MS

thesisGermanium is a semiconductor now widely used in gamma and X-ray detectors and high-performance space-based solar cell arrays and is also being developed for land-based solar cell applications. Growth and processing of germanium and other semiconductor crystals, without the generation of defects, is a critical issue in electronic materials processing and device manufacturing. In order to reduce the high costs, the germanium single crystal wafers are generally cut ultrathin. This creates a relatively large width-to-thickness ratio making the wafers very susceptible to mechanical stresses during processing. Therefore, knowing the stress criteria for fracture during handling is vital in order to prevent any micro-cracks or total wafer failure. A new biaxial flexure testing device was designed and fabricated for full wafer testing of thin germanium wafers. The new device allows for a controlled and uniform application of very small loads, and continuous measurement of the deflection. The test setup is simple, inexpensive, easy to setup and use, and can be easily modified for a wide range of specimen types and sizes depending on the particular use. Thin germanium wafers of varying thicknesses and surface conditions were examined using this device. Three-point bend tests were also carried out and both these types of tests were then compared

Fact From Fiction: The Evolution of the Cleopatra Legend

Literature Review: There have been many attempts to reconstruct Cleopatra over the past two millennia, in the form of cultural depictions and histories, each of these adding a little more nuance to her mythology. The earliest depictions as a villainess hell bent on the destruction of the Roman Empire have received varied treatments over the years, but the general trend has been to depict Cleopatra more favorably. However, Cleopatra presents apologists of her legend with a significant problem in the sources for her lifetime. The earliest relatively complete accounts of Cleopatra’s lifetime come from biased Roman accounts. Adaptors then wanting to depict Cleopatra in a positive light must contend with the Roman bias in separating the fact from the fiction. However, the most iconic episodes of the Cleopatra Legend come from these very sources, suggesting that adaptors are not quite willing to part wholly with the Roman accounts. While there has been a general shift towards depicting Cleopatra more positively over the years, this is done while preserving much of the source material in cultural memory in how her legend is told. This desire to express Cleopatra differently, yet keep the terms through which she is portrayed, her iconic myths and episodes, the same is a peculiar case. From the surviving contemporary and near contemporary accounts of Cleopatra, most maintain a severe bias against her character. This is, in part, due to the fact that these accounts rely heavily on compiling the products of a propaganda war Augustus Caesar issued on Cleopatra as their sources. As a result, adaptors of the Cleopatra Legend are tasked with dealing with the Roman narrative of Cleopatra’s character, as there is little else material which meaningfully contributes to a full account of her lifetime. But why is it that if the earliest available accounts are known to be biased, fictitious, and embellished, that adaptors still seem to be burdened with maintaining the same narratives as closely as they do? In recent scholarship, histories have been constructed which describe the myths that have persisted throughout the entire Legend of Cleopatra and the various other myths that have generated over time within the legend. The works of Sally-Ann Ashton has been of particular importance in terms of creating a spectrum of the various Cleopatra’s that exist in many different cultural traditions. The research for this paper has been greatly supported by Ashton’s book, Cleopatra and Egypt, which offers a somewhat comprehensive survey of the topics of discourse surrounding the Cleopatra mythology, and from which I derive the general themes discussed in the analysis of my thesis. While a great number of Cleopatra adaptations are used in the analysis of this project (including books, rhetoric, plays, film, and video games), the thesis focuses on the adaptations by Chaucer, Shakespeare, Mankiewicz, and their contemporaries, in order to better understand how Cleopatra Legend is handled differently in each culture. Thesis Statement: By observing the evolution of Cleopatra VII's portrayals in literature, plays, art, and film, I chart the processes by which myths adapt and translate over time, across media and genres, and through cultural boundaries. This is accomplished through close readings of the works of Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Mankiewicz, as well as their contemporaries. This study aims to answer why apologists of Cleopatra's character still use Roman accounts as sources for reconstructions of the Cleopatra legend, despite the typical Roman bias against Cleopatra within these accounts. In answering this question, we observe the reasons Cleopatra's narrative has remained relatively unchanged in cultural depictions for the better part of two millennia. Theoretical Framework: This research is done by applying deriving from Jacques Derrida’s theory of translation and theory of transadaptation and then expanding it to include second order signs through Roland Barthes’ analysis of myth, and then applying it to a series of close readings of culturally significant transadaptations of the Cleopatra Legend. Project Description: This project offers a case study on the progression of the Cleopatra Legend from the time of biased Augustan political works to modern day film. While the works of many different genres, media, time periods and regions are taken into consideration, the thesis is organized by the analysis of Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Mankiewicz. The focus of this analysis answers why adaptors often chose not to depict Cleopatra as the early Romans did, while still maintaining the same narratives created in early Roman works. I believe the key to understanding this relationship involves the analysis of how mythologies are built and how they become cultural fact within society, which adaptations subsequently appeal to. This study explores through a derivation of Derrida’s theory of translation and an expansion on Barthes’ theory of myths, how the general shift toward more positive depictions of Cleopatra over time, combined with the continued use of biased Roman sources, is explained through Derrida’s economic laws of property and quantity combined with a linguistic law of convenience

Timing and genesis of fractures in the Niobrara Formation, northeastern Front Range and Denver Basin, Colorado

Department Head: Sally J. Sutton.2010 Summer.Includes bibliographical references (pages 139-152).Naturally-occurring fractures in foreland basins, particularly in self-sourced resource plays, are critical to the production of hydrocarbons from low permeability reservoirs. Both shear and extensional fractures commonly cause reservoir anisotropy as well as providing critical tests of tectonic hypotheses. The objective of this research is to determine the mechanisms and timing of naturally-occurring fractures in the upper Cretaceous Niobrara Formation along the northeastern Front Range and in the Denver Basin of the Rocky Mountain Foreland. Previous hypotheses for the origin of fractures within the Denver Basin have focused largely on mechanisms invoking basement reactivation either by vertical block motion or by Laramide subhorizontal shortening. Contrasting hypotheses include multidirectional slip, regional and/or local detachment, and post-Laramide extension in the direction of previous compression. This study analyzes the kinematics, modes and mechanisms of deformation in the Niobrara Formation from fractures examined along the northeastern Front Range and from faults identified in 3D seismic data from the Denver Basin. Surface fracture data collected from 61 locations include minor faults, joints, calcite-filled fractures, and pressure solution stylolites. Subsurface data includes two 3D seismic surveys (Sooner Field and Dana Point) were fault geometries were examined. In outcrops, ideal σ1 analysis of strike–slip and thrust fault data document a subhorizontal Laramide compression with an average attitude of 086°-08°. Normal faults identified through the study are highly variable with an average slip direction of 183°- 73°. Normal dip-slip reactivation of right-lateral shear planes indicates normal faults are younger. Two joint systems are observed throughout the study area with J1 joints averaging 078° and later J2 joints averaging 171°. Subsurface 3D seismic data show listric and planar normal fault sets cut the Niobrara and lower Pierre formations. Calculated fault dip angles at Sooner Field average 8°, and those at Dana Point average 27°. These low fault dip angles suggest layer-parallel detachment, but diverse fault strikes are problematic and suggest multiple slip directions. No basement-to-Cretaceous faults were identified in either volume, casting doubt on basement reactivation hypotheses. Fracture sets in the Niobrara Formation show evidence for four different fracture mechanisms. Initial faulting generated by Laramide subhorizontal compression (086°) was followed by later, but still Laramide, ENE- to E-W-striking J1 splitting joints. Post- Laramide extension is indicated by NNW to N-S-striking J2 joints. Lastly, low-angle listric and planar normal faults in seismic data are interpreted to be post-Laramide. They were probably caused by local detachment, but their mechanisms and timing require further investigation

Just When U Thought it was All Over, Gator's Kin Pops Up and Slides Out of Dangerous IP Waters (for the Most Part): A Review of Two Online Pop-Up Advertisers and 4 Internet Law Decisions

This Article follows on the heels of an article I recently wrote that focuses on the online advertising activities of The Gator Corporation and legal implications of the preliminary injunction issued in that case.4 I previously concluded that Gator’s pop-up advertising scheme did not violate copyright law,5 but that it did violate trademark law, based in large on survey results showing significant consumer confusion at that point in time.6 To remove consumer confusion, I recommended that Gator: (1) notify Internet users more prominently about downloading Gator software; (2) remind consumers that they authorized pop-up ads to appear; (3) adequately display its trademarks in its pop-up ads; and (4) disclaim affiliation with URLs that have not authorized its ads.

Seasonal Transport of Suspended Solids and Nutrients Between Bear River and Bear Lake

Dingle Marsh is a wetland complex separating the Bear River from Bear Lake. Flow direction through the marsh is controlled at four major inflow and outflow sites. These sites were chosen as monitoring sites to assess the suspended solid and nutrient transport through the marsh. High frequency turbidity measurements were collected at each site and used as a surrogate for total phosphorus (TP) and total suspended solid (TSS) concentrations. Loads of TP and TSS were calculated using flow data from the 2008 water year. Load calculations for TP and TSS were compiled at 30-minute intervals and annual mass balances were calculated for Dingle Marsh and Bear Lake. These calculations were used to identify the seasonal loading patterns within this system. This study found the majority of TSS and TP loading entered the marsh from the Bear River. As flows moved across the marsh, the loading of TSS and TP was greatly reduced. Seasonal flow patterns were analyzed to determine the loading patterns to Dingle Marsh, Bear Lake, and the Bear River. This study also identified water management strategies aimed at setting a target endpoint for TSS and TP loads

Family-School Engagement: A Protective Process against Racial Disproportionality in Exclusionary Discipline?

Disparities in the use of exclusionary discipline between African American and Caucasian students have persisted in the United States education system despite considerable research on the topic. Although it has not been empirically tested, increasing family-school engagement (i.e., school-based family involvement, home-based family involvement, school’s engagement with the family, family endorsement of the school) has been recommended as a strategy to abate this “discipline gap.” Thus, the purpose of the proposed study is to test whether increased family-school engagement is associated with a greater reduction in the probability of being suspended for African American students compared to Caucasian students using the National Household Education Survey (2003). Results indicated that increased school engagement with families and family endorsement of their child’s school reduced the probability of suspension for all students equally. School- and home-based family involvement could not be tested as each measure demonstrated significant measurement invariance. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed

Friction of air in small pipes and fittings

The work of Park and Peterson during 1909-10 at the Missouri School of Mines revealed the fact that more data are needed concerning the loss of pressure due to elbows and other fittings of pipes under three inches in size. Accordingly, we decided to undertake the continuation of their work as a thesis. The apparatus used was practically the same as used in the previous thesis --page 1

Niacin therapy and the risk of new-onset diabetes: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Objective Previous studies have suggested that niacin treatment raises glucose levels in patients with diabetes and may increase the risk of developing diabetes. We undertook a meta-analysis of published and unpublished data from randomised trials to confirm whether an association exists between niacin and new-onset diabetes. Methods We searched Medline, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, from 1975 to 2014, for randomised controlled trials of niacin primarily designed to assess its effects on cardiovascular endpoints and cardiovascular surrogate markers. We included trials with ≥50 non-diabetic participants and average follow-up of ≥24 weeks. Published data were tabulated and unpublished data sought from investigators. We calculated risk ratios (RR) for new-onset diabetes with random-effects meta-analysis. Heterogeneity between trials was assessed using the I2 statistic. Results In 11 trials with 26 340 non-diabetic participants, 1371 (725/13 121 assigned niacin; 646/13 219 assigned control) were diagnosed with diabetes during a weighted mean follow-up of 3.6 years. Niacin therapy was associated with a RR of 1.34 (95% CIs 1.21 to 1.49) for new-onset diabetes, with limited heterogeneity between trials (I2=0.0%, p=0.87). This equates to one additional case of diabetes per 43 (95% CI 30 to 70) initially non-diabetic individuals who are treated with niacin for 5 years. Results were consistent regardless of whether participants received background statin therapy (p for interaction=0.88) or combined therapy with laropiprant (p for interaction=0.52). Conclusions Niacin therapy is associated with a moderately increased risk of developing diabetes regardless of background statin or combination laropiprant therapy

Attenuated skeletal muscle metabolism explains blunted reactive hyperemia after prolonged sitting

Introduction: Although reduced post-occlusive reactive hyperemia (PORH) after prolonged sitting (PS) has been reported as impaired microvascular function, no specific mechanism(s) have been elucidated. One potential mechanism, independent of microvascular function, is that an altered muscle metabolic rate (MMR) may change the magnitude of PORH by modifying the oxygen deficit achieved during cuff-induced arterial occlusions. We speculated that if MMR changes during PS, this may invalidate current inferences about microvascular function during PS. Objective: Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine if peripheral leg MMR changes during PS and to ascertain whether the change in the oxygen deficit explains the change in PORH after PS. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that peripheral leg MMR would decrease during sitting and that the reduced oxygen deficit would explain the attenuation in PORH after PS. Methods: 31 subjects sat for 2.5 hours. A near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) sensor was placed on the medial gastrocnemius. PORH was quantified with the reoxygenation rate of the NIRS tissue oxygenation index (TOI) after 5-min of a cuff-induced arterial occlusion. MMR was quantified with the TOI slope during a cuff-induced arterial occlusion. Measurements were made before and after sitting. To determine if changes in MMR and the oxygen deficit explains the change in the reoxygenation rate, an artificial neural network (ANN) was trained to define the stimulus-response relationship between the oxygen deficit (i.e., difference in TOI during arterial occlusion (ΔTOI) and the area under baseline TOI during arterial occlusion (AUC)), and the reoxygenation rate with 65 retrospectively collected PORH recordings. The ANN was then used to predict the experimentally collected reoxygenation rates at baseline and post-sitting. Therefore, if the ANN can replicate the experimental results, this provides evidence that the reoxygenation rate after sitting is dependent on MMR and the oxygen deficit during an arterial occlusion. Results: Consistent with other studies, the reoxygenation rate was reduced after PS (Δ -0.27±0.55 ln TOI%·s-1, p-1, pConclusions: Since the oxygen deficit plays a significant role in the reduced reoxygenation rate after PS, current inferences about microvascular function with PORH after PS are not valid. Therefore, these data provide evidence that microvascular function may be preserved during PS. Interestingly, the blunted MMR after PS may not be trivial and could be an important mechanism underlying the relationship between PS and disease development