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Modifying Risk Perceptions Of Japanese University Students Using A Culturally Compatible Mode Of Instruction, Susan F. Walsh May 1999

Modifying Risk Perceptions Of Japanese University Students Using A Culturally Compatible Mode Of Instruction, Susan F. Walsh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Japanese university students who come to the United States present a particular challenge to universities to teach them about their risks to personal property. The usual method of delivering this message, a lecture during the orientation period, may not be the most effective way of presenting the information due to their limitations in understanding English. It was hypothesized that a manga, or comic book, would be an effective and culturally compatible mode of instruction.;A manga was developed and was tested on a group of incoming Japanese freshmen. Forty students (12 females, 28 males) were divided into two groups. One group …


In -Cylinder Combustion -Based Virtual Emissions Sensing, Michael L. Traver May 1999

In -Cylinder Combustion -Based Virtual Emissions Sensing, Michael L. Traver

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The development of a real-time, on-board measurement of exhaust emissions from heavy-duty engines would offer tremendous advantages in on-board diagnostics and engine control. In the absence of suitable measurement hardware, an alternative approach is the development of software-based predictive approaches. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using in-cylinder pressure-based variables as the inputs to predictive neural networks that are then used to predict engine-out exhaust gas emissions. Specifically, a large steady-state engine operation data matrix provides the necessary information for training a successful predictive network while at the same time eliminating errors produced by the dispersive and time-delay effects of …


An Examination Of The Perceived Leadership Styles Of Kentucky Public School Principals As Determinants Of Teacher Job Satisfaction, Karen Marie Bare-Oldham May 1999

An Examination Of The Perceived Leadership Styles Of Kentucky Public School Principals As Determinants Of Teacher Job Satisfaction, Karen Marie Bare-Oldham

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study was designed to determine the leadership style of Kentucky school principals as perceived by Kentucky public school teachers. The study then measured the job satisfaction of the Kentucky public school teachers and examined the significant relationship between leadership style and teacher job satisfaction. The design and the findings of the study are as follows.;From the population of 40,000 teachers as identified by the teacher certification unit of Kentucky's State Department of Education, a random sample of 500 (250 elementary and 250 secondary) was chosen. Each teacher received a packet which contained the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire ( LBDQ) …


Locating And Mapping Cemeteries In Loudon County, Virginia, Scott Marshall Sizer May 1999

Locating And Mapping Cemeteries In Loudon County, Virginia, Scott Marshall Sizer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Protecting smaller family-type cemeteries is a difficult task in a rapidly growing area. This paper investigates that ways in which Loudoun County, Virginia addressed cemetery protection concerns. Cemetery locational data was captured from a variety of sources and integrated into the countys geographic information system (GIS). The locational information was gathered through digitization and with a Global Positioning System (GPS). Once the cemetery locational information was in the GIS, it was then integrated into an existing land development process.


Regulation Of The Synthesis And Protein Stability Of The Alternative Sigma Factor Rpos In Salmonella Typhimurium, Christofer Lee Cunning May 1999

Regulation Of The Synthesis And Protein Stability Of The Alternative Sigma Factor Rpos In Salmonella Typhimurium, Christofer Lee Cunning

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

RpoS is an alternative sigma factor which is required for the expression of genes that help bacteria cope with environmental stress. The regulation of RpoS is multifactorial and occurs at the levels of synthesis and protein turnover. Our lab has previously identified a rpoS translation enhancing factor in Salmonella typhimurium, the RNA-binding protein HF-I. An antisense element consisting of rpoS mRNA secondary structure is predicted to sequester the rpoS ribosome binding site and inhibit translation. HF-I may interact with this element to increase translation. Using rpoS genetic fusions, we have shown that native rpoS promoters can be substituted with tac …


Prediction Of Trauma Responses Following Myocardial Infarction, Risa Nakase Thompson May 1999

Prediction Of Trauma Responses Following Myocardial Infarction, Risa Nakase Thompson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

For survivors of MI, the most common subsequent psychological complications include anxiety and depression. Recent interest has increased in examining the incidence of anxiety disorders, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), among post-MI patients. The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate trauma responses among a consecutive sample of post-MI patients. Forty-six post MI patients completed questionnaires and forty completed structured interviews during their initial hospitalization for MI. Six of these individuals reported acute stress disorder symptoms in response to their MI. These six patients scored significantly higher on most measures of PTSD. Thirty-two individuals completed a follow-up assessment of …


Administrators' Influence On Job Satisfaction For West Virginia Special Education Teachers, Jennifer Pitzer Sirk May 1999

Administrators' Influence On Job Satisfaction For West Virginia Special Education Teachers, Jennifer Pitzer Sirk

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined the relationship between the perceived administrative support levels of special education directors and principals and the perceived intrinsic, extrinsic and overall job satisfaction levels of West Virginia special education teachers. The Supervisory Behavior Description Questionnaire (Form One) was used to measure the perceived administrative support levels. The Mohrman Cooke Mohrman Job Satisfaction Scale was used to measure the perceived intrinsic, extrinsic and overall job satisfaction levels. Ancillary information was also obtained from the respondents concerning gender, Regional Education Service Agency (RESA) area of employment, grade level of employment, special education teaching assignment areas, years of experience teaching …


Assessing The *Discriminative Properties Of Response -Reinforcer Relations Using Concurrent Schedules Of Reinforcement, Josue P. Keely May 1999

Assessing The *Discriminative Properties Of Response -Reinforcer Relations Using Concurrent Schedules Of Reinforcement, Josue P. Keely

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The discriminative properties of schedules of reinforcement have been assessed by making a choice response conditional upon some aspect of the schedule that produced the choice component. The discriminative properties of concurrent schedules of reinforcement and the effect of disruptions in the response-reinforcer relation were investigated using conditional-discrimination procedures. In the first experiment, choice components were produced by responding to one of two variable-interval (VI) schedules. Disruptions in the temporal contiguity between a VI response and a choice component were introduced by arranging a percentage of choice components according to a variable-time schedule. Choice responding was a function of the …


Independent Verification Of Specification Models For Large Software Systems At The Early Phases Of Development Lifecycle, Khalid Lateef May 1999

Independent Verification Of Specification Models For Large Software Systems At The Early Phases Of Development Lifecycle, Khalid Lateef

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

One of the major challenges facing the software industry, in general and IV&V (Independent Verification and Validation) analysts in particular, is to find ways for analyzing dynamic behavior of requirement specifications of large software systems early in the development lifecycle. Such analysis can significantly improve the performance and reliability of the developed systems. This dissertation addresses the problem of developing an IV&V framework for extracting semantics of dynamic behavior from requirement specifications based on: (1) SART (Structured Analysis with Realtime) models, and (2) UML (Unified Modeling Language) models.;For SART, the framework presented here shows a direct mapping from SART specification …


Mean Value Modeling And Control Of A Diesel Engine Using Neural Networks, Yasser Yacoub May 1999

Mean Value Modeling And Control Of A Diesel Engine Using Neural Networks, Yasser Yacoub

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Increasingly stringent emissions legislation and demands for improved fuel economy have mandated the need for advanced control algorithms and complicated the diesel engine calibration procedure. To this end, a neural network-based mean value model of a modern turbocharged direct injection diesel engine has been developed and validated. For a pre-specified engine speed schedule and control vector trajectory, the engine model was shown to produce accurate predictions of the turbocharger manifold charging dynamics and combustion efficiency through engine brake torque predictions. The mean value model was coupled with several sub-models to predict exhaust gaseous and particulate emissions and satisfactory predictions were …


Regulation Of Heme Biosynthesis Targets The Key Enzyme Hema By A Mechanism Of Protein Stabilization In Salmonella Typhimurium, Liying Wang May 1999

Regulation Of Heme Biosynthesis Targets The Key Enzyme Hema By A Mechanism Of Protein Stabilization In Salmonella Typhimurium, Liying Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Heme serves as a cofactor of cytochromes and catalases. It is essential for energy generation and in defense against toxic hydrogen peroxide in nearly all cells including Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli. Indirect evidence has suggested that heme synthesis is a regulated process. Little is known about how heme synthesis is regulated in enteric bacteria even though the heme synthetic pathway is genetically well-defined. This research represents the first report that heme synthetic regulation affects the first committed heme pathway enzyme, glutamyl-tRNA reductase (HemA), by an unusual mechanism.;HemA, encoded by hemA gene, catalyzes the rate-limiting step of heme biosynthesis. This …


The Effect Of Utilizing A Third Point Of Reference On The Accuracy Of The Earbow Facebow., Henry Albert Miller Jan 1999

The Effect Of Utilizing A Third Point Of Reference On The Accuracy Of The Earbow Facebow., Henry Albert Miller

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

No abstract provided by the author.


Trade And The Environment: A Political Model Of International Public Goods Problem., Qingshui Zhou Jan 1999

Trade And The Environment: A Political Model Of International Public Goods Problem., Qingshui Zhou

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In recent decades there has been a debate over the entwined issues of trade and the environment, and the 1990s witnessed a great rise in global environmental concerns. The purpose of the present study is to seek a cooperative solution to these concerns. Postwar environmental movement, interaction of trade and the environment, and the reconciliation issues are reviewed. Methodologies to studying these issues are categorized into (1) international trade approaches, and (2) environmental economics approaches. A political model-cost sharing game is then proposed. Specifically, environmental problems resulting from trade are treated as international public goods and the issue of optimal …


The Effects Of Teacher Clarity And Immediacy On Student Learning, Apprehension, And Effect., Joseph Lee Chesebro Jan 1999

The Effects Of Teacher Clarity And Immediacy On Student Learning, Apprehension, And Effect., Joseph Lee Chesebro

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined the effects clear and immediate teaching have on student learning, state receiver apprehension, and affect. Although teacher clarity and constructs conceptually similar to immediacy have been identified as effective teaching behaviors, few experimental studies have investigated the combined use of these behaviors. This is important because research related to clear teaching suggests that immediacy may be a necessary precursor to clear teaching and that the absence of immediacy may significantly threaten the effectiveness of clear messages. A review of this research is followed by the identification of attributes which characterize clear teachers. The results indicate that clarity, …


The Use Of Propositional Structures And Subgoals In Solving Multi-Step College Statistical Word And Formula Problems., Deborah Joan Hendricks Jan 1999

The Use Of Propositional Structures And Subgoals In Solving Multi-Step College Statistical Word And Formula Problems., Deborah Joan Hendricks

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This experiment studied the effect of size and format of instructions given to college students enrolled in an introductory statistics course on the number of errors committed and the amount of time required in order to complete a problem. A 3 (size) by 2 (format) factorial design was used. The three sizes of instruction given were propositional structures, subgoals, and complete algorithm. The two formats used were word and formula. The dependent variables used to study errors were Completed Errors, Total Errors, and Accuracy. The dependent variables used to study time were Solution Time, Steps Attempted, Errors per Minute, and …


The Effects Of Environmental Aging On The Durability Of Glass/Epoxy Composites., Somjai Kajorncheappunngam Jan 1999

The Effects Of Environmental Aging On The Durability Of Glass/Epoxy Composites., Somjai Kajorncheappunngam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRPs) are beginning to be used as structural materials in construction. However, their mechanical properties can degrade after prolonged exposure to the environment. Understanding this degradation was the focus of this research. Epoxy neat resin and glass/epoxy composite samples were soaked in four different solutions (distilled water, saturated salt solution, 5 M NaOH, and 1 M HCl solution) for 5 months. The samples were also subjected to a combination of temperature and sustained load at room temperature and at 60°C. The glass transition temperature (Tg), storage modulus, tensile strength, and strain at failure were measured. The …


The Responsible Students Program Of The West Virginia Board Of Education: Background, Components, And Data Systems., Jill Anne Lewis Jan 1999

The Responsible Students Program Of The West Virginia Board Of Education: Background, Components, And Data Systems., Jill Anne Lewis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

School skills training and schoolwide management programs are often applied in schools by introducing a package that has been developed in another school and worked well there. When transplanted, however, these programs often fail to achieve satisfactory results. This study focuses on the application of a transplanted, state-mandated, schoolwide program as carried out in a small rural elementary school (population 250). It compares the program with features of programs recommended in the empirical literature, in order to identify components which should be included to ensure the effectiveness of such programs. The Responsible Students Program (RSP) at Dennis Elementary was evaluated …


Measuring Fluoridated And Non-Fluoridated Sealant Fluoride Concentrations And Their Effect On Streptococcus Mutans: An In Vitro Study., Deborah Annette Bassham Jan 1999

Measuring Fluoridated And Non-Fluoridated Sealant Fluoride Concentrations And Their Effect On Streptococcus Mutans: An In Vitro Study., Deborah Annette Bassham

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Decalcification around brackets is a problem associated with plaque accumulation trapping caries producing bacteria, such as Streptococcus mutans (SM) and Lactobacilli acidophilus. The aim of this study was to measure 1)the concentration of fluoride released from three sealants: Protection TM Plus, Maximum Cure®, TransbondTM XT, and a glass ionomer, GC Fuji II 2) fluoride release of materials recharged with topical fluoride, 3) the ability of materials to inhibit SM, and 4) the degradation of materials by SM. A significant difference was found in fluoride released over 28 days between the four groups. There was no significant difference in the fluoride …


Computer-Based Fluency Training: A Comparison Of Prompting And Non-Prompting., Keri Bailey-Whitacre Jan 1999

Computer-Based Fluency Training: A Comparison Of Prompting And Non-Prompting., Keri Bailey-Whitacre

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study evaluated the effectiveness of prompting and non-prompting in a testing format as an instructional technique using computer-based flashcards. The instructional content was four sets of flashcards, ten questions in each set, pertaining to the software program Authorware. Eight graduate students, four females and four males, served as participants. Groups 1 and 2 consisted of four participants each with Group 1 receiving Sets 1 and 4 with the prompting option and Sets 2 and 3 without the prompting option. Group 2 received Sets 1 and 4 without the prompting option and Sets 2 and 3 with the prompting option. …


Programming Wizards: Generating Syntax-Free Conceptual Editors., Windell Hansford Goff Ii Jan 1999

Programming Wizards: Generating Syntax-Free Conceptual Editors., Windell Hansford Goff Ii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this project is to develop a generator for a class of syntax-free conceptual editors called "programming wizards". These editors provide a model of software that is especially suitable for novice software developers, freeing them from intricate syntactic details. The effectiveness of these editors is demonstrated by showing how they ease learning of component-based software engineering principles in introductory computer science classrooms. The notion of programming wizard generation is expected to be generally applicable for teaching other principles without the intrusiveness of particular specification / programming syntax.


Acoustic Signal During Hydraulic Fracturing., Jeremy Scott King Jan 1999

Acoustic Signal During Hydraulic Fracturing., Jeremy Scott King

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Well performance analysis using pressure/time data are historically collected over a time span of minutes and hours. Such pressure/time performance is controlled by Darcy type fluid seepage, and used to define the formation boundaries and permeability. A different pressure transient is used to determine the acoustic characteristics of the open flow passages of a well. A pressure transient can be induced by a sudden change in flow rate. The wave travels towards the casing perforations and back to the surface. The reflected signal contains the piping and fracture acoustic signature within it. The transient signal lasts less than a minute. …


A Study Of Protein Interactions By Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry., Weiling Zhang Jan 1999

A Study Of Protein Interactions By Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry., Weiling Zhang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry is gaining recognition as a powerful tool for the study of proteins. It is a “soft” ionization source, which permits the preservation of noncovalent interactions prevailing in biological systems. It is able to form multiply charged ions, which facilitates analyses of very large molecules. The change of the protein conformations can be investigated by charge state distribution shifts in ESI-MS. The noncovalent interactions of proteins with other molecules can also be studied by ESI-MS because these interactions often change the shape of proteins. I examined the effect of various operating parameters on shape of the ESI-MS …


A Biological Comparison Of Discula Destructiva Isolates From Four Geographic Areas., Patricia Gwen Gundrum Jan 1999

A Biological Comparison Of Discula Destructiva Isolates From Four Geographic Areas., Patricia Gwen Gundrum

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A series of biological tests were conducted to ascertain whether differences among isolates of the dogwood anthracnose fungus (Discula destructiva ) could be measured. Discula destructiva isolates were recovered from forty symptomatic eastern flowering dogwood trees growing at four locations in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Before sampling, each tree was rated for percent foliage infected. Symptomatic leaf and twigs were collected in the summer of 1994 and D. destructiva was isolated from each leaf and twig sample. Isolates were cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium. Subcultures onto the same medium were made in order to evaluate growth and colony …


Evaluation Of Biocidal Polymers For The Treatment Of Domestic Water Supplies: Application Of Polymers To The Surface Of Carrier Particles., Robert Matthew Taylor Jan 1999

Evaluation Of Biocidal Polymers For The Treatment Of Domestic Water Supplies: Application Of Polymers To The Surface Of Carrier Particles., Robert Matthew Taylor

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The performance of N-Halamine polymers in eliminating bacteria from water streams was studied in this research. Numerous experiments were performed to determine the efficacy of both pure N-Halamine polymer and polymer coated on carrier particles to remove Escherichia coli from water streams. The results for this research were inconclusive for a number of reasons. First, the polymer used in this research was not active. It lacked the correct chemical structure to kill bacteria effectively. Additionally, when active polymer was received, insufficient quantities were available to produce viable coated carrier particles. The ability to regenerate the polymer using bleach solutions could …


Development Of And Measurement Using A Point Doppler Velocimetry (Pdv) System., David L. Webb Jan 1999

Development Of And Measurement Using A Point Doppler Velocimetry (Pdv) System., David L. Webb

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A two component Point Doppler Velocimetry (PDV) system has been developed and tested. Improvements were made to an earlier PDV system, in terms of experimental techniques, as well as the data acquisition and reduction software. Measurements of the streamwise and spanwise mean and fluctuating velocities for flows from a rectangular channel and over an NACA 0012 airfoil were made, and the data were compared against hot wire data. The closest to the airfoil surface that PDV measurements could be made was on the order of 0.005 m (0.2”, z/c = 0.0169). When the PDV and hot wire data were compared, …


Increased Nitric Oxide Production During Pregnancy: Focusing On The Tissue Source And Physiological Role Of The Pregnancy Induced Increase In Nitric Oxide Synthesis., Beth R. Santmyire Jan 1999

Increased Nitric Oxide Production During Pregnancy: Focusing On The Tissue Source And Physiological Role Of The Pregnancy Induced Increase In Nitric Oxide Synthesis., Beth R. Santmyire

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated as a mediator of the normal renal and systemic hemodynamic changes of pregnancy. In study 1, we measured NO 3 + NO2 (=NOx) in plasma (PNOx) and 24 hour urinary excretion of NOx (UNOxV) and cGMP (UcGMPV) as well as tissue NOS activity in virgin (V), mid (MP) and late pregnant (LP) rats. The results from this study suggest that the soluble isoforms, NOS1 and/or NOS2, are the isoforms responsible for increased NO production during pregnancy. In study 2 we have evaluated PNOx, UNOxV, UcGMPV and tissue NOS activity in V, MP, and LP …


Javadiff: A Chicory Tool For File Comparison., Lingyi Zheng Jan 1999

Javadiff: A Chicory Tool For File Comparison., Lingyi Zheng

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The application (javaDiff) has been developed as a tool for Chicory project during one year of work for me as a graduate student in computer science department, West Virginia University. The purpose of this project is to compare files, visualize file differences, edit files and merge files. The work consists of object oriented design, algorithm implementation, user interface programming, updating Java code from Java awt (JDK1.1.2) to Swing, system integration, etc. The purpose of this thesis is to introduce javaDiff. We will discuss the whole application from designing to integration. Some important information like user menu will be attached in …


The Productive Efficiency Analysis Of Chinese Steel Firms: An Application Of Data Envelopment Analysis., Weidong Chen Jan 1999

The Productive Efficiency Analysis Of Chinese Steel Firms: An Application Of Data Envelopment Analysis., Weidong Chen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Efficiency has become one of the most important factors for the survival and development of Chinese steel firms as the economic and political reforms in China deepen. The Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), a non-parametric approach to the measurement of efficiency, is applied to the cross sectional data of 35 of the largest Chinese steel firms to estimate the technical efficiency of these firms in a multi-input/output situation. In this thesis, 6 input and 4 output variables are chosen. The empirical study demonstrates the need to reduce resources consumption, especially the number of employee, and to increase outputs, particularly the profit …


Using Conventional Wireline Logs To Generate Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Mri) Logs: A Feasibility Study., Mark Robert Richardson Jan 1999

Using Conventional Wireline Logs To Generate Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Mri) Logs: A Feasibility Study., Mark Robert Richardson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is used in logging to provide the log analyst an additional tool in establishing reservoir characteristics. Magnetic Resonance Imaging Logging (MRIL) provides information on the Free Fluid, Irreducible Fluid, Total Porosity, Effective Porosity, and Permeability that is far more accurate than Conventional Wireline Log interpretation, enabling better completion practices that will further enhance total recovery. What this feasibility study seeks to show is that by using Neural Networks, it is possible to generate synthetic MRI Logs using conventional Wireline Log data. This study also demonstrates that this practice is possible in different reservoirs having entirely different …


A Comparison Of Performance Of Students Referred For Gifted Evaluation On The Wisc-Iii And Binet Iv., James Edward Mullins Jan 1999

A Comparison Of Performance Of Students Referred For Gifted Evaluation On The Wisc-Iii And Binet Iv., James Edward Mullins

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The present study examined the performances of students referred for placement in gifted programs on the WISC-III and Binet IV. The first research question asked which subtests and index scores of the WISC-III relate most strongly to placement. All subtests except Arithmetic and Coding were significantly correlated with placement. Both the Verbal Conceptualization Index (WVCI) and the Perceptual Organization Index (WPOI) Scores were found to be significantly correlated with placement. In addition, discriminant function analyses were computed. Both WVCI and WPOI were found to be significant predictors of placement. Of the WISC-III subtests, all were significant predictors except Information (WINFO) …