Rectanus, Heather Veith

Groundwater parameter analysis, microcosm experiments, and microcosmsmodeling were undertaken to assess the potential of Monitored NaturalAttenuation as a remediation strategy at Site 12 at the Naval AmphibiousBase (NAB) Little Creek. Site 12 was contaminated with PCE waste disposedby a former dry cleaning facility. In the groundwater analysis, contaminantcharacteristics and redox indicators were evaluated to assess thereductive dechlorination potential of Site 12. The results of thegroundwater ...

Sahin, Ferat

A Bayesian network approach to self-organization and learning is introduced for use with intelligent agents. Bayesian networks, with the help of influence diagrams, are employed to create a decision-theoretic intelligent agent. Influence diagrams combine both Bayesian networks and utility theory. In this research, an intelligent agent is modeled by its belief, preference, and capabilities attributes. Each agent is assumed to have its own belief about its environment. The belief aspect of the int...

Chen, Qinghong

Probabilistic models and fuzzy set models describe different aspects of uncertainty. Probabilistic models primarily describe random variability in parameters. In engineering system safety, examples are variability in material properties, geometrical dimensions, or wind loads. In contrast, fuzzy set models of uncertainty primarily describe vagueness, such as vagueness in the definition of safety.When there is only limited information about variability, it is possible to use probabilistic models b...

Esen, Derya

Purple-flowered rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum L.) and yellow-flowered rhododendron (R. flavum Don.) are two dominant shrub species of the eastern beech (Fagus orientalis L.) understories in the eastern and western Black Sea Region (BSR), respectively. These invasive woody species significantly reduce beech growth and can preclude tree regeneration. The ecological consequence is an aging beech overstory with little or no regeneration to replace the mature trees. Great rhododendron (R. maxim...

Aly Ahmed, Bakr Mourad

In recent decades, coastal tourism has grown significantly bringing enormous economic benefits to host communities, and causing many environmental and social impacts to the coastal environment. Beach resort development faces problems due to an inability on the part of stakeholders to make sound decisions about sustainable design due, in part, to the complexity of the sustainability issues and the lack of a comprehensive decision-making tool to assist them. In Egypt, design and planning regulatio...

Bell, Kenneth W.

This study examined the relationship between the perceptions ofphysical competence and patterns of physical activity of 83 5th and 7th gradechildren in one school in rural southwest Virginia. Gender and grade leveldifferences in perceptions of competence and physical activity patterns werealso investigated.The Perceived Physical Competence Subscale for Children (PPCSC)(Harter, 1982) was modified to measure childrens perceptions of physicalcompetence (26 self-efficacy questions). Childrens patter...

Shearer, Brad David

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of leachate recirculation and bioreactor landfills at enhancing biodegradation, and to optimize the operation of a bioreactor. Waste Management has been examining leachate recirculation landfills for several years. Samples of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) from existing leachate recirculation (LR) landfills were collected and analyzed for several physical and biochemical properties. These parameters of interest were moisture content, pH, ...

Dasgupta, Amlan

Traditionally, the Design Spiral is used for the design of ships. The design spiral endorses the concept that the design process is sequential and iterative. Though this procedure was very effective over the years, the current trend of engineering demands that more stress be put on the exploration of optimum design. With the advancement of computing technologies, the onus has shifted from finding better calculation schemes to formulating an economically viable design scheme. One of the objects o...

Grippo, mark

Fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) were exposed to mercury (1.69, 6.79, and 13.57 µg/l HgCl2; 10 d exposure) and afterwards tested using various metrics of foragingability while feeding in a vegetated habitat. Among the foraging metrics were foragingefficiency, capture speed, and the ability to learn and retain information regarding habitatcharacteristics. Comparisons with control fish and fish from the two highest exposuregroups revealed consistent performance deficits in foraging e...

Allen, Jennifer C.

SPECIES-HABITAT RELATIONSHIPS FOR THE BREEDING BIRDS OF A LONGLEAF PINE ECOSYSTEMJennifer C. AllenABSTRACTAt the Fort Bragg Military Installation, an army base in North Carolina, the habitat associations for the breeding bird species and the effects of the current prescribed fire program on the avifauna are virtually unknown. Fort Bragg encompasses one of the largest, fire-dependent longleaf pine systems existing today and is a mosaic of forested habitats. I used bird count data collected during...

Kyle, Nathan Lawrence

It is known that subsidence cracking may cause premature deterioration of concrete slab structures in salt laden environments. Chlorides from either deicing salts or marine environments may cause chloride-induced corrosion of the reinforcing steel resulting in spalling of the cover concrete. Concrete specimens with 16 mm (# 5) diameter bars were cast with various cover depths, bar spacing and two concrete mixture types to determine the influence that epoxy coated reinforcement, cement type and b...

Goody, Michael

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"><HTML><HEAD><TITLE></TITLE><META NAME="Author" CONTENT=""><META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="Mozilla/3.0Gold (Win16; I) [Netscape]"></HEAD><BODY><CENTER><P>An Experimental Investigation of Pressure Fluctuations in Three-DimensionalTurbulent Boundary ...

Metcalf, Sara Catherine

<HTML><!--This file created 4:08 PM 6/12/01 by Claris Home Page version 3.0--><HEAD><TITLE>abstract</TITLE><META NAME=GENERATOR CONTENT="Claris Home Page 3.0"><X-CLARIS-WINDOW TOP=54 BOTTOM=402 LEFT=8 RIGHT=476><X-CLARIS-TAGVIEW MODE=minimal></HEAD><BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF"><CENTER>A Needs Assessment of North Carolina School P...

Piñero, Juan C.

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (ASHTO) specifications have prescribed lateral load distribution factors to calculate the bending moments and shear forces for the design of highway bridges for civilian highway traffic. The maximum bending moments and shear forces caused by a wheel line load (or the entire vehicle) placed on the girders are multiplied by the distribution factors to calculate the design forces to include the effect of the load distribution latera...

Howell, Laurie Wells

This study extends the research of Rodgers (1999) on the relationship between parenting processes and adolescent sexual risk-taking. Parenting behaviors considering were parental monitoring, parent-adolescent communication, and parenting styles. Sexual risk-taking was determined by assessing number of lifetime sexual partners as well as use of condoms during last sexual intercourse. A sample (n=286) of 9th-12th grade males and females who reporting having had sexual intercourse were separated in...

Walls, Elizabeth Ann

We examined various aspects of horseshoe crab populations in conjunction with BioWhittaker, a biomedical company that bleeds horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) and utilizes their blood for biomedical purposes. We examined mortality rates of bled and unbled crabs by holding crabs in tanks for 2-week periods. We estimate average differential mortality between bled and unbled horseshoe crabs to be 7.5% (95% CI: 0.14% - 38.1%), significant with p<0.001. We examined the range in amounts of b...

Sene, Abdou

In recent years, forests have been increasingly recognized as rich reservoirs for many valuable biological resources. As a result of the devastation caused by drought, clearing land for agriculture, and overexploitation of timber, there has been a growing interest in non-timber forest products (NTFPs). The Senegal Forestry Action Plan, designed to ensure sustainable forest management, stresses the importance of identifying the constraints to and opportunities for sustainable development of non-t...

Hanna, John Nabil

THE NUCLEARIZATION OF IRAN: MOTIVATIONS, INTENTIONS ANDAMERICAS RESPONSESJohn N. HannaABSTRACTThis research investigates the strategic intentions behind the Iranian state s programs for acquiring nuclear weapons. Using Graham Allison s Rational Actor Model of national decision-making, this thesis investigates three questions: 1) Irans motivations for obtaining nuclear weapons; 2) Iran s strategies for actual use of nuclear weapons; and, 3) alternative political frameworks for the U.S. to use wit...

Albanese, Brett

Mark-recapture studies sample unevenly over distance and generate biased or distance-weighted movement data, where short distances are sampled more frequently than long distances. I examined how study design affects the degree of distance-weighted sampling and observed movement distributions of stream fish. A modeling study illustrated how distance-weighting increases with the number of mark sites and decreases with the length of stream sampled during recapture. Sub-sampled empirical data sets i...

DeFreese, James Michael

The primary objective of this research was to experimentally investigate material and bond properties of three different types of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bars, and determine their effect on the design of a bridge deck using FRP bars as the top mat of reinforcement. The properties evaluated include the tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, bond behavior, and maximum bond stress. The experimental program included 47 tensile tests and 42 beam end bond tests performed with FRP bars. Tensil...

Bliss, Kristin Mays

Relationships between nutrient heterogeneity, root foraging behavior and short-term competitive interactions were investigated for six species native to southeastern USA. Monoculture, two- and six-species garden plots were established and fertilized to create spatially homogeneous or heterogeneous nutrient conditions. After 3.5 months, root proliferation in rich patches (precision) and aboveground biomass response to heterogeneity were assessed in monocultures, and competitive outcomes (abovegro...

Cheng, Xu

Deck and coworkers previously showed that Me3Si substituents adjacent to group 4 metallocene dichlorides (M = Ti, Zr, Hf) are converted to corresponding BrMe2Si groups using BBr3, and that these BrMe2Si substituents are highly reactive to nucleophilic reagents such as water. The high reactivity of the Si-Br bonds suggested that these substituents could react with hydroxyl groups on the surface of partially dehydroxylated silica, forming covalently immobilized metallocene catalysts. This disserta...

Henry, Michael Maier

This investigation, in consideration of the sudden separation increase involved in wing drop, was to determine if the incorporated 2-D airfoil exhibits abnormal shock sensitivity. A comparative airfoil study was used to determine if this particular transonic airfoil is prone to abrupt shock movement, resulting in increased regions of separation.

Mummert, Andrea Karina

A flow-through pond at White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery was evaluated as culture environment for juvenile freshwater mussels of Villosa iris and Lampsilis fasciola. Survival did not differ significantly (p = 0.1910) over 93 d for V. iris cultured with silt (mean 49.8% �� SD 14.5) and without (mean 32.9% �� SD 11.7). Survival differed significantly (p <0.0001) between juveniles of V. iris (mean 49.8% �� SD 14.5 at age 93 d) and L. fasciola (mean 6.3% �� SD 4.5 at age 86 d). Thi...

Wang, Yanping

Optimal experimental designs for generalized linear models have received increasing attention in recent years. Yet, most of the current research focuses on binary data models especially the one-variable first-order logistic regression model. This research extends this topic to count data models. The primary goal of this research is to develop efficient and robust experimental designs for the Poisson regression model in toxicity studies.D-optimal designs for both the one-toxicant second-order mod...

GOYAL, VIJAY KUMAR

Because of the inherent complexity of fiber-reinforced laminated composites, it can be challenging to manufacture composite structures according to their exact design specifications,resulting in unwanted material and geometric uncertainties. Thus the understanding of the effect of uncertainties in laminated structures on their static and dynamic responses is highlyimportant for a reliable design of such structures. In this research, we focus on the deterministic and probabilistic stability analy...

Traver, Thomas Mathew

AbstractThis study investigates the further development of the commercially available re-entrant steel deck profile. The effects of various embossments and continuous construction are investigated through three Series of composite slab load tests. The test specimens in this study were constructed to simulate actual field construction of composite slabs as part of reinforced concrete structures. The results of this experimental study are analyzed using methods given in the ASCE Standard for the S...

Muthanna, Chittiappa

The flow through a compressor cascade with tip leakage has been studied experimentally. The cascade of GE rotor B section blades had an inlet angle of 65.1º, a stagger angle of 56.9º, and a solidity of 1.08. The final turning angle of the cascade was 11.8º. This compressor configuration was representative of the core compressor of an aircraft engine. The cascade was operated with a tip gap of 1.65%, and operated at a Reynolds number based on the chord length (0.254 m) ...

Ganguly, Sandipan

When designing a ship, a designer often begins with an idea of what the ship might look like and what specifications the ship should meet. The multidisciplinary design optimization model is a tool that combines an analysis and an optimization process and uses a measure of merit to obtain what it infers to be the best design. All that the designer has to know is the range of values of certain design variables that confine the design within a lower and an upper bound. The designer then feeds the M...

Korus, Jesse Thomas

Lower Pennsylvanian siliciclastic sedimentary rocks of the central Appalachian Basin consist predominantly of nonmarine, coal-bearing facies that developed within a fluvio-estuarine, trunk-tributary drainage system in a foreland-basin setting. Sheet-like, sandstone-mudstone bodies (up to 100 km wide and 70 m thick) developed in an axial trunk drainage system, whereas channel-like, sandstone-mudstone bodies (up to several km wide and 30 m thick) developed in tributaries oriented transverse to the...

Hart, Daniel Constantine

Short, J-section columns fabricated from a textile composite are tested in axial compression to study the modes of failure with and without local buckling occuring.The textile preform architecture is a 2x2, 2-D triaxial braid with a yarn layup of [0 deg 18k/+-64 deg 6k] 39.7% axial. The preform was resin transfer molded with 3M PR500 epoxy resin. Finite element analyses (FEA) of the test specimens are conducted to assess intra- and inter- laminar progressive failure models. These progressive fai...

Haynes, Hylton John Gordon

Three independent case studies focused on harvesting operation value improvement:(1) A productivity study was carried out on a new cable logging operation near Pikeville, Kentucky to document the effect of professional training on production efficiency. The crew received one full week of professional training. Prior to the professional training the productivity of the operation was established at 834 cubic feet per productive machine hour at an average piece size of 54 cubic feet. Two weeks afte...

Kennon, Rachel Brooke

Past research has shown that interpretive tour visitors at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge do no better than other visitors on knowledge and value questions about federal wilderness areas and national wildlife refuges. Tours into the Okefenokee Swamp Wilderness are conducted by a National Wildlife Refuge concessionaire. Interpretive tour guides participated in a training session on the purposes and values of wilderness and wildlife refuges. Visitors who took guided interpretive tours in the ...

Bradley, T. Patrick

The increased depth of castellated beams presents stability problems, specifically during erection. During erection the castellated beam must support the weight of an erector and self-weight until the continuous bracing of the floor deck is in place. The stability of the unbraced member is based on its resistance to lateral-torsional buckling.<p>The cross-sectional properties that are related to lateral-torsional buckling, such as out-of-plane bending, warping constant, and torsion...

Pando, Miguel A.

Typically, foundation piles are made of materials such as steel, concrete, and timber.Problems associated with use of these traditional pile materials in harsh marineenvironments include steel corrosion, concrete deterioration, and marine borer attack ontimber piles. It has been estimated that the U.S. spends over $1 billion annually in repairand replacement of waterfront piling systems. Such high repair and replacement costshave led several North American highway agencies and researchers to inv...

Spadafora, Stacy E.

This paper deals with the pricing differences between a mutual co-operative underwriting system and a fixed-premium underwriting system in providing coverage for marine liability. There has been much debate in recent years within the marine liability underwriting industry over which method fosters more competition, and hence, lower premiums for shipowners who are required to carry such coverage in order to operate. This paper will look at the current mutual marine insurance industry (Protection ...

Monga, Pavinder

System Dynamics has been applied to various fields in the natural and social sciences. There still remain countless problems and issues where understanding is lacking and the dominant theories are event-oriented rather than dynamic in nature. One such research area is the application of the traditional systems engineering process in new technology development. The Navy has been experiencing large cost overruns in projects dealing with the implementation of new technologies on complex ship system...

Soucek, David John

Acid mine drainage (AMD), a result of oxidation of minerals containing reduced forms of sulfur (pyrites, sulfides) upon exposure to water and oxygen, is an environmental problem associated with abandoned mined lands (AML). Numerous studies have documented the impacts of AMD upon aquatic communities within acidified stream reaches; these impacts include reduced taxonomic richness and abundance, and/or a shift from pollution sensitive to pollution tolerant species. This dissertation comprises a nu...

Smith, Theodore Brooke

A series of direct-measuring skin friction gages were developed for a high-speed, high-temperature environment of the turbulent boundary layer in flows such as that in supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) engines, with a progression from free-jet ground tests to a design for an actual hypersonic scramjet-integrated flight vehicle. The designs were non-nulling, with a sensing head that was flush with the model wall and surrounded by a small gap. Thus, the shear force due to the flow along the ...

Smith, Justin L

In the US, the 14.0-14.5 GHz band is allocated on a primary basis to the Radio-Navigationand the FSS with a secondary allocation to the LMSS. The Radio-Navigation service is theuse of RADAR for navigation. An example of Radio-Navigation is the ground proximityradar used for airplane collision avoidance. FSS stands for the Fixed Satellite Service. Ingeneral, an FSS is a satellite network consisting of a geo-stationary satellite and non-movable earth stations on the ground. An example of an FSS is...

Jacobsen, Lance Steven

The first integrated, flush-wall, aero-ramp-fuel-injector/plasma-torch igniter and flame propagation system for supersonic combustion applications with hydrocarbon fuels was developed and tested. The main goal of this project was to develop a device which could be used to demonstrate that the correct placement of a plasma-torch-igniter/flame-holder in the wake of the fuel jets of an aero-ramp injector array could make sustained, efficient supersonic combustion with low losses and thermal loading...

Asiedu, Kofi

The research presented in this report is in two sections. Section I involved the performance of a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) versus a biological aerated filtration (BAF) and Section II involved study on causes of deposition in anaerobic digester gas piping.The first section evaluated and compared the performance of a laboratory-scale MBBR and BAF for organic carbon and suspended solids removal. A kinetic study was also performed on the MBBR to evaluate the system performance. The purpose ...

Nakovich, Laura

Low levels of biogenic amines occur naturally, but high levels (FDA sets 50 ppm of histamine in fish as the maximum allowable level) can lead to scombroid poisoning. Amines in general are difficult to analyze by Gas Chromatography (GC) due to their lack of volatility and their interaction with the GC column, often leading to significant tailing and poor reproducibility. Biogenic amines need to be derivatized before both GC and HPLC analyses. The objective of this research was to develop a relati...

Dawson, Robert Donald

Vertical integration has received much attention in the last 25 years and there are well-known theories that explain this behavior. However, the one common thread that runs through virtually all of this research is the assumption of private property rights. Very little attention has been paid to how firms behave when the property rights structure under which they operate changes. The commercial fishing industry is a prime example of an industry where property rights have shifted. Due to problems...

Dapic, Ignacio

A numerical analysis based on the finite element method is developed to simulate the mechanical response of a typical sixteen-ounce plastic drink cup subjected to a lateral compressive load. The aim of the analysis is to simulate a test in which the cup is supported horizontally in a fixture on a testing machine platen, and a loading nose attached to the actuator is displaced downward into the cup. The numerical model is developed using the software packages MSC.Patran, ABAQUS/CAE, and ABAQUS/St...

Damle, Pushkar Hari

System dynamics has been used to better understand the dynamics within complex natural and social systems. This understanding enables us to make decisions and define strategies that help to resolve the problematic behaviors associated within these systems. For example within an operating environment such as the US Navy, decisions taken today can have long lasting impact on system performance. The Navy has experienced large cost overruns during the new technology implementation process on ship sy...

Turner, Andrew James

An Open-Source, extensible spacecraft simulation and modeling (Open-SESSAME) framework was developed with the aim of providing to researchers the ability to quickly test satellite algorithms while allowing them the ability to view and extend the underlying code. The software is distributed under the GPL (General Public License) and the package s extensibility allows users to implement their own components into the libraries, investigate new algorithms, or tie in existing software or hardware com...

McQuillan, Jeffrey

Ship groundings are a low probability event, but can create severe environmental and financial consequences. The objective of this thesis is to provide knowledge and understanding of the grounded ship condition to salvors and ship owners so they can reduce the possible negative consequences of future ship groundings. There has been very little research on the motions of and loads on a grounded ship in waves. In this thesis, a model of the ground reaction forces due to the steady state motions of...

Roberts, James H.

ABSTRACT<p>Effective delineation and management of stream fish populations requires a thorough knowledge of dispersal patterns, because these patterns affect a number of other demographic rates such as population growth, reproduction, survival, and gene flow. Previous studies of stream fish dispersal patterns have generally established species- and stream-specific home ranges and movement rates, but have largely failed to account for the environmental variables that may cause these...

Dippold, III, Vance Fredrick

Conventional airliners use two to four engines in a Cayley-type arrangement to provide thrust, and the thrust from these engines is typically concentrated right behind the engine. Distributed propulsion is the idea of redistributing the thrust across most, or all, of the wingspan of an aircraft. This can be accomplished by using several large engines and using a duct to spread out the exhaust flow to form a jet-wing or by using many small engines spaced along the span of the wing. Jet-wing distr...