A Web‐based and Group Learning Environment for Introductory Environmental Engineering

The use of computer‐based technology is becoming more prevalent in the classroom. As a part of an educational research project sponsored by the GE Foundation, strategies for augmenting a course, Introduction to Environmental Engineering (CE 280), were investigated including cross‐disciplinary experiences in teamwork, design, and the use of advanced teaching technologies such as the web. Interactive tools to assist student learning were developed and refined. Efforts have focused on developing an extensive website, web‐based quizzes and homework assignments, and tutorials. Base groups were used to provide both intellectual and emotional support to students. This paper summarizes the development of this course and the impact of rapid feedback on the progression of student understanding.     

On the influence of N on residual microstrain in cryomilled Ni

The factors that influence the development of residual microstrain during milling in a liquid nitrogen atmosphere, defined hereafter as cryomilling, are investigated. The residual microstrains in cryomilled Ni, processed under various cryomilling conditions, were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and analyzed through the single line approximation (SLA) method. The average residual microstrains are determined to be in the range of 2×10⁻³ to 6×10⁻³. The residual microstrain on the (200) plane is higher than those on the other planes by 33 pct. The residual microstrain and its anisotropy in Ni are reduced after heat treatment at 800 °C for 1 hour. The measured microstrain is proposed to evolve from the presence of N and O as impurity atoms in the Ni lattice. Both N and O are introduced from the environment and then their solubility in Ni is enriched via the generation of defects that occurs during cryomilling. The stable site for N and O atoms in Ni is the octahedral site, and the sizes of N and O atoms exceed those of the octahedral site of Ni by 48 and 16 pct respectively. Accordingly, a lattice strain field is expected around interstitial N atoms that are located at octahedral sites. By comparing the crystal structure around the octahedral site, the stable site for impurity N atoms, in the Ni lattice with that of Ni₃N structure, the lattice strains are estimated to be in the range of 5 to 15 pct. The result shows that the (200) plane has strains that are 2 times higher than those in other planes, and this is argued to be the reason for the measured anisotropy of residual strain in Ni after cryomilling.     

Glass fiber-filled thermoplastics. I. Wall and processing effects on rheological properties

A systematic study of wall effects on the shear viscosity of short glass fiber-filled polypropylene and polystyrene is presented. The dependence of these effects on capillary radius, shear rate, temperature, and polymer matrix is examined. The “true” viscosity curves of these materials (free from wall effects) can be obtained by an extrapolation procedure. Breakage of glass fibers in the high shear-rate processes of extrusion and injection molding lead to an appreciable reduction of the viscosity of these materials and is probably the more important effect to take into account in these processes.     

Proton-exchange optical waveguides in Z-cut LiNbO/sub 3/ using toluic acid

Proton-exchanged planar waveguides were demonstrated in Z-cut LiNBO/sub 3/ using toluic acid as a new organic proton source. These waveguides exhibit a propagation loss of around 1 dB/cm, and a step refractive index profile with an index increase of 0.124 measured at 0.663 mu m. The diffusion rate was found to be lower than those obtained using the popular benzoic and phosphoric acids.<>     

Enhancement of oxide break-up by implantation of fluorine inpoly-Si emitter contacted p+-n shallow junctionformation

In this study, it is demonstrated that the incorporation of fluorine can enhance poly-Si/Si interfacial oxide break-up in the poly-Si emitter contacted p⁺-n shallow junction formation. The annealing temperature for breaking up the poly-Si/Si interfacial oxide has been found to be as low as 900°C. As a result, the junction depth of the BF₂-implanted device is much larger than that of the boron-implanted device     

Homozygous parent affected sib pair method for detecting disease predisposing variants: application to insulin dependent diabetes mellitus

For complex genetic diseases involving incomplete penetrance, genetic heterogeneity, and multiple disease genes, it is often difficult to determine the molecular variant(s) responsible for the disease pathogenesis. Linkage and association studies may help identify genetic regions and molecular variants suspected of being directly responsible for disease predisposition or protection, but, especially for complex diseases, they are less useful for determining when a predisposing molecular variant has been identified. In this paper, we expand upon the simple concept that if a genetic factor predisposing to disease has been fully identified, then a parent homozygous for this factor should transmit either of his/her copies at random to any affected children. Closely linked markers are used to determine identity by descent values in affected sib pairs from a parent homozygous for a putative disease predisposing factor. The expected deviation of haplotype sharing from 50%, when not all haplotypes carrying this factor are in fact equally predisposing, has been algebraically determined for a single locus general disease model. Equations to determine expected sharing for multiple disease alleles or multiple disease locus models have been formulated. The recessive case is in practice limiting and therefore can be used to estimate the maximum proportion of putative susceptibility haplotypes which are in fact predisposing to disease when the mode of inheritance of a disease is unknown. This method has been applied to 27 DR3/DR3 parents and 50 DR4/DR4 parents who have at least 2 children affected with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). The transmission of both DR3 and DR4 haplotypes is statistically different from 50% (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively). An upper estimate for the proportion of DR3 haplotypes associated with a high IDDM susceptibility is 49%, and for DR4 haplotypes 38%. Our results show that the joint presence of non-Asp at DQ beta position 57 and Arg at DQ alpha position 52, which has been proposed as a strong IDDM predisposing factor, is insufficient to explain the HLA component of IDDM predisposition.     

Effects of hot carrier induced interface state generation insubmicron LDD MOSFET's

A two-dimensional numerical simulation including a new interface state generation model has been developed to study the performance variation of a LDD MOSFET after a dc voltage stress. The spatial distribution of hot carrier induced interface states is calculated with a breaking silicon-hydrogen bond model. Mobility degradation and reduction of conduction charge due to interface traps are considered. A 0.6 μm LDD MOSFET was fabricated. The drain current degradation and the substrate current variation after a stress were characterized to compare the simulation. A reduction of the substrate current at V_g ≃0.5 V_d in a stressed device was observed from both the measurement and the simulation. Our study reveals that the reduction is attributed to a distance between a maximum channel electric field and generated interface states