With the increasing growth of the ethanol industry, the number of co-products is also expanding at a rapid rate. These co-products, namely distillers, can be used as cattle feed in feedlots. Currently, the major feed for cattle is corn, but if distillers are marketed successfully and farmers are educated about their usefulness and how to store them, then they could be remarkably successful in the feedstock market. Some issues associated with distillers need to be addressed and will be discussed in the next section. Since producing distillers does not require building new plants or purchasing new machinery, they are simply a welcome co-product (or by-product) of corn fermentation during ethanol production. Ethanol owners could make good revenue by marketing distillers, since they produce 3.2 million metric tons of dried distillers grains plus solubles annually. / Wichita State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering / Includes bibliographic references (leaves 93-98)

The majority of coated structural components are subjected to fluctuating internal and/or applied stress because of oscillating mechanical loads. The fatigue behavior of coatings and the overall cyclic failure response of coated structures have remained relatively unexplored. This study was an effort to investigate the fatigue behavior of plasma spray coatings on polymer matrix composite materials. Since no ASTM standard is available, we designed our own experiment to determine coatings suitability under cyclic loading, response in dynamic loading conditions, fatigue failure modes and fatigue life. Coatings were tested at different stress levels and frequencies. The stresses versus number of cycles (S-N) curves for the coatings were generated. The results indicate that the plasma spay coatings on polymer matrix composite materials are suitable for dynamic loading conditions. / Wichita State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering / Includes bibliographic references (leaves 42-43)

In 1854 the Kansas-Nebraska Act repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820. Kansas Territory was opened to settlement, and the those that emigrated to populate it would decide if it was to become a slave state. This popular sovereignty caused many struggles for power in the early history of the state. As Free-State antislavery emigrants began to travel to Kansas from the Northern United States, Missouri and other slaveholding Southern states responded, staking claims in Kansas Territory. Both sides intended to win at the ballot box, and widespread vote tampering and border skirmishes give this period in the state’s history the title of Bleeding Kansas. While the role of Kansas in the antebellum years is often cited in Civil War historical scholarship, Women who came to Kansas during the period have been overlooked. Traveling both from the North and South, they traded their homes and comforts for a new life and new struggles. The examination of these women’s lives and contributions can only serve to enhance the historical record. The historical record offers many diaries, letters and published books written by women who came to Kansas as Free-State supporters. These sources, along with more limited examples from Missouri women, offer insight to the role that the Women of Bleeding Kansas occupied. Ultimately, this research attempted to examine the lives of women in Kansas during the period, and identify and assign meaning and importance to their struggle. Women were an important part of the struggle for Kansas. Kansas entered the Union in 1861 as a Free State, due it part to the real contributions made by Kansas women. / Wichita State University, College of Liberal Arts and Science, Dept. of History / Includes bibliographic references (leaves 106-110)

Self-piercing riveting (SPR) is a high-speed mechanical fastening technique for point joining of sheet-material components. SPR is becoming important in automotive applications for aluminium vehicle body assembly. However, compared with current sheet-metal joining processes in the automotive industry, the effects of various parameters such as mechanical properties, rivet setting methods and systems, methods of removing self-piercing rivets, etc. A study examining the effect of specimen configuration on the mechanical behavior of self-piercing riveted, dual-layer joints in aluminium alloys was conducted. It has observed that the specimen configuration had a significant effect on the strength and failure mechanism of a self-piercing riveted dual-layer joint. The basic aspects of SPR process forming by conducting both explicit and implicit analysis have been investigated in this thesis. It was found that the operating force-deformation curve of SPR process was determined by the rivet deformation force and its displacement. Under certain process conditions, an increase in inertia effect due to high velocity of metal forming process results was not significant to an extent. In this research, the springback characteristic parameters of the SPR process were also studied. The springback analysis carried out at the end of the forming process showed that the dimensional change in the part due to springback was not significant. / Wichita State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering / Includes bibliographic references (leaves 51-53)

The split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) continues to be one of the most common methods of testing materials at high rates of strain. Elevated rates of strain, such as those found in impact and explosive applications, have been shown to induce phenomena such as strain hardening and phase transitions that can significantly affect the strength of most materials. Due to its relative simplicity and robustness, the SHPB remains one of the preferred platforms for evaluating mechanical properties of materials at rates of strain approaching 10 4 in/in-s (s -1 ). At the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), research has been conducted to study the wave shaping techniques of SHPB using finite element analysis. The SHPB consists of two long, slender cylindrical bars, denoted input and output bars that "sandwich" a cylindrical test specimen. Utilizing a high-pressure gas gun, a third cylindrical steel bar, known as the striker bar, is fired at the input bar, causing a compressive stress wave to travel through the input bar to the input bar - test specimen interface. At this interface, a portion of the stress wave propagates through the test specimen while the remainder of the pulse reflects back through the input bar as a tensile stress wave. / Thesis (M.S.)--Wichita State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering. / Includes bibliographic references (leaves 78-81).

This thesis conducted a secondary analysis of Falling LinKS Stage 1 data using the alternative frame of the culture-centered approach. The secondary analysis assessed 1) what insights the culture-centered approach offered to understanding Stage 1 data from the Falling LinKS initiative 2) to what extent is the culture-centered approach applicable to the context of a community-grounded falls prevention initiative in rural Harvey County, Kansas. Both deductive and inductive thematic analyses were used for analysis. Concepts from the culture-centered approach were used as the foundation for the deductive thematic analysis. Nine themes and four sub-themes emerged from the secondary analysis. Inductive thematic analysis was used to compare findings from the initial and secondary analyses. The analysis assessed differences and similarities between the two approaches. The secondary analysis undertaken in this study served to enhance initial findings by applying the alternative frame of the culture-centered approach. Benefits are two-fold, first to ensure that the most effective falls prevention initiative has been developed for Harvey County. Secondly, using the culture-centered approach as the frame for secondary analysis provided the opportunity to examine the efficacy of the approach when applied to a rural context. This thesis provided Falling LinKS with a more comprehensive understanding of the Harvey County context and guidelines for more appropriate integration of Falling LinKS within the County in ways that are most meaningful and beneficial to older adults. In conjunction, this thesis evaluated the efficacy of the culture-centered approach. / Thesis (M.S.)--Wichita State University, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, The Elliott School of Communication

Recent advancements in friction stir welding (FSW) technology have potential for applications in aerospace structures. Friction stir spot welds have been found to be much stronger than rivets in the same material thickness, while maintaining the discontinuous crack growth path preferred by aircraft designers. In this study, the test coupons have been investigated in fatigue with the weld aligned with the loading direction. The purpose of this study was to better understand crack initiation at friction stir weld exit holes in no-load transfer coupons representative of aircraft fuselage applications. The goal was to document the effects of weld exit location on fatigue life in discontinuous friction stir welded panels and to determine possible solutions in order to reduce the stress concentration around the exit hole location, thereby increasing the panel’s fatigue life. Aluminum alloys 7075-T6 and 2024-T3, which are commonly used in conventional airframe construction, were chosen for the FSW lap welds in this thesis. The methodology of this research was to weld the coupons with discontinuous friction stir lap welding using different exit hole configurations. The weld parameters such as rotation speed, travel speed, lead angle and load force had already been evaluated prior to this investigation in an earlier study during the first year of this project by Josh Merry. Once all of the coupons were welded, the next step was to fatigue test them with constant amplitude in order to determine the number of fatigue cycles and then compare all the different coupon results with the baseline coupon result that were determined in the previous study. This project investigated a number of weld exit strategies with conventional one-piece weld tools. This study also included welds produced with a two-piece weld tool called Retractable Pin Tool (RPT) in which the length of the tool probe can be adjusted during welding. The RPT weld tool was used to eliminate the exit hole of the weld in order to reduce or eliminate viii the stress concentration around the weld exit. The ultimate goal of this research was to achieve equivalent or better fatigue life in discontinuous FSW joints as compared to riveted coupons. / Thesis (M.S.)--Wichita State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.

This thesis demonstrates how factors of technological innovation in filmmaking and anthropological ethical considerations will have an influence over how a particular film will be theorized, created and distributed. The definitions of ethnographic and anthropological film are examined as well as the methods of presenting anthropological information in a film. Technological advances and how they apply to filming, editing and distribution possibilities are also described. The process of creating my own anthropological films about the Asmat and Korowai developed my thesis argument that technology and ethical sensitivities will have a developmental aspect in creating an anthropological film not only in the shooting of footage but the editing of that footage for audience viewing. The proposed goal of the film will also define what will be filmed and how the filmmaker will adapt to the challenges of the field and the construction of the culture. / Thesis (M.A.)--Wichita State University, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Anthropology

When available, the force feedback data from Friction stir welding (FSW) can be very useful for analyzing weld quality. Friction Stir Welding Analysis Tool software (FSWAT), a new process based non-destructive evaluation (NDE) technique developed at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, is designed to analyze any specified section of FSW in real time (with a slight computational delay). With this software, a trained operator or inspector can detect where potential flaws may exist. Another powerful NDE technique is ultrasonic phased array (UPA), which is well known for its capability to detect different kinds of friction stir welding indications and defects. The purpose of this study is to compare the defects identified in a round robin investigation using UPA and electromagnetic radiation X-ray inspection with the defects identified by the FSWAT software data analysis program. In addition, actual destructive tests are used to correlate the identified defects with actual defects. A probability of detection (POD) analysis is carried out to evaluate the wormhole-detection performance of the different NDE methods applied currently in industry. By correlating this software with UPA and X-ray inspection, the time and expense associated with 100% inspection of parts could be considerably reduced. The ultimate goal of this research is to support the development of real-time quality control to minimize the cost of inspection. / Thesis (M.S.)--Wichita State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering.

James Baldwin argues throughout his work that identity and an honest sense of self can only be attained through a personal journey that involves more than just movement from one point to another; it must also lead to a change within and an acceptance of self. In Giovanni's Room, the main character David travels a journey devoid of personal growth and acceptance. A white, homosexual man, David finds himself trapped in a white, straight, masculine, American ideal which does not define him. He spends the novel trying to outrun and reject his past and aspects of his identity which he wishes to ignore. Through David's struggles, Baldwin shows a connection between internal and external spaces, and establishes a link between choice and acceptance when creating a personal identity. Baldwin establishes self-reflection to be the only means of creating a personal identity that is able to balance acceptance with self-invention. He explores this self-reflection in terms of internal/external and choice/acceptance throughout the novel, showing the struggle to be both personal and shared with the community to which one attempts to belong. In this essay I examine the connection between internal/external and choice/acceptance in light of Baldwin's belief that every American must undertake an honest journey of self-discovery in order to establish an inclusive rather than exclusive personal and national identity. I link that journey of identity to David's perpetual movement through the inner and outer spaces of the novel, a movement which reflects that of his ancestors and many Americans before him. I also explore American views of masculinity and homosexuality, and how Baldwin shows these views to affect David (and all Americans) in his search for self and home. / Thesis (M.A.)--Wichita State University, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Dept. of English.