Digital Commons Network^™

A Performance Audit Of A Graduate Training Program, Maria Emma Garcia

Masters Theses

The present study consists of a performance audit of a graduate training program. The performance audit is an engineering model created by Gilbert (1978) to design, analyze, and evaluate organizations. This performance audit was applied to the Behavioral Systems Analysis Program (BSAP), a graduate training program of the Psychology Department at Western Michigan University. The mission of BSAP consists of training behavioral systems analysts to effectively create or improve systems that benefit humanity.

This study had two objectives: first, the identification of the areas of BSAP with greatest potential for improvement and the identification causes of their deficiencies; second, to …

Uranium-Lead Zircon Ages And Crustal Contamination Of The Northeastern Idaho Batholith, James J. Dexter

Masters Theses

The magmas which formed the northeastern Idaho batholith were contaminated with, or derived from, old crustal material as evidenced, from previous studies, by high whole-rock ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios, relatively high ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb ages, and Archean to Proterozoic upper intercept ages for batholithic zircons.

The old zircon component has been identified in this study by separating zircons into fractions based on size and morphology. Pb/U isotopic ratios are distributed on a chord with a lower concordia intercept intrusive age of 73.6+6 m.y. Zircons from a batholithic sample located one kilometer inward from the contact were separated according …

Hydrogeologic And Geochemical Factors Influencing The Impact Of A Chromium-Arsenic-Copper Wastewater Discharge On A Glacial Outwash Aquifer, Michael J. Gallagher

Masters Theses

A discharge of chromium-arsenic-copper laden wastewater occurred periodically from 1970 to 1980 at a wood preserving company located in southwestern Kalamazoo County, Michigan. As a result of this discharge, soils at the company site became contaminated with chromium, arsenic, and copper, and a local glacial outwash aquifer became contaminated with hexavalent chromium.

Soil samples collected from the discharge site were analyzed for clay-silt-sand-gravel content, organic matter, pH, clay mineralogy, and chromium, arsenic, copper, iron, and manganese content. Background soil samples were analyzed for most of the above catagories. Pearson r coefficients of correlation were calculated to determine the correlation of …

The Application Of Multiderivative Infrared Spectroscopy To Iodine Number Determination, Jeffrey C. Lowry

Masters Theses

The Food and Drug Administration requires the disclosure of total unsaturation of commercial products as an indication of nutritional value. This unsaturation is a guide to the expected stability of food additives, such as edible oils and foods in which they are used. Unsaturation is typically evaluated as an iodine number, calculated for these additives based on their consumption of iodine through addition across the carbon-carbon double bonds. This titration method can typically take 45 minutes.

The investigation presented develops an alternative method for determining iodine numbers of some common oils using a computerized infrared spectophotometer. The analysis time, as …

Geology Of A Section Of The Northwest Tobacco Root Mountains, Madison County, Southwest Montana, Kiff James Samuelson

Masters Theses

The northwest Tobacco Root Mountains are located on the boundary between two major tectonic provinces: the fold and thrust belt and the Rocky Mountain foreland. Deformation typical of the Rocky Mountain foreland is present in the form of two major northwest trending faults with associated folds. Paleozoic rocks were passively draped over at least one of the elevated Precambrian blocks. Foliation of the Precambrian rocks also appears to have been gently folded in the process.

Folds and thrusts occur within the Precambrian and Paleozoic rocks, on the westernmost flank of the range, appearing to follow the general trend of the …

An Examination And Analysis Of The Department Of Special Education In The Muskegon Heights Public Schools, Doristine Louise Minott

Masters Theses

This project was undertaken so that an indepth view of the role of the director of special education and the Department of Special Education, Muskegon Heights Public Schools, could be observed. While there are many facets in the Department, much of the time was spent reviewing the Michigan Department of Education Administrative Manual for Special Education, working on administrative skills, and getting a feel for operating the Department.

It was determined that the Department is a very complex one indeed. Because policies change so often from the state level, it is often difficult to stay abreast of things. Therefore the …

Prescriptive Contracting: Utilization Of Self-Monitoring And Contracting In A Study Improvement Program, Raymond L. Boettger

Masters Theses

Several factors in program design and concurrent research of study programs for academically at-risk students have been noted in reviewing the literature. Two of the most effective techniques are self-monitoring and contracting. While many of the programs based on these procedures have shown significant increases in rates of study behavior, few have reported actual academic gains. Those that have predominately used simple difference of means tests to show significance. A major drawback to many of the study improvement programs is that they require additional expense to be implemented and maintained.

Prescriptive Contracting in an Individualized Guided Study center was designed …

I. A Temperature Dependent Nmr Study Of 6,6-Dicarbethoxy-5,5-Dideuteodi-Benzo--[A,C]-[L, 3]-Cycloheptadiene Ii. The Synthesis Of Four Deuterated Analogs Of 6, 6-Dicarbethoxydibenzo-[A,C]-[1,3]-Cycloheptadiene, Patrick F. Jonas

Masters Theses

The kinetics of conformational interchange of 6,6-dicarbethoxydi-benzo- a,c - 1,3 -cyloheptadiene and its 5,5-dideuterated analog were studied using variable temperature NMR techniques. The free energy of activation for conformational interchange of the parent compound was found to be 9.02 kcal mol^-1 and that of the 5,5-dideuterated analog to be 9.42 kcal mol^-1. Values of the entropy of activation were found to be -19.91 e. u. and -18.12 e. u. respectively. The spectra were recorded on a Nicolet NMC-360 wide bore spectrometer and the data collected treated as an AB spin system.

The 4,8-dideutero, 4,5,5,8-tetradeutero and 5,5,7,7-tetradeutero analogs …

An Evaluation And Comparison Of Various Diversity Indices As Illustrated By Portage Creek, Karl Josef Siebert

Masters Theses

The diversity index is an established method of measuring water quality. In this study various diversity indices are evaluated for their use in a rapid, accurate, and cost effective biological monitoring program. The study investigated five diversity indices: Approximate, Brillouin's, Shannon's, Simpson's and the Sequential Comparison Index. The diversity indices were tested for accuracy and sensitivity on actual on actual macroinvertebrate samples and simulated data.

The Simposon's Index was found to provide the most accuracy and sensitivity for the indices tested. The importance of considering the evenness element of diversity indices was also supported by the study.

Land Use Effects On Shallow Earth Resistivity, Gary James Barton

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Problem Of Reductionism In Theories Of Hemispheric Specialization And Recovery Of Functions, Grant Jackson Butterbaugh

Masters Theses

A selective review of functional and anatomical hemispheric asymmetries in humans confirms the doctrine of hemispheric specialization. However, the post-insult phenomenon of recovery of functions challenges theories that posit too strict a correspondence between anatomical structures and functions. Follow-up studies on hemispherectomized and hemidecorticated patients, who later recovered language, support a hypothesis of hemispheric redundancy, rather than "invariant" hemispheric specialization for language. Thus, through an evolutionary selection process, the brain may have developed as two potentially similar organs. Neuropsychological research on recovery phenomena is criticized as neglecting environmental contributions to recovery. Several models of hemispheric specialization are compared with recovery …

The Synthesis And Characterization Of Some Transition Metal Complexes Prom Mixtures Of Poly Pyrazolyl Borates, Robert Matthew Alway

Masters Theses

This is a report of the synthesis and separation of transition metal complexes of hydrotris(1-pyrazolyl)- borate and hydrotris(3,5-dimethyl-l-pyrazolyl)borate. These complexes contain a central metal ion and two tridentate ligands, one hydrotris(1-pyrazolyl)borate and one hydrotris(3,5-dimethyl-l-pyrazolyl)borate. Mass spectrometry proved to be an extremely useful technique for identifying products. Many mass spectra are included and discussed extensively.

Complexes containing hydrobis(pyrazole)(3,5-dimethyl -1-pyrazolyl)borate and hydrobis(3,5-dimethyl-l-pyrazole) (pyrazolyl)borate also were synthesised and mass spectra obtained.

A Quantitative Study Of The Copper Content In Granite Rocks, Samir F. Al-Mandwee

Masters Theses

A spectrographic analysis was conducted on ten granite samples of different geological origin from the Pioneer Mountains in Central Idaho. A qualitative analysis was performed first and then a quantitative analysis to determine the presence and relative amounts of copper in the various samples. This spectrographic analysis employed a direct current arc source of 340 volts and 4 amperes to excite the samples which were dissolved in acid and dried on the ends of high purity carbon electrodes. The emitted light passed through a step sector and a medium quartz spectrograph to a photographic plate. The optical density of the …

Learning Computer Logic Architectures On Apple Ii System, Falah Reda Al-Saffar

Masters Theses

For this thesis seven computer-assisted instruction packages have been designed to illustrate the design of electronic circuits of gates , the logic of combinational and sequential circuits, and integrated and magnetic core memories.

The programs in these packages have been written in the Pascal computer language on an Apple II microcomputer and stored on a double-sided floppy disk.

A Query-Processing Optimization Strategy For Generalized File Structures, Donna Marie Kaminski

Masters Theses

In processing a Boolean query against a non-inverted file, a subset of the query's keys must be selected. Only the records satisfying these keys need to be retrieved from the file. A dynamic programming algorithm, the Dual-to-minDF, is developed here for arriving at the optimum set of keys, i.e., the minimum number of external record retrievals. Previously suggested greedy methods yield feasible solutions which may or may not be optimal. This algorithm has exponential time complexity. However, it is useful for applications involving relatively short queries with duplication of keys within different conjuncts, and in cases where the files have …

The Effects Of Quantitative Information Content On Selection Strategies In A Complex Concept Formation Design, Tony B. Croke

Masters Theses

Thirty adult undergraduates and graduate students were placed in one of three quantitative information content groups. The Ss received either High, Medium or Low Information Content (IC) in a concept formation paradigm designed to study the types of problem solving strategies used by Ss under varying amounts of information content. High IC Ss produced the optimal strategy— focusing— sooner and more often than Medium or Low IC Ss. Medium IC Ss did better than low IC Ss. High IC Ss increased their use of focusing over trials, while Medium and Low IC Ss only used focusing intermittently. Medium and Low …

A Computer Aided Instructional System And Its Application Towards A Course On Snobol4 Programming Language, Abtin Edelji

Masters Theses

Computers are rapidly replacing humans in many tasks. Computer Aided Instructional System is an application of the computer in the teaching of a subject. Currently, a large number of educational Institutes use Computer Aided Instructional Systems.

The objectives of this thesis is to review some techniques in implementing such systems and to present a Computer Aided Instructional System called TEACH. The emphasis of this thesis is on the type of the directory used to minimize the search time for the TEACH System.

A Geophysical Investigation Of A Possible Astrobleme In Southwestern Michigan, Suhas L. Ghatge

Masters Theses

A circular pattern to the oil production in Calvin Township, Cass County, Michigan, absence of about 1200 feet of Ordovician sediments and uplift indicated by a deep drill hole in the center of the productive area and absence of anomalies on the regional gravity and magnetic maps led to detailed gravity and magnetic surveys over this structure to delineate it and provide information regarding its genesis.

The Bouguer gravity and magnetic anomaly maps show no anomaly associated with the structure. The 28-mile wavelength second harmonic residual gravity and magnetic maps show linear features in the area. Two dimensional gravity modeling …

An Improvement In The Performance Of A Learning System For Finite State Machines, Lea F. Fuller

Masters Theses

A learning system is examined which is capable of learning a finite state machine from a class of finite state machines based on the observed behavior of the machine. The size of the search space becomes very large as the number of states in the machine increases. The size of the search space quickly becomes the limiting factor in the size of the class of machines which may be learned. An investigation is made of methods to improve the performance of the learning system. The application of a depth first approach to the development of the search space is shown …

Structural Geology Of The Northern Snowcrest Range, Beaverhead And Madison Counties, Montana, Mark Kenneth Sheedlo

Masters Theses

The Snowcrest Range was uplifted in Late Cretaceous and Early Tertiary time as a consequence of thrusting in Precambrian basement and Phanerozoic cover rocks.

The Snowcrest-Greenhorn thrust system is associated with largescale overturned, eastward verging folds. Mean orientation of the thrust system is N.40°E., 35°N.W.. The trend of the thrust system and associated transverse faults appear to be controlled by earlier structures. Mesoscopic and microscopic analyses indicate that metamorphic basement rocks accommodated congressional strain largely by brittle faulting and cataclastic shearing. Kinematic indicators suggest that local stresses were directed east-southeastward.

Northeast-trending Neogene faults along the western flank of the range …

Lithology And Sedimentology Of The Graydon Springs Channel, Pennsylvanian Of Southwestern Missouri, Gregory Lee Easson

Masters Theses

"The Graydon Springs Member of Southwest Missouri, here assigned to the Warner Formation of Pennsylvanian age was sampled and examined in order to document the lithology, sedimentology, source area, stratigraphic position, and overall geologic history of these channel-like bodies. The member is composed of an upper sandstone unit and a lower conglomerate unit.

Laboratory investigations of thin sections indicate that the sandstone unit is composed of well sorted, well rounded quartz and minor amounts of accessory minerals cemented with iron oxide, commonly hematite. Field observations indicate that the conglomerate unit is composed of very poorly sorted, very well rounded chert …

The Design And Implementation Of The Programming Language Natural, Alan L. Sparks

Masters Theses

"This paper reports progress on the development of the programming language Natural, currently under design by Dr. Thomas J. Sager at the University of Missouri--Rolla. Natural is a very high-level language with a mathematical flavor, and includes several concepts relatively uncommon in programming language design.

The text also discusses an implementation on the IBM Personal Computer of Mini-Natural, a subset of Natural, and presents examples of programs written in Mini-Natural"--Abstract, page ii.

A Simple Method For Organizing Nearly Optimal Binary Search Trees, Joy L. Henderson

Masters Theses

"Improving the efficiency of retrieving information concerns users of computer systems involved in many applications- One way of addressing this concern is to organize a sorted sequence into a binary search tree. Knuth's Algorithm K is a bottom-up organization algorithm that always constructs a binary tree which minimizes average search time. However, the cost of executing Algorithm K is prohibitive for a large tree. The aim of this work is to find a less costly method of organizing sorted sequences into nearly-optimal binary search trees.

We present a top-down organization method which yields better average search times than top-down methods …

Survey Of Routing Algorithms For Computer Networks, Lu Yu

Masters Theses

"This thesis gives a general discussion of routing for computer networks, followed by an overview of a number of typical routing algorithms used or reported in the past few years. Attention is mainly focused on distributed adaptive routing algorithms for packet switching (or message switching) networks. Algorithms for major commercial networks (or network architectures) are reviewed as well, for the convenience of comparison"--Abstract, page ii.

The Special Theory Of Relativity In A Gravitational Field, Masayuki Note

Masters Theses

"A theory is presented which generalizes the special theory of relativity to an acceleration field. The theory is based on the re-interpretation of linear motion as an acceleration field and is applied to a gravitational field. It is shown that the theory explains the precession of Mercury's perihelion and the deflection of light near the sun"-- Abstract, p. iv

Relation Of Bitumen To Ore In The Magmont West Orebody, Southeast Missouri, Mark Alan Marikos

Masters Theses

"Bitumen in the form of oil blebs from the Magmont West orebody of the Viburnum Trend was examined and analysed in an attempt to relate hydrocarbon distribution and origin to ore genesis. Hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen percentages were determined by elemental analyses. Trace element composition was determined by emmission spectroscopy and the composition of the bitumen was calculated with respect to aromatic hydrocarbons, saturated hydrocarbons and NSO (nitrogen-sulfur-oxygen) components. The bitumen and kerogen from associated shale samples were evaluated by Rock-Eval pyrolysis and pyrolysis-gas chromatography.

The bitumen was calculated to be approximately 40 to 50 percent aromatic and …

Ciegen: A System For Testing Knowledge Base Compilation Heuristics On A Microcomputer, Jayne D. Ward

Masters Theses

"The expert system has proven itself to be a valuable aid in diagnosing and treating problems in domains requiring expertise. The commercial world has been alerted to this fact and the thrust is to make the expert system portable and available on small computers.

The goal of this research has been to lay the groundwork for a domain independent expert system builder on a microcomputer. The result of this effort was CIEGEN, a system consisting of a rule compiler, inference engine, and rule generator developed on the IBM PC. It is domain independent, responsible for transforming a knowledge base of …

The Intermolecular Force Field Of Acetylene-Hcl: The Normal Coordinate And Centrifugal Distortion Analysis Of Two Weakly Bound Rigid Rods, Rebecca S. Lee

Masters Theses

In order to determine the intermolecular force field of C₂H₂⋅⋅HCl, a normal coordinate analysis appropriate for two weakly bound rigid rods is developed. An exact centrifugal distortion analysis is then carried out on the microwave spectrum of this "T''-shaped hydrogen-bonded π complex. The distortion constants and published matrix-isolated vibrational frequencies are employed in the normal coordinate analysis to obtain the intermolecular force field and refinements in the structural parameters. The following van der Waals force field is found to reproduce the existing spectroscopic constants of C₂H₂⋅⋅H³⁵Cl … . This study …

The Purification And Partial Characterization Of The Surface Polysaccharides From Three Fast-Growing Rhizobium Japonicum Strains, Madhav P. Yadav

Masters Theses

The fast-growing strains of R. japonicum were originally isolated from China. They are acid-producing Rhizobia and are capable of nodulating soybeans. These isolates share a common host-specificity (Peking soybean) with the slow-growing R. japonicum strains even though their biochemical properties are more closely related to other fast-growing Rhizobium species. The surface polysaccharides from three fast-growing R. japonicum strains--USDA201, USDA205, and HC205--were isolated and partially characterized. Strain HC205 is a nod⁻ mutant of USDA205 which lacks the symbiotic plasmid. These surface polysaccharides consist of extracellular, capsular and lipopolysaccharides (EPSs, CPSs and LPSs). The EPSs from all three strains are very similar …

The Development Of A Substitute Teacher Handbook For Paris High School, Paris, Illinois, Lois M. Kloker

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to devise a handbook for the substitute teachers of Paris High School, Paris, Illinois. The handbook was designed to aid the substitute teacher in carrying out the duties necessary for the continuity of the educational process during the absence of the regular teacher. A data base was formed from several sources. Valuable, but limited, information was derived from professional journals. Input was received from the substitute teachers of Paris through a questionnaire; from the superintendent, the principal and the faculty through interviews; from the Paris Union School District No. 95 Policy Manual; and from …