Digital Commons Network^™

Toward A Unified Theory Of Access To Local Telephone Networks, Daniel F. Spulber, Christopher S. Yoo

Federal Communications Law Journal

"The Enduring Lessons of the Breakup of AT&T: A Twenty-Five Year Retrospective."' Conference held at the University of Pennsylvania Law School on April 18-19, 2008.

Over the past several decades, regulatory authorities have imposed an increasingly broad array of access requirements on local telephone providers. In so doing, policymakers typically applied previous approaches to access regulation without fully considering whether the regulatory justifications used in favor of those previous access requirements remained valid. They also allowed each access regime to be governed by a different pricing methodology and set access prices in a way that treated each network component as …

Are Regulators Forward-Looking? The Market Price Of Copper Versus The Regulated Price Of Mandatory Access To Unbundled Local Loops In Telecommunications Networks, Jerry A. Hausman, J. Gregory Sidak, Timothy J. Tardiff

Federal Communications Law Journal

"The Enduring Lessons of the Breakup of AT&T: A Twenty-Five Year Retrospective."' Conference held at the University of Pennsylvania Law School on April 18-19, 2008.

Around the world, since 1996, regulators have mandated that incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) offer competitors access to their network at regulated prices that reflect forward-looking cost. Regulated prices for unbundled network elements are based on total element long-run incremental cost (TELRIC), which in turn is calculated using engineering models that estimate the costs of a hypothetical carrier employing the most efficient telecommunications technology currently available and the lowest cost network configuration, given the existing …

Fatigue Risks In The Connections Of Sign Support Structures: Phase 1, Christopher Foley, Baolin Wan, Mathew Weglarz, Matthew Hellenthal, Jordan Komp, Andrew Smith, Joseph Schmidt

Transportation Reports with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

Wisconsin sought to assess the risk of fatigue-induced fracture in its existing sign support structures designed before the latest AASHTO specifications that included fatigue design. A framework for assessing fatigue-induced fracture risk is developed and detailed synthesis of fatigue testing of connections is conducted. Statistical analysis of tests conducted since 1970 is made and models for characterizing uncertainty in the fatigue life of these connections are proposed. Recommendations regarding further fatigue testing (specimen configuration, number and stress range) are given. Statistical models for wind speed and direction are developed using historical records obtained through the National Climatic Data Center for …

Preparation Of Ultrafine Silver Powder Using Glycerol As Reducing Agent, E Nisaratanaporn, K Wongsuwan

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

The production of silver nanoparticles and sub-micron particles can be achieved by silver alkoxide from silver sulfate and subsequently reducing with glycerol. To reduce the particle size of silver sulfate precursors, ball milling was employed to reduce particle sizes down to 0.81 microns. However, silver sulfate without grinding provided smaller particle sizes of silver particles as opposed to ground specimens. Stirring silver alkoxide simultaneously was efficient to provide for uniform distribution of silver powder. The silver powder thus produced had brain-like shape consisted of very fine aggregate silver particles. The yield of silver powder was in the range of 95-99 …

Influence Of Reinforced Plastomers On Injection Moulds Wear, A Guzanová, J Brezinová

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

The contribution deals with wear of injection moulds based on aluminium alloy Alumec 89 in friction couples with plastomers reinforced with different glass fibres content. Friction relations in injection moulding were simulated by adhesion dry wear test with help of Amsler equipment with area contact of friction couple. Wear intensity was evaluated by friction coefficient and relative wear by weight loss. Simultaneously, changes of aluminium alloy surface morphology after wear in particular friction couples were analysed.

Demonstration Of The Ntc Ceramic Application For Temperature Measurement And Control Using The Labview-Based Measurement System, T Panmatarith, K Poatong

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

In the present paper, ZnO+0.01SnO2 ceramics were prepared using a standard ceramic method. We present the NTC ceramic application for temperature measurement and control using the LabVIEW-based measurement system. The measured resistance of the sample at room temperature was about 6.5 kΩ. The electrical resistance versus temperature of the sample was measured. The negative temperature coefficient of resistance of the sample was -1.018 %/°C. This sample showed NTC effect and exhibited NTC resistor, indicating their potential application as temperature sensor with low cost. It can be used as temperature sensor by using the NTC effect . The measured temperature (T) …

Production Of Sponge Rubber For Monolayer Rubber Stamp Using Salt Leaching Method, W Trakanpruk, Y Rodthong

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Sponge rubber used for monolayer rubber stamp was produced from nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR). Open cells in sponge rubber were created using salt leaching method. Effect of size and amount of sodium chloride which was used as a water soluble salt on the creation of open cells in the rubber was investigated. Carbon black was used as a filler. A different type of surfactant was added to increase the leaching out of salt from the rubber. Cure characteristics of the compound rubbers: maximum torque, minimum torque, scorch time and cure time as well as hardness of the prepared sponge rubber …

Application Of Chitosan In Rice Production, S Boonlertnirun, C Boonraung, R Suvanasara

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Chitosan is a natural biopolymer which stimulates growth and increases yield of plants as well as induces the immune system of plants. The objectives of this study were to determine appropriate applications for increasing of the rice yield. The experiment was performed with randomized complete block design ( RCBD) with four replications. Four treatments were done as follows : no chitosan application, seed soaking with chitosan solution, seed soaking and soil application with chitosan solution and seed soaking and foliar spraying with chitosan solution. The results showed that application of chitosan by seed soaking and soil application four times throughout …

Preparation Of N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine Using Enzyme From Aspergillus Sp., P Setthakaset, R Pichyangkura, A Ajavakom, M Sukwattanasinitt

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) is one of the basic constituents of mammal cartilage, which is known to help repair deteriorating cartilage and relieve pain and inflammation in osteoarthritis patients. The preparation of GlcNAc from squid pen β-chitin by using Aspergillus sp. chitinase in enzymatic hydrolysis is studied. The cultivation of the fungus in colloidal chitin minimum media at pH 3.5 and 40°C for 5 days gives the highest chitinolytic activity of 3.1 U/mL. The crude enzyme obtained from the the cultivation is used in the hydrolysis of milled squid pen β-chitin (50μm) at pH 4 (acetic acid 2M) and 45°C using 22 …

Factors Affecting Preparations Of Chitosan Microcapsules For Colonic Drug Delivery, K Huanbutta, M Luangtana-Anan, P Sriamornsak, S Limmatvapirat, S Puttipipatkhachorn, J Nunthanid

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

This work aimed at studying factors affecting preparations of chitosan microcapsules for colonic drug delivery. Chitosan microcores (CS, 45kDa, 87% degree of deacetylation) containing diclofenac sodium (DS) coated with Eudragit®S100 (ED) were prepared by a desolvation technique. Sodium sulfate was used as a desolvating agent and the drying process was freeze-drying. Factors affecting morphology, particle size and zeta potential of microcapsules were evaluated, i.e. weight ratio of DS:CS:ED, surfactant (polysorbate 80), anti-adherent (silicon dioxide), and the use of sonication or homogenization in preparation processes. The weight ratio of DS:CS:ED at 1:2:6 provided the smallest microcapsules of about 82.37±1.61 micrometer in …

Fabrication Of Porous Bioactive Glass-Ceramics Via Decomposition Of Natural Fibres, P Sooksaen, S Suttiruengwong, K Oniem, K Ngamlamiad, J Atireklapwarodom

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Porous bio glass-ceramics were prepared via natural fibres burning-out process. Glass-ceramics were fabricated by controlled crystallization of suitable glass compositions to give required crystalline phase/s. Porous structure was formed alongside during burning-out of natural fibres. Three glass batches were prepared in the SiO2-CaO-P2O5-K2O-Na2O-CaF2 glass system, then melted, quenched and milled to give fine glass powders. DTA thermograms for the three glass compositions showed crystallization temperatures between 720 and 760°C and Tg ranging between 508 and 645°C. Porous glass-ceramics were characterized for bulk density, phase evolution and microstructures. Different compositions resulted in different bulk densities and phases that crystallized out. Fluorapatite …

Water Soluble Chitosan As An Environment-Friendly Coagulant In Removal Of Rubber Particles From Skim Rubber Latex, R Werathirachot, P Danwanichakul, C Kongkaew, S Loykulnant

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Water soluble chitosan, dissolved in hot deionized water to obtain 0.8% solution, was used for the coagulation-flocculation of skim natural rubber latex. The efficiency of coagulation-flocculation of skim rubber latex without pH adjustment was much poorer than that of neutral skim rubber latex. When adding chitosan solution to the neutral skim rubber latex with a rubber content of 5.300 %wt/vol until the concentration of chitosan in the dispersion was 0.107%, the phase separation between rubber particles and yellow serum was clearly observed. At this condition, the removal efficiency of skim rubber particles was found to be the best among all …

Fabrication Of Al/Al2o3 Composite By Powder Metallurgy Method From Aluminum And Rice Husk Ash, C Dhadsanadhep, T Luangvaranunt, J Umeda, K Kondoh

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Fabrication of Al-4wt.%Cu /Alumina composite was reported. The method of fabrication was powder metallurgy by in-situ reaction to form alumina during fabrication. Starting materials were mixture of aluminum, copper, and silica powders. Silica is in form of rice husk ash. The mixture was cold compacted, and sintered at 650°C for 1 h. Hot forging was carried out to further consolidate the sintered billet, followed by 10-h heat treatment at temperatures between 590 to 650°C. Phase analysis by XRD confirmed that in-situ reaction between silica and aluminum powders occurred during heat treatment at temperatures above 590°C. The products of reaction were …

Silencing Of Mbd1 And Mecp2 In Prostate-Cancer-Derived Pc3 Cells Produces Differential Gene Expression Profiles And Cellular Phenotypes, Yaqinuddin Ahmed, Farhat Abbas, Syed S. Naqvi, Mohammad U. Bashir, Romena Qazi, Sohail A. Qureshi

Section of Urology

Alterations in genomic CpG methylation patterns have been found to be associated with cell transformation and neoplasia. Although it is recognized that methylation of CpG residues negatively regulates gene expression, how the various MBPs (methyl-binding proteins) contribute to this process remains elusive. To determine whether the two well characterized proteins MeCP2 (methyl-CpG-binding protein 2) and MBD1 (methyl-CpG-binding domain 1) have distinct or redundant functions, we employed RNAi (RNA interference) to silence their expression in the prostate cancer-derived PC3cell line, and subsequently compared cell growth, invasion and migration properties of these cell lines in addition to their respective mRNA-expressionprofiles. Cells devoid …

Environmental Evaluation Of A Quaternary Wastewater Treatment Wetland, Olivia Demeo, '09

Outstanding Senior Seminar Papers

Constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment have become a sustainable alternative to environmentally harmful traditional wastewater treatment methods. This case study evaluated the Schroeder Wildlife Sanctuary, a wetland area constructed for removal of nutrients from wastewater. An environmental evaluation of the wetland was completed that addressed three parameters: the water quality of wetland effluent, the avian biodiversity within the sanctuary, and an assessment of community outreach and education initiatives. Water quality testing was conducted using rudimentary LaMotte and Hach testing kits. The data was contrary to the literature and showed no nutrient removal occurring. However, the results were inconclusive because the …

The Feasibility Of Incorporating Sustainable Materials In The Design Of Habitat For Humanity Homes, Meaghan Collins, '09

Outstanding Senior Seminar Papers

The concept of sustainable design has been one of increasing interest with regards to both personal choices and desire to reduce human impacts on the environment. This paper looks at the concept of sustainable housing design and why it is important. Particularly, it focuses on sustainable housing designs and materials that the McLean County Chapter of Habitat for Humanity can incorporate into the construction of its homes. This paper investigates three types of sustainable construction materials, flooring, cabinetry, and paints that Habitat for Humanity could incorporate into its homes.

The Summer Season, Richard L. Knight, Dick D. Preston, Phillip D. Casteel, Richard P. Lewis

The Migrant - Tennessee Ornithological Society

No abstract provided.

Ecological Niche Of The 2003 West Nile Virus Epidemic In The Northern Great Plains Of The United States, Michael Wimberly, Michael B. Hildreth, Stephen P. Boyte, Erik Lindquist, Lon Kightlinger

United States Public Health Resources

Background: The incidence of West Nile virus (WNv) has remained high in the northern Great Plains compared to the rest of the United States. However, the reasons for the sustained high risk of WNv transmission in this region have not been determined. To assess the environmental drivers of WNv in the northern Great Plains, we analyzed the county-level spatial pattern of human cases during the 2003 epidemic across a seven-state region.
Methodology/Principal Findings: County-level data on WNv cases were examined using spatial cluster analysis, and were used to fit statistical models with weather, climate, and land use variables as predictors. …

Ink (2008-12)

Ink, 2008-

The student-run features magazine covering the fashion, art, music and culture worlds at VCU and in Richmond. Published annually in print and updated regularly online.

Forcing And Dynamics Of Seafloor-Water Column Exchange On A Broad Continental Shelf, William B. Savidge, Ann Gargett, Richard A. Jahnke, James R. Nelson, Dana K. Savidge, R Timothy Short, George Voulgaris

Faculty Publications

Relict sediments of elevated permeability characterize the majority of continental shelves globally (Emery, 1968). In these settings, interactions between benthic boundary layer (BBL) flows and seabed topography generate pressure fluctuations that drive advective and dispersive porewater transport, dramatically increasing the magnitude and variability of porewater solute and particulate exchange across the sediment-water interface (Huettel et al., 1996; Huettel and Rusch, 2000). On broad shallow shelves with a relatively large area-to-volume ratio, the seafloor’s role is magnified. Energetic events may reorganize bedforms across a significant fraction of the shelf, leading to altered exchange dynamics that may persist long after the organizing …

Block Scheduling In High School Mathematics: Effect On Algebra Ii End-Of-Course Grades And Act Assessment Mathematics Scores, Gayle Hawkins Hughes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a statistical difference between end-of-course grades in Algebra II at three high schools in northeast Tennessee and mathematics content scores on the ACT Assessment at the same three high schools, by comparing a one-semester accelerated (4x4) block schedule, a two-semester accelerated (4x4) block schedule, and a traditional year-long schedule. The purpose was also to determine if a relationship exists between Algebra II grades and ACT Assessment mathematics content scores for all students and for each school, and to determine if a statistically significant difference occurred in the number of …

The Effect Of School Size On The Utilization Of Educational Technologies, Daniel Nelson Patton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of school size, as defined by student enrollment and by total school budget, on the utilization of educational technologies. The focus group for this investigation was Christian schools that were further delineated by three criteria: (a) membership, (b) scope of program, and (c) geographic location. Membership was schools that were members of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). Scope of program was schools with comprehensive programs. Geographic location was schools in two ACSI regions. The survey instrument covered 23 categorical questions, several of which contained sub-questions. Survey data including …

Cognitive Agents Integrating Rules And Reinforcement Learning For Context-Aware Decision Support, Teck-Hou Teng, Ah-Hwee Tan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

While context-awareness has been found to be effective for decision support in complex domains, most of such decision support systems are hard-coded, incurring significant development efforts. To ease the knowledge acquisition bottleneck, this paper presents a class of cognitive agents based on self-organizing neural model known as TD-FALCON that integrates rules and learning for supporting context-aware decision making. Besides the ability to incorporate a priori knowledge in the form of symbolic propositional rules, TD-FALCON performs reinforcement learning (RL), enabling knowledge refinement and expansion through the interaction with its environment. The efficacy of the developed Context-Aware Decision Support (CaDS) system is …

Space-Time Regression Modeling Of Tree Growth Using The Skew-T Distribution, Farouk S. Nathoo

COBRA Preprint Series

In this article we present new statistical methodology for the analysis of repeated measures of spatially correlated growth data. Our motivating application, a ten year study of height growth in a plantation of even-aged white spruce, presents several challenges for statistical analysis. Here, the growth measurements arise from an asymmetric distribution, with heavy tails, and thus standard longitudinal regression models based on a Gaussian error structure are not appropriate. We seek more flexibility for modeling both skewness and fat tails, and achieve this within the class of skew-elliptical distributions. Within this framework, robust space-time regression models are formulated using random …

Understanding And Measuring Bicycling Behavior: A Focus On Travel Time And Route Choice, Jennifer Dill, John Gliebe

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

With rates of obesity, heart disease, and related health problems increasing in the U.S. many policy makers are looking for ways to increase physical activity in everyday life. Using a bicycle instead of a motor vehicle for a portion of everyday travel could help address these problems. This research aims to fill a gap in the existing literature on the effect of different types of infrastructure, such as bicycle lanes or paths, on bicycling. The project used global positioning system (GPS) technology to record where a sample of 164 adults in the Portland, OR region rode their bicycles. Data was …

Optimal Maintenance Crew Composition And Enhancement Of Crew Productivity, Robert Schober

All Theses

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) dedicates a large portion of its budget and other resources to the maintenance of the State's transportation infrastructure. In order to maximize the efficiency and productivity of the State's highway maintenance workforce, the SCDOT partnered with Clemson University to research the performance of these maintenance crews. The goal of this research is to identify optimal crew compositions, if possible, and to suggest potential crew productivity enhancement methods.
Data was collected from the SCDOT Highway Maintenance Management System (HMMS) and crew rankings were developed based on several pre-determined performance criteria. These rankings were then …

Characterization Of Campus Parking Lot Stormwater And Remediation Of Risks Using Constructed Wetland Treatment Systems, Andrew Mcqueen

All Theses

Campus parking lot stormwater (CPLSW) runoff mobilizes a variety of constituents from vehicular and atmospheric deposition that may pose risks to receiving aquatic systems. The overall objective of this research was to provide an approach for risk characterization, toxicity identification, and remediation of constituents of concern in CPLSW. The specific objectives of this research were to: (1) Characterize campus parking lot stormwater (CPLSW) to discern the constituents of concern present in these waters; (2) Perform TIE manipulations to identify possible fractions of concern in CPLSW, and; (3) Evaluate the performance of a pilot-scale constructed wetland treatment system (CWTS) designed to …

Analysis Of In-Flight Vibration For A Turbo Propeller Aircraft, Kyle Dunno

All Theses

A data recorder was utilized to record in-flight vibration of a turbo propeller aircraft. The data recorded produced power spectral density (PSD) profiles which are currently used in laboratory settings to drive vibration tables in order to simulate a particular vehicle type. Overall Grms values from the averaged data were then statistically compared to published standards and other studies to determine if there were differences in overall Grms values.
The data recorder was rigidly mounted to the cargo area of the turbo propeller aircraft. Thirty flights were recorded which varied in flight time from less than one hour to greater …

Circuit Modules For Six-Port Reflectometer On Chip, Chaojiang Li

All Theses

Broadband signal generator is an indispensable module for broadband Six-Port Reflectometer (SPR). To integrate a whole SPR system on a chip, the source must be compact. In this thesis, a three-stage voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), using two parallel weak invertor-chain oscillators and sense amplifiers, is proposed and designed in a 0.13 µm CMOS process. These two parallel weak inverter-chain oscillators extend the low frequency operating range and the sense amplifiers expand the high frequency operation. The measurement results show that the oscillator can be tuned from 430 MHz to 12 GHz, which satisfies the targeted SPR operating frequency range.
In order …

Optimal And Heuristic Resource Allocation Policies In Serial Production Systems, Ramesh Arumugam

All Theses

We have studied the optimal server allocation policies for a tandem queueing system under different system settings. Motivated by an industry project, we have studied a two stage tandem queueing system with arrival to the system and having two flexible servers capable of working at either of the stations. In our research, we studied the system under two different circumstances: modeling the system to maximize throughput without cost considerations, modeling the system to include switching and holding costs along with revenue for finished goods. In the maximizing throughput scenario, we considered two different types of server allocations: collaborative and non-collaborative. …