, l’urine ou l’air expiré dans un premier cas, du produit auquel les travailleurs sont exposés ou encore, dans un deuxième cas, de sous-produits résultant de la transformation de …

The Online Language Learning Environment: New Roles For The Humanist, James S. Noblitt

Russian Language Journal

Thomas Edison played an important role in improving the technologies needed for the telephone. He was said to have been excited about the educational potential of the new instrument and speculated that it would soon be found in every classroom.

Well, he was right about the educational potential of information and communication technology, but he was wrong about the form the new technology would take.

This chapter raises questions concerning the role humanists will play in determining the development and implementation of information and communication technologies for educational purposes.

Stability, Transport And Applications Of Polyaphrons In Porous Media, Le Yan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Polyaphrons are a kind of macroemulsion. The most distinctive feature of polyaphrons is their high stability. On the other hand, certain polyaphrons can be effectively destabilized by multivalent ions. In this dissertation, we devise a novel procedure that utilizes the fact that polyaphrons can be destabilized by certain ions to deliver light chemicals to lower the density of dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) contaminants in situ. We first investigate how the stability of diluted polyaphrons is affected by the properties of the continuous phase. We find that polyaphrons can be destabilized by a low concentration of Al3+ or Ca2+ in …

Physical Function And Health Related Quality Of Life In Culturally Diverse Elders: Evidence Of Environmental Press, Robyn M. Bossier

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this project was to identify group differences in physical function and HRQL between older adults living in different environments, and to compare information from these groups to data from a random sample of elders pulled from the general population. METHODS: Seventy-eight older adults were evaluated for physical function using the continuous-scale physical functional performance test (CS-PFP) and HRQL using the SF-36 v.2. Subjects were 26 predominantly African American participants (LOW group; age 72.2 ± 8.1 years), 26 Caucasian adults (HIGH group; age 77.6 ± 4.8 years), and 26 adults selected from a population-based study (POP group; age …

Identification Of 'Structural Alerts' And Associated Mechanisms Of Action Of Mammary Gland Carcinogens In Female Rodents, Shanna Tommika Moss

LSU Master's Theses

A new structure-activity relationship (SAR) approach to modeling was utilized to study mammary gland carcinogens. A set of chemicals tested for mammary tumorigenesis that have been analyzed in the Carcinogenic Potency Database (CPDB) were subjected to several computational analyses in an attempt to predict each chemical’s carcinogenic potential. A total of six learning sets (rat and mouse mammary gland carcinogen, CPDB rat and mouse, and female-specific rodent models) were developed and validated using a SAR modeling algorithm called categorical-SAR (cat-SAR). The predictive cat-SAR program evaluates active and inactive compounds of known biological activity and predicts their biological activity from this …

The Role Of Perturbation On Biochemical Systems: Salt, Ph, And Microgravity Effects On Protein-Ligand And Small Molecule Interactions, Gregory S. Thompson

LSU Master's Theses

DNA binding by the type I DNA polymerases from Escherichia coli (Klenow) and Thermus aquaticus (Klentaq) has been examined under varying ionic conditions. Klenow and Klentaq both show increased affinity for DNA substrate in the presence of KAcetate over KCl. Ionic linkage relationships were determined for Klenow and Klentaq in KAcetate. Klenow and Klentaq DNA binding show similar ion releases in KAcetate and KCl (~4-5 ions in Klenow, and ~3-4 ions in Klentaq). Interestingly, Klenow and Klentaq exhibit differential ion release in KGlutamate (~4-5 ions in Klentaq and ~2 ions in Klenow). DNA structure dependence of binding was examined for …

Aspects Of Production For Clerodendrum As Potted Flowering Plants, Annina Delaune

LSU Master's Theses

The effect of growth regulators gibberellic acid (Pro-Gibb™), daminozide (B-Nine™), ancymidol (A-Rest™) and paclobutrazol (Bonzi™) were evaluated on species of Clerodendrum grown as flowering pot plants. Studies on photoperiod and post-production longevity were also included. Experiments were conducted on C. bungei, C. thomsoniae, C. ugandense, C. phillippinum, C. paniculata and C. speciosissimum in polycarbonate greenhouses. For C. thomsoniae the best growth control was achieved by applying paclobutrazol and ancymidol drench at a rate of 1.0 mg a.i. /pot. For C. ugandense, the most appropriate application rate of PGR was paclobutrazol drench at 5 to 15 mg a.i./pot. C. bungei did …

A Study Of Distributed Clustering Of Vector Time Series On The Grid By Task Farming, Arun B. Nayar

LSU Master's Theses

Traditional data mining methods were limited by availability of computing resources like network bandwidth, storage space and processing power. These algorithms were developed to work around this problem by looking at a small cross-section of the whole data available. However since a major chunk of the data is kept out, the predictions were generally inaccurate and missed out on significant features that was part of the data. Today with resources growing at almost the same pace as data, it is possible to rethink mining algorithms to work on distributed resources and essentially distributed data. Distributed data mining thus holds great …

Master Planning Communities With Wildlife In Mind, Helen A. Peebles

LSU Master's Theses

Master-planned communities can be designed for the protection of wildlife while providing an aesthetically pleasing, eco-friendly, and affordable community for people. This study was conceived from a background of academic studies in plant biology, forestry, and landscape architecture, and a desire to rescue wildlife habitat from the encroachment of urban sprawl. A variety of books and periodicals were consulted, along with a few web sites. The primary threats to wildlife habitat are habitat fragmentation, pollution, and exotic invasive species of plants, animals, insects, and diseases. Many aspects of planning are addressed, including wildlife corridors, site selection, connecting habitat patches, and …