2012 MU theses - Access restricted to UM
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Item Simultaneous electrophoretic deposition of copper oxide/aluminum nanothermite films(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2012) Drewery, Adam Scott; Gangopadhyay, Shubhra[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] This research details simultaneous electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of copper-oxide/aluminum nanothermite films. Deposition parameters such as precursor dispersion concentration, equivalence mixing ratio, precursor particulate morphology, magnitude and duration of applied field, and number of depositions are modulated. Prepared films are characterized with regards to mass, thickness, % theoretical maximum density (%TMD), substrate adhesion, homogeneity, and equivalence ratio. The effects of these parameters on combustion velocity and flame height are investigated. Higher applied fields, longer deposition durations, and increased colloid concentration yielded films with enhanced thickness and mass validating theoretically predicted EPD behaviors. Thicker, heavier films resulted in enhanced combustion characteristics, but reactions of films below a critical mass/thickness were quenched. Optimal combustion velocities were observed for CuO/Al nanorod films prepared from solutions with precursor equivalence ratios of 2.0 (fuel-rich) due to the enhanced thermal transport from increased Al content and a higher degree of interfacial contact between fuel and oxidizer particles. Modulating the colloidal particulate morphologies is shown to greatly impact the deposition rate thereby altering the combustion performance of the deposited films. CuO/Al nanorod films exhibited average burn rates, between 7 and 8 m/s, lower than the average velocity of CuO/Al nanoparticle films, in excess of 10 m/s. Delamination of the CuO/Al nanoparticle films was also observed resulting in a peak combustion velocity of 127 m/s observed. This also exemplifies the effect of PEG as a self-assembly mechanism as cracking and delamination of the CuO/Al nanorod films was not present.Item Investigating canine degenerative myelopathy as a disease model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis for histopathological evidence of dysphagia(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2012) Pinnegar, Abbie Jolene; Lever, Teresa E.[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Unspecified swallowing impairment (dysphagia) was recently reported in dogs with degenerative myelopathy (DM), a proposed disease model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The purpose of our study was to establish a clinicopathological correlation of dysphagia in canine DM. We investigated the brainstem nuclei involved in swallowing in DM and control dogs. Samples were procured from the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri. Subtle evidence of neurodegeneration within each of the brainstem nuclei involved in swallowing was identified in DM samples using hematoxylin & eosin staining. Immunohistochemical methods are currently underway to substantiate this finding. Given that virtually all humans with ALS develop dysphagia, characterization of swallowing impairment is imperative to validate canine DM as a bona fide animal model of ALS. This line of research has the potential to benefit both people and dogs with dysphagia related to ALS and other diseases that cause dysphagia.Item "With the intention of destroying her life" : women, suicide, and the limits of respectability in St. Louis Missouri, 1875 to 1900(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2012) McCune, Sarah Lirley; Whites, LeeAnn[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] This case study examines sixty coroner's inquests conducted between 1875 and 1900, specifically, those in which St. Louis City Coroners rendered a verdict of suicide. Coroners' investigation records reveal far more than a cause of death, but also provide insight into women's family lives and living conditions. Coroners, as well as the relatives, friends, and neighbors of the deceased frequently sought to explain why these women committed suicide. Suicide can be used to better understand a larger cultural concept: respectability. St. Louis coroners based the depth of their death investigations upon whether or not they perceived a woman to be respectable or deviant. They conducted cursory investigations into the deaths of allegedly fallen women while often going to great lengths to determine an accurate cause of death for respectable women. The perceptions of St. Louis coroners reflected commonly-held attitudes regarding respectable womanhood in late nineteenth-century America. Although coroners believed that respectable and disreputable women committed suicide for very different reasons, regardless of their reputations, many women believed suicide to be their only option due to illness, failed relationships, conflicts with family members, or poverty. Their stories illuminate common conditions for women in the late nineteenth century, notably gender oppression, exemplified by expectations to conform to stringent standards of female respectability.Item Analysis of dual-phase ejector performance(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2012) Elmore, Emily Ferner; El-Gizawy, A. Sherif (Ahmed Sherif), 1945-[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] An analytical model is proposed to extend the single-phase model for predicting ejector performance, particularly pressure recovery and efficiency, to entrained fluids of a liquid/gas mixture. Liquid ejector performance is studied experimentally when the entrained fluid is both a single-phase liquid (water) and a dual-phase liquid/gas mixture (water/air). The experimental program consists of 27 tests utilizing a clear ejector representative of those employed in aerospace applications for measurement of pressure profile and specially designed for visualization of bubble and flow patterns. Motive fluid is supplied from 4.5 to 18 GPM and available fluid head is supplied from 3 to 9 inches of water above the secondary inlet. The analytical model extends previous models that describe single-phase performance from mass and energy conservation. The empirical loss coefficients are replaced by analytical equations accounting for the geometry of and flow conditions within the individual ejector components. The results show consistently better agreement with the experimental data than those delivered by existing models, reducing the root mean square error of the pressure recovery prediction to less than 10% of its former value.Item Effects of polysulfone support layer on the performance of thin film composite (TFC) membranes(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2012) Ding, Chuan; Deng, Baolin[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] The performance of thin film composite (TFC) membranes was correlated with the support layers. Polysulfone (PSF) Support layers with additive polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were formed by the phase inversion process and thin films polyamide (PA) were formed by the interfacial polymerization. The effects of polymer concentration and additive concentration on the support layer such as pure water flux, equilibrium water content, molecular weight cut off were investigated. And the performances of TFC membrane were exhibited with respect to water flux and salt rejection. The pure water flux and equilibrium water content were decreased while polymer concentration increased. And the water flux of TFC membrane decreased due to the less effective area of PA. The addition of PVP in the casting solution resulted in more porous and hydrophilic support layer. But the water flux of TFC membranes was decreased because the larger effective thickness of PA.