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A Chemical Pathway To The Formation Of Chlorinated Compounds During Combustion, Xiaodong Yang

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Two reactions, the Deacon reaction and the chlorination of phenol, which are the postulated starting steps for the formation of chlorinated dioxins during the incineration of the refuse derived fuel, were investigated in this work. Reactions were conducted in a tube furnace, and the products were trapped and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy. It was shown that the Deacon reaction was favored at higher temperatures. The chlorination of phenol in vapor phase was found to begin at temperatures as low as 250°C and to be favored at higher temperatures. The ortho and para positions in the phenol ring are the …

Assessing The Persistence To Graduation Of Students Joining Fraternities At Western Kentucky University, Charles Pride

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In the study, I assessed the persistence of students who joined fraternities at Western Kentucky University. Also included is a comparison between them and the general student population. The study includes 1467 students who joined fraternities between the Fall 1986 to Spring 1991 semesters. A five-year time period was used as the benchmark for graduation from the institution. Factors that were explored included race, initiation status, year in school when pledging, and organizational affiliation. Pearson Product-Moment Correlations and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze the data. The results illustrated that students who join fraternities graduate at a higher …

Evaluation Of Constructed Wetlands For The Waste Management Of A Large Scale Swine Production Unit, Robert Sutton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The effectiveness of using constructed wetlands to remove unwanted nutrients, increase dissolved oxygen while at the same time decreasing the biological oxygen demand, and to reduce the levels of the Fecal Coliform Bacteria from a swine operation was evaluated. The indicator of proper waste purification will be the result of testing for the following: ammonia nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, total phosphorus, total suspended solids, dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand, and Fecal Coliform Bacteria. The wetland was divided into nine connected cells that covered approximately 3.8 hectares. Material was loaded from an anaerobic holding lagoon on four separate occasions during …

Using Biodata To Predict Alternative Measures Of Training Period Turnover, Ronald Pankratz

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Logistic Regression was utilized to add to what is known about biodata and turnover. Biodata items from 958 former and current employees in a manufacturing environment were used to develop models to predict a) which employees will turnover prior to completion of a ninety-day training period, b) who will leave voluntarily versus involuntarily, and of those who leave voluntarily c) which leavers are functional versus dysfunctional. A significant relationship was found between biodata items and completion of the ninety-day training period. The resulting model indicated that those who completed training were employed at time of hire, had higher aptitude scores, …

An Investigation Of Peripheral Localization Errors In Older Adults, Eric Stephens

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In a typical useful field of view (UFOV) paradigm, an observer must correctly identify a center target while simultaneously localizing a peripheral target. Previous research has shown that many older adults have difficulty locating the peripheral target in the UFOV paradigm when compared to younger adults (Sekuler & Ball, 1986; Scialfa, Kline, & Lyman, 1987; Ball, Beard, Roenker, Miller, & Griggs, 1988; Ball, Roenker, & Bruni, 1990; Scialfa, Thomas, & Joffe, 1994). However, the reason for this difficulty is not clearly understood. The purpose of this study was to test two potential explanations for the difficulty that some older adults …

The Effects Of Practice On Stroop Inhibition: A Process Dissociation Approach, Emily Patterson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Two studies were performed to investigate the effects of age and practice on Stroop inhibition. The first experiment examined the influence of age on the ability to ignore the meaning of words on Stroop items. Fifteen younger and 15 older adults were asked to name the color of congruent, incongruent, and control items appearing on a computer screen. Participants' interference and facilitation scores, error rates, and color and word process dissociation estimates were computed. The results indicate that older adults experienced more interference and facilitation than the younger adults and produced more errors than the younger adults on items where …

Exploring Social Polarization In Jefferson County, Kentucky: An Analytical Approach, Jason Finley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study is to explore the processes of social polarization, an increasing gap between the rich and poor, in Jefferson County, Kentucky, to determine the spatial characteristics involved and to investigate useful methodological tools. I argue that social polarization processes are evident in Jefferson County, and I attempt to describe and analyze the emerging spatial characteristics of polarization in the study area. The study area comprises the thirteen market areas of Jefferson County, which were broken down into 3 socioeconomic regions based on the natural breaks of market area median household income. Each market area is analyzed …

A Survey Of Black Student Perceptions And Attitudes On The Utilization Of Academic Retention Programs, Beora Willams

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In this study I examine the perceptions and attitudes of black students attending a predominantly white institution (PWI) concerning student support services designed to assist them in achieving social and academic success. PWIs have established minority retention programs with an overall mission of recruiting and retaining black students; however, program use is minimal and black students continue to depart college prematurely. This research seeks to assess the perceptions and attitudes of black students to determine if program ambiguity, lack of faculty involvement or available mentoring, campus affiliation, racism, or time taken away from academic pursuits has a role in whether …

A Study Of The Behavior Of Chlorine And Organic Compounds During Combustion In An Afbc System, Jenny Heidbrink

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study is to understand the behavior of chlorine and the emission of organic compounds during combustion in an atmospheric fluidized bed combustion (AFBC) system. Inefficient, uncontrolled use of coal gives rise to organic emissions which can be detrimental to health. The chlorine in coal may cause corrosion problems during utilization, if its concentration is high enough. The method for collection of the emissions of organic compounds involved the use of a Tenax resin as an absorbent for the organic compounds as they were emitted from the combustor. A combined gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique …

A Comparison Of Olfactory Organ Development And Feeding Behavior In Larval Fathead Minnows, Pimephales Promelas Rafinesque, Robert Molloy

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The early recruitment and use of the chemoreceptive senses, olfaction and gustation, are important for early behavior development in fathead minnows and the ability of larvae to survive after hatching. Chemoreception is used in the location of food, avoidance of predators, and for intraspecific communication. Furthermore, some studies have shown the olfactory system to be adversely impacted by environmental contaminants and low pH. Since the fathead minnow is a commercially raised baitfish in the aquaculture industry, and serves as a standard test organism for bioassays and reaction studies of aquatic contamination by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, an understanding …

Linking Assessment To Intervention: Teacher Awareness And Training Needs Related To Students With Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Matthew Luckett

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Despite the efforts of private and federally funded research, which have led to a prodigious accumulation of information concerning the assessment and diagnosis of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and interventions for students diagnosed with ADHD, a minimal amount of research focus has centered around the application of assessment information in the development of treatment plans. The evolution of diagnostic labels for ADHD and variability among school-based assessment practices have impeded the utilization of assessment data in intervention planning. Although reaction to the challenges presented by ADHD students has been widespread, research generated by the interest in this heterogeneous population has only …

Prematriculation Immunization Policies: A Survey Of Kentucky Colleges And Universities, Deborah Foushee

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Immunizations for vaccine preventable diseases are ordinarily completed by young adulthood, and the school system is typically the institution required to determine compliance with state immunization requirements prior to enrollment. In recent years, outbreaks of measles on college campuses across the United States have led to the implementation of immunization requirements. Kentucky fouryear postsecondary institutions are not required by state law to request proof of immunization. The purpose of this study was to assess prematriculation immunization policies of Kentucky four-year colleges and universities. Participants completed a survey which appraised the existence of a university prematriculation policy, the diseases covered by …

Practices, Attitudes And Knowledge Of Food Service Owners And Managers Of South Central Kentucky Regarding Provision Of A Smoke-Free Environment For Customers, Jose Pagan

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The harmful effects on health caused by exposure to enviromental tobacco smoke (ETS) are well documented. In 1987 and 1996 mail surveys were conducted to determine the change in practices, attitudes and knowledge of food service owners and managers of south central Kentucky on some issues relating to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Study subjects included all food service owners and managers of south central Kentucky that have a permit on file at the Barren River District Health Department. In 1987, a total of 127 out of 431 questionnaires were received ( 29.5% response rate). In 1996 the response rate was …

Temporal Characteristics Of Zebrafish Cone Types And Their Role In Separate Visual Processing, Warren Patterson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Chromatic and luminance information are processed separately by the visual systems of most higher vertebrates via anatomically separate pathways. Research on primates suggests that the luminance mechanism transmits information about stimulus luminance, movement, and flicker while chromatic mechanisms signal color and detailed information. In order to signal rapid movement, the luminance channel transmits information more rapidly than the chromatic mechanism. While some lower vertebrates such as the zebrafish (Danio rerio) do not demonstrate anatomical separation of processing, it is believed that separate processing is a basic requirement of vertebrate vision. The spectral sensitivity functions (relative sensitivity to different wavelengths of …

Determination Of Chromatic And Luminance Channels In The Zebrafish Visual System Using An Increment Threshold Technique, Richard Hughes

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

It is well established that the primate visual system possesses anatomically separate chromatic and luminance channels; these pathways are responsible for the visual coding of color and brightness information, respectively. In lower vertebrates, such as the zebrafish (Danio rerio), there does not appear to be any anatomical separation of cell types mediating color and luminance information. However, several studies suggest that these vertebrates may be able to discriminate these attributes of a visual stimulus. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the zebrafish visual system possesses chromatic and luminance channels. In addition, the contribution of each cone photoreceptor …

Work Redesign And Its Influence On Employee Motivation And Job Satisfaction, John Koscielniak

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Reengineering and work redesign have become the buzzwords of the healthcare industry giving rise to the unprecedented growth of reengineering / work redesign consultants who offer cookbook methods to make the organization efficient and reduce costs. The unfortunate consequence of this rush to redesign is that the employer accepts recommendations to change the organization without knowing the state of the workforce. The purpose of this research is to test the effects of work redesign as implemented at two for-profit hospitals using a measurement tool developed specifically for work redesign. The intent is to compare the hospitals separately as each work …

Health Knowledge Of Nigerian College Students, Chinyere Ogbonna-Mcgruder

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The increase in preventable diseases in many parts of Africa is becoming quite a concern for the African community as well as for epidemiologists all over the world. There is a general consensus among African epidemiologists that a lack of health education and traditional cultures contribute to this trend. The purpose of this thesis is to report the results of a survey of health knowledge among college students in the southern region of Nigeria, specifically, in Enugu and it's surrounding environ. First year students at the two universities in this region completed the health knowledge inventory (HKI). These students were …

Score Changes From The Wisc-R To The Wisc-Iii In Disabled Population In Kentucky, Rachel Swing

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study was conducted to examine the extent of score changes from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) to the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III) when administered to Learning Disabled and Mild Mental Disabled populations. Specifically, this study examined whether there are differences, or, differential score changes between these populations from one test version to the next. Score changes were obtained from 7 school districts in Western Kentucky. Recorded were scores from the WISC-R and WISC-III administrations in the areas of Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQ scores. The information collected about the children included date of …

Measuring The Momentum Of Throughfall Drops And Raindrops, Paul Kimble

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The methods previously used to determine the momentum and kinetic energy of throughfall drops in the field do not account for the drop's shape at impact or for the variations of the drop's velocity caused by chaotic air currents. The drop's shape at impact is critical because it influences the drop's measurable momentum, kinetic energy, impact force, and the amount of soil that can be displaced by the falling water drop. Since the momentum and kinetic energy of raindrops and throughfall drops are used as indices of soil particle displacement the most accurate momentum and kinetic energydata would be required …

Marital And Personal-Life Satisfaction Among Married, Female Graduate Students: A Qualitative Analysis Of Value Conflicts, Alecia Gall

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Fifteen married, female graduate students enrolled full-time during the fall of 1994 were interviewed and audio-tape recorded, guaranteed confidentiality, and assigned pseudonyms. Questions covered the topics of values, experiences in graduate school and marriage, the impact of children, pressures, conflicts, support systems, and coping strategies. I obtained a listing of all married, female graduate students enrolled at a regional state university located in the south central United States during the fall semester of 1994. From this list I identified and contacted those fulltime students who had taken no more than a five-year break between degrees and were under the age …

The Effects Of Personal Health Assessments On Health Knowledge And Health Behavior Among Students Enrolled In An Undergraduate Personal Health Course, Jennifer Peeso

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this research was to determine whether personal health assessments would increase Personal Health 100 students' health knowledge and healthy behaviors. This research is important because of the objectives set by Healthy People 2000 to promote health and because of the need for comprehensive school health education programs. By focusing on health promotion in the school setting, more effective preventive programs can be devised. The factors investigated included health knowledge and the following health behaviors: exercise, alcohol consumption, use of tobacco, sleep, breakfast, sexual activity, and seatbelt use. These factors were chosen based on a longevity theory. Data …

"In What Particular Thought To Work": Hamlet And Manic-Depression, Lewis Pickett

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

By means of contemporary diagnostic criteria, Prince Hamlet may be demonstrated to be a Bi-Polar I Manic Depressive. Because current genetic research suggests that this disease is inherited, it is logical to ask if Claudius also suffers from this disorder. It can be demonstrated that he does. We may conclude that Claudius murdered the late King of Denmark during a manic episode similar to the one in which Hamlet kills Polonius.

Degradation Product Analysis Of Bismaleimide Composite, Wendy Zhong

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study evaluates the thermal and oxidative stabilities of a bismaleimide (BMI) polymer composite reinforced with an intermediate modulus graphite fiber, Cytec®5260/IM7. The composite is aged in helium, nitrogen, and air at elevated temperatures up to 600°C. Its weight change is followed thermogravimetrically for stability assessment. The effect of aging gas environment is also studied. The use of on-line gas cell fourier transform IR spectrometer (FTIR) and mass spectrometer (MS) allows for the identification of decomposition products by evolved gas analysis. This combination of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and evolved gas analysis by FTIR and MS yields complementary information regarding pyrolysis …

An Investigation Of Hexatylis Contracta Blomquist (Southern Heartleaf): Individuals, Hybrids, Populations And Species, Patrick Carroll

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Hexastylis contracta Blomquist is a rare herbaceous perennial plant endemic to southeastern North America. The plant exhibits a disjunct distribution, being found on the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee and Kentucky and also 300 km east in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. This plant was the subject of a population inventory supported through the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission (KNPC) which expanded the number of known populations of the species (28) by 68%, with 47 populations now known to exist. A morphological analysis of this species was done using principal components analysis. This analysis was used to answer questions …

The Athens Of The West: Education In Nashville, 1780-1860, Timothy Augustus Sweatman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Nashville, Tennessee, is known as the Athens of the South because of its reputation as a center of learning. The city’s commitment to education goes back to the days of its founding as a village on the extreme Western frontier of the United States. In 1785, five years after Nashville was first settled, Davidson Academy, an advanced classical school, was established. At the same time, numerous private schools operated in the Nashville area, providing many of the region’s children with a basic education.

During the first quarter of the nineteenth century Nashville moved closer to becoming a major educational center. …

Directed Ortho-Metalation Of The Three Methyl Anisoles In Various Media, Carl Friesen

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Directed ortho-metalation (DoM) is a very useful alternative to electrophillic aromatic substitution (EAS) for the synthesis of substituted aromatic compounds. DoM is highly regiospecific providing metalation chiefly in the ortho-position. However, lateral (a-) metalation of an alkyl side-chain and ortho-metalation of a second ortho-position can compete. Investigation of the three methylanisoles was therefore undertaken to determine the interplay between these factors and to discover metalation conditions to achieve selectivity. This goal was uniquely achieved for p-methylanisole where conditions were discovered which allowed > 85% ortho-metalation as determined by GC analysis with virturally no competing lateral metalation. Three derivitives of this ortho-lithio …

Antibody Response To Heat Shock Proteins Of Trypanosoma Cruzi And Histopathology In Mice Infected And Maintained At Elevated Environmental Temperature, Ahmed Arif

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Trypanosoma cruzi is an obligate intracellular parasite infecting 18-20 million people in Latin America. It is the causative agent of Chagas' disease, commonly referred to as American Trypanosomiasis. The C3H murine model is widely used to study experimental Chagas' disease. It is well documented that when these highly susceptible mice are infected with the Brazil strain of T. cruzi and maintained at room temperature (RT), mice die between day 35-45 of infection. However, when held at an elevated temperature of 36°C, C3H mice survive an otherwise lethal infection with T. cruzi. When held at 36°C, the body temperature of the …

Factors Which Effect Parental Agreement On Ratings Of Temperament And Behavior Problems, Elizabeth Edmonson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This investigator conducted a critical analysis of the literature on parental agreement on temperament and behavior problems ratings and the factors which impact parental agreement. Information was gathered through an extensive search of the computer databases, Educational Resource Information Center (ERIC, 1966-1996) and PsycLIT (PsycINFO, 1973-1995) using key terms - such as temperament, behavior, behavior problems, rating scales, parental agreement, parent ratings, socioeconomic status (SES), gender, and congruence. Results of the search identified several factors that are associated with ratings. These were socio-economic status (SES), gender, and marital satisfaction/parental psychological status. An annotated bibliography and tables were created for the …

The Contribution Of Children's Peer Relations To Adjustment In An Ungraded Primary Program, Daniel Diehl

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

While research in same-age classrooms has found a significant relationship between peer relations and school adjustment, little is known about the contribution peer relations makes to school adjustment in the mixed-age classroom. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the contributions that peer acceptance, social status, social behavior, and age relative to classmates make to children's attitudes toward school and their achievement in mixed-age (ungraded) primary classrooms. Children's attitudes toward reading, math, and science were positively related to reading, math, and science achievement scores. Children's achievement could be predicted from children's attitudes toward school and peer relations variables. …

The Effects Of Lead Acetate On Host Susceptibility To Trypanosoma Cruzi, Tabitha Ellis

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Trypanosoma cruzi. a protozoan parasite, causes American trypanosomiasis or Chagas' disease. The infective stage of this parasite resides in the hindgut of the reduviid bug (family Reduviidae), which is both host and vector, and is transmitted to the mammalian host through fecal material released during a blood meal. Chagas' disease, an acute to chronic infection resulting in fever, malaise, and heart and liver enlargement, is becoming a concern in the United States due to the large increase in Latin American immigrants, and the lack of safe and effective therapeutic treatment and vaccination. Another growing concern in the United States involves …