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Integrated Geophysical Examination Of A Former Refinery Site, Carson City, Michigan, Kennedy Opiyo Mwanda

Masters Theses

Integrated geophysical surveys, including electromagnetic (EM-31), magnetic, dc resistivity, and ground penetrating radar (GPR) methods and soil borings were used to investigate part of a former refinery site in Carson City, Michigan, which has more than a 50-year history of hydrocarbon contamination.

Although not readily evident on the magnetic anomaly maps, the EM-31 conductivity map clearly revealed many sections of buried pipes of various lengths and orientations. Also evident on the EM maps are extensive near surface conductivity anomalies. Soil borings in zones of anomalous conductivities to the west suggest the presence of shallow clays with pooled hydrocarbons at depths …

Inorganic And Organic Chemistry Of The Former Lakeside Refinery In Kalamazoo, Michigan, Kurt W. Carlson

Masters Theses

The focus of this investigation of the Lakeside Refinery site is the inorganic geochemistry because previous investigations concerned organics and heavy metals. Because little nitrate is in native groundwater, high dissolved ammonia immediately downgradient from a petroleum body suggests the source is the petroleum and/or associated byproducts. Iron reduction is most prominent immediately upgradient from the known and measurable petroleum while manganese reduction occurs mostly downgradient. Sulfate reduction occurs mostly towards the southern portion of the light petroleum LNAPL. Based on concentrations of nitrate, manganese, iron and sulfate along a groundwater flow path, there appears to be a sequential use …

Negotiated Families: Lesbians And Institutions In Southwest Michigan, Cynthia E. Foor

Masters Theses

In this thesis, I look at the practices of certain lesbians and locate them within a particular historical and cultural context. I argue that the resources, the capital, both material and social, as well as the internalized orientations and expectations each woman brings to the crafting of her family, accounts for the particular family each has negotiated. It is within the particular historical constraints and opportunities that we can understand each family's experiences. The uniqueness of family experience is predicated on differences in the women's ages linked to the particular historical trajectory of sociopolitical changes in the U. S. Yet …

Development Of Water-Based Ink System For Braille Printing, Saurabh Varma

Masters Theses

The most commonly used system of writing by and for blind persons is called Braille, named after its French inventor, Louis Braille (1809-1952). Braille is comprised of a rectangular six-dot cell on its end, with up to 63 possible combinations using one or more of the six dots. Braille is the only reliable method of literacy for blind persons, because it enables them to read and write by touch¹.

Currently, Braille is printed by special embossers that serve as a printing press. These embossers create Braille output when it is attached appropriately to computers. The speed of these …

The Sense Of The Past In Saint Antoninus Of Florence's Summa Historialis, Brian Nathaniel Becker

Masters Theses

This study examines Antoninus of Florence’s Chronicles for the presence of a "sense of the past.” Through the careful examination of those sections of the Chronicles that are original to Antoninus and the utilization of important scholarly works on medieval and Renaissance Italian literature, it is shown that the Chronicles is characteristic of both a history written in the traditional "medieval” style and the increasingly modem style of historical writing that was coming into vogue during the later part of his life in mid-fifteenth century Florence. By defining a "sense of history” as containing, and organizing the three body chapters …

Microbial Community Structure In Hydrocarbon Impacted Sediment Associated With Anomalous Geophysical Signatures, Joseph W. Duris

Masters Theses

The Crystal Refinery is a former refinery site in Carson City Michigan that has had historic releases of refined and unrefined crude oil dating back to the late 1940's. The contamination of soil with light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPL) has had a dynamic impact on the subsurface environment in adjacent Carson City Park. Very little is known about the complex interactions between microbial communities, geochemistry and geophysics. In order to investigate possible connections between these parameters a multidisciplinary study was undertaken to investigate the hypothesis that the degradation of LNAPL by resident microbial communities causes a local increase in organic …

Lifecourse Of A Community Survey, Craig Tollini

Masters Theses

This paper seeks to uncover the factors that may have impacted how the officials of a medium sized, Midwestern city used the results of a survey of city residents, which had been conducted by the same university-based research center for sixteen years, in their budget and policy decision-making process. The researchers who directed the survey project and the officials who designed the survey and/or were in a position to use its results were interviewed, and various written materials related to the survey project, from memos between the city manager and the researcher to the final report the researcher provided to …

Measuring Urban Sprawl In Kalamazoo Region: A Land Cover Approach, Olena I. Smith

Masters Theses

Urban sprawl is a common American problem that has continued unabated throughout the last six decades. The pattern of urban sprawl in many metropolitan areas of Michigan is typical for much of the United States. Urban sprawl has been recognized as a major social problem in Michigan since the beginning of the 1990's. However, few studies measure urban sprawl by utilizing land cover information.

This research is a temporally comparative study that concentrates on changing patterns of "land cover" (the way land is covered by natural or human activities) from 1978 to 1996 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The study focuses on …

Metastable Phases Of Mgo-Tio2 Solid Solutions, Liang-Chieh Ma

Masters Theses

Magnesium titanium oxide powders were synthesized by the sol-gel method using alkoxides of magnesium and titanium with different ratios. Matastable phases of qandilite, Mg₂TiO₄, were found with Mg:Ti ratios down to 1.52:1 in lower temperature 600 °C than in the equilibrium condition which is above 1200 °C. Powder samples were examined by neutron powder diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for analysis of structure and oxidation states. Also, samples were tested for the Mg:Ti ratios by induced coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The structure refinements of the samples were done by General Structure Analysis System (GSAS) …

Arab American Interest Groups And Congressional Decisionmaking: A Case Study Of The Arab American Institute, Robert L. Harbaugh

Masters Theses

Unlike other ethnic communities in the U.S., such as the Jewish and Hispanic communities, the political power of the Arab American community is largely unknown. Therefore, one manner to gain insight into the political power of Arab Americans is to study the interest groups that represent their ethnic community. This study uses the Arab American Institute as the leading Arab American interest group.

The study recognizes that there are three important variables to determining Arab American influence. The first is voting and is not examined in this study. The second two, which are examined, are direct lobbying on Congress and …

Adaptation Of Project Finance To Small Contractor Financing, Ragunathan Venkateswaran

Masters Theses

One key reason for the poor performance of small construction establishments in securing a higher chunk of the annual project volume is funding. While construction industry does not require a large capital investment it does require a large working capital to start up the project and generate bills so that the resulting cash flow may take over the remaining funding requirements. Unfortunately for small contractors there are very limited options available from the banks or other lending institutions to cover this large working capital requirement in the absence of sufficient collateral. The "Project Finance" method, which has been used in …

Examining The Effects Of Individualized Computer Work Station Adjustments And Performance Management On Safe Behavior, Kathryn Culig

Masters Theses

The first purpose of this study was to examine the effects of office ergonomic assessments and resulting computer workstation adjustments on safe behavior. The adjustments were designed to reduce or eliminate barriers to performing safely, thus creating an environment that would allow participants to assume safe behaviors. The second purpose of the study was to examine the effects of a performance management (PM) package, including ergonomic information, graphic feedback, and praise, which targeted those behaviors that did not substantially change as a result of the workstation adjustments. A multiple baseline design across participants was used to assess the effects of …

The Social Roles Of The Early Irish Monastery Of Kildare And Its Paruchia Within The Kingdom Of Leinster, Bridgette K. Slavin

Masters Theses

Monastic settlements in early medieval Ireland were active: politically, socially, economically, and spiritually. While an ascetic life was ideal, these communities were in fact often lively participants in the secular affairs around them. Yet, detailed studies of ecclesiastical social structure and its economic and political influence on early Irish society have been, for the most part, not attempted while disagreements concerning organization continue to haunt scholars of the early Irish church. Moreover, as Colman Etchingham aptly points out in his recent publication, Church Organisation in Ireland, AD 650 to 1000, detailed studies of individual religious communities will bring to …

Building Deconstruction Guidelines: Tools For Recovering Building Materials, Ali Ayedh Merzen

Masters Theses

The traditional method of tearing down building when its life cycle is completed is known as demolition, which means destroying most of the structures and burying it in the landfills. This is the most common practice in most countries, but in recent years there is a new movement toward using the components of these buildings. Burying usable or recyclable materials in landfills means more pollution and increasing the need for more landfills. The concept of reusing or recycling building materials is known as Deconstruction. This practice is relatively new in the construction industry and requires more research and studies to …

Using The Boundary Element Method For Prediction Of Sound Radiated From An Arbitrarily Shaped Vibrating Body, Mark J. Christensen

Masters Theses

The Boundary Element Method can be used to predict sound pressure levels radiated from an arbitrarily shaped vibrating body. Using the Direct, Indirect and Approximation formulation one can solve such an ‘exterior’ acoustic problem. In this work, the Direct formulation was chosen. The two major methods employed for implementation of this formulation are the Combined Helmholtz Integral Equation Formulation (CHIEF) and the Burton–Miller Method. Since the CHIEF method was easier to program and adapt to changes, it was decided that the CHIEF method would be the focus of this research. Using the CHIEF method as a guide, a computer simulation …

They're Getting Away With Murder: The Social Account Ability Of Collegiate Athletes, Justina Ixcia Phillips

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research is to study deviant behavior among collegiate student athletes. This study involves institutions in the Midwest region of the United States, particularly the Mid-American Conference (MAC). This study took on a sociological approach by interviewing specialized athletic officials, and examining different levels of social control by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), along with its interaction with the Mid-American Conference. Various variables that affect social control such as gender, race, and economic conditions were also examined to get an understanding of how these factors influence behavior.

Development Of A Simulation For The Prediction Of Pvdf Surface Velocity Sensor Response For Vibrating Beams And Rectangular Plates, Brian C. Zellers

Masters Theses

A simulation for the prediction of Polyvinylidene Flouride (or PVDF) sensor charge response to structural vibration displacements of beam and rectangular plate structures was developed. The simulation uses measured vibration displacements from an actual structure using point sensors (accelerometers) assembled in an array on the surface of the structure. The PVDF sensor charge output equation was written for a PVDF film of constant spatial sensitivity so that numerical analysis tools in Matlab® can be used to solve the equation. Preliminary experimental results showed that the bending strain component, due to transverse vibration displacements, is the dominant term for both the …

An Imaging System For Concrete Bridge Inspection, Mohammed Talal Al-Bataineh

Masters Theses

Bridges are the most important element in the road network because of, the strategic position a bridge occupies, its direct impact on safety, and its high cost. Therefore, a continuous maintenance and inspection should be performed. During the past years visual inspection has been the primary method of bridge inspection.

Pontis is a comprehensive bridge management system developed as a tool to assist in the challenging task of bridge management. Pontis stores bridge inventory and inspection data and formulates network-wide preservation and improvement policies for use in evaluating the needs of each bridge in a network.

The concrete bridge inspection …

High Oblique Photographic Assessment Of Lakeshore Residential Landscapes In Southwest Michigan, John E. Truchan

Masters Theses

In Southwest Michigan, a growing number of residential developments are evident as residences line nearly the entire shoreline of many inland lakes. This may cause a potential change to the lakeshore vegetation and water quality of the lake, but no data have been collected to determine shoreline conditions at present nor as baseline reference for estimation effects of the continuing trend, nor for planning models for future development.

A physical survey was conducted in order to determine what residential landscape characteristics currently exist at selected lakes in Barry and Kalamazoo counties, Michigan. The data from the physical survey were summarized …

Management Commitment To Construction Safety, Areen M. Shaar

Masters Theses

The objective of all businesses including construction is to make money and to be profitable. The costs resulting from personal injuries and equipment damage, combined with the associated financial impact resulting from schedule disruptions, insurance hikes, and workers compensation can definitely impact the profitability of any construction operation. Most times those costs can be minimized or avoided by giving safety more attention on construction job sites.

The main purpose of this research is to determine the correlation between management commitment to safety and its impacts on the frequency of injuries and illnesses. To achieve this, a survey was methodically developed …

The Social Construction Of Personal Protection Orders: Gendered Differences?, Kristen E. Devall

Masters Theses

Personal Protection Orders (PPOs) were enacted as one method of responding to the issue of domestic violence that was thought to be escalating in epidemic proportions across the United States. This research was grounded in social constructionist theory and sought to examine the perspectives of judges who authorize/deny PPOs and the implications these perspectives have for the legal process as well as the larger criminal justice system. Through my examination of the petitioning process, I gained insights about the relationships that exist between petitioners and respondents as well as the reasons petitioners cite for why s/he is seeking a PPO. …

Evaluation Of The Picture Exchange Communication System, Anne Rena Cummings

Masters Theses

The Picture Exchange Communication Systems (PECS) is a picture-based augmentative communication method that is widely accepted and utilized across children with a variety of disabilities. Despite its extensive dissemination, there is a dearth of empirically based support to document the effectiveness of PECS. The current study is the first to experimentally evaluate the effects of training during each of the 6 phases of PECS. Results indicated that with all 7 participants, the level of PECS responses consistently increased only after training was completed in Phases 1 through 4. In addition, all of the participants showed an increase in PECS responses …

Mechanistic Studies On The Antagonistic Effect Of Chromium On Bpde Mutant Frequency In Human Fibroblasts, Felicia Codrea

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible mechanisms involved in the decrease in mutant frequency when cells are treated with two different types of carcinogens: chromium (VI) in combination with benzo(a)pyrene diol epoxide (BPDE). Three of our working hypotheses are: Cr alone or Cr and BPDE synergistically activate detoxifying enzyme glutathione-S-transferase (GST), Cr alone or Cr and BPDE act synergistically to inhibit cell cycle at the G₁/S boundary thus allowing more time for DNA repair, and Cr alone or Cr and BPDE synergistically activate DNA repair systems which result in more efficient repair of DNA …

Practical Evaluation Of Psychotropic Medication, Lynne E. Turner

Masters Theses

Surveys indicate that 25-40% of students with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities receive one or more psychotropic medications, however, almost nothing is known concerning how the effects of the medications are monitored. Parents/guardians and teachers were interviewed to ascertain information regarding current monitoring procedures in the home and in the school setting. Additionally information was gathered to ascertain their knowledge regarding: 1) the reason for which their students were prescribed psychotropic medications; 2) the behavioral domains that those medications are intended to affect, 3) the current status of those behavioral domains, and 4) consumers' satisfaction with the pharmacological intervention. …

Non-Prescriptive Behavior Therapy: Effectiveness Of A Self-Help Book In Teaching Parents How To Manage Their Child’S “Picky Eating” Behavior, Sean T. Smitham

Masters Theses

The term "nonprescription" behavior therapies was first used by Rosen (1979) to describe behavioral interventions that could be totally self-administered without professional consultation. In his article, Rosen warned that empirical validation of self-help programs was needed. The present study examines the effectiveness of one such self-help program intended to help parents manage a minor pediatric feeding problem - "picky eating". "Picky Eating" (i.e., mild selectivity or selective eating) appears to be a common and relatively persistent feeding concern of otherwise typically developing children. Mild selectivity is usually regarded as a sub-clinical feeding problem. In the present study, five families with …

Lincoln Savings And Loan Scandal: A Case Study Of State-Corporate Crime, Ronald B. Coleman

Masters Theses

This thesis elaborates on the nature and scale of state-corporate crime in the Lincoln Savings & Loan Scandal. It provides an account of a political history of the savings and loan industry, the effect of economic deregulation, and the Garn-St. Germain deregulation legislation in the 1980s, which produced the criminogenic (conducive to crime) environment in the savings and loan industry.

This case study supports the hypothesis that criminal behavior at the organizational level results from a coincidence of pressure for goal attainment, availability and perceived attractiveness of illegitimate means, and an absence of effective social control. Therefore, the Lincoln …

Examining The Effects Of Conducting Beavior-Based Safety Observations, Joseph R. Sasson

Masters Theses

Eleven computer terminal operators participated in a series of interventions aimed at increasing safe ergonomic performance. All participants received ergonomics training and performance feedback, and approximately one half of the participants conducted observations for safe behavior. Conducting observations of safety-related behavior is a critical component of the Behavior-Based Safety (BBS) process, yet few researchers have studied the effects of conducting observations on the behavior of the observer. This study sought to examine the effects of conducting BBS observations on the safe performance of the observer in an applied setting. A multiple baseline across participants design was used to assess the …

Resonance Detection And Acoustic Behaviour In Polymer Intake Manifolds, Amrith Ramanan

Masters Theses

The Automotive Industry, over the last few years, has been placing major emphasis on the use of lightweight components in engines as well as other structural components. The material for these lightweight components are being chosen in such a way that they require minimal secondary operations to place the components in service. One area that has developed is the use of Polymer (Plastic) Intake Manifolds for Internal Combustion engines. Plastics meet all the criteria for quality low cost production with a minimum weight component. Plastic intake manifolds, however, have been found to be excessively noisy in operation. This noise can …

Tales Of Forbidden Love: A Sociological Analysis Of Interracial Intimacy, Candice L. Bryant

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the constructions of race, marriage, and love insofar as these components promote the exclusion of interracial intimacy and marriage from the dominant discourse. The study focuses on the ways in which the social sciences have polarized "blacks" and "whites" (linguistically, socially, and economically) thus, making it difficult for persons living in black and white skin to experience social affirmation through literature, media, and agents in everyday life.

A qualitative content analysis of historical and contemporary literature regarding interracial marriage and intimacy were conducted in conjunction with an auto ethnography of the author's …

Investigating El Nino Southern Oscillation And Tornado Activity In Texas, Joel R. Intrieri

Masters Theses

The possible relationships between El Nino Southern Oscillation and tornado frequency and intensity (as measured by the Fujita Scale) within Texas are explored in this paper. Reported tornado occurrences from 1950-2000 are compared to the Japan Meteorological Agency's Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Index to discover significant patterns and trends throughout the state. Overall, results reveal that more intense tornadoes are likely to touchdown during the cold phase (La Nina) of the ENSO cycle. Regional differences are also observed with the La Nina extreme favoring increases in tornado frequency and intensity within distinct areas of the state. Finally, the cold swing …