Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Barren County'

Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiologic agent of Chagas disease, infects a variety of wild mammals in the southern United States, but it has only recently been isolated from raccoons trapped in the state of Kentucky. The purpose of the present study was to use a molecular genotyping approach, followed by DNA sequencing to determine the genotypes (type I, or types IIa-IIe) of 15 of the Kentucky isolates. DNA samples were prepared from 15 T. cruzi- isolates using a Qiagen mini kit, and PCR amplification was performed using published primers for the 24S α rDNA sequence (D71 and D72), the non-transcribed spacer of the mini-exon genes (TC, TC1, and TC2), the 18S rDNA sequence (V1 and V2), and TCZ1 and TCZ2 primers that amplify a 188-base pair segment of the repetitive 195-bp nuclear DNA sequence of T. cruzi. DNA sequencing (ABI 3130 Genetic Analyzer) was performed on all amplification products obtained from the PCR analysis of the RW2 and RB12 isolates (randomly selected to represent both Warren and Barren counties of Kentucky; the number started with an “R” which stood for raccoon, a “W” for Warren County or a “B” for Barren County, followed by a number which represented the order in which animal was trapped). The resulting sequences were edited before analysis using the BLAST database of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Genbank. All 15 isolates were positively confirmed as T. cruzi based upon PCR amplification of a 195 bp repetitive genomic DNA sequence, and all 15 isolates showed identical PCR amplification results with all 4 sets of T. cruzi-specific primers. Two positive PCR samples were randomly selected for further DNA sequence analysis, and all samples were positively identified as the type IIa genotype of T. cruzi with max identities ranging from 94%-99%. The results of this study confirm that all hemoculture isolates obtained from raccoons trapped in Warren and Barren counties of Kentucky are T. cruzi. Furthermore, all BLAST comparisons of amplicon DNA sequences showed high sequence identity to type IIa strains of T. cruzi. The type IIa strain of T. cruzi is the most commonly reported genotype from raccoons trapped in the U.S.A.

In July 1980, the Barren River District Health Department (BRDHD), serving eight counties (combined population approximately 204,000) in Southcentral Kentucky, was selected as a demonstration site under the auspices of the federal Health Education Risk Reduction (HERR) Program. With continued HERR funding for eight years, the BRDHD developed several successful health promotion projects. Major components of these projects include: 1) community health promotion, which serves to identify high -risk groups in the community and provide them with health education-health promotion services, 2) school health education which included the development of a preschool health education curriculum, 3) teacher education workshop, which instructs primary and secondary public school teachers in health education methods, 4) smoking cessation. and 5) a large industrial wellness program. This study reports on an eight year program evaluation of the HERR demonstration. Overall, the program evaluation suggests an increase in health knowledge and some attitude and behavior change for many of the participants ii BRDHD programs.

In this study, we use a nonparametric technique, locally weighted robust least squares regression (LOESS), to forecast a 24 hour demand profile at the household level and compare it to existing aggregate demand models discussed in literature. Of these aggregate demand models, a quadratic autoregressive model was selected to be used as a basis for comparison with the LOESS forecasts. It was our goal to automate the forecasting process by using the goodness of fit metric, AICCI, for smoothing parameter selection. The statistical workflow was executed using SAS and data was provided by the Glasgow Electric Plant Board of Barren County, Kentucky. Results show that LOESS outperformed the autoregressive model in roughly 80% of all cases and than using LOESS alone or as part of an ensemble model is a feasible approach to automating future household demand profile for the purpose of generating different levels of power demand profile aggregation as needed by Glasgow Electronic Plant Board.

Ten varieties of oats were grown in a trial to test grain yield. Five of the varieties produced more than 4,000 pounds per acre; the top - yielding variety, Ogle, from Minnesota, produced 4,578 pounds per acre. Difficulties in establishing a perfect stand with the small plot grain drill would probably mean that a farmer could expect yields higher than these when using full -sized equipment. Considering the premium for oats, oats for grain could be a viable alternative crop.

Eight barley varieties were tested in a replicated variety trial in northern Cochise county. These varieties varied from relatively early maturing varieties, such as Barcot4 to the longer maturing varieties, such as Gustoe. The medium -late variety, Northrup King 1558, was the top - yielding variety, with 7,185 pounds per acre. This exceeded the yield of the standard variety, Gustoe, by 15 percent, making NK 1558 a variety that should be looked at further. It will be marketed by Northrup King under the name Sunbar 458.

Sixteen winter wheat varieties (including three hybrids) were evaluated in a randomized, complete block experiment, with four replications. Stephens, the standard variety grown in the area, was outyielded by four of the winter wheat cultivars, including two of the hybrids. The highest yielding cultivar was a hybrid, Bounty 100, which yielded 5853 pounds per acre (23% higher than Stephens).

This thesis focuses on the financial careers of Lionel and Barron Jacobs in Tucson, Arizona, from 1867 to 1913. As early merchants, the Jacobs brothers discovered that cash and credit were scarce in the region, and in 1870 opened a money exchange and lending business. Then in 1879, the Jacobs brothers opened the Pima County Bank to serve the increased economic activity caused by the Tombstone silver discoveries. Mastering the details of banking, they developed management skills and insights. They organized and operated the First National Bank of Tucson (1882-1885), the Bank of Tucson (1885-1887), the Consolidated Bank of Tucson (1887-1890), and the Arizona National Bank (1890-1913). At retirement the Jacobs brothers were among the preeminent financiers of Arizona. A study of their banking experience provides a valuable perspective on the economic growth of southern Arizona during the late nineteenth century and mirrors the problems that bankers faced on remote frontiers.

The high yielding spring wheats grown in Arizona usually require applications of fertilizer nitrogen (N) to achieve optimum grain yields and acceptable quality. The University of Arizona's currently recommended procedure (preplant soil plus periodic stem tissue analysis for NO₃-N to predict the N needs of wheat) is not widely used by Graham County growers for various reasons. A nitrogen fertility trial was conducted at the Safford Agricultural Center during the 1986-87 crop year to: 1) examine the relationships between basal stem nitrate-N levels, grain yields of durum wheat, and N fertilizer rates; and 2) to test the accuracy of the recommended procedure for predicting the N needs of durum wheat. Five rates of N from O to 419 lbs N /acre were applied in three split applications. One additional N treatment was made as indicated by the current University of Arizona procedure. Maximum grain yields of 5500 to 6200 lbs /a and protein levels in excess of 14.5% were attained with the application of at least 186 lbs NIA. An untimely early season irrigation induced a temporary N deficiency condition for all plots, which may have kept grain yields below the maximum yield possibility for this site. In spite of this, the amount of N predicted by the University of Arizona procedure (197 lbsN/acre) did attain an adjusted economic return which was not significantly different from the maximum numerical yield that was achieved for any of the other N treatments.

Three varieties of feed wheat were compared in an on farm demonstration in the Safford valley. AC79 -97, developed by the University of Arizona for the Safford area,produced the largest amount of high protein feed Comparing 200 and 300 pound per acre seeding rates, both AC79 -97 and Super -X yielded slightly more grain at the 200 pound rate than at the 300 pound rate. Yolo, a feed wheat variety that has done well in the Sacramento valley in California, yielded slightly lower than the Super-X.

Collecting additional data to calibrate and refine current guidelines for interpreting soil and plant test values for P is an ongoing need in Arizona. An experiment was conducted at the Safford Agricultural Center during the 1987 -88 crop year to evaluate the response of 'Aldura' durum wheat to P fertilizer applications on a clay loam soil testing low in available P. Maximum grain yields of more than 5,500 lbs. /A were obtained by banding 40 lbs. P₂O₅/A as triple super phosphate with the seed at planting. A December 9 planting date subjected plants to cold soil temperatures early in the season (up to 80 days after planting), rendering soil P less available for plant utilization. Preplant soil P analyses predicted the yield increase observed with P fertilization (11.2 %);however, economic returns were not sufficient to offset the cost of P fertilizer. The recommended preplant soil test for P proved accurate in predicting P status and stem PO₄⁻P tissue analyses seemed reliable in monitoring P nutrition of durum wheat. A critical nutrient range of 1200 - 2000 ppm PO₄⁻P is proposed for basal stem tissue sampled prior to the joint growth stage, and 1500 - 1706 ppm PO₄⁻P is suggested for flag leaf tissue sampled at the boot stage.

Obtaining optimal yields of spring wheat in Arizona normally requires applications of fertilizer nitrogen (N), and occasionally phosphorus (P). The University of Arizona currently recommends preplant soil tests for NO₃-N and P, plus periodic stem tissue NO₃-N analyses to predict the N and P needs of wheat. Preplant application of P within the root zone of growing plants is suggested due to the immobility of P in soils. Split applications of N broadcast to dry soil preceding irrigations are generally recommended. Collecting additional data to calibrate and refine current guidelines for interpreting soil and plant test values is an ongoing need in Arizona. An experiment was conducted at the Safford Agricultural Center during the 1986-87 crop year to evaluate the response of "Aldura" durum wheat to banded and broadcast N and P, and split applications of N on a clay loam soil testing low in NO₃-N and available P. Maximum grain yields of over 4,500 lbs./A were obtained by banding of 40 lbs. P₂O₅ /A and 32 lbs. N/A as 16-20-0 at planting and broadcasting 118 lbs. urea-N/A prior to seeding. Stem tissue NO₃-N analyses revealed that N deficient conditions prevailed throughout the growing season in all fertilizer treatments. Treatments in which the preassigned rate of N was split into three applications produced the lowest yields due to serious N deficiency early in the season. The stem NO₃-N tissue test proved accurate in predicting N status and a stem. PO₄-P tissue test seemed reliable in monitoring P nutrition of durum wheat.

Si de nombreuses études ont été consacrées à l'analyse des grands tours préparatoires aux sorties, aux sorties elles-mêmes et aux lâchers de barre en barre fixe ou barre supérieure de barres asymétriques, les éléments avec envol pour passer d'une barre à l'autre aux barres asymétriques (lâcher la barre inférieure pour saisir la barre supérieure ou l'inverse) n'ont, à notre connaissance, pas fait l'objet de telles études. Cette thèse de doctorat présente dans sa première partie une analyse cinématique du " pieds barre temps de ventre " ainsi qu'une analyse des moments cinétique et d'inertie mis en jeu par deux groupes de gymnastes, des expertes et des novices, lors de la réalisation de ce mouvement. La deuxième partie met en évidence des lois de contrôle moteur utilisées par les deux groupes pour réaliser l'élément. Afin de déterminer si les mouvements des deux groupes sont susceptibles d'améliorations et si la trajectoire créée au lâcher de la barre inférieure ou la gestuelle mise en jeu influence davantage la performance, une optimisation du pieds barre temps de ventre est proposée dans la troisième partie. Enfin, l'effet de l'introduction d'une loi de contrôle moteur dans le processus d'optimisation sur le réalisme des mouvements optimisés est envisagé.

The aim of this study was to examine the District Court´s argumentations about the children´s best interests in rulings regarding custody of children, and to analyse the argumentation from a gender perspective. Rulings from the District Court from 2012 have been the basis for this study and a qualitative method has been used, argumentations analysis. The study shows that cooperative problems between the parents are the main reason why the District Court finds joint custody to be excluded. There are also argumentation regarding parent´s ability to ensure the children’s safety. The presumption of joint custody is known to be emphatic in Swedish law and in those cases the District Court finds it in the best interest of the child for the joint custody to remain, the parents still have problems cooperating but not sufficiently to repeal the importance of both parents in the child´s life. In the rulings leading up to both joint and sole custody conceptions of female and male attributes can be found, and differences regarding what´s considered good and bad attributes. The study shows differences in how we expect women and men to be parents. Conceptions of class- and ethnicity however, are rarer. The analysis also shows views of parenthood as being gender complementary, where the father´s presence is seen as a complement to the mother´s main caring responsibility. Finally, the study shows a guiding from the District Court to the fathers about getting them more involved in their children´s life, and of the importance of the Social Services Custody Report regarding the verdict.

Le monde industriel est fortement intéressé par un ensemble de techniques permettant de déterminer l'état de santé des machines asynchrones triphasées à cage d'écureuil. Leur modélisation en vue de la surveillance et du diagnostic s'insère dans ce contexte. On inscrit en premier lieu l'ensemble de ces travaux dans le cadre strict de la sûreté de fonctionnement. Cette discipline offre en effet un cadre adapté pour une présentation formalisée des défaillances courantes pouvant affecter les machines asynchrones triphasées à cage d'écureuil. On propose en second lieu une modélisation riche et flexible permettant d'appréhender le comportement de ces machines en présence ou en absence de défaillances. Cette modélisation, synthétisée à partir d'hypothèses peu restrictives, s'appuie sur une description de la topologie constitutive et géométrique réelle des machines asynchrones triphasées à cage d'écureuil sous la forme de circuits électriques magnétiquement couplés. Une défaillance conduisant toujours à une altération topologique de la structure électromagnétique, cette approche permet en effet d'en rendre compte aisément. De nature semi-analytique et ne faisant pas appel aux techniques de calcul numérique des champs, elle offre de plus un compromis intéressant entre la finesse des phénomènes physiques pris en compte et le temps de calcul associé, que ce soit en régime permanent ou en régime dynamique. Les objectifs de cette modélisation sont multiples : compréhension des phénomènes physiques mis en jeu et prédiction de la dégradation des performances lors de l'occurrence de défaillances, extraction et analyse des signatures de défaillances, expérimentation virtuelle pour la mise au point de méthodes de surveillance et de diagnostic. Des résultats expérimentaux issus de prototypes défaillants de machines asynchrones triphasées à cage d'écureuil viennent enfin confirmer le bon comportement de la modélisation adoptée.

Le travail présenté dans cette thèse propose des nouvelles méthodes de diagnostic des défauts dans les machines à courant alternatif. Les procédures de diagnostic décrites sont fiables, originales, peu coûteuses et simples à mettre en œuvre. Elles présentent l’avantage d’être non invasives et viennent éliminer le principal inconvénient présenté par les autres méthodes de diagnostic déjà connues qui ont recours à la comparaison avec un état supposé sain et connu. L’analyse porte principalement sur le champ magnétique de dispersion, plus particulièrement ses composantes axiales et radiales qui présentent des sensibilités différentes aux défauts. À cet effet, les phénomènes dus aux défauts de court-circuit entre spires dans le bobinage statorique, l’excentricité et la rupture de barres rotoriques, sont étudiés. Il est abordé en particulier les effets de ces défauts dans le cas de la machine asynchrone et celui de la machine synchrone sur le champ axial et sur le champ radial. Pour chaque défaut, des signatures spécifiques sont mises en évidence et expliquées par la modélisation analytique et la modélisation numérique qui comprend les méthodes par circuits électriques couplés et méthodes par éléments finis. Des défauts ont été créés au rotor et au stator sur différentes machines, afin de valider expérimentalement les méthodes de diagnostic proposées
The work described in this thesis proposes new procedures to diagnose faults in AC machines. The diagnostic procedures described are reliable, original, inexpensive and simple to implement. They have the advantage of being noninvasive and just get rid from the main drawback presented by other diagnostic methods based on a comparison with a healthy state assumed to be known. The analysis focuses on the magnetic field dispersion in the vicinity of the machine, especially its radial an axial distribution which presents different sensitivity according to various faults. To this end, the phenomena due to inter-turn short-circuit faults in the stator winding, rotor eccentricity and broken rotor bars, are studied in the case of an induction machine and a synchronous machine. For each fault, specific signatures are identified and justified by analytical modeling and numerical method of analysis including coupled electric circuit and finite element methods. Defects have been created in the rotor and stator on different machines in order to validate experimentally the suggested diagnostic procedures

Abstract : The present study addressed the feasibility of reinforced-concrete squat walls totally reinforced with GFRP bars to attain reasonable strength and drift requirements as specified in different codes. Nine large-scale squat walls with aspect ratio (height to length ratio) of 1.33—one reinforced with steel bars (as reference specimen) and eight totally reinforced with GFRP bars—were constructed and tested to failure under quasi-static reversed cyclic lateral loading. The key studied parameters were: (1) use of bidiagonal web reinforcement; (2) use of bidiagonal sliding reinforcement; and (3) web reinforcement configuration (horizontal and/or vertical) and ratio. The reported test results clearly revealed that GFRP-reinforced concrete (RC) squat walls have a satisfactory strength and stable cyclic behavior as well as self-centering ability that assisted in avoiding sliding shear that occurred in the companion steel-reinforced wall following steel yielding. The results are promising regarding using GFRP-reinforced squat walls in areas prone to seismic risk where environmental conditions are adverse to steel reinforcement. Bidiagonal web reinforcement was shown to be more effective than conventional web reinforcement in controlling shear-cracks width. Using bidiagonal sliding reinforcement was demonstrated to be not necessary to prevent sliding shear. The horizontal web reinforcement ratio was found to have a significant effect in enhancing the ultimate strength and deformation capacity as long as the failure is dominant by diagonal tension. Existence of both horizontal and vertical web reinforcement was shown to be essential for cracks recovery. Assessment of the ultimate strengths using the available FRP-reinforced elements code and guidelines (CSA S806-12 and ACI 440.1R-15) was conducted and some recommendations were proposed to attain a reasonable estimation of ultimate strengths. Given their importance in estimating the walls’ later displacement, the effective flexural and shear stiffness of the investigated walls were evaluated. It was found that the cracked shear stiffness could be estimated based on the truss model; while the flexural stiffness can be estimated based on the available expressions in FRP-reinforced elements codes and guidelines. Based on a regression analysis, a simple model that directly correlates the flexural and shear stiffness degradation of the test walls to their top lateral drift was also proposed.
Résumé : La présente étude traite de la faisabilité de voiles courts en béton armé totalement renforcés avec des barres de polymères renforcés de fibres de verre (PRFV), obtenant une résistance et un déplacement latéral raisonnable par rapport aux exigences spécifiées dans divers codes. Neuf voiles à grande échelle ont été construits: un renforcé avec des barres d'acier (comme spécimen de référence) et huit renforcés totalement avec des barres de PRFV. Les voiles ont été testés jusqu’à la rupture sous une charge quasi-statique latérale cyclique inversée. Les voiles ont une hauteur de 2000 mm, une largeur de 1500 mm (élancement 2000 mm/1500 mm = 1,33) et une épaisseur de 200 mm. Les paramètres testés sont : 1) armature bi-diagonale dans l’âme; 2) armature bi-diagonale dans l’encastrement du mur à la fondation (zone de glissement); 3) configuration d’armature verticale et horizontale réparties dans l’âme et taux d’armature. Les résultats des essais ont clairement montré que les voiles courts en béton armé de PRFV ont une résistance satisfaisante et un comportement cyclique stable ainsi qu'une capacité d'auto-centrage qui ont aidé à éviter la rupture par glissement à l’encastrement (sliding shear). Ce mode de rupture (sliding shear) s’est produit pour le voile de référence armé d’acier après la plastification de l’armature. Les résultats sont prometteurs concernant l'utilisation de voiles en béton armé de PRFV dans les régions sismiques dans lesquelles les conditions environnementales sont défavorables à l’armature d’acier (corrosion). L’armature bi-diagonale en PRFV dans l’âme s’est avérée plus efficace pour le contrôle des largeurs de fissures de cisaillement comparativement à l’armature répartie dans l’âme. L'utilisation d'un renforcement de cisaillement bi-diagonal a été démontrée comme n'étant pas nécessaire dans les voiles courts en béton armé de PRFV pour prévenir la rupture par glissement à l’encastrement (shear sliding). Par ailleurs, les résultats d’essais ont montré que le taux d’armature horizontale répartie dans l’âme a un effet significatif sur l’augmentation de la résistance et la capacité en déformation des voiles dont la rupture par effort tranchant se fait par des fissures diagonales (tension failure). L'existence d’armature verticale et horizontale répartie dans l’âme du voile en béton armé de PRFV s'est révélée essentielle pour l’ouverture et la fermeture des fissures au cours des chargements cycliques. Les normes calcul CSA S806-12 et ACI 440.1R-15 ont été utilisées pour évaluer la résistance au cisaillement des voiles courts en béton armé de PRFV. Certaines recommandations ont été proposées pour obtenir une estimation raisonnable des forces ultimes. Compte tenu de leur importance dans l'estimation du déplacement latérale des voiles, la rigidité effective en flexion et en cisaillement des voiles étudiés a été évaluée. On a constaté que la raideur de cisaillement du béton fissuré pourrait être estimée en utilisant le modèle de treillis. La rigidité à la flexion peut être, quant à elle, estimée en fonction des expressions disponibles dans les normes et les guides de conception de membrures en béton armé avec des barres en PRFV. Sur la base d'une analyse de régression, un modèle simple qui corrèle directement la dégradation de la rigidité en flexion et en cisaillement des voiles courts en béton armé de PRFV testés avec le déplacement latérale dans la partie supérieure des voiles a également été proposé.