Digital Commons Network^™

Capt. John Pope’S Collection Of Birds From Indianola, Stanley D. Casto

Bulletin of the Texas Ornithological Society

The specimens taken at Indianola, Texas, by Capt. John Pope during February and March 1855 represent the first collection of birds from this location on the Texas coast. Pope’s “Book of Descriptions” of the Indianola specimens is discussed along with the identities of the birds collected. Specimens of the Greater Scaup, Purple Martin, King Rail, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and American Golden-Plover from Indianola were the first of their species from Texas to be deposited at the Smithsonian Institution.

Optimization Of A Hardware/Software Coprocessing Platform For Eeg Eyeblink Detection And Removal, Matthew Alan Chaudhuri

Theses

The feasibility of implementing a real-time system for removing eyeblink artifacts from electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings utilizing a hardware/software coprocessing platform was investigated. A software based wavelet and independent component analysis (ICA) eyeblink detection and removal process was extended to enable variation in its processing parameters. Exploiting the efficiency of hardware and the reconfigurability of software, it was ported to a field programmable gate array (FPGA) development platform which was found to be capable of implementing the revised algorithm, although not in real-time. The implemented hardware and software solution was applied to a collection of both simulated and clinically acquired EEG …

Robust Longitudinal Rate Gyro Bias Estimation For Reliable Pitch Attitude Observation Through Utilization Of A Displaced Accelerometer Array, Ryan Weisman

Theses

In this thesis, a novel attitude estimation device is proposed utilizing cost-effective measurement sensors. The device fuses a rate gyroscope with an accelerometer array to estimate and eliminate the rate gyro bias online yielding accurate real time aircraft attitude tracking. Attitude determination algorithms are dependent on instantaneous and accurate measurements of translational and rotational body rates for precise estimation of vehicle orientation in three-dimensional space. Measurement error of instantaneous rate sensors, gyroscopes, is introduced via inherent biases and signal noise resulting in gyro drift. Integration of the rate signal for calculation of a net displacement amplifies these minute measurement errors …

Water Rights In Utah, Chad R. Reid, Keith H. Christensen, Robert W. Hill

All Current Publications

If you are connected to a municipal system, your water is probably categorized as “culinary or municipal water” and is used for everything from drinking and bathing to washing the car to watering tomatoes.

Computing For The Masses: Extending The Computer Science Curriculum With Information Technology Literacy, Jorge Pérez, Meg C. Murray

Faculty Articles

Enrollments in computer science programs continue to drop as demand for workers skilled in computing increases. Information technology scholars face the ironic challenge of attracting more students into computing disciplines in the age of ubiquitous computing. This paper chronicles a decision by a department of computer science and information systems to offer an information technology literacy course as a service to its institution. Educational and curricular justifications for the course progressed in parallel with recognition of the course's strategic value to the department in the face of sharp declines in the number of students majoring in CS or IS. Following …

Successful Implementation Of Inquiry-Based Physiology Laboratories In Undergraduate Major And Nonmajor Courses, Giovanni Casotti, Loretta Rieser-Danner, Maureen T. Knabb

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Wrong Way, Charles F. Angell

Bridgewater Review

Book review of:

• Tom Vanderbilt, Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do. Knopf, ©2008

Can Public Debt Enhance Democracy?, Clayton P. Gillette

William & Mary Law Review

This Essay draws on historical and current examples to examine the extent to which public creditors can enhance democracy by monitoring public officials in a manner that compensates for the failures of the government debtor's constituents to monitor public officials. Creditors and constituents may share significant interests, depending on the structure of security arrangements for public debt and the identity of the debtors. Where interests overlap, the capacity of creditors to overcome collective action problems suffered by constituents may transform creditors into surrogates for constituents. Whether creditors are willing to play this role, however, may depend on the existence of …

"Absolutely Part Of What We Should Be Doing": Kevin Curry, Water Filters And The International Mission Of The Modern University, Andrew C. Holman

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Full Issue, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Pyrosequencing Analysis Of The Trichodiene Synthase 5 (Tri 5) Gene From The Members Of The Genus Stachybotrys, Tineace Taylor Farrow

Theses (Pre-2016)

This research will focus on multiple isolates of Stachybotrys species from culture collection companies which will be studied in an attempt to determine the presence of the Trichodiene synthase 5 (Tri5) gene, an enzyme involved in the early stages of the biosynthesis of trichothecenes. Using general primers, the Tri5 gene will be amplified by customized PCR technique. The amplicons will be sequenced using a new multiple sequence technique personally designed. Stachybotrys is a genus of filamentous fungi belonging to the class of anamorphic ascomycetes (Kirk et al, 2001). The genus has a single well-known species, Stachybotrys chartarum. S. chartarum was …

On The Many Flavors Of Capitalism Or Reflections On Schumpeter's Ghost, John Henry Schlegel

Buffalo Law Review

Most legal scholars treat capitalism as a genus with one species. The appearance of several books that argue to the contrary suggests that it is sensible to revisit this assumption. Discussion begins by considering the constructed nature of markets, the importance of market systems, and the role of financings as the factor distinguishing capitalism from other forms of a market economy. Thereafter, four articulations of the varieties of capitalism are reviewed: the classic Marxist one, one by a political economist, another by a pair of comparative political scientists, and third by a trio of economists. This review leads to a …

Review Of "Cold War, Deadly Fevers: Malaria Eradication In Mexico, 1955-1975" By M. Cueto, Diego Armus

History Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Modeling Fluid Structure Interaction Over A Flexible Fin Attached To A Naca0012 Airfoil, Srinivasa Ravindra Pantula

Dissertations

Flow separation control is of importance to the performance of air vehicles. Generally, it is desired to postpone separation such that the overall drag is reduced, stall is delayed, lift is enhanced, and pressure recovery is improved. This work explores a new concept of post-stall flow control for airfoils and wings by using a thin flexible fin attached on the upper surface of an airfoil to passively manipulate flow structures in the fully separated flows for drag reduction and lift enhancement. The flow induced oscillations combined with the shape deformations change the overall pressure distribution on the fin, which in …

Monitoring Calcium, Phosphorous, And Vitamin D₃ Deficiencies In Starter, Growing, And Finishing Pigs, Chris Hostetler, Bob Thaler

SDSU Extension Extra Archives

Due to the increasing cost of dietary ingredients, many swine producers are looking for the most cost-effective ways to meet the nutritional needs of their animals. One of the most costly ingredients in swine diets is inorganic phosphorus, which is normally supple¬mented as dicalcium phosphate. Calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D3 each play a major role in bone formation, and a deficiency in these nutrients can lead to depressed growth, rickets, broken bones, and, eventually, paralysis in the hind legs. A lesser-known symptom of calcium/phosphorus/vitamin D3 deficiency is the formation of large nodules, called rachitic rosaries, on the ribs of market …

The Environmental And Economic Benefits Of Highway Access Management: A Multivariate Analysis Using System Dynamics, Dan Andersen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Better management of highway operations can be achieved, in part, by controlling vehicular access to adjacent properties and cross streets. This tactic, referred to as access management, has proven safety and operational benefits. However, doubts remain regarding its environmental and economic benefits.

I hypothesize that one environmental indicator, carbon emissions, will decrease with proper access management. Controlling access increases the speed at which vehicles travel, improving fuel efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. My hypothesis relative to financial impacts is that access management will neither help nor harm businesses. Controlling access can reduce travel time which has the effect of increasing …

An Evaluation Of The Efficacy Of The Consultant Workshop Model In A Human Service Setting, Nicole E. Gravina

Dissertations

The purpose of the present dissertation was to document and evaluate the consultant-workshop model commonly employed by OBM consultants. The consultation took place in a non-profit human service setting that delivers behavioral services to children diagnosed with autism and their families. Workshop attendees were 13 senior therapists each of whom oversaw 6 to 8 instructor therapists who provided behavioral services to clients and 3 clinical supervisors who oversaw senior therapists. The training took place in 2005 (i.e., three years prior to this evaluation) across five months and four workshop sessions. Participants learned to pinpoint, measure, diagnose, and intervene and then …

Flexography Printing Of Silver Based Conductive Inks On Packaging Substrates, Ramesh Chandra Kattumenu

Dissertations

Printing technologies for the production of flexible electronics have gained much interest due to its potential as a means to reduce the complexity and costs of present technology. High volume printing techniques like flexography are of great importance in order to produce rolls of flexible electronics printed directly on paper substrates. The proposed research will be focused on RFID components being in-line printed using flexography printing as the manufacturing platform. The properties of substrates and inks and printing process parameters are evaluated to study their effect on printed traces and RFID antenna. It was found in the study that properties …

High School Mathematics Teachers' Evolving Understanding Of Comparing Distributions, Sandra R. Madden

Dissertations

Statistics has achieved a position of status in the secondary curriculum (College Board, 2006b; Franklin et al., 2007; NCTM, 2000) and understanding of statistics is essential for high school mathematics teachers if they are to engage students in thoughtful pursuit of statistical ideas. High school teachers typically are ill-prepared in the area of statistics (Ben-Zvi & Garfield, 2004a; CBMS, 2001; Shaughnessy, 1992, 2007). Using methods of design research, this study investigated 56 high school mathematics teachers' understanding of the statistical concept ofcomparing distributions and demonstrated that a modest four-day, statistics-oriented, technology-rich, professional development program may significantly improve teachers' understanding. …

Tolerance And Accumulation Of Copper, Lead And Zinc By Ceratopteris Richardii, Dorothy Jelagat Cheruiyot

Theses and Dissertations

Environmental contamination has increased rapidly in recent years. There is a need to develop cheap and environmentally friendly remediation methods. Numerous studies have evaluated the ability plants to remove contaminants from the environment. The present study evaluated the ability of Ceratopteris richardii gametophytes and sporophytes to tolerate copper, lead and zinc and for the sporophytes to accumulate the three metals in their shoots. Spores were sown in plant medium treated with varying concentrations of Cu, Pb and Zn. Fifteen-day- old sporophytes were transferred into medium mixed with varying concentrations of the three metals. Ceratopteris richardii tolerated and accumulated each of …

Mixed Methods For Mixed Reality: Overcoming Methodological Challenges To Understand User Activities In Virtual Worlds, David F. Feldon, Yasmin B. Kafai

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

This paper examines the use of mixed methods for analyzing users’ avatar-related activities in a virtual world. Server logs recorded keystroke-level activity for 595 participants over a six-month period in Whyville.net, an informal science website. Participants also completed surveys and participated in interviews regarding their experiences. Additionally, the study included online ethnographic observations of Whyville and offline observations of a subset of 88 users in classroom and after-school settings during their participation. A mixed-methods analysis identified a major user emphasis on avatar appearance and customization that was invariant across user typologies. Implications for the use of mixed methods in online …

Communication On The Paper "A Reference-Dependent Regret Model For Deterministic Tradeoff Studies", Xiaoting Wang, Evangelos Triantaphyilou, Edouard Kujawski

Faculty Publications

This communication focuses on a fundamental problem related to the recently introduced Reference-Dependent Regret Model (RDRM) [E. Kujawski, Syst Eng 8(2) (2005), 119-1371 for deterministic multi-criteria decision-making. Kujawski asserted that the RDRM model satisfies three properties. The first of these properties, referred to as the "independence of dominated alternatives," seems to be an intuitive one. According to this property, the RDRM model preserves the ranking of two alternatives Ai and Aj with ranking Ai > Aj when a new alternative dominated by Ai is introduced or an old alternative dominated by Aj is dropped. In this communication it is demonstrated algebraically …

Manufactured Aluminum Oxide Nanoparticles Decrease Expression Of Tight Junction Proteins In Brain Vasculature, Lei Chen, Robert A. Yokel, Bernhard Hennig, Michal Toborek

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Manufactured nanoparticles of aluminum oxide (nano-alumina) have been widely used in the environment; however, their potential toxicity provides a growing concern for human health. The present study focuses on the hypothesis that nano-alumina can affect the blood-brain barrier and induce endothelial toxicity. In the first series of experiments, human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) were exposed to alumina and control nanoparticles in dose- and time-responsive manners. Treatment with nano-alumina markedly reduced HBMEC viability, altered mitochondrial potential, increased cellular oxidation, and decreased tight junction protein expression as compared to control nanoparticles. Alterations of tight junction protein levels were prevented by cellular …

Approach Slope For Midwest Guardrail System, Erin A. Johnson, Karla A. Lechtenberg, Dean L. Sicking, Robert W. Bielenberg M.S.C.E., E.I.T., Ronald K. Faller, John R. Rohde, John D. Reid

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Investment And Regulation In Telecommunications, Stanisław Piątek

Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies

This article presents the difficulties associated with the implementation of the regulatory goal of promoting investment and innovation within the area of sector specific regulation in telecoms. The encouragement of efficient investment is one of the major goals reflected in the EC and domestic legal rules on telecoms access as well as price- and rate of return regulation. The law and the interplay of the interests of incumbents and alternative operators create a fertile soil for the emergence of various regulatory concepts of stimulating investment and facility-based competition. Considered here are the concepts most frequently referred to in this context …

Chitin Nanowhisker And Chitosan Nanoparticles In Protein Immobilization For Biosensor Applications, P Na Nakorn

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

In this study, bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used as a model protein for the optimization of protein immobilization on chitin nanowhisker and chitosan nanoparticles under different conditions. Chitosan nanoparticles showed better results than chitin in this immobilization purpose. The immobilization at 15 minutes, pH 6 and 20-25°C was the optimal condition. Subsequently, glucose oxidase (GOD), enzyme used for glucose determination, was applied in order to investigate the optimum immobilization condition on chitosan nanoparticles. The optimal condition prove to…at pH 7, 30°C and 0.5 mg/ml of initial GOD concentration via immobilization at 15 minutes. Chitin nanowhisker and chitosan nanoparticles in …

Application Of Parent-Child Uav Tasking For Wildfire Detection And Response, Stephen T. Kubik

Master's Theses

In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become a dominant force in the aerospace industry. Recent technological developments have moved these aircraft from remote operation roles to more active response missions. Of particular interest is the possibility of applying UAVs toward solving complex problems in long-endurance missions. Under that belief, the feasibility of utilizing UAVs for wildfire detection and response was investigated in a partnership that included NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate and Science Mission Directorate, and the United States Forest Service. Under NASA’s Intelligent Mission Management (IMM) project, research was conducted to develop a mission architecture that would …

Farm-Level Contracting For Production Process Attributes: An Analysis Of Rbst In Milk Production, Clayton Cook-Mowery, Nicole J. Olynk, Christopher A. Wolf

Journal of Food Law & Policy

On November 5, 1993, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin (rBST), also JOURNAL OF FOOD LAW & POLICY called Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rbGH), for commercial use to increase milk production in dairy cattle. The FDA determined that milk from cows which have been treated with rBST was safe for human consumption and that there was no significant impact on the environment from the production and use of rBST. In February 1994 the Monsanto Corporation (Monsanto) introduced POSILACO bovine somatotropin, making rBST commercially available to United States dairy farmers.

The Effects Of Catholic And Protestant Schools: A Meta-Analysis, William H. Jeynes

Journal of Catholic Education

A meta-analysis was undertaken including 41 studies to determine the influence of Catholic and Protestant schools. The analysis examined studies undertaken at both the elementary and secondary school level. The results indicate that both Catholic and Protestant school students do better than their counterparts in public schools. In addition, Protestant school students excelled more than their Catholic counterparts on most standardized tests, but Catholic school students did better than their Protestant school counterparts on non-standardized measures. The significance of these results is discussed.

Continuous Microwave Processing Of Peanut Beverages, Cristina M. Sabliov, Dorin Boldor, Pablo Coronel, Timothy H. Sanders

Faculty Publications

The feasibility of peanut beverage sterilization by continuous microwave heating as an alternative to conventional ultrahigh temperature (UHT) system processing was studied. Dielectric properties of two products, Peanut Punch (Nestle Trinidad and Tobago Ltd., Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago) and Jamaican Irish Moss Peanut Drink (distributed by Eve Sales Co., Bronx, NY) were measured. The products had similar dielectric properties. Values for the dielectric constant (average of 60) and dielectric loss (average of 23) indicated that the two products were good candidates for rapid microwave heating. The products were processed in a 5 kW focused microwave unit, at two …