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Side Chain Effect On Micellarly Catalyzed Hydrolysis Of Hydroxamic Acids In Perfluorooctanoic Acid Environment, A.C. Menik Fernando

Masters Theses

The side chain effect on micellar catalysis of hydroxamic acids with perfluorooctanoic acid as the reactive counterion surfactant in aqueous acetonitrile solution has been demonstrated in this thesis.

The rate constant-surfactant concentration profiles were used to estimate the critical micelle concentration and the second order rate constant for hydrolysis in the aqueous bulk phase.

The pseudo-phase ion exchange model satisfactorily explains the surfactant effect. The second order rate constants in the aqueous bulk phase show a direct relationship with steric substituent constants. The major influence of the change in micellar catalysis is the location in the micelle where the substrate …

Group Cohesiveness Represented Through A Multidimensional Analysis Of Group Improvisations, Rosemary Hakes

Masters Theses

This research examined the particular aspect of group process, group cohesiveness, through an electroacoustic analysis of group musical improvisations. The musical parameter, amplitude, was displayed and compared to independent judges' ratings of group cohesiveness. The interrater reliability for ratings of group cohesiveness vs. noncohesiveness was very high (100%). The interrater reliability for the degree of group cohesiveness or non-cohesiveness was, given the small number of examples used, adequate (80%). The improvisations rated cohesive by the judges also matched in rank order placement. The two dimensions of the amplitude patterns that were relevant to this study were density and form. These …

Facets Of Courage: Colonel Charles Victor Deland And The American Civil War, Anthony P. Glesner

Masters Theses

This work constitutes a case study of a historical paradigm, that during the course of the Civil War civilians came to view the concepts of valor and virtue very much differently than soldiers, and that this caused tension within communities, both during the war, and after, when civilians continued to judge returning soldiers by an outdated sense of values, while the soldiers themselves, disillusioned by war, only wanted to forget. As time dimmed the memories of war, many veterans began to once again see it in terms of valor and virtue, and thus they reshaped their visions of war and …

The Study Of The Impact Of Possible Selves On The Goal-Setting Skills Of Incarcerated Male Students With Learning Disabilities, Susie M. Martin

Masters Theses

Possible selves is a theory. It involves strategies in helping students view themselves in a more desirable future state. It is focused on the self in three basic domains; Hoped for Selves, Expected Selves, and Feared Selves. Possible Selves leads an individual into goal setting skills.

Student inmates with learning disabilities do not have well developed plans for their futures upon release from prison. As a result, such students often return to prison for illegal acts.

A solution to the problem is to implement a goal setting skills program that is based on the students' view of positive possible selves …

Applications Of Artificial Neural Networks In Interactive Simulation, Payman Jula

Masters Theses

Although there have been many improvements in simulation technology over the past few years, it still suffers from many limitations. Simulation methods are usually time consuming and hence not suitable for the interactive decision making processes.

In this project, applications of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) to simulate manufacturing systems have been studied. The backpropagation Multiple Layer Perceptrons (MLPs) have been applied to simulate manufacturing systems. Some guidelines for developing appropriate ANNs have been presented. The results of ANN approach have been compared to those of conventional simulation methods.

From Sexual Prejudice To Patriarchy And Its Agents: The Radicalization Of Mary Daly's Analysis Of Sexism, Teresa Bellow-Stratton

Masters Theses

This thesis interprets key concepts in Mary Daly's analysis of sexism as they are developed in her first three books. It highlights the continuities more than the discontinuities in Daly's writing. The constant features of Daly's writing are her existentialist orientation and a complex synthesis of ideas that relates the subjective experience of individuals, the objective social circumstances of individuals, and socially constructed stereotypes, especially those stereotypes expressed in religious language.

A Hplc Method To Assay Mycotoxins - Fumonisin, Ochratoxin And Zearalenone, Nalini Sadagopan

Masters Theses

A HPLC method to quantitate the mycotoxins Fumonisin B1 (FB1), Ochratoxin A(OA), and Zearalenone (ZON) was developed and validated. Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of fungi like Fusarium, Asperigillus and Penicillium that contaminate crops. They have a wide array of chemical structures which facilitate their analytical detection.

The analytical method consists of reverse phase chromatography and fluorescence detection. Sample cleanup was performed using SAX and C18 cartridges prior to analysis on the HPLC.

The method developed for FB1 is unique in that it is more sensitive, accurate, and reproducible than the existing methods. Automation is one of the salient features that …

The Supreme Court, Judicial Review, And American Democracy, Gary C. Roberts

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to find some rational justification for the existence of the Supreme Court and its power of judicial review within a democratic framework of government. The avenue I take to complete this task involves two aspects: (1) questioning the validity of American democracy, and (2) examining the effectiveness of various influences or restraints on the power of the Court.

My conclusions are somewhat mixed. First of all, I feel it more accurate to refer to American government not as a democracy but as a constitutional democracy. In that respect, we are a government with limited …

Lyndon Johnson, Civil Rights, And Party Realignment In The South, Adam L. Warber

Masters Theses

Lyndon Johnson's decision to place the power of the presidency behind a drive for civil rights of African Americans initiated momentum which by 1994 resulted in a substantial party realignment in the South. First, history; Johnson's personal experience as a Southerner; his knowledge of the political system; his political power, and his political judgement were important elements in making this decision. Secondly, Johnson's considerations in striving for civil rights legislation included: (a) consideration of political difficulties and strategies in framing and in passage of the legislation, (b) his break with Southern Democratic colleagues on civil rights, (c) the pressures which …

Reactions Of Chlorine And Some Of Its Oxygen Derivatives With Phenol, Lizhuo Zhang

Masters Theses

Chlorine is widely used in industry. It is also the most commonly used disinfectant in water treatment plants. Since the amount of chlorine used is increasing each year, environmental and health concerns arise due to its reactivity with various of organic compounds. Many chlorinated organic compounds are toxic and as a result other non-chlorinating compounds, such as chlorine dioxide, might be potential substitutes in the future, especially in water treatment plants.

Previous studies have indicated that chlorinated organic compounds are not formed when chlorine dioxide is used as a disinfectant. Furthermore no reaction occurs between chlorite and phenol in the …

The Effects Of The Kalamazoo Station No. 4 On The Nearby Kleinstuck Nature Preserve, Robert J. Buechler

Masters Theses

This was a 15 month study that studied the effects of Kalamazoos' Municipal Pumping Station No. 4 on the Kleinstuck Nature Preserve. The preserve is about a quarter of a mile in the up gradient direction of Station No. 4. This study demonstrates that there is a direct correlation between the pumping and the water levels at the preserve. Pumping records show that there is no correlation between precipitation and the water levels at the preserve.

There are other factors which exaggerate this effect. It has been found that the drain field at the Y.M.C.A. parking lot, the breaching of …

Students Talking About Relationships (Star): An Evaluation Of A Sexual Assault Peer Education Program, Angela R. Evans

Masters Theses

This study examined the effectiveness of Students Talking About Relationships (STAR), a sexual assault peer education program at Western Michigan University. Research has shown sexual assault to be a significant problem on college campuses around the country. In response to this research, many universities have instituted sexual assault programming. Unfortunately, the evaluation of these programs has not been as prevalent as their use. This study was proposed to help fill this gap.

This research used a quasi-experimental design in which students were pretested, exposed to the sexual assault program, and post-tested afterwards. Surveys were compared to evaluate whether there were …

The Role Of Marriage, Marriage-Type Relationships And Alcohol Use In Woman-Abuse Cases, Dianna M. Cleaver

Masters Theses

This research explores the relationships between marriage, alcohol use, and woman abuse. The role that the institution of marriage plays in woman abuse is examined from a historical perspective.

This study also explores how, historically, alcohol use, being as a part of the male macho and physical culture, became a socially adopted excuse for woman abuse. Critical feminist perspectives are used to guide this inquiry. Kalamazoo County Court System domestic violence arrest records are analyzed and interpreted in terms of offender-to-victim relationships. Also, the percentages and dynamics of those arrests in which alcohol use was a factor are explored.

This …

The Effects Of Publicly Displayed Individual Feedback On Social Loafing, Nelson R. Eikenhout

Masters Theses

The decrease in individual performance output that occurs when individuals perform a task in groups in which the output is pooled has been labelled social loafing. The purpose of this study was to determine what would happen to the quantity and quality of individual performance in groups when public, individual feedback was present and absent.

An ABCBC experimental design was used. Four subjects worked individually, together in a group without feedback, and in the group in the presence of feedback making widgets out of plastic pop beads. The number of widgets made and the number of widgets made correctly were …

The Flora And Ecology Of Seidman Park, Kent County, Michigan, Pamela J. Laureto

Masters Theses

A floristic study of Seidman Park, Kent County, Michigan was performed. The study identified 521 vascular plants belonging to 96 families and 284 genera. The plant communities of Seidman Park were delimited by identification of dominant species and observation of the physical environment. It was believed that communities existed within the upland forest that could not be identified by observation alone. The use of Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMS) ordination techniques identified three communities within the upland forest. These were a xeric community, a dry-mesic community and a nutrient-rich community. Three sub-communities of the dry-mesic community were also identified.

Spatial And Temporal Variability In The Distribution Of Nitrate In An Agriculturally-Impacted Aquifer, Cass County, Michigan, Caroline Lovetere

Masters Theses

Ground-water sampling in a shallow unconfined aquifer within a predominantly agricultural area in southwestern Michigan indicated spatial and temporal variability in the distribution of nitrate. The unconfined aquifer, which is about 40 feet thick, consists of glacially-deposited sand and gravel with interbedded clay lenses and is separated from a lower semi-confined aquifer by a 3-to 26-feet-thick till layer.

The site of the study was a 47-acre agricultural field, characterized by corn and alfalfa hay production, to which hog manure and commercial fertilizers were frequently applied. The shallow water table and relatively permeable glacial sands in the vadose zone combined to …

Differences In The Self-Talk Of Students With Language Impairments When Completing Math Computation And Story Problems, Jennifer Shepard Crouse

Masters Theses

This study was designed to analyze the differences in the self-talk of students with language impairments when compared with students with normal language. Nine fifth grade students with language impairments and nine fifth grade students with normal language, identified by their teachers as average-achieving, participated in this study. Participants were instructed to use a think-aloud technique while completing sets of computational and math story problems. Resulting samples of self-talk were transcribed and coded.

Results indicated several significant differences in the self-talk of students with language impairments when compared with their normal language peers. In regard to quantitative aspects of self-talk, …

Political Stability And The Division Of Czechoslovakia, Timothy M. Kuehnlein

Masters Theses

Utilizing the historical development of relations between Czechs and Slovaks for a century and more, the following thesis contends that Czechoslovakia has exhibited a propensity for dissolution and the lack of a sound basis for stable order.

Socio-political, economic and ethno-cultural variables have traditionally characterized Czechoslovak society as highly bifurcated, and with negative implications for a stable political union, especially within the post-revolutionary period.

This thesis argues that the division of Czechoslovakia need not be lamented. Rather, division may be viewed less negatively than other examples of modern state devolution in post-revolutionary Europe. Indeed, the division of Czechoslovakia has positive …

Muslims And Jews In Thirteenth-Century Valencian Law, Scott M. Gyenes

Masters Theses

When the Muslim kingdom of Valencia was conquered between 1233-1245 during the Reconguista, by James I, a new era was ushered in for the resident Muslims and Jews, because they would now be ruled by a minority Christian government. King James, in an attempt to control the newly settled Christians, issued the law code the Furs of Valencia. Additionally the Furs also established Christian legal superiority over the Muslims and Jewish populations, too.

The Furs of Valencia are highly valuable in the study of law, because of the influence of Roman, canon, and Islamic law. These influences helped slow …

How The Opposition Evolved: A Case Study Of Taiwan's Democratization, Wing-Chung Pan

Masters Theses

In recent years, Taiwan's political development has attracted the attention of western political scientists interested in democratic transitions in authoritarian states. Many theories have been suggested to explain Taiwan's rapidly political progress. But, these theories, which have mainly focused on socio-economic and cultural factors, are insufficient, and provide only a partial explanation for Taiwan's democratization. This thesis argues that we must also probe the developmental history of Taiwan's opposition and its strategies in its struggles with the ruling party -- Kuomintang (KMT.)

Since Taiwan's mam opposition party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), presents as an indigenous party, it will be …

Differences In Retention Rates Between Cocaine And Alcohol Dependent Individuals In A Drug-Free Setting, Barbara A. Johnston

Masters Theses

Substance abuse treatment outcome is an important area for clinical research. Furthermore, it is important to identify sub-populations which may require additional treatment services in order to improve outcome. Cocaine dependent individuals have been identified as a group that provides many challenges to clinicians and researchers due to the high incidence of relapse. The current study explored the differences in treatment retention between persons diagnosed with either cocaine or alcohol dependence. There was a significant difference between the length of stay for the two groups (p=.003). However, there was not a significant difference in type of discharge between the two …

A Survey Of The Special Learner Training Of Music Educators In Ohio, Dorianne J. Nicholson

Masters Theses

Music educators from the Ohio Music Educators' Association were surveyed to investigate the special learner training received in undergraduate and graduate programs. The survey was designed to provide demographic data and information about course settings for special learner training, observations, "hands-on" experiences, topics covered in both undergraduate and graduate courses, and the need for additional training.

Of the 200 surveys sent to Ohio music educators, 83 usable responses were returned. Twenty-four percent (n=19) of the respondents reported having special learner training in their undergraduate programs. Of these 19, 42% were required to participate in observations, and 24% were required to …

The Effect Of Rewards And Motivation On Student Achievement, Lori Kay Baranek

Masters Theses

A review of research is conducted to examine the effect of rewards on intrinsic motivation and learning for children in general education and special education. Intrinsically motivated students experience school success because they display behaviors such as choosing challenging activities and spending more time on task. The use of rewards undermines intrinsic motivation and results in the slower acquisition of skills and more errors in the learning process. The implications of the research are discussed and a collection of strategies designed to promote intrinsic motivation is presented. One part of the collection presents strategies for all students, and the other …

The Factors Influencing Electrographic Toner Flotation, Udaykumar Ratilal Raval

Masters Theses

Conventional deinking is the process of removing the ink from usable paper fiber. Electrographic toners are hydrophobic in nature because they have negligible negative charge. A study of the effect of fundamental properties leading to electrographic toner flotation in presence of free fibers has not been reported.

Flotation deinking of fused "sharp" toner fraction below 300 micron in the presence of free fibers was performed in the Hallimond tube. Cationic (Dodecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide - DTAB) and anionic (Sodium dodecyl sulfate - SDS) surfactants having similar molecular weights were used at two concentration levels and two pH levels. The effect of …

The Effects Of Fines, Drying Intensity And Recycling On Pulp And Paper Properties, Chiranjiv K. Singh

Masters Theses

The effects of fines level, drying intensity and recycling on pulp and paper properties of bleached softwood kraft were evaluated graphically and statistically.

Fiber fines (100-mesh) were mixed in proportions of 0, 10, 20, 40% with the long fiber fraction. These pulps were tested for fiber length distribution. Handsheets prepared from these pulps were dried at low (air dry) and high (220°F, 4.25 min) drying intensities. These handsheets were recycled and new handsheets were dried at the above drying levels.

Water retention values increased with increasing level of fines for virgin pulp. Recycling resulted in a 20% decrease in water …

An Investigation On Nonenzymatic Autoxidation Of Phenolic Compounds In Natural Waters, Lei Jiang

Masters Theses

The nonenzymatic autoxidation of the phenolic compounds chlorogenic acid in aqueous solution was studied. The study demonstrated that the oxidation rate of chlorogenic acid was strongly dependent on pH. The higher the pH, the faster the rate of oxidation. The involvement of phenolate ions and radicals in oxidation reactions are two possible reasons for the pH dependency. The presence of a trace amounts of reducible transition metal ions, such as copper(II), dramatically increases the oxidation rate of chlorogenic acid. Light also increases the oxidation rate of chlorogenic acid. However, the photochemical reaction was a much slower process.

The TLC and …

Differential Outcomes In A Cocaine Versus Saline Discrimination, Thomas B. Morgan

Masters Theses

The effects of differential outcomes on the speed of acquisition of a cocaine vs. saline discrimination were examined. Two groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to discriminate 8.0 mg/kg cocaine from saline. The experimental group was exposed to differential outcomes, where correct responses following the different injections (discriminative stimuli) were correlated with a particular outcome (either sweetened condensed milk or tap water). The control group received either sweetened condensed milk or tap water at random following cocaine and saline injections. Acquisition of schedule control and three progressively difficult testing criteria were examined. The differential outcomes group came under schedule …

Changes In Communication After The Diagnosis Of An Illness, Kimberly M. Sniderman

Masters Theses

A cancer, HIV, or AIDS diagnosis may alter a person's life. This may be exhibited communicatively, particularly when people with illnesses (PWI) disclose their diagnosis to people without illnesses (PWOI). The present study examined the premise that communication between PWI and PWOI was likely to be affected by illness disclosure. PWI were asked whether and how (positively or negatively) they perceived communication to change in family, doctor, nurse, other health care professional and their own contexts. Results indicated that PWI communication did change, though this was not found across contexts. Specific types of communication changes PWI experienced included greater openness, …

Assessment Of The Stimulus Properties Of Mda And Mdma Stereoisomers In A Lsd-Saline-Amphetamine Discrimination, Michele Marie Taylor

Masters Theses

This study employed a three-choice drug discrimination procedure in order to further delineate the discriminative stimulus properties of the stereoisomers of 3,4- methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). Eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to discriminate amphetamine (1.0 mg/kg) and LSD (.08 mg/kg) from saline in a three-lever, food reinforced (sweetened condensed milk) drug discrimination procedure. A fixed-ratio (FR) 20 schedule with a reset condition for incorrect responses was employed. When criteria (85% over 10 consecutive sessions) were met, (+)-MDA, (-)-MDA, (+)-MDMA (.31, .63, 1.25 mg/kg) and (-)-MDMA (.88, 1.75, 3.5 mg/kg) were tested for substitution. All of these compounds produced …

An Inquiry: The Concept And Application Of Empowerment, Pamela Kay Wheelock

Masters Theses

While empowerment is a dominant concern in mental health care, services often reflect the inadequate use of an empowerment-based frame of reference. This study seeks to enlarge the understanding of empowerment so that more effective services can be established.

Using naturalistic inquiry methodology, this study explores the lived experience of empowerment through direct dialogue with both mental health consumer advocates and mental health occupational therapists. Data were collected and evaluated using a hermeneutic dialectic process. A series of three interviews were done with six respondents.

Analysis of the interviews revealed striking contrasts between the therapists' and advocates' perspectives in relation …