Digital Commons Network^™

Polyethylene And Polypropylene Nanocomposites Based Upon An Oligomerically-Modified Clay, Jinguo Zhang, David D. Jiang, Charles A. Wilkie

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

Montmorillonite clay was modified with an oligomeric surfactant, which was then melt blended with polyethylene and polypropylene in a Brabender mixer. The morphology was characterized by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, while thermal stability was evaluated from thermogravimetric analysis and the fire properties by cone calorimetry. The nanocomposites are best described as mixed immiscible/intercalated/delaminated systems and the reduction in peak heat release rate is about 40% at 5% inorganic clay loading.

Student Perceptions And Performance In The First Year Of A Mixed Physical Therapy Curriculum, Barbara J. Hoogenboom

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Background: Physical Therapy (PT) is a dynamic health profession. There is a compelling need to educate physical therapists to become self-directed, lifelong learners capable of thinking critically. Mixed-design curricula utilize various teaching methods to instruct students in a variety of knowledge areas, psychomotor skills, and cognitive constructs, such as problem-solving, reflection, and critical thinking (CT).

Purpose: To describe outcomes for PT students enrolled in the first year of the mixed design curriculum at Grand Valley State University (GVSU). Outcomes included the development of self-directed learning (SDL) and CT, as well as student-described satisfaction with and perceptions of the first year …

Characterization Of Aged Polymer Modified Asphalt Cements For Recycling Purposes, Codrin Daranga

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Since polymer modified asphalt cement (PMAC) has been employed for a decade, the lifetime and wear on some of these pavements is reaching a stage where resurfacing is necessary. This research focuses on the characterization of aged polymer modified asphalt cements (PMAC) to evaluate their potential for recycling. A styrene-butadiene-styrene tri-block (SBS) polymer modified asphalt cement was selected and characterized using standard asphalt binder qualification techniques, i.e., the Superpave PG protocol. We developed a procedure to characterize the relative concentration of polymer in asphalt cements by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Infrared spectrographic, thermogravimetric and rheological techniques were used to identify …

Supercritical Fluid Extraction Of Rice Bran With Adsorption On Rice Hull Ash, Paresh Manilal Patel

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Rice bran oil was extracted using environmentally-friendly supercritical carbon dioxide at varying conditions. Experimental treatments included pressure (27.6, 41.4 and 55.2 MPa), temperature (40 and 60 oC) and flow rates (25, 45 and 65 g/min) of supercritical carbon dioxide. Extracts collected at different time intervals during 4-hour extraction runs in a 3-L extractor were analyzed for oil yield and antioxidants. Normal-phase HPLC was used for analyzing the extract for important antioxidant compounds of oryzanol, tocopherols, tocotrienols. Silica rich rice hull ash adsorbent was also incorporated in combined extraction-adsorption experiments under similar supercritical fluid conditions. Supercritical extraction yields of rice bran …

On The Stability Of Rotor Bearing Systems Based On Hopf Bifurcation Theory, Jianke Wang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This research is aimed to establish instability criteria for a rotor-bearing system which consists of a rotor supported by two fluid-film journal bearings. The static and dynamic characteristics of rotor-bearing systems with consideration of turbulent effects are evaluated by applying the Hopf bifurcation theory (HBT) to the equations of motion. A method is developed for predicting the stability envelope of rotor-bearing systems using HBT. Results are compared with published literature obtained using a trial-and-error method. A method based on HBT is presented for predicting the occurrence of a hysteresis phenomenon, which is observed in experimental results dealing with the instability …

Photocatalysis In A Novel Semiconducting Optical Fiber Monolithic Reactor For Wastewater Treatment, Hongfei Lin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The development of photocatalytic reactors is essential for the successful exploitation of heterogeneous photocatalysis on semiconductor particles, which has been shown to be an effective means of removing organic pollutants from wastewater streams. In this dissertation, a novel photocatalytic optical fiber monolith reactor (OFMR), which employed a ceramic multi-channel monolith as a support for TiO2 and quartz fibers inserted inside the monolithic channels as both a light-transmitting conductor and a support for TiO2, was developed for wastewater treatment by investigating the photocatalytic degradation of o-dichlorobenzene (DCB) and phenanthrene (PHE). This configuration provides a high surface area for catalyst coating per …

A Public Relations Case Study On The United States Navy And Marine Corps' Role In Operation Unified Assistance Following The South Asia Tsunami, Hans H. Chun

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine from a public relations point-of-view, the public image impact on the United States from the efforts of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps' response to the tsunami crisis. The thesis analyzes the disaster that affected so many nations, and the humanitarian response of the United States Navy and Marine Corps in Operation Unified Assistance and the role of Navy Public Affairs following the earthquake and tsunami disaster and the importance of visual media.

Blurring The Boundaries Between Immigration And Crime Control After Sept. 11th, Teresa A. Miller

Journal Articles

Although the escalating criminalization of immigration law has been examined at length, the social control dimension of this phenomenon has gone relatively understudied. This Article attempts to remedy this deficiency by tracing the relationship between criminal punishment and immigration law, demonstrating that the War on Terror has further blurred these distinctions and exposing the social control function that pervades immigration law enforcement after September 11th prioritized counterterrorism. In doing so, the author draws upon the work of Daniel Kanstroom, Michael Welch, Jonathan Simon and Malcolm Feeley.

The Ecology Of Breastfeeding, Kim Diana Connolly

Journal Articles

This essay reflects on the ecological advantages of breastfeeding, and argues that that laws promoting and supporting breastfeeding should be included among laws labeled as “environmental.”

Like Crabs In A Barrel: Economy, History And Redevelopment In Buffalo, John Henry Schlegel

Other Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Pedagogical Significance Of The Bush Stem Cell Policy: A Window Into Bioethical Regulation In The United States (President George W. Bush, Fifth Anniversary Essay Collection), O. Carter Snead

Journal Articles

The enormous significance of the Bush stem cell funding policy has been evident since its inception. The announcement of the policy on August 9, 2001 marked the first time a U.S. president had ever taken up a matter of bioethical import as the sole subject of a major national policy address. Indeed, the August 9th speech was the President's first nationally televised policy address of any kind. Since then, the policy has been a constant focus of attention and discussion by political commentators, the print and broadcast media, advocacy organizations, scientists, elected officials, and candidates for all levels of office …

Some Varieties And Vicissitudes Of Lochnerism, Barry Cushman

Journal Articles

This article is a contribution to the Lochner Centennial Symposium at Boston University School of Law. Until recently, a consensus appeared to be emerging among constitutional historians concerning how best to interpret Lochner-era decisions involving Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment challenges to state and federal economic regulation. After decades during which the Court's jurisprudence had been characterized as the product of a reactionary judiciary's commitments to Social Darwinism and laissez-faire economics, more recent scholars had come to see the Court's police powers decisions as animated by what Professor Howard Gillman has called the principle of neutrality. On this view, the Court's …

Trehalose Loading Through The Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore Enhances Desiccation Tolerance In Rat Liver Mitochondria., Xiang-Hong Liu, Alptekin Aksan, Michael Menze, Steven Hand, Mehmet Toner

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Trehalose has extensively been used to improve the desiccation tolerance of mammalian cells. To test whether trehalose improves desiccation tolerance of mammalian mitochondria, we introduced trehalose into the matrix of isolated rat liver mitochondria by reversibly permeabilizing the inner membrane using the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP). Measurement of the trehalose concentration inside mitochondria using high perfOrmance liquid chromatography showed that the sugar permeated rapidly into the matrix upon opening the MPTP. The concentration of intra matrix trehalose reached 0.29 mmoVmg protein (-190 mM) in 5 min. Mitochondria, with and without trehalose loaded into the matrix, were desiccated in a …

Cryopreservation Of Human Hematopoietic Stem And Progenitor Cells Loaded With Trehalose : Transient Permeabilization Via The Adenosine Triphosphate-Dependent P2z Receptor Channel., Sandhya S. Buchanan, Michael A. Menze, Steven C. Hand, David W. Pyatt, John F. Carpenter

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HPCs) are a heterogenic population of cells used to treat a number of human diseases. Multilineage differentiation is a required function in successful hematopoietic reconstitution after transplantation of cryopreserved grafts. Conventional use of the cryoprotectant dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) has resulted in some reports of infusion related toxicity attributed to DMSO and/or damage to cells during freezethawing procedures. The purpose of this study was to explore the use of trehalose, a nontoxic disaccharide of glucose, as an alternative cryoprotectant. Trehalose was introduced into HPCs using the P2Z receptor, known to form nonselective pores in the presence …

Making A Mark In The Internet Economy: A Trademark Analysis Of Search Engine Advertising, Mark Bartholomew

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Aggregate Gradation Optimization -- Literature Search, David Newton Richardson

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Engineered Struvite Precipitation: Impacts Of Component-Ion Molar Ratios And Ph, Jun Wang, Joel Gerard Burken, Xiaoqi Zhang, Rao Y. Surampalli

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Struvite precipitation has the potential for removing and recovering phosphorus from agricultural wastewater streams, such as concentrated animal feeding operations wastewater. However, impacts of anticipated component-ion molar ratios and potentially interfering ions are unknown as are the compounding pH relationship with respect to all potential complexes. This research experimentally investigates and mathematically models these factors. Emphasis is placed upon the composition of formed deposits and model validation with experimental data. Results show that calcium is a major interfering ion affecting the deposit composition, decreasing struvite purity. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy + energy dispersive spectrometry were used to …

Spatial Bioaccumulation Modeling In A Network Of Bayous, Ronaldo Luna, Karen H. Watanabe, Andrew J. Wilding

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A software system, Spatial Network Bioaccumulation Model (SNBM), was developed to model the bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in aquatic food webs. The SNBM uses a geographic information system as an engine to: (i) store the spatial representation of input parameters (the data related to the ecosystem), (ii) transfer input and output data to and from the food-web bioaccumulation model, and (iii) display the predicted food-web organism concentrations over a base map of the field site. The bioaccumulation model is a time-dependent, set of first-order ordinary differential equations that are solved numerically. Many sampling locations can be analyzed using …

Condensation On (002) Graphite Of Liquid Bismuth Far Below Its Bulk Melting Point, M. K. Zayed, H. E. Elsayed-Ali

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Condensation of thermally evaporated Bi on (002) graphite, at temperatures of 300-523K, was studied using in situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and room temperature ex situ atomic force microscopy (AFM). For deposition at temperatures below 415±5K, transmission RHEED patterns of Bi appeared at an average thickness of ∼0.5 monolayer (ML). AFM images showed that the film consisted of crystallites in the shape of triangular step pyramids with step heights corresponding to single and double Bi layers in the [111] direction. This morphology indicates crystallization from the vapor. For deposition at higher temperatures, diffuse RHEED patterns appeared independent of the …

Suitability Of Pulse Train Control Technique For Bifred Converter, Mehdi Ferdowsi, Ali Emadi, Mark Telefus, Anatoly Shteynberg

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Pulse Train^TM control scheme is presented and applied to a boost integrated flyback rectifier/energy storage dc-dc (BIFRED) converter operating in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), which avoids the light-load high-voltage stress problem. In contrast to the conventional control techniques, the principal idea of Pulse Train technique is to regulate the output voltage using a series of high and low energy pulses generated by the current of the inductor. The applicability of the proposed technique to both the input and magnetizing inductances of BIFRED converter is investigated. Analysis of BIFRED converter operating in DCM as well as the output voltage ripple …

Automated Control Of Led-Based Illumination Using Image Analysis Metrics, Stephen Mills

Theses

This project discusses a microprocessor controlled illumination system that covers the visible spectrum. It uses multiple discrete wavelength LEDs. Spatial and spectral illumination profiles are achieved by controlling LED currents with an array of voltage controlled current sources. A highly efficient polycarbonate holographic diffuser is used to improve the uniformity of the distribution. System design is underpinned by accurate characterisation and modelling of the LEDs used.

Image analysis techniques are then used to parameterise the recorded scene and to provide a figure of merit for the quality of the illumination. Several functions such as contrast, low/high saturation, average brightness and …

Dredging And Dredge Disposal And Reuse In Ireland, Séamus Sutton

Theses

Dredging involves raising material from a river or estuary bed to the surface and transporting it some distance for disposal or reuse. It may be required to improve navigational access, to allow for port development or for mining aggregates.

This thesis includes a literature review and a detailed study of the dredging industry in Ireland. This study is partly based on a nationwide survey undertaken on dredging and dredge disposal and reuse, the results of which are included in a dredging database created for this project. All the main stakeholders in the industry were invited to complete questionnaire forms for …

Multispectral Camera Control And High Speed Image Transfer Using Lossless Hardware Compression, Padraig Ryan

Theses

This work provides extensions of a standard D-Cam/Firewire digital camera platform for use within a multispectral imaging setting and includes real-time lossless image compression targeted at the re-configurable environment of an FPGA. The control and image acquisition structures specific to multispectral systems are detailed with respect to an embedded firmware solution, complementary host PC software driver routines, and camera hardware control infrastructures. The augmentation of the standards based implementation is discussed without compromising compliance with underlying specifications. The mandate for image data acquisition includes glue logic to efficiently transmit data via a high-speed communications pipe, IEEE - 1394 in this …

Getting Real About Ebusiness In Ireland : A Marketing Perspective, Daniel Finbarr Sheehan

Theses

Electronic business has been promoted as marking a sea change in the way companies can develop and deliver products and services. Global markets are increasingly accessible in the new digital economy. Ireland, situated on the periphery of continental Europe, appears to be a perfect example of an economy that can benefit from this new medium. This thesis seeks to go beyond the hype in order to examine eBusiness as a marketing channel.

Given the new opportunities made possible by information and communication technology (ICT), it is instructive to investigate the attitudes of marketers to electronic business. An online survey was …

Family Friendly / Work Life Balance Policies: Perspectives Of Irish Employers And Employees, Caroline Williams

Theses

This study assesses the emergence of family friendly / work life balance arrangements within Irish organisations in view of changing conditions on the labour market, particularly with the increased participation of women. It incorporates the experiences, opinions and commentaries of both Human Resource representatives responsible for the implementation of such practices, and employees availing of them in a broad spectrum of public and private sector organisations.

This research addresses the perceived explicit and implicit barriers, such as organisational size, location and culture which challenge employers and employees in terms of alternative working arrangements. It illustrates the significance of introducing and …

A Troubling Equation In Contracts For Government Funded Scientific Research: "Sensitive But Unclassified" = Secret But Unconstitutional, Leslie Gielow Jacobs

McGeorge School of Law Scholarly Articles

No abstract provided.

Ab Initio : A New Concept In Engineering Education, A History Of The Design, Creation And Implementation Of A New School Of Engineering In Richmond, Virginia (1990-2000), Henry A. Mcgee Jr.

VCU University History Books

Dr. Henry A. McGee, Jr., Founding Dean Emeritus of the School of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University, chronicles the history of the School of Engineering through his term as Founding Dean, 1994–1999. McGee details the process of creating a program aimed to balance innovation and entrepreneurship.

Codes Of Interaction, Timothy Michael Martin

Theses and Dissertations

The ideas within this thesis are meant to clarify my explorations, research and painting practice during my studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. I expand on my general statements about being fascinated by advancing technologies and concerned about the after effects of these advancements. The writing explores my curiosity about the internal, skeletal structure of things and how they operate. I explain how the paintings are idiosyncratic hybrids that evoke animation, imaginary scientific propositions, blueprints, maps, and advancing technologies. The work combines these interests with my observations of day-to-day experiences. Isolated events provide found compositions which I then manipulate: a seemingly …

The Experience Of Decision Making In Adolescent Females And Young Women With Mobility Limiting Disorders, Bernice Balzer Allen

Theses and Dissertations

Young women with mobility limiting disorders face many challenges as they move through adolescence into young adulthood. In addition to the challenges of this developmental period, they must consider their disability as they manage their lives. Competent decision making is a foundational skill for self-management and for transition in adulthood. It is also a protective factor for resilience.There is little research on decision making in adolescents with disabilities. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the decision making experiences of female adolescents and young women with mobility limiting disorders. Theoretical underpinnings for the study included Resilience Theory …

Joint Center Movement Analysis And 3d Motion Modeling Of Upper Arm - Comparison Of Several Algorithms With The Visual 3-D Program, Leena Joseph

Theses and Dissertations

600 out of every 100,000 people in the United States today suffer from some form of cerebellar disease that causes major abnormalities in the equilibrium and aligned, coordinated movement of the body. Hence it becomes essential to diagnose the extent of the movement and gait disorder and provide required therapy to the patients. Various developments have been made in the designing and application of interactive software system for body positioning. Object oriented design techniques are used in the field of software engineering for interactive geometric representation of system behavior. Motion analysis of the upper and lower extremities of the body …