Digital Commons Network^™

Establishing Interagency Communication Among K-12 School Districts And Government Agencies Through An Intermediate School District, Gary R. Campbell

Masters Theses

The proposed procedure for a local school administrator to establish direct interagency communication between local, K-12 school districts and other government agencies who deal with troubled youth was to: (a) examine the function and organization of the intermediate school district, (b) evaluate the role of its superintendent, and, (c) assist the superintendent in establishment of an interagency discussion group. the This group would meet regularly to discuss mutual concerns in helping troubled youth.

This experience focused on gaining an understanding of the organization and function of a Michigan intermediate school district, the role of its superintendent, and the other non-school, …

Crime And Delinquency In Haiti: A Study Of Crime In A Developing Country, Gerard Mauze

Masters Theses

The primary intent of this study was an attempt at describing, understanding and analyzing the most common types, incidences and forces that produce crime and delinquency in Haiti. A secondary concern of this work was to do the ground work which would enable the formulation of testable hypotheses about the causes of crime and delinquency in Haiti.

Even though a number of developing nations face a rapid growth in their crime and delinquency rates, Haiti appears to maintain a relatively low crime rate.

The law-abiding behavior of Haitian youths is due to a number of factors: (a) the strong family …

An Investigation Of A Soil Gas Sampling Technique And Its Applicability For Detecting Gaseous Pce And Tca Over An Unconfined Granular Aquifer, Timothy J. Mayotte

Masters Theses

A soil gas sampling and analytical technique was investigated to evaluate its ability and versatility for detecting chlorinated hydrocarbons in unconfined aquifers. The technique was used successfully to delineate plumes of perchloroethene (PCE), and 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA) contamination present in the vadose zone, and at the water table of an unconfined sand and gravel aquifer. Soil gas samples were obtained by concentrating PCE and TCA vapors diffusing from these sources onto a sorbent material. The samples were analyzed by gas chromatography. The data from the analysis of these samples were used to provide an initial estimate of the source areas, and …

Characteristics Of Binding Of Interleukin-1 To Yt.Nci Cells, Susan Catherine Speziale

Masters Theses

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) demonstrated a concentration dependent, specific binding to the human, large granular lymphocyte cell line, YT.NCI with a dissociation constant of 0.2 nM. There were approximately 500 IL-1 receptors/cell.

IL-1 binding to YT.NCI cells could be inhibited by unlabeled-IL-1 and the plant lectins, WGA and Con A. Lectin inhibition of IL-1 binding could be completely abrogated by exposing lectins to specific simple sugars prior to the addition of ligand.

Tunicamycin, an inhibitor of glycosylation, decreased IL-l binding to YT cells in a reversible, time- and concentration-dependent manner.

These observations suggest that glycosylation of cell surface proteins may be important …

Effects Of Instructional Television In Math, Science And Language Arts In Two Small Elementary Schools, Delbert Maroon

Masters Theses

This field experience investigated the effects of instructional television on academic achievement of fifth and sixth grade students in two small elementary schools in Bond County. A two tailed t-test for the difference of means at the .05 level of significance was used to analyze the data collected. A self assessment survey collected from nine teachers determined that no significant differences in opinion existed between members of the teaching staff regarding instructional television usage. An analysis of student grades determined that no significant increase in student grades was found in the comparisons made. Results of this study indicate that the …

The Development Of A School Emergency Plan For The Blue Ridge School District #18, Farmer City, Illinois, Robert D. Hooker

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to devise an emergency preparedness plan handbook for the Blue Ridge School District #18, Farmer City, Illinois. The handbook was designed to aid the school administration and staff by defining definite administrative action in carrying out the steps necessary to protect students and staff in the event of an emergency situation. A data base was formed from several sources. Information was received through a review of the literature; a review of organizational materials; a review of information from school districts through a questionnaire; interviews with individuals from professional agencies; and a review of school …

The Effect Of Caloric Restriction And Exercise On Plasma Lipid And Lipoprotein Concentration, Jeffrey J. Zachwieja

Masters Theses

The independent and combined effects of exercise training and caloric restriction on the plasma concentration of lipid and lipoprotein was studied. Thirty-two female volunteers were assigned to one of three treatment groups; exercise only, diet only or diet plus exercise. The exercise only group participated in a walk/jog program three days per week. For 30 to 45 minutes these individuals either walked or jogged at a intensity which elicited a heart rate that was 70% of the max heart rate reserve. The diet only group participated in a behavior modification weight loss program which restricted caloric intake to 1200 kcals …

A Model For Determining Attitudes Towards School District Reorganization, James A. Voyles

Masters Theses

The focus of this study is to provide a model for determining current attitudes toward school district reorganization so that a school board can gain local community data. The small rural school districts of central Illinois are finding fewer and fewer options when considering maintaining or increasing the quality of education in their communities. Illinois school reform legislation of 1985 included a section on school district reorganization which was an effort to reduce the number of districts and increase the quality of education. However, the sentiment was so strong against forced reorganization that the plan for reorganization died a political …

Communication Through Athletic History At Eastern Illinois University: 1899-1988, Michael H. Chron

Masters Theses

This study is divided into 14 chapters, with an introduction, the 12 different sports categories and the year-by-year results, and a conclusion. The sports are arranged into chapters in accordance with the scheduling of the academic year.

The method of research involved collecting and classifying source materials, and interpreting and presenting these facts and findings. This method is critical in synthesizing the development and history of intercollegiate athletics at Eastern Illinois University.

This documented data will serve as a public relations project for the athletic department as a recruiting tool for prospective athletes and coaches who contemplate coming to Eastern …

A Study Of The Use Of Student Perceptions For Counselor Evaluations, Accountability And Recognition, Judy Edmundson

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to gather information from students in order to measure student perceptions of the counselors' role and the counseling services provided in ten rural school districts. Of the total student population of 1,277 students, 1,150 surveys were administered and completed for 100% response. The respondents represented students from grades nine through twelve. The survey gathered information by having the students respond to 25 statements as: Are the counseling services for your school satisfactory? Do you need more? Do you need much more? All data were tallied by hand for each respondent in each district. The …

Thermal, Mechanical And Interfacial Characterization Of A Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic Composite, Theodore J. Williams

Masters Theses

The effects of a glass fiber reinforcer on the properties of poly(methyl methacrylate) were evaluated. A silane coupling agent (M8550 Petrarch Systems, Inc.) was employed to promote adhesion between the materials. FTIR analysis, ESCA/Auger and SEM techniques were used to characterize the silane coating.

The mechanical properties, such as bending strength, improved with an increase in the volume percent of fiber. The addition of the M8550 silane directly into the monomer solution showed the most improvement, 23 percent increase, when compared to the uncoated glass fiber. The glass transition temperature as measured by DSC and the heat distortion temperature (HDT) …

Reductive Stripping Of Iron(Iii) From Di(2-Ethylhexyl) Phosphoric Acid, Byron G. Belew

Masters Theses

"Unwanted impurities, present in raw materials, are often coextracted along with desired constituents during leaching. If left unchecked, impurity levels may increase in hydrometallurgical process streams until their presence has deleterious effects upon subsequent unit processes. Due to its abundance and ease of extraction, the presence of ferric iron in solvent extraction circuits has always been a problem. The technique proposed herein constitutes a novel approach to remove iron from zinc hydrometallurgical circuits; but the principles employed may find a variety of applications.

This research investigated the reduction and stripping of ferric iron from di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid into a …

Callus Formation And Differentiation In Embryos Of The Coconut Palm (Cocos Nucifera L.), Jyoti Mangesh Desai

Masters Theses

Embryos of Cocos nucifera L. were allowed to develop on various agar based, plant tissue culture media. Environmental conditions, temperature, light intensity levels and photoperiod were regulated throughout the period of the experiment. The anatomy of commercially available embryos (excised from the "seed") and tissues that developed in culture (calli, roots and leaves) was determined. Prepared slides and tissues obtained in culture were photographed and printed. Callus, root and shoot formation were successful. However, "embryoids" which would have eventually led to free living plantlets were not obtained during this study. Successful regeneration of plantlets in culture would require improved techniques.

The Effect Of Strikes On Superintendents, Marilyn J. Yokel

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of public school superintendents regarding teacher organizations, negotiations, personnel and influence, progression of events related to the strike, issues that contributed to the strike, and time spent working on strike-related activities during and after Illinois teacher strikes occurring during the 1986-87 school year. A review of the literature revealed much relevant advisory information, but this literature was limited to one aspect or another of a strike situation, for example negotiations or unions. The Superintendent Questionnaire was sent to school districts where teachers struck during the 1986-87 school year. Descriptive statistics, …

Viewers' Reactions To Ordinary People In Television News Events, Janice R. Kidd

Masters Theses

Viewers' Reactions to Ordinary People in Television News Events examines two hypotheses relating to respondents' reactions to viewing violent events or the likelihood of violent death as portrayed on the major news networks. Research centers on reactions of viewers to ordinary people caught in extraordinary news events. Results of two free-flow written exercises are discussed.

Research excludes reactions to viewing those in the news, such as police personnel, soldiers etc., whose lives might be expected to be involved in violent or dangerous events.

Tutoring German Esl Students, Sabina Mussgnug

Masters Theses

Tutors of American university writing centers can be invaluable advisors for German ESL students who come to study in the United States. The tutors can directly assist German students in coping with their particular academic and cultural difficulties.

German students must adapt to the American academic conventions to become successful students at their U.S. universities. The tutors can point out to them the features of the American academic standard and show them effective methods for learning and studying in the American environment.

The American academic standard includes the students' almost perfect reading comprehension. Students must be prepared for heavy reading …

Behavior Of Reinforced Loess Specimens Under Triaxial Load, Mohammad Taghi Izadi

Masters Theses

"Effects of reinforcement on shear strength of a loessial (silty) soil arc studied. Unconsolidated undrained triaxial tests are performed on unreinforced and fabric reinforced soil specimens. Analyses of the test results showed that in general the shear strength of remolded loess specimens were improved substantially and increase in the shear strength was directly related to reinforcement spacing.

The mechanism of soil-reinforcement interaction and several existing analytical models are described. A modified analytical model based on enhanced confining theory is developed. This model can be used in assessing the effects of the reinforcement on shear strength of triaxial specimens. Comparison of …

A Parallel Implementation Of Stickel's Ac Unification Algorithm In A Message-Passing Environment, David John Kleikamp

Masters Theses

"Unification algorithms are an essential component of automated reasoning and term rewriting systems. Unification finds a set of substitutions or unifiers that, when applied to variables in two or more terms, make those terms identical or equivalent. Most systems use Robinson's unification algorithm or some variant of it. However, terms containing functions exhibiting properties such as associativity and commutativity may be made equivalent without appearing identical. Systems employing Robinson's unification algorithm must use some mechanism separate from the unification algorithm to reason with such functions. Often this is done by incorporating the properties into a rule base and generating equivalent …

A Laboratory Simulation Of A Rotary Vacuum Drum Brownstock Washer, Hugh E. Muller

Masters Theses

Mass balances can quantify the dilution and thickening of a liquor/fiber suspension on a brownstock washer. However, the complex displacement process necessitates an empirical approach. Given empirical data, washers can be optimized through use of efficiency factors with mass balances.

Because empirical data is difficult to obtain, a laboratory washing method was developed to empirically generate displacement efficiencies on pulp under mill washer conditions. Reproducible data generated by this method resulted in a displacement/dilution function as seen on mill washers. A laboratory simulation using mill samples, exclusive of problems for one vacuum drum, resulted in comparable efficiencies with less than …

A Proposed Procedure For A Secondary School Teacher To Gain Entry Level Knowledge And Skills To Become A High School Principal, Wayne E. Mason

Masters Theses

The proposed procedure for a secondary teacher to gain entry level knowledge and skills required to assume a high school principalship was to examine the scope of the duties of a high school principal and to acquire knowledge, skills and administrative experience by assisting a high school principal as he performs his daily responsibilities.

The experience focused on procedures used to close and reopen a high school, practices used in handling student discipline, office duties needed to meet student needs, practices used to monitor facility maintenance, the practices used to maintain and improve community relations.

The experience brought to light …

The Effects Of Altruism On Activity Productivity In Elderly Women In Skilled-Care Nursing Facilities, Carol J. Getz

Masters Theses

This study investigated altruism as a factor in productivity in elderly women. Eight groups of institutionalized elderly women (n = 33) stenciled personalized (initials) stationery. Groups were randomly assigned to either the non-altruistic condition or the altruistic condition; there was control for time of day and location of the activity. Subjects in the non-altruistic condition made stationery for themselves, while subjects in the altruistic condition made stationery for abused children living in an innercity. The number of pieces of stationery produced and the duration of time engaged in activity were recorded for each subject. Mann-Whitney U tests revealed that subjects …

Intracellular Protein Degradation In A Mesophile And A Thermophile Of The Genus Bacillus, Cameron C. Hoover

Masters Theses

¹⁴C-leucine was incorporated into th e proteins of the mesophile Bacillus licheniformis and the thermophile Bacillus stearothermophilus. Aliquots of the cell suspension were treated with chloramine-T in order to decarboxylate the ¹⁴C-leucine that was released as the proteins degraded. The ¹⁴CO₂ was trapped and counted. This allowed for the determination of the extent of intracellular protein degradation at various tem peratures and at various stages of the growth cun/e. For the mesophile, the extent of degradation increased with temperature from 30° C to 55° C. For the thermophile, no significant amount of degradation occurred until …

The Effects Of Music Video Violence On The Aggression Level Of Emotionally Disturbed Adolescents, Kathleen Jo Young

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of violent music videos on aggressive behavior in psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents. Associations between male and female responses were investigated as well as responses between high-aggressive and low-aggressive subjects.

Subjects were 30 in-patient emotionally disturbed adolescents, 13 to 17 years of age. Subjects served as their own controls. Treatment consisted of the viewing of a violent video with violent lyrics, a violent video without violent lyrics, and a non-violent video. Aggression was measured prior to the treatment with a 23 True-False questionnaire completed by subjects and Behavior Rating Forms completed by …

The Evolution Of Text Formatting Languages, Dirk Herr-Hoyman

Masters Theses

Text, as seen in books and magazines, can take on three forms: string, graphic (two-dimensional), and image (digitized pictures). Text formatting processes text into a representation suitable for printing. Since a printer is really a computer, this representation is machine code for the printer. ASCII is one such code.

Six historically significant text formatting languages are surveyed: Runoff, Troff, TeX, Bravo, Scribe, and Postscript. The emphasis is on the text types available and the code generated. The main evolutionary forces are the changes in printers. Comparisons are made with programming languages.

Each of the six languages has ASCII as its …

The Effects Of Activity Group Structure On Cohesion, Engagement, And Affective Meanings In Acute-Care Psychiatric Patients, Hope L. Brucki

Masters Theses

Through activity analysis, occupational therapists identify various components of group structure and group processes for use in therapeutic activities. This study compared the effects of individual activity group structure (members engage in individual projects) and common activity group structure (members share a common project) in a sample of 38 acute-care psychiatric patients. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of eight theme-oriented poster-making groups, four for each experimental condition. Cohesion among group members was measured by the Group Environment Scale (GES), engagement was assessed by the Group Climate Questionnaire-Short Form (GCQ-S), and affective meanings were evaluated by Osgood's short-form semantic differential …

An Examination And Analysis Of Effective Leadership Styles And The Skills Necessary To Successfully Lead A School District, Jerome S. Goosen

Masters Theses

The analysis of leadership styles provided an indepth view of the many roles and responsibilities of the position of principal and superintendent. The opportunity to observe and interact with more than one person helped to draw comparisons. Several instruments, used nationally to assess leadership styles, were also observed for the first time.

It was determined that administration requires many skills to handle the numerous tasks and situations that arise. Each one of the field supervisors demonstrated the ability to fit his/her personality to different situations. Each was different in his/her basic styles but yet shared several common traits. Finally, it …

Fables: Love, Life, Heroes, Jeffrey Neal Woodson

Masters Theses

"Fables" is a creative work which combines music, dance, and theater into a complete multi-media event. The musical portion of the work, the texts, and stage directions are documented in this the sis. The music was realized on electronic tape using the analog Moog synthesizer and the digital Apple lie computer. The tape and slides used for performance are available through arrangement with the composer.

The focus of "Fables" is a story of two characters and a day in their lives. This story line is interspersed with dances which comment on and are a diversion from the dreamlike atmosphere of …

An Otopathological Assessment Of Dogs Exposed To Excessive Dietary Fluoride And/Or Suspected Water Borne Toxins, Barbara Ann Hannah

Masters Theses

In 1970, a once very productive Allegan, Michigan dog kennel began experiencing a rash o£ unexplained perinatal deaths and reproductive anomalies in Shetland pups. Anomalies including cleft palate and lip, kinked tails, twisted feet and convulsions immediately before death plagued the neonates. The adult dogs were reported to have tooth mottling, exostoses and auditory and vestibular problems.

Because the dogs had been on high fluoride diets and because the kennel well water was suspected of harboring toxins, a group of 20 Shetland dogs was used to try to find if there was any correlation between the reproductive problems and the …

A Report Of An Internship At The Ottawa Area Center Ottawa County, Michigan, Donna Sue Angell

Masters Theses

The internship was completed at the Ottawa Area Center in Ottawa County, Michigan during the late spring and summer of 1986. It developed in two main areas: (1 ) the design and implementation of an offcampus community based educational experience for trainable mentally impaired (TMI) students and (2) the development of a computer based data system to maintain and examine student records.

Major experiences included the development of a curriculum which would optimally use the resources of the City of Holland, personal contacts with community leaders to explain and gain acceptance for the program, coordination of other activities at the …

A Report Of An Internship In The Galesburg-Augusta Community Schools, Galesburg, Michigan, Robert C. Cretsinger

Masters Theses

This report is a summary of a 9-month internship in the Galesburg-Augusta Community Schools, Galesburg, Michigan. The experience began in May of 1985 and concluded in January of 1986.

The objective of the internship was to introduce the intern to the roles and responsibilities of the school superintendent. The length of the internship was designed to provide a more extensive picture of the position of superintendent.

This report contains a log of activities and experiences. Examples of technical material produced during the internship are also provided. An evaluation is made regarding the attainment of objectives.