Digital Commons Network^™

Investigating El Nino Southern Oscillation And Tornado Activity In Texas, Joel R. Intrieri

Masters Theses

The possible relationships between El Nino Southern Oscillation and tornado frequency and intensity (as measured by the Fujita Scale) within Texas are explored in this paper. Reported tornado occurrences from 1950-2000 are compared to the Japan Meteorological Agency's Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Index to discover significant patterns and trends throughout the state. Overall, results reveal that more intense tornadoes are likely to touchdown during the cold phase (La Nina) of the ENSO cycle. Regional differences are also observed with the La Nina extreme favoring increases in tornado frequency and intensity within distinct areas of the state. Finally, the cold swing …

Integrated Geophysical Examination Of A Former Refinery Site, Carson City, Michigan, Kennedy Opiyo Mwanda

Masters Theses

Integrated geophysical surveys, including electromagnetic (EM-31), magnetic, dc resistivity, and ground penetrating radar (GPR) methods and soil borings were used to investigate part of a former refinery site in Carson City, Michigan, which has more than a 50-year history of hydrocarbon contamination.

Although not readily evident on the magnetic anomaly maps, the EM-31 conductivity map clearly revealed many sections of buried pipes of various lengths and orientations. Also evident on the EM maps are extensive near surface conductivity anomalies. Soil borings in zones of anomalous conductivities to the west suggest the presence of shallow clays with pooled hydrocarbons at depths …

Inorganic And Organic Chemistry Of The Former Lakeside Refinery In Kalamazoo, Michigan, Kurt W. Carlson

Masters Theses

The focus of this investigation of the Lakeside Refinery site is the inorganic geochemistry because previous investigations concerned organics and heavy metals. Because little nitrate is in native groundwater, high dissolved ammonia immediately downgradient from a petroleum body suggests the source is the petroleum and/or associated byproducts. Iron reduction is most prominent immediately upgradient from the known and measurable petroleum while manganese reduction occurs mostly downgradient. Sulfate reduction occurs mostly towards the southern portion of the light petroleum LNAPL. Based on concentrations of nitrate, manganese, iron and sulfate along a groundwater flow path, there appears to be a sequential use …

An Examination Of The Frequency Of Unethical Practices In High School Among 9th Grade Science Students, Russell Joseph Chudy

Masters Theses

This research is a study of 147 high school freshman science students at Forest Hills Central High School. A survey was given to each student regarding academic dishonesty in science classes. This survey was taken voluntarily and each student was given identical surveys. The data was then collected, combined and analyzed. Results indicated that cheating among 9th grade science students occurs every day at Central High School, regardless of sex or academic achievement, and is common practice. Freshman students participate in academically dishonest behavior less currently than they did a year ago. Although they are afraid of getting caught, most …

An Inquiry Into The Application Of A Curriculum Chart In Science Education, Karen R. Fuller

Masters Theses

When a teacher decides how to teach science to the classroom of individuals, the fist consideration to make is how to best meet the needs of the students. It is important to know what their prior knowledge is. A science curriculum chart would work like a checklist where the teachers would write when the student learned a science topic and how they succeeded in learning the science concept. The chart would also show education standards and benchmarks met.

The author surveyed West Michigan teachers, K-12, in order to determine if they would value the use of the chart. The teacher …

Metal Ion Separation Mediated By Organized Molecular Assemblies, Hong Cao

Masters Theses

We have investigated the separation of Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) by the ligands 8-hydroxyquinoline- 5-sulfonic acid and 7-iodo-8-hydroxy-quinoline- 5-sulfonic acid in the presence of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and the cationic surfactant octyltrimethylammonium bromide (OTAB) . Baseline separations have been achieved by HPLC employing an octadecylsilanized silica (ODS) column. The underlying mechanisms of separation have been determined.

The significant new results of our studies are: (1) separation is not possible without the presence of surfactants and hence organized assemblies; (2) separations can be achieved under submicellar concentrations; (3) the separations are not driven by micelles; and …

Correlation And Prediction Of Fatigue Crack Growth Rate For Different R-Ratios, Sudip Dinda

Masters Theses

The prediction of fatigue crack growth rate of a structural material is an important aspect by which we can predict the critical or safe crack length and, therefore, avoid the sudden failure of components and structures.

There are numerous models which claim to predict the fatigue crack growth rate, but with the exception of the highly published "crack closure methodology" no other model lived up to the expectation of correlating the fatigue crack growth data or predicting the fatigue crack growth rate for different R-ratios.

In order to find an effective solution to the above problem a study has been …

A Small Flaw Translates Into Many Miscalculations: A Narrative Criticism Of The Intel Pentium Chip Crisis, Christine H. Hoek

Masters Theses

This study uses the Intel Pentium chip crisis of 1994 to gain an understanding of how technology issues are socially constructed in contemporary American public discourse. Two primary and competing narratives were discovered. First, Intel's narrative minimized the problem and argued that chip flaws are commonplace and the company would replace the chips for anyone who could "prove" the need for a replacement. The consumer' s narrative, conversely, was one in which customers asserted that Intel's policy was paternalistic and instead demanded the replacement of their chips. The narratives were analyzed as the crisis moved through five primary events, with …

Multiple Isotopic Investigation Of Lake Sediments From Northern India, Alice Mwanda

Masters Theses

Stable isotopes ratio of lake sediments can provide valuable environmental information. This possibility has been investigated using radiocarbon dated fossil lake sediments from the Himalayan region of Northern India. The chronology was established using Radiocarbon dating of both organic and inorganic fractions using (AMS). Inorganic ages are older than organic ages. Organic ages are expected to increase stratigraphically, however several anomalous old ages are found in the younger part of the sediments. Final chronology, determined using selected sensible ages identified two periods of sedimentation. The high sedimentation period is characterized by sedimentation rate of 0.8cm/yr and it fairly coincides with …

A Model For Optimizing The Selection Of Project Delivery Systems Using Analytic Hierarchy Process (Ahp), Arosha De Silva

Masters Theses

The project delivery systems applicable to the construction industry in the U.S. consist of different approaches. This study focuses on three main approaches, (1) Design-Bid-Build (DBB), (2) Design-Build (DB), and (3) Construction Management (CM). Since each construction project is unique, selecting the right project delivery system is a tough decision.

This study develops a decision making system, based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), for selecting the best delivery system for a given construction project. AHP is a decision making mathematical model developed by Thomas L. Saaty and consists of a hierarchical structure. It analyzes several alternatives for a given …

The Role Of Groundwater And Surface Water Interaction In The Development Of A 1,4-Dioxane Plume In Scio Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan, James W. Brode

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the hypothesis that groundwater and surface water interaction resulted in the development a 1,4-dioxane plume in a glacial aquifer in Scio Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan.

An industrial solvent, 1,4-dioxane, was detected in the groundwater in the area of study in 1986. This area, referred to in this investigation as the Western Plume, is one of several 1,4-dioxane plumes associated with the Pall/Gelman Sciences Inc. (P/GSI) site, an extensively investigated site of groundwater contamination.

1,4-Dioxane in the Western Plume area was initially believed to be the result of contaminated groundwater transported from a …

Learning In The Prairie, Meredith L. Beilfuss

Masters Theses

This research focused on fieldwork in geography and science education relative to the high school curriculum. First, the literature was reviewed to analyze the pedagogical and cognitive benefits of using fieldwork and how fieldwork might enrich the high school social studies and science curriculum in Michigan. Second, prairie curriculum resources were evaluated for suitability using the Michigan Education Standards and the National Standards for Geography. Finally, two groups of high school students engaged in fieldwork, using two different methods, photography and sketching, and were compared for their pre and post fieldwork knowledge of prairie ecological concepts. The pre and post …

Uv-Vis Spectral Analysis Of Spot Colors, Radovan Sporka

Masters Theses

Press return inks represent a continuous problem in printing industry. The best way of utilizing them is to mix them into new colors. Efficiently to do so, it is necessary to determine their composition first. The spot color inks for product gravure were analyzed using Perkin Elmer Spectrometer LAMBDA 900. UV/VIS/NIR analysis of mixtures showed rather similar course of ink spectra in ultraviolet and near infrared region. Thus, the VIS range from 400 - 700 nm was used for further analysis. The unique course of spectral curves of each pigment in visible region enabled successful qualitative analysis of two- and …

A Study In The Morality Of The African American Reparation, Jason L. Moulenbelt

Masters Theses

The question that is posed in this thesis is this: Do blacks have a moral claim for reparations for past indiscretions, such as slavery and legalized segregation? A second question dependent on an answer to this first is: If it is decided that blacks do have a claim to reparations, to whom can they make this claim? The first question will be answered through the clarification of the terms compensation and reparation, the exploration of current compensatory programs (such as Affirmative Action) that have claimed reparations as justification for the implementation of compensatory policies, and answering many of the current …

The Reliability Of Emg Normalization Procedures For Three Muscles Involved In Knee Extension, Gerrik J. Schepel

Masters Theses

This retrospective study analyzed the three muscles involved in knee extension: vastus medialis, rectus femoris, and vastus lateralis. lt was conducted to determine the reliability of normalization procedures when evaluating the EMG response detected from a muscle. During a maximal voluntary isometric contraction {MVIC), the EMG response of the muscle was recorded and the iEMG moment per unit area was determined. The iEMG response ofthe quadriceps muscles during dynamic exercise was normalized using the MVIC. Subjects (N = 44) performed two consecutive MVICs with a 2-min rest between trials at 110°, 90°, 70°, 50°, and 30° of knee flexion, …

Performance Analysis Of A Parallel Implementation Of The Lattice Boltzmann Method For Computational Fluid Dynamics, David M. Cherba

Masters Theses

We propose to use benchmark data combined with detailed (n) analysis to predict the performance of a parallel Lattice-Boltzmann Method (LBM) for 2D fluid dynamics simulation with solid particles on various configurations of cluster computers. The LBM has super step synchronism, phase concurrent components and non-critical size of division properties. Our results demonstrate accurate predictions for LBM simulation performance. The CPU benchmark indicates that increased variable data precision does not degrade execution time significantly on Pentium class processors. We show that improved communication and calculation strategies for solid particles yielded better speedup and scalability. A theoretical analysis demonstrates that worst …

Stratigraphic Analysis Of Diamicton Units In Southern Allegan County, Michigan, Shannon A. Wong

Masters Theses

Two diamicton units from the southern Allegan County, Michigan lakeshore bluffs were identified and differentiated through clay mineralogy by analysis of 7 /10A peak-height ratios and the 2-80 mm crystalline fraction from pebble count results. t-Tests indicate the two units are significantly different. These two units are correlated with the Saugatuck and the Ganges tills of southwest Michigan based on similarities in stratigraphic position and lithologic description as described by Monaghan et al. (1986). Other diamicton samples were collected throughout southwest Michigan, near Moline, Otsego, Bloomingdale, Gobles, and Decatur. In correlating the Saugatuck and the Ganges tills to their inland …

Separation Of Enantiomers With Chiral Dendrimer, Jie Zhuang

Masters Theses

Chiral dendrimers with .unique ordered structures are especially attractive for the recognition of chiral molecules based on the three point contact model. We have successfully synthesized first generation chiral dendrimers containing L- and D- tryptophan methyl ester moieties and characterized them by NMR, IR, UV-Visible, MS, and optical activity. L-tryptophan methyl ester dendrimer was converted to its acid form in order to attach it to aminopropyl silica for the HPLC separation of enantiomers. The aminopropyl silica containing 1.52mmols/g of NH₂ groups binds about 0.3mmols of dendrimer per gram and has about 0.4mmols of free NH₂ groups per gram. …

Determining Flow Type In A Carbonate Bedrock Aquifer, Presque Isle County, Michigan, Bonny Armstrong

Masters Theses

Presque Isle County, Michigan, has a long history of ground water quality problems. Aquifer contamination is most likely the result of large fractures in the bedrock allowing surface water to rapidly reach ground water. The purpose of the study is to l) perform a geochemical investigation of ground water in the bedrock aquifer, 2) suggest the type of ground water flow system present in the study area and characterize the aquifer type, and 3) suggest how the flow system might affect the behavior and transport of contaminants.

Water samples were collected from sixteen wells in the Genshaw Formation, three wells …

Electrical Resistivity Tomography And Induced Polarization Techniques With Paired Vertical Resistivity Probes, Adrian Ezeagu

Masters Theses

The aim of this research is to use electrical resistivity and induced polarization (IP) techniques to image in detail the vertical and lateral distribution of resistivity and chargeability in the subsurface region between two or more boreholes. The method involves installing electrodes mounted on PVC pipes in the boreholes. The distribution of resistivity and chargeability around the boreholes is then calculated. The large number of measurements taken is then inverted to produce tomographs or images showing subsurface distribution of resistivity and chargeability. Four cross-hole measurement arrays (pole-pole, dipole-pole dipole-dipole and pole-dipole) were employed in acquiring tomographic data. The tomographs produced …

A Comparison Of Vertical Velocity Profiles From The Balloon Borne Sounding System And The 915/50 Mhz Radar Wind Profiler/Radio Acoustic Sounding System To Parcel Theory At The Arm Sgp Site, Joshua R. Ravenscraft

Masters Theses

In this study we characterized vertical wind velocity profiles in the troposphere using the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) equipment facility at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site in Lamont OK established by the Department of Energy (DOE) and administered through Argonne National Laboratories (ANL). Using the Balloon Borne Radio Sonde (BBSS) system launched four times per day, we collected ambient temperature profiles and lapse rates from the period of June to September of

2001. Concurrently the Rass Radar Wind Profiler collected vertical wind speed data at 915 MHz continuously throughout this period. The BBSS data is visualized using a Skew-T …

Asset-Base: New Reserve Requirements For A New Banking Industry, James Robert Bryans

Masters Theses

This paper discusses a regulatory plan known as asset-based reserve requirements. By examining the history of reserve requirements in the United States and of current regulatory proposals and practices, I argue that a system of asset-based reserve requirements may provide a useful, though not often considered alternative to the current structures of liability based reserve requirements and capital requirements. Required reserves based on assets provide the Federal Reserve with a powerful, versatile, and adaptable policy tool for monetary policy. Additionally, they ensure risk-assessment, reduce the moral hazard problem associated with deposit insurance, and when applied to all fmancial institutions create …

Learning Styles Of Teachers And Usage Of Technology, Kiranmayi Padmaraju

Masters Theses

'Every child can learn' is the mantra being advocated today. The Multiple Intelligences theory put forth by Gardner has revolutionized the perceptions of learning styles. Currently more and more teachers are accepting the reality that children learn differently and in this context, their own learning style should not be a limiting factor for using multiple modes of instruction in their classrooms. A correlational study will be done to determine if there is a relationship between learning styles of the teacher and technology usage, particularly computer-based technology. The subjects in this study will be inservice teachers (N = 30). The MIDAS …

A Web Content Management And Personalization Model Using One-To-One Strategy For Higher Educational Institutions, Yee Pong Ng

Masters Theses

This research explored a Web content management and personalization model for higher educational institutions. Through a review of literature and data collected from users, it formulated a conceptual model for Web content management and personalization. The study used the Web site of School of Technology at Eastern Illinois University as a typical case from which to develop the model for higher educational institutions. Understanding the factors influencing user attitudes about the adoption of new Web technologies is extremely important. Such an understanding can help Web developers develop a theoretical framework for a Web model as well as identify its components. …

Institutional Representation Of Student Presentations At Psychology Research Conferences: Trends And Implications, Cathy D. Schoonover

Masters Theses

Student participation in psychology undergraduate research conferences has pedagogical benefits encompassing experiential and collaborative learning, and enhancement of critical thinking skills. This project was designed to determine whether more conference participants originate from baccalaureate colleges than from research universities and what topics they present. Archival data were gathered from five geographically diverse undergraduate conferences and information extracted to determine institutions of origin. Institutions were categorized according to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, then compared using chi-square tests. Information concerning topics presented were categorized according to six content domains of psychology and also analyzed with chi-square tests. The …

A Descriptive Comparative Study Of Student Learning Styles From Selected Medical Education Programs, Dennis C. Gregory, Steven K. Huisman

Masters Theses

The authors’ hypothesis was to determine whether comparable variation coexisted among the individual learning styles of health professional students and the general population. Our purpose was to demonstrate learning style variability, as well as justification for the utilization of different teaching modalities throughout education. We administered David Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory IIa to sample populations of Emergency Medical Technician/Paramedic students (n = 53), third and fourth year Medical students (n = 28), undergraduate Nursing students (n = 65), second and third year Physician Assistant students (n = 49), and a General student population (n = 70). The results were analyzed …

Mechanical Response Of Nets Of Graphical Objects, Rakesh Kumar Bajaj

Masters Theses

"This research produces networks of graphical objects that respond to human manipulation in a fashion that would be deemed physically reasonable. That is, a graphical network is given a mechanics-like behavior in the presence of the human interaction. In this approach, nonlinear models replace commonly used linear models to mimic physical reality better. Software solutions are provided via a class library useful for such interactive visual modeling"--Abstract, page iii.

The Effect Of Electoral Systems On Voting Behavior And Party Development: The Case Of Canada, Chris Andrews

Masters Theses

This thesis will explore three major areas of political science research: The timing of elections, Duverger's law and voter turnout. Each of these topics has been covered extensively in the literature. However, as with most areas of political science, there remain facets of each of these topics that deserve further examination. Chapter 1 begins this discussion with an introduction to each of these three topics and a description of the Canadian electoral and party systems.

Chapter 2 examines the impact of the timing of elections on the government party in Canadian parliamentary elections. This chapter shows that there are aspects …

Factors Influencing Teachers' Decisions To Refer Students For Special Education Evaluation, Amanda R. Perry

Masters Theses

This study examined the factors that influence teachers to refer students for psycho-educational evaluation. Fifty seven teachers from Midwest and Southwest suburban and rural school districts completed a questionnaire designed to gather information about the factors teachers consider when referring students for evaluation, as well as their opinion of the etiology of Learning Disability and their preferences for services. Results indicated that the most influential factors in participants' referral decisions were low achievement and behavioral problems. The majority of teachers agreed that eligibility decisions should be based on the child's needs. However, there was no agreement that an ability-achievement discrepancy …

An Analysis Of Consistent Inclusion Programming District Wide, Laura N. Vos

Masters Theses

Inclusive education is the newest and largest change that the district being examined has had to face in recent years. However, within the six elementary buildings, inclusion is delivered in different ways. The inconsistency amongst the buildings in regards to inclusion was examined to determine if the effects have a positive or negative impact on the district as a whole. An interview/questionnaire was administered to twenty-five samples throughout the district. The interviews determined overwhelmingly that the practices are inconsistent, but whether the effect was positive or negative was debateable. The study also found common successful practices, shared commonalities and concerns …