This is a summary of basic environmental data from water in ponds in the vicinity of the Niwot Ri... more This is a summary of basic environmental data from water in ponds in the vicinity of the Niwot Ridge LTER. Ponds were selected across a range of elevations, sizes, and positions relative to glacial, stream, and lake water sources. Ponds sampled occurred on Niwot Ridge and throughout the Green Lakes Valley.
African Journal of Political Science and International Relations, Nov 30, 2008
This paper examines conflict proneness of authoritarian states and tests whether the monadic demo... more This paper examines conflict proneness of authoritarian states and tests whether the monadic democratic peace argument can be extended to explain the conflict behavior of authoritarian states. Previous works have examined the propensity of authoritarian states to engage in conflict in dyadic relations with other states, rather than directly examining the conflict propensity of these states using monadic analysis (or who uses violent force first). Further, little empirical work has examined how different types of transitions from authoritarian rule affect the conflict propensity of states. Using Caprioli's and Trumbore's (2004) First use of Violent Force (FuVF) dataset for 1980-2002, we find little support for the monadic argument that authoritarian regimes that have more institutional checks on executive authority are less likely to first use military force than are regimes that have fewer such checks; however, we find that the type of transition is a more important a variable than the type of authoritarian regime in explaining the conflict proneness of the state.
Barry Botterman for their assistance and expertise throughout the duration of this project. Many ... more Barry Botterman for their assistance and expertise throughout the duration of this project. Many thanks to the MS1 students at UT Southwestern that took the time to review the Visible Man website and respond to the surveys with their invaluable information. Thanks to Marcie Hanson for all you do for the program, for seemingly knowing everything I need to know, and for keeping me up to date with all of the many deadlines along the way. Last, but not least, thanks to my wife, Erin, for your love and support. Thanks for keeping me sane throughout the whole process. DEVELOPMENT OF A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANATOMY WEBSITE
Operative Dictations in General and Vascular Surgery, 2017
Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is commonly performed for diagnosis and/or therapeutic measure f... more Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is commonly performed for diagnosis and/or therapeutic measure for a wide variety of upper GI tract complaints/pathology. This chapter details the indications, contraindications, essential steps, common technical variations, and complications of these procedures. A detailed template operative dictation note for diagnostic upper endoscopy is included.
Operative Dictations in General and Vascular Surgery, 2017
This chapter lists the indications and contraindications, essential steps, common technical varia... more This chapter lists the indications and contraindications, essential steps, common technical variations, and complications of lower gastrointestinal endoscopy. A detailed template operative dictation note for colonoscopy with or without polypectomy is included.
Benefits from a potential significant correlation between distresses and slab thickness can be br... more Benefits from a potential significant correlation between distresses and slab thickness can be broadly applied in all stages of highway development from design and construction to maintenance decisions. In order to comprehensive explore this possibility, thickness data and existing distresses were related for three highway projects in Minnesota. Thickness was obtained through non-destructive ultrasonic testing, while distresses were recorded for the same location with a distress image software. Significant thickness variation was observed in both longitudinal and transverse directions. The combined results of thickness, shear wave velocity and distresses analysis revealed that an increase in shear wave velocity was coincident with a less damaged pavement area within a section. An in-depth statistical analysis confirmed this observation showing that shear surface velocity variation was better correlated with overall pavement performance than thickness variation. Differences in cracking behavior within a section were traced back to changes in construction and design practices, showing the potential of using shear velocity analysis for pavement maintenance. A survey and analysis procedure for shear wave velocity testing of concrete pavements is proposed.
Operative Dictations in General and Vascular Surgery, 2017
Pediatric inguinal hernia repair is performed for patent processus vaginalis with hydrocele or he... more Pediatric inguinal hernia repair is performed for patent processus vaginalis with hydrocele or hernia. This chapter lists the indications, essential steps, common technical variations, and complications of the procedure. A detailed template operative dictation note is included.
A pilot study was conducted to characterize and map the areas susceptible to slope failure using ... more A pilot study was conducted to characterize and map the areas susceptible to slope failure using statewide available data. The objective was to determine whether it would be possible to provide slope-failure susceptibility mapping that could be used by local road and highway officials to understand better where slope failure may occur. This would allow the possibility of taking preventative measures where indicated, or developing contingency plans for areas of likely failure. As a first step, a review of pertinent slope-failure literature was conducted to determine which past studies could offer information or guidance useful for developing the mapping. The review helped identify which methods and factors could be most effectively used in assessing susceptibility to slope failure. Then, using physics-based concepts, and making use of publicly-available topographic, soils, and hydrologic information, an approach was developed for using the data to identify conditions under which slope failure would be likely. This approach was incorporated into a GIS-based model that produced mapping wherein slopes were identified and assigned one of five levels (very high to very low) of slopefailure susceptibility. The model was tested against a relatively small area in Carlton County to confirm that the indicated susceptibility to failure correlated well with locations in which there was observable or documented slope failure. The method was then validated by applying it to small areas in Sibley and Carver Counties where slope failures had occurred. Having validated the underlying physics-based approach, the mapping was then expanded to two Carlton and Sibley Counties.
Color poster with text, maps, charts, and images.Near-surface geophysical methods can provide val... more Color poster with text, maps, charts, and images.Near-surface geophysical methods can provide valuable information for understanding the stratigraphy of sites with groundwater contamination. In this study, geophysical data were acquired to delineate the soil-bedrock interface at the Lowes Creek County Park Superfund site in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Sponsored Programs and Research
The clock signal of modern computer processors consumes a large portion of overall chip power. By... more The clock signal of modern computer processors consumes a large portion of overall chip power. By modeling global clock network wires as transmission lines and manipulating their dimensions, the global clock signal can be transformed into a standing-wave oscillator that conserves energy and reduces skew. This paper explains the lossy transmission line model and explores the effects of matching impedances and altering line capacitances, and concludes with preliminary results and the direction of future research. Keywords-clock signal, global clock distribution, resonant frequency, salphasic clock, transmission lines
The aim of this thesis is to analyze presidential decisions in formulating NASA programs in the f... more The aim of this thesis is to analyze presidential decisions in formulating NASA programs in the first twenty years of the space administration. NASA programs varied greatly: from a "hands-off" approach taken by Eisenhower to a reactive role taken by the Kennedy and Johnson presidencies, as different presidents viewed Cold War competition in different lights. It also analyzes how competition and cooperation shaped NASA policy making. The thesis shows that NASA programs were extensions of the sitting president's foreign policy goals. Despite presidential rhetoric of cooperation with the Soviet Union, the programs of NASA from 1958-1969 relied upon competition to gain funding and support for its programs. After man landed on the Moon, NASA Administration attempted to distance the space administration from presidential control by proposing NASA's own future goals and programs. Ultimately, the attempt was for naught, as Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger urged that NASA participate in a cooperative mission with the Soviet Union as a part of their détente foreign policy strategy. Even as the U.S. and the USSR worked together on a joint mission, competition continued to play a role in mission planning and coordination. Cooperation in space with the Soviet Union simply eclipsed competition. Old Cold War insecurities continued to play a role in the Soviet Union's ability to cooperate with the United States. Many attempts at cooperation in space throughout the 1960's usually ended in Soviet non-committal, or refusal to cooperate until disarmament took place. By analyzing presidential speeches, private presidential conversations, NASA memorandum, and interviews with NASA personnel, this thesis shows how a number of factors: détente, iii American agreement of nuclear disarmament, and the inability of the Soviet Union to land on the moon; combined to make a cooperative mission possible between the United States and the Soviet Union in the height of the Cold War. This research also shows that the collapse of détente also brought the end to U.S.-Soviet Union cooperation in space. The renewal of Cold War competition in the Carter and Reagan administrations made cooperation in space unlikely. Not until the Soviet Union collapsed did the United States and Russia make cooperation a fixture in space exploration. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I thank my friends and family of course, first and foremost, for their support during this entire process, and their encouragement to finish. I would like to thank Dr.
University of Minnesota M.S. thesis. February 2017. Major: Geological Engineering. Advisors: Rand... more University of Minnesota M.S. thesis. February 2017. Major: Geological Engineering. Advisors: Randal Barnes, Lev Khazanovich. 1 computer file (PDF); ii, 135 pages.
International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology, 2020
It is commonly recognized that non-uniformity of as-constructed Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) pa... more It is commonly recognized that non-uniformity of as-constructed Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) pavement may negatively affect long-term pavement performance. Conventional wisdom states that PCC thickness deficiency is the most important factor causing premature pavement failures. To address it, transportation agencies often impose strict penalties for not meeting the designed slab thickness requirements, thus contractors build slightly thicker slabs to avoid fines. However, other aspects of construction variability on pavement performance are mostly ignored by studies because conventional methods for construction uniformity assessment fail to provide sufficient information to quantify their effect. This study utilized a non-destructive ultrasonic test to evaluate in-situ pavement construction variability. To investigate the correlation between construction variability and surface distresses, a combination of non-destructive ultrasonic thickness measurements and visual distress surveys were performed in highways prior to rehabilitation. PCC slab thicknesses and shear wave velocities were computed from recorded ultrasound signals. An in-depth statistical analysis was performed to investigate possible relations between thickness or shear wave velocity and distresses using various pavement performance parameters. The main results of this analysis illustrate the importance of material quality and uniformity control during construction, since alterations in material properties significantly influence the presence of distresses. Shear wave velocity variations significantly correlate to cracked and broken slab panels in two sections, and, more importantly, to any type of distress in all tested pavement sections.
This is a summary of basic environmental data from water in ponds in the vicinity of the Niwot Ri... more This is a summary of basic environmental data from water in ponds in the vicinity of the Niwot Ridge LTER. Ponds were selected across a range of elevations, sizes, and positions relative to glacial, stream, and lake water sources. Ponds sampled occurred on Niwot Ridge and throughout the Green Lakes Valley.
African Journal of Political Science and International Relations, Nov 30, 2008
This paper examines conflict proneness of authoritarian states and tests whether the monadic demo... more This paper examines conflict proneness of authoritarian states and tests whether the monadic democratic peace argument can be extended to explain the conflict behavior of authoritarian states. Previous works have examined the propensity of authoritarian states to engage in conflict in dyadic relations with other states, rather than directly examining the conflict propensity of these states using monadic analysis (or who uses violent force first). Further, little empirical work has examined how different types of transitions from authoritarian rule affect the conflict propensity of states. Using Caprioli's and Trumbore's (2004) First use of Violent Force (FuVF) dataset for 1980-2002, we find little support for the monadic argument that authoritarian regimes that have more institutional checks on executive authority are less likely to first use military force than are regimes that have fewer such checks; however, we find that the type of transition is a more important a variable than the type of authoritarian regime in explaining the conflict proneness of the state.
Barry Botterman for their assistance and expertise throughout the duration of this project. Many ... more Barry Botterman for their assistance and expertise throughout the duration of this project. Many thanks to the MS1 students at UT Southwestern that took the time to review the Visible Man website and respond to the surveys with their invaluable information. Thanks to Marcie Hanson for all you do for the program, for seemingly knowing everything I need to know, and for keeping me up to date with all of the many deadlines along the way. Last, but not least, thanks to my wife, Erin, for your love and support. Thanks for keeping me sane throughout the whole process. DEVELOPMENT OF A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANATOMY WEBSITE
Operative Dictations in General and Vascular Surgery, 2017
Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is commonly performed for diagnosis and/or therapeutic measure f... more Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is commonly performed for diagnosis and/or therapeutic measure for a wide variety of upper GI tract complaints/pathology. This chapter details the indications, contraindications, essential steps, common technical variations, and complications of these procedures. A detailed template operative dictation note for diagnostic upper endoscopy is included.
Operative Dictations in General and Vascular Surgery, 2017
This chapter lists the indications and contraindications, essential steps, common technical varia... more This chapter lists the indications and contraindications, essential steps, common technical variations, and complications of lower gastrointestinal endoscopy. A detailed template operative dictation note for colonoscopy with or without polypectomy is included.
Benefits from a potential significant correlation between distresses and slab thickness can be br... more Benefits from a potential significant correlation between distresses and slab thickness can be broadly applied in all stages of highway development from design and construction to maintenance decisions. In order to comprehensive explore this possibility, thickness data and existing distresses were related for three highway projects in Minnesota. Thickness was obtained through non-destructive ultrasonic testing, while distresses were recorded for the same location with a distress image software. Significant thickness variation was observed in both longitudinal and transverse directions. The combined results of thickness, shear wave velocity and distresses analysis revealed that an increase in shear wave velocity was coincident with a less damaged pavement area within a section. An in-depth statistical analysis confirmed this observation showing that shear surface velocity variation was better correlated with overall pavement performance than thickness variation. Differences in cracking behavior within a section were traced back to changes in construction and design practices, showing the potential of using shear velocity analysis for pavement maintenance. A survey and analysis procedure for shear wave velocity testing of concrete pavements is proposed.
Operative Dictations in General and Vascular Surgery, 2017
Pediatric inguinal hernia repair is performed for patent processus vaginalis with hydrocele or he... more Pediatric inguinal hernia repair is performed for patent processus vaginalis with hydrocele or hernia. This chapter lists the indications, essential steps, common technical variations, and complications of the procedure. A detailed template operative dictation note is included.
A pilot study was conducted to characterize and map the areas susceptible to slope failure using ... more A pilot study was conducted to characterize and map the areas susceptible to slope failure using statewide available data. The objective was to determine whether it would be possible to provide slope-failure susceptibility mapping that could be used by local road and highway officials to understand better where slope failure may occur. This would allow the possibility of taking preventative measures where indicated, or developing contingency plans for areas of likely failure. As a first step, a review of pertinent slope-failure literature was conducted to determine which past studies could offer information or guidance useful for developing the mapping. The review helped identify which methods and factors could be most effectively used in assessing susceptibility to slope failure. Then, using physics-based concepts, and making use of publicly-available topographic, soils, and hydrologic information, an approach was developed for using the data to identify conditions under which slope failure would be likely. This approach was incorporated into a GIS-based model that produced mapping wherein slopes were identified and assigned one of five levels (very high to very low) of slopefailure susceptibility. The model was tested against a relatively small area in Carlton County to confirm that the indicated susceptibility to failure correlated well with locations in which there was observable or documented slope failure. The method was then validated by applying it to small areas in Sibley and Carver Counties where slope failures had occurred. Having validated the underlying physics-based approach, the mapping was then expanded to two Carlton and Sibley Counties.
Color poster with text, maps, charts, and images.Near-surface geophysical methods can provide val... more Color poster with text, maps, charts, and images.Near-surface geophysical methods can provide valuable information for understanding the stratigraphy of sites with groundwater contamination. In this study, geophysical data were acquired to delineate the soil-bedrock interface at the Lowes Creek County Park Superfund site in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Sponsored Programs and Research
The clock signal of modern computer processors consumes a large portion of overall chip power. By... more The clock signal of modern computer processors consumes a large portion of overall chip power. By modeling global clock network wires as transmission lines and manipulating their dimensions, the global clock signal can be transformed into a standing-wave oscillator that conserves energy and reduces skew. This paper explains the lossy transmission line model and explores the effects of matching impedances and altering line capacitances, and concludes with preliminary results and the direction of future research. Keywords-clock signal, global clock distribution, resonant frequency, salphasic clock, transmission lines
The aim of this thesis is to analyze presidential decisions in formulating NASA programs in the f... more The aim of this thesis is to analyze presidential decisions in formulating NASA programs in the first twenty years of the space administration. NASA programs varied greatly: from a "hands-off" approach taken by Eisenhower to a reactive role taken by the Kennedy and Johnson presidencies, as different presidents viewed Cold War competition in different lights. It also analyzes how competition and cooperation shaped NASA policy making. The thesis shows that NASA programs were extensions of the sitting president's foreign policy goals. Despite presidential rhetoric of cooperation with the Soviet Union, the programs of NASA from 1958-1969 relied upon competition to gain funding and support for its programs. After man landed on the Moon, NASA Administration attempted to distance the space administration from presidential control by proposing NASA's own future goals and programs. Ultimately, the attempt was for naught, as Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger urged that NASA participate in a cooperative mission with the Soviet Union as a part of their détente foreign policy strategy. Even as the U.S. and the USSR worked together on a joint mission, competition continued to play a role in mission planning and coordination. Cooperation in space with the Soviet Union simply eclipsed competition. Old Cold War insecurities continued to play a role in the Soviet Union's ability to cooperate with the United States. Many attempts at cooperation in space throughout the 1960's usually ended in Soviet non-committal, or refusal to cooperate until disarmament took place. By analyzing presidential speeches, private presidential conversations, NASA memorandum, and interviews with NASA personnel, this thesis shows how a number of factors: détente, iii American agreement of nuclear disarmament, and the inability of the Soviet Union to land on the moon; combined to make a cooperative mission possible between the United States and the Soviet Union in the height of the Cold War. This research also shows that the collapse of détente also brought the end to U.S.-Soviet Union cooperation in space. The renewal of Cold War competition in the Carter and Reagan administrations made cooperation in space unlikely. Not until the Soviet Union collapsed did the United States and Russia make cooperation a fixture in space exploration. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I thank my friends and family of course, first and foremost, for their support during this entire process, and their encouragement to finish. I would like to thank Dr.
University of Minnesota M.S. thesis. February 2017. Major: Geological Engineering. Advisors: Rand... more University of Minnesota M.S. thesis. February 2017. Major: Geological Engineering. Advisors: Randal Barnes, Lev Khazanovich. 1 computer file (PDF); ii, 135 pages.
International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology, 2020
It is commonly recognized that non-uniformity of as-constructed Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) pa... more It is commonly recognized that non-uniformity of as-constructed Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) pavement may negatively affect long-term pavement performance. Conventional wisdom states that PCC thickness deficiency is the most important factor causing premature pavement failures. To address it, transportation agencies often impose strict penalties for not meeting the designed slab thickness requirements, thus contractors build slightly thicker slabs to avoid fines. However, other aspects of construction variability on pavement performance are mostly ignored by studies because conventional methods for construction uniformity assessment fail to provide sufficient information to quantify their effect. This study utilized a non-destructive ultrasonic test to evaluate in-situ pavement construction variability. To investigate the correlation between construction variability and surface distresses, a combination of non-destructive ultrasonic thickness measurements and visual distress surveys were performed in highways prior to rehabilitation. PCC slab thicknesses and shear wave velocities were computed from recorded ultrasound signals. An in-depth statistical analysis was performed to investigate possible relations between thickness or shear wave velocity and distresses using various pavement performance parameters. The main results of this analysis illustrate the importance of material quality and uniformity control during construction, since alterations in material properties significantly influence the presence of distresses. Shear wave velocity variations significantly correlate to cracked and broken slab panels in two sections, and, more importantly, to any type of distress in all tested pavement sections.
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