Digital Commons Network^™

Assessment Of Sediment And Nutrient Loadings In The Davis Creek Watershed, Southwestern Michigan Using The Swat Model, Peter Kibowen Kimosop

Masters Theses

The Davis Creek Watershed has been impaired for many years by nonpoint source pollution. A recent modeling research on the watershed simulated both nutrient and sediment movements for the single storm events. This study simulates the movement of sediments and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) in the watershed continuously using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for assessing water quality in the watershed. Multiple databases for climate, soil types, DEM, land use and agricultural management practices were used to derive inputs for the SWAT. Subsequently, the SWAT model was run for the period of 1998-2004. The simulated results show that …

An Examination Of Claims Concerning College Student Credit Card Issues, Michael J. Macaluso

Masters Theses

This research project empirically examines claims and counterclaims regarding the matter of college students credit cards issues from a social constructionist perspective through a contextual qualitative examination of public data. First, I first focus on social and historical factors that have brought about claims and counterclaims concerning college student credit card issues. Next, I examine the structure of these public issues through the claims and counterclaims from a purposeful sample made from three specific "owners" or claims-makers of college student credit card issues, including the credit card industry, consumer interest groups, and sociologists. The specific claims examined in this research …

3d Simulation Of Layer Mixing In A Three-Layer Stratified Headbox, Jatetana Kunsriluksakul

Masters Theses

In this research, the commercially available software called FLUENT is used to simulate and visualize behaviors of flow in a three-layer stratified headbox of a paper machine. A two-phase model, "volume of fluid", is employed to simulate turbulences in a free jet. The information obtained from the simulations, in terms of velocity profiles, Reynolds stress, turbulent kinetic energy, and macro scale of turbulence, are used to assess and characterize the effect of free jet length, vane length, vane thickness, nozzle angle, and slice opening on fiber layer mixing. Importantly, the simulation results demonstrated that the macro scale of turbulence in …

The Detection Of Common Concrete Bridge Deck Defects Using The Thermography, Impact Echo, And Ground Penetrating Radar, Saleh Z. Nabulsi

Masters Theses

The transportation infrastructure in the United States is deteriorating and will require significant improvements. A recent report by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave an overall grading of D⁺ to the nation's infrastructure. Approximately 162,000 of the nation's bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. The total estimated cost to bring conditions to acceptable levels over the next two decades would exceed $1.9 trillion. Consequently, innovations in the area of transportation infrastructure maintenance and rehabilitation are key to the health and wellness of this valuable national asset.

A major component of maintenance and rehabilitation is the ability …

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Relations And The Social Production Of Space In Isabella County, Michigan, Bryan Thomas Swanson

Masters Theses

This thesis focuses on how the historical and cultural geography of the Saginaw Chippewa tribe of Mount Pleasant, Michigan and specifically on through their Soaring Eagle Casino reshaped the physical and cultural landscape of Isabella County. For this research I utilized documentary/archival evidence such as local histories, newspapers, plat maps and I also conducted field surveys. The research findings indicated that through the Soaring Eagle Casino the Saginaw Chippewa tribe has changed Isabella County, as well as their own social standing. Since 1993 the tribe has used casino revenues to purchase 1185 acres of land to add to the Isabella …

Copper Exchange Studies Between The First And Fourth N-Terminal Metal-Binding Domains Of Wilson Disease Atpase, Jennifer Bunce

Masters Theses

The human copper-transporting ATPase Wilson's disease protein was one of the first proteins shown to be actively involved in cellular copper homeostasis. The protein includes six N-terminal metal binding domains. The individual capabilities of the domains to bind and transfer copper are not yet fully understood. Each metal-binding domain is about 72 amino acid residues long and contains the conserved binding motif GMTCXXC, of which the cysteines are involved in the copper coordination. Studies have shown that the protein binds six copper atoms suggesting the potential involvement of each metal-binding domain. Separate functional roles for the latter domains have been …

Effectiveness Of Wavelet Transform, Fractals, Lacunarity And Spatial Indices In Content-Based Image Retrieval, Sivagurunathan Chinniah

Masters Theses

The thesis demonstrates the feasibility of applying wavelet transforms, fractals, and spatial indices in content-based image retrieval (CBIR) of remotely sensed imagery. It consists of three major parts: the design and development of thick-client CBIR software, population of two samples of SPOT™ and Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) image databases with metadata describing their visual properties, and, exploration of the effectiveness of region quadtree query and retrieval by content using various combinations of indices. 272 SPOT™ and 507 Landsat 7 ETM+ 512 x 512 pixel panchromatic images of Atlanta, Georgia were subsetted from two scenes. Moran's I index …

The Understanding Of Family In Medieval France: A Study Of The Family Of Count Fulk Réchin Of Anjou, Sheila Clark

Masters Theses

This study will reconstruct Count Fulk Réchin of Anjou's (1068-1109) understanding of his family by using a narrative genealogy he composed and comparing it with witness lists and bequests he made in charters. Thus, it will determine who he considered members of his family for both legal and polemical purposes. This study will compare Fulk's understanding of family with other eleventh- and twelfth-century ideas of the aristocratic family, as well as historians' models of the medieval family.

A Preliminary Study Of The Kaogong Ji (The Book Of Artificers), Hanmo Zhang

Masters Theses

The focus of this paper is on the ancient Chinese text of the Kaogong ji, which is now included in the Zhouli as one of its chapters. Through a careful comparison between the Kaogong ji and the rest of the Zhouli and through a synthetic analysis of academic discussions of the completion date and authorship of the Kaogong ji, this paper attempts to show that the Kaogong ji had been an independent text before its inclusion. It goes on to disprove the argument that the Kaogong ji was forged by the Han scholar Liu Xin as political propaganda. …

Survey Of Current Occupational Therapist Practice In The Emerging Field Of Home Modification And Barrier Free Design, Christian Michael Petrovich

Masters Theses

OBJECTIVE

We conducted a national survey of occupational therapists to ascertain what current trends are taking place in the field of home modification and barrier-free design and to examine how occupational therapists view their role in the practice of home modification and barrier free design.

METHODS

A 16-question survey was developed and included two hundred and fifty US licensed and or registered occupational therapists randomly selected from the AOTA membership listing.

CONCLUSIONS

The role of occupational therapy in the emerging practice of home modification and barrier -free design is regarded as important by occupational therapists in the United States. Many …

Seeing Beyond The Illusion: Dispelling The Grand Illusion Hypothesis, Melissa A. Ebbers

Masters Theses

The Grand Illusion hypothesis is a new form of skepticism about the nature of our visual experience: it seems to us as though our vision is everywhere detailed, distinct, continuous, in color, even “photograph-like,” but it is not. This position is motivated by developments in perceptual research, which have revealed new information about the functional structure of the visual system as well as the attention-dependent nature of perception.

My project is primarily deconstructive. I argue that the Grand Illusion hypothesis rests on problematic assumptions (motivated by the results from the relevant perceptual research), which ultimately leads to an incoherent formulation …

A Method For Classification Analysis On Simultaneous Product Defects, Jason S. Trahan

Masters Theses

There have been many advancements that share similar tools and techniques that help reduce the manufacture of nonconformities. These include computer-aided analysis, design reviews, total quality management, multivariate analysis, process monitoring and control, and root cause analysis to mention a few.

This work details the methodology developed for manufacturing companies to predict attribute defects. Injection molding was used to demonstrate the proposed methodology. Data were collected on a variety of tool design and construction attributes thought to affect the performance of a tool. The independent variables consisted of categorical and numerical data types. The dependent variable was a nominal four-tuple …

The Effects Of Various Types And Percentages Of Fillers With The Mechanical Properties Of Latex Saturated Paper, Jeffrey Alan Kuehn

Masters Theses

This study examined how the percentage of mineral fillers and their various types, when added to the base paper, affects the mechanical characteristics of latex impregnated paper.

A series of model handsheets were produced and subjected to physical property tests. The basis weight of these handsheets was held constant, as various types and percentages of filler were added. This base paper was then impregnated with a known acrylic emulsion. All variables with the impregnation process were held constant during the impregnation process. Physical properties were tested on the handsheets before and after impregnation. All physical tests on the handsheet samples …

Crafting Culture At Fort St. Joseph: An Archaeological Investigation Of Labor Organization On The Colonial Frontier, Brock A. Giordano

Masters Theses

The study of labor organization through the examination of craft production in complex societies has been a topic of intense scholarly interest (Blackman et al. 1993; Costin and Hagstrom 1995; Shafer and Hester 1991). A number of scholars have hypothesized that goods produced in mass quantities by particular specialists can be recognized by their high degree of standardization or homogeneity (Blackman et al. 1993:61; Schiffer and Skibo 1997). As such, this study employs the theoretical framework that in an archaeological context it is possible to differentiate centralized production from noncentralized production by identifying any standardization or variation within the manufacturing …

An Investigation Of The Interlobate Area West Of Three Rivers, Michigan And Its Relationship To The Late Wisconsinan Glaciation Of Southwest Michigan, Scott J. Kendzierski

Masters Theses

A detailed investigation of selected mineralogical and textural characteristics of glacial deposits was conducted in order to explore the complex relationships between the Lake Michigan and Saginaw Lobe ice-margins and associated depositional regimes during the deglaciation of southwest Michigan. Various analytical methodologies were applied to the characterization of glacial materials, glacial and post-glacial environments in order to infer a chronology of lobate activity.

The Sturgis Moraine, located in St. Joseph County, Michigan, is a major recessional moraine owing to the processes of both the Lake Michigan and Saginaw Lobes. Analysis of geologic materials and examination of subsurface data along with …

Tilt-Rotor Aircraft Flight Control Design With Pid, H2, H∞ And Μ Synthesis Approach, Yinyang Zhai

Masters Theses

The main objective of this project is to design optimal controllers for Hover and Cruise Dynamic Systems of XV-15 Tilt Rotor Aircraft. The design criterion is to make system Robust in sense of both Stability and Performance. μ synthesis is applied to system uncertainty; this method is less conservative as compared to the worst-case H_∞ synthesis. The power of P∆K architecture is to represent uncertainties and system interconnections in μ synthesis. For comparison, the classical control techniques, such as Root Locus Algorithm, PID controller design with ITAE Performance Index, and Pole Placement Approach are also investigated. For application of …

Experimental Determination Of Convection Boiling Curves For Water And Ethylene Glycol In A Rectangular Channel With Localized Heating, Andrew T. O'Neill

Masters Theses

Convective boiling experiments were conducted to show the effects of velocity, pressure, and subcooling on both water and a water-ethylene glycol mixture. Boiling curves were obtained in a 30 mm wide by 20 mm high rectangular channel with an upward facing 20 mm wide by 30 mm long rectangular copper heater. The velocity ranged from 0.5 m/s to 4.0 m/s, the pressure ranged from 1.0 atm to 2.6 atm, and the subcooling ranged from 10°C to 50°C. The curves were generated with measured heat fluxes up to 100W/cm² . The inlet conditions of temperature, velocity, and pressure were maintained …

Any Given Tuesday: Performance Of Law During Small Claims Court, Michael E. Muhme

Masters Theses

Building on Hasian's examination of Jurisprudence as performance and Nolan's research of performance in drug courts, this study looks at Small Claims Court as cultural performance through the examination of face-to-face interactions in the courtroom. They are evaluated through the metaphoric lens of Tumer's social drama as well as integrating the legal metaphors of law as grid, energy, and perspective. This study found that the court uses scripts to limit issues and that claimants are rewarded more for following the rules of the court rather than resolving the conflict. Additionally, Small Claims Court exacerbates conflict between low-income tenants and the …

Musical Poems For Chamber Ensemble, Fumiko Honda

Masters Theses

Musical Poems for Chamber Ensemble is a piece for a large ensemble of woodwinds, percussion and strings. The ideas for the piece come from Western music and Oriental music. There are four movements. Each movement has musical elements and sounds that create an image of motion. These movements are composed on the supposition that they could be choreographed for dancers as well as performance by a chamber ensemble.

Although the piece uses simple musical forms such as the rondo and arch, many different musical elements and languages express the characteristics of each movement. In general, the sounds are limited by …

Showings, Karen J. Olson

Masters Theses

Showings is a setting of excerpts from the writings of Julian of Norwich, a 14th century anchoress and mystic. While in her middle life, Julian fell ill, and, during the course of her illness, she received sixteen revelations of the love of God. She recorded these showings in two texts: a short version, apparently written soon after her recovery, and a longer one, written years later after she had reflected on the meaning of her visions.

Within the frame of an exploration of Julian's experience of the humbling and generative power of divine love, Showings focuses on her questions concerning …

Development Of A Statistical Model For Process Control To Eliminate Sink Marks In Injection Molded Products, Kurt Frederick Hayden

Masters Theses

Customer demands for high-quality, defect-free injection-molded products are ever increasing. In order to satisfy these quality requirements, much effort is spent monitoring and controlling variable data such as cycle time, part weight, and dimensions. Attribute defects such as sink or splay are often overlooked in the development of process control systems. However, customers reject products because of these attribute defects. Industrial control systems based upon process variables and product design variables can detect conditions that may result in the molding of products with attribute defects. The systems can then correct the process prior to the molding of these defective products. …

Assessing Water Quality Of The Davis Creek Watershed, Michigan Using Annagnps Model, Mustafa Rezaur Rahim

Masters Theses

The Davis Creek watershed is the most polluted tributaries of Kalamazoo River in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. This study applied continuous simulation AnnAGNPS model, developed by USDA ARS, to estimate sediment yield and nutrient loadings and simulate the effects of proposed land use scenarios on nonpoint source pollution in the Davis Creek Watershed. Daily climate data of 1998 to 2004, Digital Elevation Model, soil, land use, hydrography, and agricultural management information were used to derive the model input parameters. The model was run continuously for the period of 1998 through 2004. The simulated results showed that erosion and sediment loadings are …

Rhizopine Synthesis – Potential Mediators For Nitrogen Fixation In Legume Plants, Venkat Reddy Guduru

Masters Theses

This research project focused on novel and efficient synthetic approaches of inosamine derivatives (rhizopines). The preparation of specific rhizopines would help elucidate the microbial pathway of rhizopine catabolism and degradation, and determine the role of corresponding genes during nitrogen fixation. We have investigated regio - and stereoselective transformations of myo-inositol derivative 28 utilizing an organostannane as key intermediate towards rhizopine 1a. The synthesis involved several protection and deprotection strategies to control competing reactivities of six hydroxyl groups of myo-inositol. Rhizopine 1a was prepared efficiently as a single isomer in 8 steps and 13% yield by controlling reactions …

Effect Of Antioxidants On Cadmium Induced Oxidative Stress And Signal Transduction, Deepti Goel

Masters Theses

A study was done to establish if reactive oxygen species (ROS) participate in the signal transduction pathway through which cadmium induces gene transcription. Cadmium has become a concern in the health care community in the past few years as evidence suggests that cadmium can induce the development of tumors, influence cell signaling and cause damage to organs, tissue, cells and DNA. The mechanism by which cadmium exerts its action on cellular processes or induces toxicity is however unclear although there is evidence to suggest that ROS play a role. Our laboratory is interested in understanding the mechanisms of differentially regulated …

Decision Support System For Bridge Maintenance, Imran Fazal

Masters Theses

Three main problems that deteriorate bridge decks are cracking, delamination and corrosion. Once concrete bridge deck is infected with any of the three problems, it becomes susceptible to more serious structural and architectural problems. Corrosion, cracking and delamination sometimes occur in tandem in concrete bridge decks, which makes the situation even more worse.

Pontis, which has been successfully employed by various department of transportation is basically a network level BMS which prioritize bridges or groups of bridges for repair and rehabilitation funds. In this scenario researchers and scholars agree that along side Pontis certain other project specific BMS (Expert systems …

Glacial Stratigraphy And Surficial Geology Of The Decatur, Lawrence, And Paw Paw U.S.G.S.7.5 Minute Quadrangles In Van Buren County, Michigan, Brian Bird

Masters Theses

The modern day landscape of Van Buren County Michigan was created by the advance and retreat of glaciers from about 13,000 to 20,000 years ago. The Lake Michigan Lobe of the Laurentide Ice Sheet sculpted southwest Michigan most recently. The sediments deposited by the glacier include diamicton, outwash sediments, and lacustrine deposits. The build up of sediment by the glaciers led to the construction of particular features such as moraines, till plains, and outwash fans. The huge amount of meltwater from the glaciers led to the erosion of channels throughout the area. In the area of this investigation the Ganges …

Molecular Identification, Distribution And Ecology Of Larval Malaria Mosquitoes In Carrasco/Chapare Valleys, Bolivia, Reema Paudel

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to address the ecological differentiation of anopheline mosquitoes at the level of breeding sites in an area where species diversity is high, malaria is endemic, and the ecology of the area is complex. Fifty six sampling sites in the Carrasco/Chapare Valleys, Bolivia were sampled in May 2003 for mosquito larvae and pupae, water quality parameters, breeding water habitat type, vegetation, and altitude. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction of up to 50 samples from each collection site identified six species in the subgenus Nyssorhynchus, comprising 62% of all samples (n = 2,708): A. triannulatus (18%), A. …

Assessing The Accuracy Of The Differential Assessment Of Autism And Other Developmental Disorders (Daadd) As A Screening Tool, Christine Jurgens

Masters Theses

Professionals are encountering children with developmental disorders more often and with more diversity than ever before. Disorder labels are being introduced increasingly early in a child's life in order to qualify them for services. However, characteristics of developmental disorders overlap significantly in young children, with features beginning to differentiate as the child enters formal education at kindergarten age. Debate continues on whether the autistic spectrum is being over-diagnosed, based on increasing incidence and prevalence statistics.

Research has suggested that developmental disorders impact multiple developmental areas, including language, socialization, sensory, motor, and medical/physical aspects and skills. Therefore, distinguishing one developmental disorder …

Influence Of A Short Exercise Program On Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment, Kaori Mitsui

Masters Theses

The influence of a 4-week exercise program on older adults with mild cognitive (MCI) impairment was measured in the study. Six older adults from a long-term care facility met the criteria for participation. After taking the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the participants were then randomly assigned to either an exercise group or a non-exercise group. All participants from the two groups attended a game of Bingo before and after the 4-week exercise program, and their positive and negative behaviors were recorded. Three participants in the exercise group participated in music-based physical exercise (a combination of chair-seated aerobic exercise and strength …

Social Fields, Belief In Psi, And Their Effects On Mental Telepathy, Brandy Mcwhorter

Masters Theses

The current study was designed to explore two major issues involving the existence of mental telepathy. The first goal was the exploration of the relationship between psi ability, specifically mental telepathy, and belief in psi phenomena. In addition, the value of social field theory as an explanation and potential facilitator of telepathic communication was explored. A small group of research assistants attempted to telepathically send 1 of 4 target locations to large groups of participants acting as receivers. The receivers answered a question on a 7-point-scale indicating their level of belief in mental telepathy. Two separate runs of 16 trials …