This thesis summarizes an investigation into the need for removing extractives from herbaceous biomass feedstocks prior to their chemical characterization. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), was used in this study as a representative herbaceous biomass feedstock. The influence of extractives on the chemical analysis of switchgrass was done by comparing the composition of native switchgrass and solvent-extracted switchgrass preparations. Solvent-extracted switchgrass was prepared by extracting the native feedstock with either 95% ethanol, hot water or sequentially with ethanol and then water. Each of the feedstocks was analyzed for glycans, Klason lignin, acid soluble lignin, protein, ash, acetic acid and uronic acids. The results demonstrate that the extractives in native switchgrass significantly interfere with the analysis of Klason lignin. The lignin content of the feedstock was overestimated if the extractives were not removed prior to the analysis. The extractives in switchgrass did not affect glycan analyses. However, some soluble sugars are removed from the feedstock during the solvent extraction process. Total extractives removed by ethanol, water and ethanol/water amounted to 9.74%, 16.42%, and 19.11% of the feedstocks total solids, respectively. These amounts of extractives increased Klason lignin values by 4%, 4.5%, and 6.5% (on a wt percent of total solids), respectively. Most of the extractives in switchgrass are water-soluble and approximately one-quarter of these extractives measure as Klason Lignin. The removal of the water soluble extractives from the feedstock improved the mass closure values for the feedstock's summative analysis. Successive ethanol and hot water extraction has successfully removed most of the extractives in switchgrass yielding 100.4% mass balance. The recommended approach for the analysis of herbaceous biomass feedstocks will include sequential 95% ethanol and hot water extraction followed by chemical analysis on both the preextracted substrate and the extractives obtained from that substrate. / Graduation date: 1996

Blood CORT is commonly used to assess stress in rodents, but sampling can trigger a rapid stress response. This study aims to identify whether faecal CORT metabolites (FCM) can reflect changes in CORT induced by 7-day food restriction (FR) and an ACTH challenge. Blood and 24hr faecal samples were collected at baseline and Day 7 for control (n=8) and FR (n=10) rats. On Day 8, after a baseline blood sample, an ACTH injection was administered and followed by blood and fecal sampling. Results showed increased serum CORT and FCM in response to FR. Increased adrenal sensitivity with FR was illustrated by a greater increase in serum CORT compared to control in response to ACTH. Lastly, although it appeared that ACTH induced an increase in FCM in FR and control, only the latter reached statistical significance. Thus FCM might be better suited for quantifying chronic rather than acute changes in CORT.

Blood CORT is commonly used to assess stress in rodents, but sampling can trigger a rapid stress response. This study aims to identify whether faecal CORT metabolites (FCM) can reflect changes in CORT induced by 7-day food restriction (FR) and an ACTH challenge. Blood and 24hr faecal samples were collected at baseline and Day 7 for control (n=8) and FR (n=10) rats. On Day 8, after a baseline blood sample, an ACTH injection was administered and followed by blood and fecal sampling. Results showed increased serum CORT and FCM in response to FR. Increased adrenal sensitivity with FR was illustrated by a greater increase in serum CORT compared to control in response to ACTH. Lastly, although it appeared that ACTH induced an increase in FCM in FR and control, only the latter reached statistical significance. Thus FCM might be better suited for quantifying chronic rather than acute changes in CORT.

Investigations into the conjugate addition of phenols and sp3-hybridized carbons bound to tin, boron and silicon by transition metal catalysts through novel transmetallation pathways were undertaken with limited success. An intramolecular Lewis acid-catalyzed tandem [1,5]-hydride shift / cyclization and Friedel-Crafts acylation reaction with alkylidene Meldrum’s acid derivatives has been accomplished. The use of metal phenolates as nucleophiles for transition metal catalyzed conjugate addition onto alkylidene Meldrum’s acids is explored, and the ambident nucleophilic property of metal phenolates allow for the C-alkylation and O-acylation with alkylidene Meldrum’s acids, producing substituted 3,4-dihydrocoumarins in modest yields. The transmetallation of rhodium complexes with alkyl boron, tin and silicon derivatives and subsequent conjugate addition onto alkylidene Meldrum’s acid derivatives is investigated without success. An intramolecular Lewis acid-catalyzed [1,5]-hydride shift / cyclization reaction promoted by electron-rich aromatic rings is employed with alkylidene Meldrum’s acid derivatives to furnish spiro Meldrum’s acids in excellent yields. These can subsequently be used as electrophiles in the Friedel-Crafts acylation reaction, and a tandem, one-pot variation of this reaction has been accomplished in moderate to good yields. Preliminary investigations into the scope and limitations of this transformation are outlined.

Investigations into the conjugate addition of phenols and sp3-hybridized carbons bound to tin, boron and silicon by transition metal catalysts through novel transmetallation pathways were undertaken with limited success. An intramolecular Lewis acid-catalyzed tandem [1,5]-hydride shift / cyclization and Friedel-Crafts acylation reaction with alkylidene Meldrum’s acid derivatives has been accomplished. The use of metal phenolates as nucleophiles for transition metal catalyzed conjugate addition onto alkylidene Meldrum’s acids is explored, and the ambident nucleophilic property of metal phenolates allow for the C-alkylation and O-acylation with alkylidene Meldrum’s acids, producing substituted 3,4-dihydrocoumarins in modest yields. The transmetallation of rhodium complexes with alkyl boron, tin and silicon derivatives and subsequent conjugate addition onto alkylidene Meldrum’s acid derivatives is investigated without success. An intramolecular Lewis acid-catalyzed [1,5]-hydride shift / cyclization reaction promoted by electron-rich aromatic rings is employed with alkylidene Meldrum’s acid derivatives to furnish spiro Meldrum’s acids in excellent yields. These can subsequently be used as electrophiles in the Friedel-Crafts acylation reaction, and a tandem, one-pot variation of this reaction has been accomplished in moderate to good yields. Preliminary investigations into the scope and limitations of this transformation are outlined.

Software modeling with unified modeling language (UML) and model driven architecture (MDA) concept have become the new paradigm of modern systems analysis and design. Some Several CASE tools have been introduced to facilitate the transformation from platform independent model (i.e., class diagram, and sequence diagram) to platform specific model, and thereby enhance the efficiency of system development. This research depends on MDA concept, and presents a systematic methodology which integrated the UML and MDA concept with Patterns to refine PIM cohesively. A real-world case using the integrated techniques is presented. With this approach, the system developer can increase the reuse of PIM and thereby enhance the efficiency of system development.

The trend to integrate more and more processing cores and memory cores into a single module has increased the overall size of chips to the point where global interconnects between sub-units are becoming harder and harder to route and meet timing rules and requirements. The traditional way of routing interconnects and the use of uniform, unidirectional, point to point busses may no longer be optimal for certain designs where metal layers and chip area for interconnects are limited. The need for a more flexible routing methodology is necessary and can be achieved by using routing and calibration techniques currently being implemented at board level design. This report proposes the use of non-uniform, bidirectional, and possibly multi-point loads global interconnects within a single chip module through the use of on chip calibration techniques to compensate for less restrictive wiring rules for certain chip designs. This report will also apply a widely used digital calibration technique to simulate the implementation on a field programmable gate array. / text

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published_or_final_version / Sociology / Master / Master of Philosophy

The present study investigated the effects of consultant verbalizations on consultee verbalizations related to the specification and measurement of client behaviors and descriptions of client individual characteristics (i.e., traits). Statement categories for both the consultant and the consultee were related to the interview-outcome measure, i.e., the number of days of baseline collected by the consultee subsequent to the problem-identification interview. The present study also examined the relationship between the number of days of data collection agreed upon by the consultant and the consultee in the problem-identification interview (the interview-content measure) and the interview-outcome measure. The consultant's use of elicitation or emission in the selection of the interview-content measure was also related to the interview-outcome measure. Interviews of 50 consultants trained in behavioral consultation and participating in a field experience with public school teachers were analyzed. Consultant and consultee verbalizations were found to be highly interrelated, although weakly related to the interview-outcome measure. The content-interview measure was related to the interview-outcome measure in that the agreed-upon number of days of data collection was positively related to the subsequent collection of the same number of days of data. The odds that a consultee would return with the agreed-upon number of days of data (or more) as opposed to less than the agreed-upon number were found to be roughly six times greater for consultants who elicited rather than emitted the number of days of baseline to be collected.