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The Role Of Error Analysis, Diagnostic Grading Procedures, And Student Reflection In First Semester Calculus Learning (Epistemology, Metacognition, Inquiry), Karen Jean Geuther

Doctoral Dissertations

The present study is an integrative study designed to explore the nature of student difficulties within the context of a first semester college calculus course. The techniques of error analysis were used to identify and categorize the student difficulties. Insights gained from this categorization served as the basis for the design and development of calculus grader preparation materials implemented with a subgroup of undergraduate calculus graders. These grader preparation materials emphasized grader diagnosis of student difficulties and student reflection on errors and process. Current preparation procedures served as the control on the basis of which comparisons and evaluations were made. …

Interaction Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons With Dissolved And Sediment Associated Humic Materials (Nmr, Fluorescence), Thomas Donald Gauthier

Doctoral Dissertations

A fluorescence quenching method was developed for determining association constants of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)s with dissolved and sediment bound humic materials. The technique is based upon the observation that PAH fluorescence in aqueous solution is quenched upon association with humic material. Association constants are derived from the fractional decrease in fluorescence intensity as a function of added humic material using Stern-Volmer plots. No separation is required and since the technique involves a ratio measurement the exact concentration of pollutant is not required. Anthracene-humic acid association constants normalized to the fraction of organic carbon in the sorbent (K(,oc)), determined by …

The Effect Of Parental Aggression On Children's Cognitive Development, Susan Elizabeth Craig

Doctoral Dissertations

The study investigated the relationship between parental aggression and children's cognitive development. Parental aggression was studied in terms of both verbal aggression and use of physical force. Indexes developed from form N of the Conflict Tactics Scales (Straus, 1979) were used to measure both variables at three levels: low, middle and high. The dependent variables were measures of the child's (A) cognitive style, (B) cognitive functioning and (C) self-esteem.

Previous research indicates a relationship between abuse and cognitive development: Ackly (1977), Elmer (1967), Martin (1979). A methodological limitation of these studies is that they used samples of children previously identified …

Analysis And Simulation Of The Pneumatic Braking System Of Freight Trains, Khaled Sayed Abdol-Hamid

Doctoral Dissertations

In North America, and in many other parts of the world, freight trains still employ pneumatic equipment for braking. The 26C locomotive valve and control valves of the cars are connected by a brake pipe which serves the dual purpose of conducting pneumatic power and transmitting the control signal (brake signal) from the locomotive to each car of the train. The development of the air brake system has been largely empirical and experimental, which may take years to develop a new design.

In this thesis, a new brake pipe mathematical model is developed, including the interaction of the branch pipe. …

Parents Who Don't Spank: Deviation In The Legitimation Of Physical Force (Violence, Childrearing, Discipline), Barbara Ann Carson

Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigates why some parents deviate from American norms on childrearing and decide to use no form of physical punishment. Based on the percentage of American parents who use physical punishment, the views of popular childrearing manuals, relevant laws and court cases it is concluded that the use of physical punishment of children in American society is a context where the use of physical force is legitimate.

To locate non-spanking parents, questionnaires were distributed to parents of all first, second and third graders in a eastern seacoast town of approximately 27,000 people. Of those who returned the questionnaires, 87% …

Physiology And Estuarine Ecology Of Phenanthrene-Degrading Bacteria (Mycobacterium, Microlayer, Metabolites, Pah, Marinas, New Hampshire), William Francis Guerin

Doctoral Dissertations

Using radiorespirometric, spectrophotometric and high performance liquid and thin layer chromatographic methods, the degradation and intermediary metabolism of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), phenanthrene, by estuarine enrichment and pure microbial cultures was examined.

A Mycobacterium species, strain BG1, able to use phenanthrene as sole carbon and energy source, was isolated from estuarine sediment. Phenanthrene degradation proceeded via the intermediates, 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid (1H2NA) and protocatechuic acid. However, unlike other phenanthrene-degrading cultures, aromatic intermediates, including 1H2NA, did not accumulate. Consistent with the induction of meta pathway enzymes in phenanthrene-grown BG1 cells, phenanthrene degradation was stimulated in pyruvate-supplemented cultures (an end product of …

Anti-Mosquito Behavior Of Adult And Juvenile White-Footed Mice (Peromyscus Leucopus) (Treehole Mosquito, Aedes Triseriatus, Epidemiology), Connie Isaacs

Doctoral Dissertations

Rodents seldom are identified as hosts for mosquitoes, based on serological analysis of bloodmeals. However, due to limited survey and lack of sensitivity in most bloodmeal analyses, host species can be misrepresented or undetected. Knowledge of behavior of a potential host species can complement results of bloodmeal analysis, because active vertebrates may prevent mosquito feeding and thus rarely serve as hosts. The objectives of this study were to characterize anti-mosquito behavior in the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus noveboracensis) and to examine effectiveness of such behavior in mice based on age, prior exposure to mosquitoes, and immediate environment.

I used wild-stock …

Fire Resistance Of Concrete-Filled And Reinforced Concrete Columns, Mohamed El-Shayeb

Doctoral Dissertations

In order to calculate the fire resistance of a building component, it is necessary to know the temperature history of the component during exposure to fire. In this dissertation a numerical method is described for calculating the temperature field in fire-exposed columns. The procedure is based on a finite difference method for calculating the temperature history of concrete-filled square steel and cylindrical reinforced concrete columns. Two mathematical models and their related computer programs for these columns are presented in this dissertation.

Furthermore, the Division of Building Research of the National Research Council of Canada, is now carrying out extensive experimental …

An Investigation Of Aquatic Macrophyte-Based Aquatic Wastewater Treatment Systems For Temperate Climates (Elodea Nuttallii, Photosynthesis, Nutrient Budget, Active Transport, Nitrification), Thomas Taylor Eighmy

Doctoral Dissertations

Aquatic treatment systems are a low cost, low energy alternative to conventional treatment systems; they can provide secondary and advanced secondary wastewater treatment capabilities for small communities. Their potential application in temperate climates has been ignored. The research presented here was conducted to examine their applicability for use in temperate regions. A pilot-scale aquatic macrophyte-based aquatic treatment system was designed to treat primary effluent. Four aquatic macrophytes (Elodea nuttallii, Lemna minor, Myriophyllum heterophyllum, Ceratophyllum demersum) were evaluated as candidates. The hydraulic, organic, and nutrient loadings to the reactors were similar to design values for water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes) systems. Nitrification …

Stability Of Upgoing Auroral Ion Beams At 33 R(E) (Plasma, Magnetosphere, Wave-Particle Interactions), George Richard Ludlow

Doctoral Dissertations

Simultaneous upflowing hydrogen and oxygen beams of ionospheric origin are seen at altitudes near 3.3 R(,e) in the auroral zone by the DE-1 satellite. The beam observations indicate that, in addition to bulk acceleration, substantial heating in both hydrogen and oxygen has taken place either near or above the cold ionospheric source region. Velocity space distributions of the two ion species show hydrogen having a higher streaming velocity than oxygen, but also a smaller streaming energy. The region of velocity space between the two ion beam peaks has been filled in, with ions in the oxygen beam having been accelerated …

Dispersal Gradients And Deposition Efficiency Of Venturia Inaequalis Ascospores And Their Relationship To Lesion Densities (Apple Scab Disease, Spore Dispersal, Trapping), Jonathan David Kaplan

Doctoral Dissertations

The airborne dispersal of Venturia inaequalis ascospores and Lycopodium sp spores from a point source was examined in an apple orchard. Twenty-five volumetric spore traps were constructed, and a system developed that governed intervals of trap operation by leaf wetness. The estimated inoculum density was equal to several unsprayed trees, much greater than inoculum densities in well-managed commercial orchards.

Dispersal gradients were analyzed using the equation Y = a + bX(,1) + cX(,1)('2) + dX(,1)('3) + eX(,2), where Y is the log of spores trapped, X(,1) is the log of distance from the source, and X(,2) is a constant to …

The Mediating Role Of Self-Efficacy Expectations And Self-Evaluation In The Rehabilitation Process, Daniel Wayne Malloy

Doctoral Dissertations

Bandura (1977) has argued that the consideration of cognitive mechanisms is central to the understanding of behavioral change and the maintenance of these behavioral patterns. More specifically, Bandura (1977, 1982) has proposed two cognitive mechanisms, self-efficacy and self-evaluation, that mediate the initiation of and persistence toward behavioral change. The purpose of the present study was to assess whether the medium through which feedback is presented to patients participating in rehabilitation would have an effect on their future expectations of performance for motor tasks encountered in therapy and the actual performance of strength and endurance tasks. It was hypothesized that knee …

On The Spectra Of Gamma-Ray Bursts At High Energies, Steven Michael Matz

Doctoral Dissertations

Between 1980 February and 1983 August the Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (GRS) on the Solar Maximum Mission satellite (SMM) observed 71 gamma-ray bursts. These events form a representative subset of the class of classical gamma-ray bursts. Since their discovery more than 15 years ago, hundreds of gamma-ray bursts have been detected; however, most observations have been limited to an energy range of roughly 30 keV-1MeV. The large sensitive area and spectral range of the GRS allow, for the first time, an investigation of the high-energy (>1 MeV) behavior of a substantial number of gamma-ray bursts.

It is found that high-energy emission …

Electroencephalographic And Electromyographic Biofeedback Training Of Occipital Lobe Theta Rhythm, David William Lawson

Doctoral Dissertations

Three biofeedback training methods were used to train human subjects to enhance levels of occipital lobe theta electro-encephalographic rhythms. It was hypothesized that the subject's level of physiological arousal would differentially influence the effectiveness of the training methods. The independent variables were: (1) baseline arousal, (2) training methods, and (3) pre/posttraining recording sessions. The dependent variables included: (1) theta EEG, (2) frontalis EMG, and (3) alpha EEG levels. For the baseline arousal variable, subjects were divided into low and high arousal groups based on a median-split of their pretraining frontalis EMG levels. The training methods included: (1) one-phase EMG/EMG feedback …

Operator Ranges Of Shifts And C*-Algebras (Strange Range, Quasi-Similarity, Lattice), Charles Lucien Roy

Doctoral Dissertations

It is shown that Lat(, 1/2)(H('(INFIN))(S)), the invariant operator ranges of the commutant of the unilateral shift, is a proper sub-lattice of the lattice of invariant operator ranges of the unilateral shift, S. The notion of a strange operator range for S of order n where n (ELEM) is introduced and it is demonstrated that there exist strange ranges for S of every order. This is done by deriving an operator range condition which is sufficient to insure that a pair of quasi-similar compressions of shifts really be similar. A set of operator ranges which forms a sub-lattice of Lat(, …

A Critical Study Of The Novels Of John Fowles, Katherine M. Tarbox

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation offers a prismatic view of John Fowles's novels. My approach accords with his major theme: that true perception is "seeing whole." My readings involve, first, a close textual analysis which demonstrates how Fowles uses patterning, counterpoint, symbol and image clusters to suggest the nature of reality. I also examine extensively Fowles's use of rhetoric. The study of his artistry inevitably leads to a discussion of his themes. I have considered Fowles's theory of history, his feeling that individual self-awareness is the key to the evolution of the species, and that one's personal freedom should be unassailable.

My work …

What Is It That You Know When "You Know"? Comprehension Goals And Comprehension Mismatches In College Students (Study Behaviors, Metacomprehension, Test Taking), Marcy Lois Kraus

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the present research was to investigate the comprehension mismatch experience as it related to students' comprehension goals and testing experiences. In Study 1, subjects reported their reading-related comprehension goals while studying a 3500-word text. A questionnaire was administered assessing comprehension of and interest in the text, frequency of mismatches and general studying behavior. Results of Study 1 indicated that eighty-seven percent of the students surveyed reported moderate to frequent mismatches. Subjects varying in mismatch frequency did not differ significantly with regard to any of the performance measures. The comprehension level quiz items were rated as most appropriate …

The Effect Of Rain On Intertidal Estuarine Sediment Transport (Vortex Rings, Oxygenation, Drop/Splash Features, Fecal Pellets), Thomas Cortland Shevenell

Doctoral Dissertations

Storms are important aperiodic events, which intensify erosional processes over short time periods. The effect of rain on the shallow intertidal water column was the focus of this study. The literature was extensively reviewed to identify parallel research in other scientific disciplines, which could be used to understand how raindrops may be acting as a sediment resuspension mechanism. Single-drop and multi-drop laboratory studies were conducted on the initiation of motion of sediment. Results indicate single vortex rings in a quiescent environment can initiate motion of sand-sized noncohesive sediment in all water depths tested, up to and including 22.5 cm. Multidrop …

Characterization Of Sod-Induced Alfalfa Seedling Injury (Allelopathy, Anaerobiosis), David James Lang

Doctoral Dissertations

Field and greenhouse studies were conducted to examine the seedling vigor of sod-sown alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).

Seedlings grown in tilled soil had more dry matter, were taller, and had longer internodes than seedlings in sod. Node number and plant density were reduced in some experiments. Seedling vigor was not hindered by physical impairment of seed germination, inadequate soil fertility, weed or sod competition, soil moisture, herbicide injury, or predators.

Time interval between tillage of sod and planting date affected seedling vigor. Seedlings growing in sod tilled the previous fall had higher yields than those sown in freshly tilled sod …

Effects Of Leupeptin On Aversively Motivated Spatial Memory, Timothy Andrew Otto

Doctoral Dissertations

Recent evidence indicates that the activation of a calcium-dependent proteinase, calpain, results in the formation of new glutamate receptors in the hippocampus (Lynch, Halpain, & Baudry, 1982), a brain area commonly thought to play a crucial role in mammalian memory formation. In vitro, this effect is correlated with a long-lasting enhancement of efficacy in synaptic transmission (long-term potentiation, LTP) following brief pulses of electrical stimulation in the hippocampus (Dunwiddie & Lynch, 1979). Because the induction properties of LTP are similar to the behavioral properties of memory, it has been proposed to be the physiological basis of memory (Lynch & Baudry, …

An Investigation Into The Analytical Utility Of Changes In Polarization Accompanying Analytical Derivatization Reactions (Fluorescence), Christopher P. Hallen

Doctoral Dissertations

Derivatization reactions between amines, alcohols and carbonyl groups with various reagents were studied. The goal of the work discussed in this dissertation was to generate basic data to know whether and in what context changes in fluorescence polarization are useful for following analytical derivatization reactions.

Reactions between primary amines and fluorescein isothiocyanate were initially studied. Changes in polarization were observed upon conjugation for many of the amines primarily due to changes in fluorescence lifetime. This reaction was also studied in varying amounts of glycerol to judge the effect of glycerol on the reaction rate. Optimum percentages of glycerol were determined. …

Participative Decision-Making And The Quality Of Work Life: A Quasi-Experimental Study, James Warren Grosch

Doctoral Dissertations

A quasi-experiment was conducted to explore the impact of a type of participative decision making on the quality of work life. Quality circles were developed for operating room (OR) nurses and technicians in three New England hospitals. These circles, each consisting of 8-12 OR staff members, met regularly over a seven month period with the goal of identifying and solving problems in the work environment of the OR. The OR staffs in three other New England hospitals served as the control group and did not participate in any quality circle activities.

Quality of work life was measured primarily with a …

Technical Change And Profitability: The Long-Period Behavior Of The Rate Of Profit (Competition, Rationality), Benigno Valdes

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation provides a theoretical inquiry into the effects of technical change on profitability. In the center of the discussion lies the Marxian 'Law of the Falling Tendency of the Rate of Profit' (LFTRP). The LFTRP maintains that mechanization, i.e. the introduction of cost-reducing techniques of the capital-using-labor-saving type, results in a lower average rate of profit. This proposition is denied by the Okishio theorem, which says that the introduction of such techniques is incompatible with a falling rate of profit.

In order to evaluate Okishio's claim, a model of the economy which incorporates fixed capital is constructed, and on …

Estimation Of The Fisher Effect On The Term Structure Of Interest Rates Employing A Term Structure Of Inflationary Expectations, Phyllis Wells Isley

Doctoral Dissertations

This study deals with the estimation of the effect of a term structure of inflationary expectations on the term structure of interest rates. By estimating the Fisher effect over the entire term structure, this analysis captures the associational effects between values of the interest rates along a term structure and values of inflationary expectations along a term structure.

The study contains a discussion of the Fisher hypothesis as it was developed and tested by Irving Fisher. Models of inflationary expectations and previous applications of these to test the Fisher effect are discussed.

A method of constructing a term structure of …

Timing Relationships In Human Cortical Processing, Daniel Michael Rice

Doctoral Dissertations

Although a number of studies have suggested that the phases of the alpha cycle and the cardiac cycle reflect temporal relationships in cortical processing, these studies are not conclusive. The reason is that almost all of these suggestions have been based upon the demonstration that a measure of visual processing varies with the phase of the alpha cycle or the cardiac cycle at which stimuli are presented. These visual effects could have been caused by a peripheral mechanism involving the tremor of the eyes. Because of this, this dissertation was interested in the effect of these physiological cycles on auditory …

Spectroscopic Studies Of The Interaction Of Anions With Transferrin (Nmr, Pyrophosphate), Susan Keene Swope

Doctoral Dissertations

Kinetic studies of the uptake of iron by transferrin from iron-pyrophosphate indicate that the reaction proceeds via an intermediate mixed ligand complex of the type PP(,i)-Fe-transferrin-CO(,3)('2-). The EPR spectrum of the "intermediate" complex was determined by computer modelling of the kinetic data and deconvolution of the experimental spectra. The distinct spectral characteristics of the intermediate indicate that the coordination environment of the iron is different from that of either of the reactants, consistent with formation of a complex in which iron is coordinated to both transferrin and pyrophosphate.

Studies of the interaction of sodium cyanide with iron(III)-transferrin demonstrate that a …

A Multi-Country Link Vector Autoregressive Model Theory And Evidence, Demirhan Yenigun

Doctoral Dissertations

Vector Autoregression (VAR) is an alternative to structural econometric model building, specifically in forecasting. The challenge of the VAR technique has been, however, limited to models of national and regional economies.

This dissertation extends the scope of the VAR technique with the construction of a multi-country Link Vector Autoregressive (LIN-VAR) model based on eighteen OECD economies. It offers a unique way of combining the linkage specifications of global structural econometric models with the VAR technique. Each national economy in the LINK-VAR model is specified by four macroeconomic variables: output, nominal money supply, prices, and a short-term interest rate. Linkages among …

The Serpentine Wall: Judicial Decision-Making In Supreme Court Cases Involving Aid To Sectarian Schools, Christine Linton Compston

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation uses the cases involving aid to sectarian schools, decided between 1945 and 1985, as a vehicle for examining decision making by the Supreme Court justices. The discussion of Everson v. Board of Education (1947) relies heavily on the private papers of individual justices, autobiographies, and biographies to determine the importance of personal religious beliefs, the history of the First Amendment, political and judicial philosophies, as well as the efforts of specific individuals to persuade others to their positions. Board of Education v. Allen (1968) is analyzed within the context of the political environment, taking into consideration the government's …

The Utilitarian - Associationist Tradition And The Development Of Britishpsychology, 1855-1903 (Volumes I And Ii) (Alexander Bain, Cambridge University, James Ward, University Of London), Deborah Frances Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations

The Utilitarian-Associationist program formulated by Jeremy Bentham, James Mill and John Stuart Mill shaped the framework of British psychology throughout the nineteenth century. These thinkers believed that an associationist and hedonistic science of mind provided a sound foundation for a non-intuitionistic philosophy (including epistemology, logic and ethics) and a program of social reform. The tasks set by this program led to a focus on higher mental processes and the nature of conduct within nineteenth century British psychology.

The work of Alexander Bain is reinterpreted in the light of this tradition. Specifically, I argue that Bain's "physiological psychology" represents an attempt …

The Embrace Is All: Galway Kinnell's Poetry, 1950 - 1985, James William Robinson

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation contains two major parts: an essay and an extensive bibliography. The essay discusses Kinnell's poetry in order to illuminate his major themes and describe his poetics. The bibliography provides virtually complete lists of primary and secondary materials. Both essay and bibliography owe much to a study of the Charles G. Bell Collection at Dimond Library, University of New Hampshire. The collection contains letters and drafts sent by Kinnell to Bell over a 33-year period. Notes on the Bell Collection appear in an appendix to the dissertation.

The essay, first major part of the dissertation, examines Kinnell's poetry and …