Characterization and Selection of Hydroxyl-Terminated Polybutadiene Polymers for High-Strain Applications

Understanding the behavior of hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) as a composite matrix is imperative for the development of future military and aerospace munition technology. As a vital component of solid rocket fuel, HTPB strongly contributes to the fatigue behavior, burn-rate, and other properties that can cause critical failure of the rocket if not formulated properly. The purpose of this research is to identify traits characteristic of poor-performing HTPB matrices by analyzing two samples labeled as either “good” or “bad” based on their performance as a fuel matrix. Samples were analyzed via 1H NMR and GPC to determine their epoxy content, hydroxyl distribution, and molecular weight. Results revealed marginal differences in all three categories, with the sample labeled “bad” possessing higher epoxy content, higher molecular weight, and a higher hydroxyl equivalent weight. Conclusively, further study is required to definitively claim these factors actively contribute to the poor performance of HTPB, however it was confirmed there are key differences in both morphology and molecular weight between the two samples analyzed

Jeremy Prine in a Senior Tenor Recital

This is the program for the senior tenor recital of Jeremy Prine. Mr. Prine was accompanied on the piano by Terri Lucas on the piano. This recital took place on March 2, 2012 in the McBeth Recital Hall in the Mabee Fine Arts Center

Evaluating Child Routines as a Mediator of Marital Conflict and Child Adjustment

Many studies have examined the relationship between destructive marital conflict and child externalizing behavior, however there are several gaps in the literature about constructive marital conflict and internalizing child behaviors. Also, where many experiments have focused on parenting practices as the mediator of this relationship, no known studies have examined child routines as a mediator. Thus, the current study aims to test child routines as a mediator between both constructive and destructive marital conflict, and child internalizing and externalizing behavior. Participants included 121 married mothers with children from ages 6-12 (M = 8.59, SD = 1.93). Data about the parent’s relationship and child were collected through the mother by way of questionnaires about marital conflict, child routines, and child behavior problems. After examining zero order correlations, multiple regression analyses were used in order to test child routines as the mediator between destructive marital conflict and internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Although there was a decrease in magnitude of the direct effect for both internalizing and externalizing behavior, the indirect effects were marginally significant for the externalizing model according to the Sobel (1982) test of indirect effects. Although the mediation hypothesis was not fully supported, the present findings are considered in the context of extant literature and study limitations and future directions are discussed

Group Perception in the Bangor NAACP

An Honors Thesis completed at the University of Maine in 1965. Text from the author\u27s introductory paragraphs: How do the members of a group perceive the group to which they belong? Is the perception of a specific group related to the individual members\u27 age, sex, race, religion, education, occupation, marital status, area of residence, number of meetings attended in the cast year, and participation in community activities. The Bangor Area Branch of the NAACP is made up of a number of people drawn together by a common interest, the plight of the Negro in Maine and in the Bangor area. How do the members of the Bangor NAACP perceive their group, and is this perception of the group related to the members’ differences in age, sex, race, religion, education, occupation, marital, status, area of residence, number of meetings attended in the past year, and participation in community activities? The factors just listed are the independent variables. The dependent variable is the perception of the group. This is a descriptive study. Only those members of the Bangor NAACP attending the March 3, 1965 meeting held at the University of Maine in Orono are included in the study. I chose this sample because I hoped that a cross section of the members would attend the meeting, because I could easily administer the questionnaire at a meeting, and because the March 3 meeting occurred at the time I was ready to do field research

A Longitudinal Study of Violence Prevention by Georgia’s Rural Public School Superintendents: Three Decades of Changes and Continuities

There is widespread concern about the possibility of school violence and rarely a week goes by without media reports about an active shooter at a school, with perpetrators as young as 15 years old. However, schools remain the safest haven in society for children given the scourge of domestic violence which victimizes children when at home. Expectations are very high on school superintendents, teachers and staff to maintain a safe and secure environment for students, teachers, administrators, parents, and visitors. Our longitudinal survey measuring how superintendents in rural public school districts in Georgia go about preventing violence was conducted in 1996, 2006, and 2016. The longitudinal design of this research provides a rare opportunity to compare and contrast superintendent’s school safety strategies, policies, and technologies across three decades. We observe that violent crimes such as shootings, knifings, bombings and arson are indeed rare events. More common are garden variety fistfights and bullying, (physically and in cyberspace), but overall, Georgia’s rural school systems are successful at preventing episodes of violence

Evolutionary Recurrent Selection Develops Adapted Annual Ryegrass

Seed companies find having their own annual ryegrass breeding program in the southeastern USA, unprofitable. The annual ryegrass breeding program at the University of Florida provides new annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) cultivars with disease resistance and adaption. The evolutionary recurrent selection breeding uses large nurseries, roguing of diseased and unthrifty plants and selection of best plants to provide seed for the next generation. Current commercial cultivars developed are named along with some of their characteristics

Instrumented Research Vehicle for Quantifying Real-World Emissions

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has developed an Instrumented Research Vehicle (IRV) for collecting real-world emissions with remote monitoring via live streaming telemetry. The long-term research goal is to experimentally quantify emissions over repeatable campus drive cycles with and without automated ‘traffic assist’ control laws. This paper presents vehicle instrumentation, drive cycle definition, and baseline results. A Diesel, 4-seat campus vehicle has been equipped with a custom weatherproof, outdoor computing enclosure to house sensors and computers. Using Embry Riddle’s campus as a driving environment to collect data using an emission analyzer to quantify the emissions being produced. An Enerac M700 Portable Emission Analyzer is installed inside the enclosure along with IMU, GPS, and throttle, brake, and steer angle sensors. The outdoor computing enclosure is temperature regulated using thermo-electric devices and a solar heat shield. The enclosure improves reliability of low‑cost prototyping hardware such as Arduino and Raspberry Pi computers. Sensor measurements are collected on‑board and streamed at a lower rate via mobile phone network to an Internet-of-Things (IoT) server for real time, web-based monitoring. Live streaming telemetry architecture and software components are described. The web-based browser routinely achieves \u3e10Hz vehicle updates using open-source software and consumer grade mobile devices. Current data output includes geo-tagged emissions correlated with driver throttle, brake, steering, vehicle speed, orientation (yaw, pitch, roll) and location along the driving course. This driving platform will provide valuable sensitivity data to focus subsequent research efforts on emissions and energy reduction

Acoustic Emission Monitoring of In-Service Bridges

An experimental acoustic emission (AE) device, the GARD Acoustic Emission Weld Monitor (AEWM), has been field tested on six bridges during this study. In addition, the device was used to test three other bridges under separate contracts from state highway agencies. The device was evaluated to determine if it could detect fatigue-crack growth on in-service steel bridges. The AEWM employs a proprietary three-step model (filter) to reject noise-related AE activity and detect and locate defects subject to varying stress conditions. The unit uses built-in microprocessors to compare incoming data to the model. If defect-related AE activity is detected, the AEWM will notify the operator and locate the defect in relation to AE sensors placed on the test specimen. The device rejects high background noise rates typical of bridges and detects and locates AE activity from known defects such as cracks and subsurface flaws. The AEWM functioned properly in every field test situation to which it was applied. The device has demonstrated capability to perform AE tests on in-service bridges. It may be used to detect hidden defects or to assist in making repair decisions concerning detected discontinuities. The AEWM and AE testing have the potential for low-cost inspection of critical bridge members

Improved Structural Monitoring with Acoustic Emission Pattern Recognition

A unique acoustic emission monitoring system originally developed for inprocess weld monitoring has been used to monitor fatigue crack growth in a highway bridge during normal traffic loading. The system was able to clearly and reliably detect the presence of fatigue cracks that were adjacent to a row of bolts. The results of the brief experiment show that the signal processing used in this AE system may allow drastic improvements in the ability of acoustic emission to reliably detect propagating bridge flaws under adverse conditions