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Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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Interoperable Components Across Multiple Component Architectures, Ravi S. Banda Dec 1998

Interoperable Components Across Multiple Component Architectures, Ravi S. Banda

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A component is a pre-fabricated, pre-tested software object that provides clients with a well-defined set of services. Component software requires an architecture through which any developer or vendor can deliver a component at any time and have that component become immediately useful to applications on any given system. A system that supports component software must therefore support a generic service abstraction that is, an architecture that defines how all types of components appear and how they are manipulated. As part of the thesis various component architectures COM, JavaBeans and CORBA have been studied and the interoperability issues between the components …

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Droplet Coalescence In The Shear Flow Of Model Emulsions, Adam Abdallah Al-Mulla Dec 1998

Droplet Coalescence In The Shear Flow Of Model Emulsions, Adam Abdallah Al-Mulla

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

During the flow of an emulsion, droplets of the dispersed phase can deform, breakup, coalesce or migrate to other regions within the flow field. Understanding these different processes, both individually and jointly, is relevant, for example, to the development of morphology in immiscible liquid-liquid systems such as polymer blends formulated using single screw or twin screw extruders. While deformation and breakup have been well researched for single drops, migration occurs only for concentrated emulsions. In this study, dilute emulsions of silicone oil and castor oil were employed to observe drop coalescence in the absence of drop breakup; flow fields utilized …

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Implementation Of Courseware For Internet Delivery, Sohail Ramzan Khan Dec 1998

Implementation Of Courseware For Internet Delivery, Sohail Ramzan Khan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A process centered environment for implementing courseware is presented. The proposed environment addresses some of the constraints in the existing state of the art technology, presently used for distance education. The environment interface is developed using MS FrontPage 98 web development software. The thesis describes the design and implementation of the environment, which is named WVUCT. WVUCT utilizes MS NetMeeting software as a mode for interacting with the students in many different ways. WVUCT uses MS FrontPage 98 for developing a web-based course. The course web once developed using the environment can be published to any httpd server for student's …

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Hydrothermal Aging Of Zeolite-Based Catalysts, Joongjai Panpranot Dec 1998

Hydrothermal Aging Of Zeolite-Based Catalysts, Joongjai Panpranot

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this study the RE-USY (Davision GO-40) FCC catalyst, a composite of RE-USY zeolite and alumina-silica gel matrix, was treated hydrothermally under simulated FCC regenerator conditions in a laboratory scale fluidized bed. Fresh and steam-aged catalysts were characterized by surface area reduction using the nitrogen BET and t-Plot surface area methods. The surface morphology was apparent from the scanning electron photomicrographs. An irreversible deactivation kinetic model developed earlier by Gardner.; S0- S/S0 ns=Ks t was applied to account for changes of surface area of the zeolite component as a function of time on stream, temperature and steam partial pressure. The …

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Resistance-In-Series Modeling In High-Shear Rotary Ultrafiltration, Ronald L. Vaughan Jr. Dec 1998

Resistance-In-Series Modeling In High-Shear Rotary Ultrafiltration, Ronald L. Vaughan Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Large volumes of spent oil-in-water emulsions are produced in the metal working (MW) industry. In high-shear rotary ultrafiltration (HSR-UF), disk membranes are rotated at speeds up to 1,750 rpm to generate hydraulic turbulence, which scours the membrane surface. Thus, the pump is required only to provide transmernbrane pressure and a small amount of recirculation.;A parametric waste-specific study was conducted to assess the ability of the resistance-in-series (RIS) permeate flux model to predict pressure-flux data collected in the HSR-UF of a synthetic MW fluid. Experiments were conducted using a pilot-scale HSR-UF system with a 0.11 mum average-pore size membrane at a …

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Identifying The Type And Appropriateness Of The Evaluations Of Selected Agriculturally Related Science And Technology-Based Usaid Projects Conducted Between 1985 And 1995, Allen E. Bayles Dec 1998

Identifying The Type And Appropriateness Of The Evaluations Of Selected Agriculturally Related Science And Technology-Based Usaid Projects Conducted Between 1985 And 1995, Allen E. Bayles

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A review of the literature indicated that baseline data that described how and what were being evaluated at the project level by agencies involved in third world development had not been published. This was a descriptive study using content analysis of the available evaluative reports for the USAID projects involved with the transfer of agriculturally-related technology identified in the National Science Foundation research project, Assessing the Literature on the Benefits of External Science and Technology Aid Assistance to Developing Countries (Pytlik, Vasudevan, Bayles & Spitznogle, 1997).;The research concludes that impact evaluations were not being conducted at the project level. While …

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Perceptions Of Supervisory Behaviors And Supervisory Needs Among Licensed Speech-Language Pathology Assistants, Jean Suzanne Mead Dec 1998

Perceptions Of Supervisory Behaviors And Supervisory Needs Among Licensed Speech-Language Pathology Assistants, Jean Suzanne Mead

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to identify supervisory behaviors that occurred and the extent to which they were perceived as necessary during supervisory interactions between licensed speech-language pathology assistants (SLPAs) and their supervising speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Surveys were mailed to the 173 licensed SLPAs in Louisiana, who were the population for this study, requesting information about the supervision received. Eighty-eight (51%) completed and returned the survey.;The survey consisted of three parts. Part I contained 29 statements that were each rated twice using a Likert-type scale. The first rating indicated the extent to which supervisory behaviors occurred and the second …

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Determining Perspectives Of Selected Disciplines Concerning The Nature Of Technology Within Classic Literature, Bryan Calvin Maser Dec 1998

Determining Perspectives Of Selected Disciplines Concerning The Nature Of Technology Within Classic Literature, Bryan Calvin Maser

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this research was to identify if there was a significant difference between the perspectives of selected disciplines with regard to the nature and history of technology. A content analysis of classic literature from multiple disciplines to determine perspectives concerning the nature of technology served as a basis for the development of a general semantic differential instrument. The instrument was administered to a given population yielding a conceptual scoring of perspectives. Scored concepts were then cross referenced to respective disciplines to determine if the degree of difference between disciplines was statistically significant.

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Local Damage Analysis Of Fiber -Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composites, Arsenio Domingo Caceres Dec 1998

Local Damage Analysis Of Fiber -Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composites, Arsenio Domingo Caceres

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

While it is widely recognized that failure occurs as a result of damage accumulation, characterization of composite material behavior is currently limited to obtaining the elastic properties and the strength values. With such information, it is not possible to assess the remaining life of a structural component or to estimate the likelihood of failure as a function of the time in service. The present investigation concerns the development of a continuum damage mechanics (CDM) formulation for polymer-matrix composites assuming the damage accumulates in the matrix, fiber, and fiber-matrix interphase regions. A local approach was taken by dividing the analysis of …

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Fractal Analysis Of Topography And Structure Across The Appalachian Foreland Of West Virginia, Ashley Shannon Burns Douds Dec 1998

Fractal Analysis Of Topography And Structure Across The Appalachian Foreland Of West Virginia, Ashley Shannon Burns Douds

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Fractal analysis was conducted on topographic relief and seismic reflection travel time data in the state of West Virginia to determine the potential influence of subsurface structure on surface topography. Seismic travel-times digitized from two east-west seismic profiles and topographic relief extracted in north-south and west-east directions from a 1:250,000 Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for the entire state were used in the analysis. A limited local study was also conducted of hand-drawn topographic profiles extracted from U.S.G.S. 1:24,000 topographic quadrangles over the Cottageville gas field in western West Virginia. This study also incorporated extraction of profiles in the same location …

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Scale And Texture In Digital Image Classification, Christopher John Sebastian Ferro Dec 1998

Scale And Texture In Digital Image Classification, Christopher John Sebastian Ferro

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis is a theoretical and empirical study on textural properties of digital images. Spatial information exists at a hierarchy of scales and texture is a consequence of the objects in that hierarchy. Within-class texture results from the spatial arrangement of objects at the next finer level in the hierarchy than the informational class. Between-class texture results from spectral differences between adjacent classes and is most obvious near class edges, especially for smooth classes. In rough classes between-class variance may not differ much from within-class variance. Errors in classifications using texture, therefore, are most likely associated with, class edges; however, …

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Perturbation Studies Of Excitable Media, Lisa Elizabeth Seagraves Dec 1998

Perturbation Studies Of Excitable Media, Lisa Elizabeth Seagraves

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA) based systems are probably the most often studied polymer gels due to their dramatic change in volume, swelling and deswelling. Since this system has the best response to pH between 4 and 7, the ferrocyanide-iodate-sulfite (FIS) reaction, which exhibits pH oscillations between 4 and 7.5 in a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR), is a good candidate for studies of oscillatory gel systems.;This work also focused on two dynamical phenomena in the ruthenium catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction. One is self-organized criticality and the other is periodic forcing and how they can be studied with the BZ reaction. Self-organized criticality …

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Implementing Constructivism In The Middle School Classroom, Christina Paparozzi Dec 1998

Implementing Constructivism In The Middle School Classroom, Christina Paparozzi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study defines the components of a middle school history curriculum based on a theory of learning consistent with the use of cognitive tools and the tenets of constructivism. Utilizing a comparative analysis of learning theories encompassing developmental and constructivist beliefs and their influence on appropriate instructional design, the research addresses the necessary pairing of instructional planning and learning theory. Additionally, an examination of linguistic tools and their relationship to cultural development and distinctive kinds of comprehension, as well as specifics of the various learning stages, preferences, and skills are used to provide a rationale. This analysis is employed in …

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Do Christian Schools Implement Long -Range Plans?, Steven L. Degeorge Dec 1998

Do Christian Schools Implement Long -Range Plans?, Steven L. Degeorge

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to examine long-range plans of schools accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) to determine whether evidence of implementation is present in administrators' job descriptions and evaluation documents.;Data were gathered through the use of a survey and by the collection and comparison of long-range plans, administrators! job descriptions, and evaluation documents. A second survey of board chairs was taken to determine the acceptance of the rational planning model presented and their attitudes toward implementation.;Thirty-two schools participated in the study, in which major points of the long-range plans were fisted on a chart. …

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Characterization Of Diversity Of Fungi Forming Arbuscular Endomycorrhizae In Selected Plant Communities, Sidney Luiz Sturmer Dec 1998

Characterization Of Diversity Of Fungi Forming Arbuscular Endomycorrhizae In Selected Plant Communities, Sidney Luiz Sturmer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Knowledge of taxonomic and functional diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomales, Zygomycetes) is important in understanding the biology and ecology of such a widespread mycorrhizal symbiosis. More definitive criteria for grouping and ranking taxa were established by reinterpreting morphological characters in selected species of Glomus (Glomaceae) and Acaulospora and Entrophospora (Acaulosporaceae) based on spore ontogenesis. Members of both families shared some patterns, such as discrete stages of spore growth and differentiation in three phases, resulting in the formation of three possible character complexes: a spore wall, flexible inner walls, and a pregermination structure. Families differed in presence or absence of …

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Maternal Self-Efficacy Beliefs As Predictors Of Parenting Competence And Toddlers' Emotional, Social, And Cognitive Development, Priscilla Kari Coleman Dec 1998

Maternal Self-Efficacy Beliefs As Predictors Of Parenting Competence And Toddlers' Emotional, Social, And Cognitive Development, Priscilla Kari Coleman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Appreciation for cognitive factors associated with parental competence and child outcomes has expanded dramatically in developmental research over the past several years. Parental self-efficacy beliefs, in particular, have emerged as both a salient direct predictor of positive parenting practices and as a mediator of the effects of several of the most thoroughly researched correlates of parenting quality including maternal depression, child temperament, and social support. Parental self-efficacy beliefs embody an estimation of the degree to which parents perceive themselves as capable of performing the varied tasks associated with this demanding role.;The objectives of this study were threefold and entailed the …

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Fault-Injection Through Model Checking Via Naive Assumptions About State Machine Synchrony Semantics, Sabina Joseph Dec 1998

Fault-Injection Through Model Checking Via Naive Assumptions About State Machine Synchrony Semantics, Sabina Joseph

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Software behavior can be defined as the action or reaction of software to external and/or internal conditions. Software behavior is an important characteristic in determining software quality. Fault-injection is a method to assess software quality through its' behavior. Our research involves a fault-injection process combined with model checking. We introduce a concept of "naive assumptions" which exploits the assumptions of execution order, synchrony and fairness. "Naive assumptions" are applied to inject faults into our models. We use linear temporal logic to examine the model for anomalous behaviors. This method shows us the benefits of using fault-injection and model checking and …

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Resonant Ion Heating In A Helicon Plasma, John L. Kline Dec 1998

Resonant Ion Heating In A Helicon Plasma, John L. Kline

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A resonant ion heating system has been developed for heating ions and controlling the ion temperature anisotropy in a helicon plasma source. The system uses two rectangular coils placed on either side of the cylindrical pyrex vacuum chamber to create a time dependent magnetic field transverse to the steady state axial field. A 1 kW, 25--125 kHz RF generator powers the coils. The parallel and perpendicular ion temperatures in argon plasmas are measured with a laser induced fluorescence diagnostic tuned to a metastable argon ion transition. Ion heating of over 800% has been measured for the perpendicular ion temperatures with …

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Derepression Of Heterochromatin Inactivation By Induction Of A Nearby Promoter In Drosophila Melanogaster, Daniel Renick Mcneill Dec 1998

Derepression Of Heterochromatin Inactivation By Induction Of A Nearby Promoter In Drosophila Melanogaster, Daniel Renick Mcneill

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Position-effect variegation (PEV) describes the compaction of a euchromatic gene placed next to a region of heterochromatin. This compaction into heterochromatin in some instances results in a mosaic phenotype in Drosophila melanogaster. Since its discovery in the 1930's the phenomenon of PEV has been extensively analyzed and many models describing the mechanics have been proposed. But, until recently a model system for analyzing the phenomenon at various developmental stages was not available. In 1996, Lu, Bishop, and Eissenburg were able to use a transgenic construct that variegates for both a heat shock 70 promoter-driven lacZ construct and a mini-white gene, …

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Identification Of Math Anxiety Subtypes, Aline Elizabeth Rabalais Dec 1998

Identification Of Math Anxiety Subtypes, Aline Elizabeth Rabalais

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Conceptualizations of mathematics anxiety, as well as factors that are empirically related to it, were identified from the existing literature. These factors are test, evaluation, trait, and state anxiety, as well as gender and level of math ability. Differences in these factors were hypothesized to distinguish subtypes of highly math anxious individuals from one another. In order to determine whether subtypes exist, cluster analyses were performed on a sample of 96 highly math anxious college students. The results revealed three clusters distinguished by completion time on two versions of a math test and age. Furthermore, participants' responses on a variety …

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School Bus Crashworthiness, Ganesh R. Panneer Aug 1998

School Bus Crashworthiness, Ganesh R. Panneer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Numerical simulation of automotive crashes play an important role in reducing the cost and time taken for predicting the results of a collision. Computer simulation of a vehicle requires that the vehicle structure be modeled in a finite element package by discretizing the geometry into a number of elements.;Every day thousands of children travel to school and school related events by bus. Not necessarily all the journeys are short and safely driven. The potential for serious injuries is possible in the event of a crash. The severity of injury in an offset frontal impact is higher than the full frontal …

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Development And Accuracy Determination Of A Two-Component Doppler Global Velocimeter (Dgv), Stephen M. Naylor Aug 1998

Development And Accuracy Determination Of A Two-Component Doppler Global Velocimeter (Dgv), Stephen M. Naylor

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A two-component Doppler Global Velocimeter (DGV) system was constructed and tested to research problems associated with the accuracy of this unique system. The uniqueness of the system lies in its ability to simultaneously and non-intrusively measure velocities in a laser illuminated plane. A key component of the system is a frequency discriminating optical filter containing iodine vapor which allows direct measurement of the Doppler frequency shift caused by particle motion. Corrections for optical distortions and non-uniform intensities as well as the conversions from intensity data to velocity data are performed by an extensive image processing algorithm. Measurements were made of …

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The De/Re-Territorialization Of Struggle In Appalachia: The Legacy Of "Coal And Class" And The Cultural Politics Of Community., Stuart Lorkin Jan 1998

The De/Re-Territorialization Of Struggle In Appalachia: The Legacy Of "Coal And Class" And The Cultural Politics Of Community., Stuart Lorkin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Appalachia is a region that continues to represent a paradoxical place in the geographical imagination of its residents, scholars and popular writers. There is a long and well documented history of the often violent exploitation of its land and people, and a marginalized tradition of protest. The geography of economic, social and political development in the central core region is highly uneven, the product of tensions between raw material extraction such as coal, by capital, political control through an elite-state class, and variously organized social struggles. Studies of social movements within a cultural political framework provided a powerful mechanism of …

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The Emerging Female Hero In The Fiction Of Alice Walker, Ntozake Shange, Ursula Le Guin, And Barbara Kingsolver., Rebecca S. Phillips Jan 1998

The Emerging Female Hero In The Fiction Of Alice Walker, Ntozake Shange, Ursula Le Guin, And Barbara Kingsolver., Rebecca S. Phillips

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Novels written by Alice Walker, Ntozake Shange, Ursula Le Guin, and Barbara Kingsolver between 1971 and 1993 demonstrate a pattern of female heroism that both continues and revises the male monomyth as described by Joseph Campbell. The motifs these women's novels share with the traditional monomyth include: (1) the quest itself; (2) mysterious parentage; (3) the magical guide; (4) the slaying of the monster; (5) the boon; (6) (sometimes) the sacred marriage and the return. The elements either unique to the female quest or containing a different emphasis from the monomyth are: (1) enclosure in a patriarchal system; (2) naming …

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Performance Of Flexible Pavements Reinforced With Geogrids., Bora Kutuk Jan 1998

Performance Of Flexible Pavements Reinforced With Geogrids., Bora Kutuk

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This report presents the results of an investigation on the effectiveness of glass fiber grids as a reinforcement of the asphalt base layer in a flexible pavement. The study involved both laboratory experimental work and computer analysis of pavement sections. As part of the experimental work, twenty flexible pavement sections (with and without glass fiber grids) were constructed and tested in the laboratory. The laboratory-scale pavement sections were instrumented with pressure cells, displacement gages, and strain gages. Test sections were subjected to 1,000,000 load applications at a frequency of 1.2 Hz. Static loading tests were conducted at intervals of 100,000 …

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Development Of A Tolerance Design Model In Manufacturing Assembly And Design Of Cost-Based Cusum Control Charts Using Taguchi Quality Loss Function., Jung-Dae Kim Jan 1998

Development Of A Tolerance Design Model In Manufacturing Assembly And Design Of Cost-Based Cusum Control Charts Using Taguchi Quality Loss Function., Jung-Dae Kim

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The quadratic loss function has been used in the statistical and control theory literature. Taguchi applied quadratic loss function to quality improvement. His quality loss function has been known to be effective in assessing quality loss in monetary terms, while most of the traditional quality control techniques, such as tolerance design and control chart design, use estimated cost factors. Taguchi's quality loss function concept is different from traditional methods in which all the values within the specification limits are equally acceptable. However, his idea is that for many products, parts elements and components, a target or nominal size or value …

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A Description Of The Instructional And Assessment Practices Of Selected Elementary Teachers., Mary D. Morris Jan 1998

A Description Of The Instructional And Assessment Practices Of Selected Elementary Teachers., Mary D. Morris

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Three distinct teachers, recognized by their administrators as excellent, were chosen to participate in a study designed to describe a recent phenomena in education. All three teachers were members of a faculty that was recognized as a Professional Development School in collaboration with the Benedum Foundation. Traditionally educators have looked to their local school district to provide continuing education. This professional development covers a wide range of topics and is given with a random approach. Recently there have been schools that have decided that their instruction and assessment could change to incorporate more alternative methods to accommodate a variety of …

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Genotoxicity Studies Of Roofing Asphalt Fume Condensates In Mammalian Cells., Hongwei Qian Jan 1998

Genotoxicity Studies Of Roofing Asphalt Fume Condensates In Mammalian Cells., Hongwei Qian

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The specific aims of the present investigation were to determine the genotoxicity and potential carcinogenicity of WFC of Type I and Type III roofing asphalt by using different genetic endpoints in mammalian cells in vitro and in rat in vivo. Morphological transformation studies in cultured BALB/c-3T3 cells indicated that at concentrations that allow less than 50% survival, neither of the WFC, with or without the hamster liver S9 activation system, significantly increased foci formation in BALB/c-3T3 cells. The conventional and immunofluorescent staining MN assays showed that both types of WFC caused a significant increase in the frequency of MNC and …

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The Relationship Of The Communication Styles Of Public School Principals In West Virginia And Their Schools' Climates To Student Achievement., Linda Sue Roberts Jan 1998

The Relationship Of The Communication Styles Of Public School Principals In West Virginia And Their Schools' Climates To Student Achievement., Linda Sue Roberts

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined the relationships between and among the three variables of communication style of the public school principal in West Virginia, school climate, and student achievement. Demographic variables included sex of the principal, school level, school size, and socioeconomic status. The population of this study consisted of K–12 teachers from 350 different public schools in West Virginia who were surveyed regarding their perceptions of the communication style of their principals and the climates of their schools. Data on student achievement, sex of the principal, school level, school size, and socioeconomic status were also collected. Multiple regression and Pearson correlations …

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Water Demand Management For Casablanca, Morocco., Mohamed Lahlou Jan 1998

Water Demand Management For Casablanca, Morocco., Mohamed Lahlou

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Water shortages could significantly curtail economic growth and development in Casablanca, Morocco. Conservation programs in Morocco have been implemented only occasionally, usually during a water shortage crisis arising either from technical reasons or from drought. Public awareness activities suffer from a lack of effectiveness and do not fulfill the desired objectives. The purposes of this study are to examine water consumption characteristics in Casablanca and develop approaches for water management to help assure that shortages will not undermine the prospects for sustainable economic development. Research procedures used were the development and estimation of water demand models for the residential/commercial, industrial, …

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