Digital Commons Network^™

Are Stock Prices Related To New York's Climatic Conditions?, Matthew M. Cullen

Honors Theses

The past five years has shown tremendous growth in a new wave and style of investing strategy. This new style, known as behavioral investing, attempts to analyze financial markets through the eye of a social scientist rather than a financial professional. Its followers try to see market movements as affected not necessarily by the business or economy but by the cognition and mood of buyers and seller. This paper analyzes the effect of climatic conditions on mood and the effect that has on market movements and volume. For the most part, it was found that there is no significant relationship …

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session December 11/12, 2003, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

AGENDA:

Thursday, December 11 - Informal Session

6 p.m., Connable Board Room

Acceptance of the Agenda

Closed Informal Session (Room 242)

Recommendation re Intercollegiate Athletics/

Public Comments re Recommendation

RECESS

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12 - Formal Session

8 a.m .. Rooms 157 – 159

Remarks by the Chair

Remarks by the President

Approval of Minutes of September 12, October 7 and 31 and December 1 Sessions

Biosciences Research and Commercialization Center

Research Foundation

Budget Overview (Informational agenda item)

Student Health Insurance Requirement

Naming of Art Building

Grant Report

Personnel Reports (a and b)

Gift Report

Lease Agreement Renewal between WMU and …

Western News, Dec. 4, 2003, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: Tech committee gives final nod to BRCC; Faculty and staff members honored for 25 years service; Holiday reception is Dec. 12; On Campus with Paul Schneider.

Laboratory Testing Of Select Geotextiles As Biointrusion Barriers And Sediment Filters, David R. Beck

Masters Theses

It has been proposed that placing a geotextile over sediments with adsorbed contaminants can prevent bioaccumulation of the contaminants in larger animals by isolating the benthic organisms living within these sediments from fish. In conjunction with a field study carried out at Gull Creek, a laboratory study testing two geotextiles as biointrusion barriers and sediment filters was conducted.

Constant-head permeameters were run for seven days using cores from the field study area with a geotextile placed over the cores. For biointrusion barrier tests, medium sand was placed over the geotextile and spiked with nutrients. Following each trial, benthic organisms in …

Early Education Experiences & School-To-Work Program Participation, Richard K. Caputo

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study assesses the effects of Head Start participation and demonstrated academic ability during elementary school on School-to-Work (STW) program participation. The study sample comes from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997 Cohort and comprises 4,370 adolescents who reported grades they received while in the 8th grade and whether or not they ever repeated a grade in grammar school. Findings indicate that STW programs attract disproportionate numbers of students with histories of marginal demonstrated academic ability. This is so because STW programs are also more likely to attract Head Starters. Demonstrated academic ability varies by race/ethnicity and sex, with …

Financialization Of Daily Life. Randy Martin.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Randy Martin, Financialization of Daily Life. Philadelpia, PA: Temple University Press, 2002. $59.50 hardcover, $19.95 papercover.

Review Of Working Parents And The Welfare State: Family Change And Policy Reform In Scandinavia. Arnlaug Leira. Inventing The Needy: Gender And The Politics Of Welfare In Hungary. Lynne Haney. Reviewed By Rebecca A. Van Voorhis., Rebecca A. Van Voorhis

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Arnlaug Leira, Working Parents and the Welfare State: Family Change and Policy Reform in Scandinavia. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002. $65.00. & Lynne Haney, Inventing the Needy: Gender and the Politics of Welfare in Hungary. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002. $24.95 papercover.

33rd Conference On Senior Engineering Design, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

Senior Engineering Design Conference

The 33rd Conference on Senior Engineering Design Projects You are invited to attend the thirty-second Conference on Senior Engineering Design Projects. The conference will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 2,2003 at the Bernhard Center on the campus of Western Michigan University. The College of Engineering and Applied Sciences sponsors the conference to showcase the work of its graduating seniors, who are required to complete a capstone project that puts into practice what they have learned. Many of the projects are sponsored by business and industry.

Life Support: The Environment And Human Health. Michael Mccally.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Michael McCally, Life Support: The Environment and Human Health. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2002. $19.95. papercover.

Globalization And Human Welfare. Vic George & Paul Wilding.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Vic George and Paul Wilding, Globalization and Human Welfare. New York: Palgrave, 2002. $75.00 hardcover, $25.00 papercover.

Physics Department News, December 2003, College Of Arts And Sciences

Physics Newsletter

Contents from Volume 2, Issue 2:

• A Note from the Editor
• From the Chair
• What’s New at the University
• Faculty Highlights
• Staff Highlights
• Accelerator Upgrade 5
• PhysTEC
• Distinguished Alumni Award
• Alumni News
• Recent Guest
• Goldwater Scholar
• New Grants
• Student Awards
• Recent Graduates
• Department Roster
• Photo Gallery
• Feedback/Update Reply Form

Review Of Settlement Houses Under Siege: The Struggle To Sustain Community Organizations In New York City. Michael Fabricant And Robert Fisher. Reviewed By Bill Buffum., Bill Buffum

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Michael Fabricant and Robert Fisher, Settlement Houses Under Siege: The Struggle to Sustain Community Organizations in New York City. New York: Columbia University Press, 2002. $49.50 hardcover, $23.40 papercover.

Review Of Workfare: Why Good Ideas Go Bad. Maeve Quaid. Reviewed By Colita Nichols Fairfax., Colita Nichols Fairfax

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Maeve Quaid, Workfare: Why Good Ideas Go Bad. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2002. $60.00 hardcover, $24.95 papercover.

The Effects Of Feedback, Goals, And Consequences On Response Time For Medical Staff In A Medical-Surgical Hospital Setting, Don K. Nielsen

Masters Theses

Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) has developed procedures useful in addressing a variety of organizational challenges. Frequently used components of OBM interventions include feedback, goal setting, and consequences. Literature on various combinations of these components is abundant but there are few reports of their use in the hospital setting. Specifically, no published studies were found that focus on response time of answering patient calls. The present study was an attempt to evaluate the effects of feedback, goals, and consequences on the latency of responses to patient calls. A multiple-baseline design across individuals was used in a hospital setting to evaluate the …

Occupational Therapy Job Satisfaction In The Geriatric Setting, Dawn Doctor

Masters Theses

This study examined the level of job satisfaction among occupational therapists working in the geriatric setting in the state of Michigan. The purpose of this study was to determine if burnout exists among occupational therapists working in a geriatric setting. Questionnaires from 29 therapists who work in a·geriatric setting were analyzed. The majority of the respondents reveled they are not burned out, but do report at least one sign of stress within their job. The most common forms of stress were treating difficult diagnoses, excessive paperwork, excessive caseload, increased productivity expectations, the lack of respect for occupational therapy, and the …

The Effect Of Non-Stoichiometry On The Structure Of La-Ni And La-Ni-Ga Alloys, Pertrice Auguste Wethey

Masters Theses

Non-stoichiometric samples of the AB₅ system defined by the formula La_1-yNi_5+2y and LaNi_5+2xGa_1-x were cast using an arc-melting furnace. The samples were then analyzed to determine their lattice parameters and phases present using XRD. They were then heat-treated to produce homogeneous compounds and quenched with the intention of retaining high temperature compositions. Following the heat-treatment, the alloys underwent XRD again as well as SEM/EDS. The XRD information was analyzed using Rietveld refinement and the elemental data derived from the EDS was used to ascertain the compositions were statistically akin to the weighed values. …

Innovative Contracting Prequalification/Selecion Model Using Analytical Hierarchy Process (Ahp), Saad J. Zidan

Masters Theses

Design-Build, Cost-Plus-Time, and warranty are the three innovative contracting methods that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) decided to fund. FHWA allowed the usage of these methods in federally funded projects if this will result in reducing time, improving quality, and saving tax payers' money. Prequalification is recognized as the best way of assuring that contractors do have the required qualifications to deliver projects successfully. Prequalification is even more critical when low-bid selection method is used with any of the innovative contracting, since incompetent contractors may get awarded for low-bids that are not based on valid assumptions.

This study presents a …

Classifying Forest Composition Using Fractal Dimension As An Index Of Image Texture, Fitria Latifah Wahid

Masters Theses

In this study, Landsat imagery from June (summer) and October (autumn senescence) 2000 of the area of Fort Custer Training Center in Kalamazoo and Calhoun Counties, Michigan, were analyzed for forest classification accuracies. The use of fractal analysis to improve forest classification, particularly to distinguish among northern hardwood species, was examined. Using moving windows with different sizes, measurement of local fractal dimension and spatial autocorrelation (Moran's I) were performed on the NDVIs and the panchromatic images. The measurement products were combined with Landsat TM bands as additional layers in supervised maximum- Iikelihood multispectral classifications. The accuracy for multispectral classification of …

Response Cost In The Treatment Of Lunging In Dogs, Jennifer L. Sobie

Masters Theses

Contemporary professional applied animal behavior management employs a diagnostic and treatment approach for unwanted pet behavior that incorporates ethology-based causal factors. As in behavior therapy for humans, behavioral assessment includes descriptive functional analysis when possible to determine relevant contingency variables. But this information is then considered in the context of an appropriate motivational classification, such as social or prey-directed motivation or fear-motivated, and treatments are designed accordingly. A different view is that behavior can be treated effectively without a presumption of the motivation through analysis of the manifestation of the behavior itself. This study sought to evaluate the efficacy of …

Color Management Of Desktop Input Devices: Quantitative Analysis Of Profile Quality, Xiaoying Rong

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates the color management principle and input device profiling. The input devices discussed in this thesis are flatbed scanners.

In this thesis, the human visual system, CIE L*a*b* color space, ICC profiles are reviewed, and the evaluation of profile quality is discussed. Grayscale and standard color targets of three primary suppliers are used to create profiles for a scanner. The quantitative analyses of the quality of different profiles, created by two primary commercial profiling software, are conducted according to the Delta-E of the CIE L*a*b* color space. Finally, the relationship of different color targets and profiles for desktop …

Capillary Electrophoretic Separations Of Metal Ions, Elena Hofman

Masters Theses

Transition-metal (Zn(II), Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II)) ion separation was studied using 8-hydroxyquinoline-5-sulfonic acid and 2-methyl-8-hydroxyquinoline ligands with surfactants (cationic and anionic) by capillary electrophoresis under a variety of conditions (like pH, ionic strength, voltage and ion, ligand and surfactant amounts) and has debuted a clear separation mechanism. With cationic surfactants, ligands compete with capillary surface silanols for the metal ions; with anionic surfactants, ligands, silanols and micelles compete.

An empirical parameter, K_e, (electrophoretic-mobilities based) rationalizing the separation was proposed, experimentally analyzed and supported; it provides a silanol group per cm² value of the capillary surface, an equilibrium …

Investigation Of Electrical Properties And Structure Of Vacuum Evaporated C60 Films, Angiras D. Pandya

Masters Theses

C₆₀ is an important electronic material and its properties can be tuned by thermal annealing process and solid phase crystallization process. These properties were investigated as a function of thermal annealing temperature and solid phase crystallization. However there is no systematical study on annealing effect and Solid Phase Crystallization of C₆₀ films. In this study, the effect of thermal annealing on formation of nanocrystalline C₆₀ thin films were investigated for annealed samples and solid phase crystallized samples. The C₆₀ films described here were prepared by vacuum thermal evaporation method. The structural properties of C₆₀ films …

Effect Of Partial Borate Autocausticizing On Causticizing Rate And Equilibrium, Murugavel Anbalagan

Masters Theses

Borate autocausticizing can replace - total autocausticizing, or supplement the kraft lime cycle- partial autocausticizing. Partial autocausticizing is undergoing trials in several mills and has been recently commercialized in one mill. One common observation in the on-going trials is that the causticizing efficiency increases. The primary objectives of this research are to study the effect of metaborate on the causticizing rate, equilibrium and rate controlling parameters such as the temperature, concentration and sulfidity. The aim is to define the conditions that resulted in the increase of the causticizing efficiency.

The major findings of the research are that when the causticizing …

Generating Icc Output Profiles For Different Substrates: Application Too A Shinohara Offset Press & Several Printers, Kailashnath Jaganathrao Pohnerkar

Masters Theses

The International Color Consortium (ICC) was formed to undertake problems in achieving reliable and reproducible color throughout the reproduction process; the ICC Profile Specification offers solutions to color matching and quality. Problems with the ICC Profile relate to tools in the field, output devices, various substrates, profile calculation processes and color accuracy.

A color management system (CMS), developed by International Color Consortium, allows color transformation to be carried out by the operating system in conformity. ICC profiles describe the color range of a device and the way it distorts the color of an image. The profiling software is required to …

Because A Better World Is Possible: Women Casino Workers, Union Activism And The Creation Of A Just Workplace, Susan Chandler

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Based on a re-analysis of data from a qualitative study of the work experience of 36 women casino workers, this article examines the contributions and personal characteristics of the 13 women in the sample who described themselves as committed union activists. These women, all leaders in the Hotel Employees, Restaurant Employees Union, were proud that collectively they had improved wages, benefits, and the conditions of work in Nevada casinos, and had created an environment that reinforced pride in a job well-done, provided job security, and promoted strong families and communities. These women's workplace experience serves as a reminder to the …

Organizational Factors Contributing To Worker Frustration: The Precursor To Burnout, Cathleen A. Lewandowski

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study examined the organizationalf actors that contribute to workers' frustration with their work situation. The sample included 141 service professionals who attended workshops on burnout in 2001. The purpose of the workshops was to increase awareness regarding the organizational factors that could contribute to burnout. Findings indicate that factors most directly affecting clients were predictive of frustration, rather than factors that may indirectly support service quality or factors impacting workers' professional autonomy. A sense of powerlessness and isolation was also predictive of frustration, suggesting that participants viewed workplace problems as a private rather than an organizational concern. To address …

Review Of From Immigration Controls To Welfare Controls. Steve Cohen, Beth Humphries, & Ed Mynott (Eds.). Reviewed By Miriam Potocky-Tripodi., Miriam Potocky-Tripodi

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Steve Cohen, Beth Humphries and Ed Mynott (Eds.), From Immigration Controls to Welfare Controls. New York: Routledge, 2002. $90.00 hardcover, $28.95 papercover.

Single Mothers And The State: The Politics Of Care In Sweden And The United States. Cecilia Winkler.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Cecilia Winkler, Single Mothers and the State: The Politics of Care in Sweden and the United States. Lanham, MD: Rowan & Littlefield, 2002, $69.00 hardcover.

American Poverty As A Structural Failing: Evidence And Arguments, Mark R. Rank, Hong-Sik Yoon, Thomas A. Hirschl

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Empirical research on American poverty has largely focused on individual characteristicst o explain the occurrence and patternso f poverty. The argument in this article is that such an emphasis is misplaced. By focusing upon individual attributes as the cause of poverty, social scientists have largely missed the underlying dynamic of American impoverishment. Poverty researchers have in effect focused on who loses out at the economic game, rather than addressing the fact that the game produces losers in the first place. We provide three lines of evidence to suggest that U.S. poverty is ultimately the result of structural failings at the …

Shift Work And Negative Work-To-Family Spillover, Blanche Grosswald

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A representative sample of the U.S. workforce from 1997 National Study of the Changing Workforce data (Families & Work Institute, 1999) was examined to study the relationship between shift work and negative workto- family spillover. Negative spillover was measured by Likert-scale frequency responses to questions concerning mood, energy, and time for family as functions of one's job. Statistical analyses comprised t-tests, ANOVAs, and multiple regressions. Among wage earners with families (n = 2,429), shift work showed a significant, strong, positive relationship to high negative work-to-family spillover when controlling for standard demographic characteristics as well as education and occupation. Distinctions among …