Digital Commons Network^™

The VisegráD Group: A Case Of Post-Socialist Regional Cooperation In Central Europe, Grigori Chkalikov

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The thesis investigates the so-called Visegrád Group(the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia as of July, 1997) as a case of post-socialist regional cooperation in Central Europe and presents an empirical and theoretical framework to analyze the Group by reviewing stimuli and history of its cooperative efforts in security, politics and economics (including the Central European Free Trade Agreement), and contrasting empirical evidence with major theories of international relations. The Group has evolved as a result of interactions between its attempts to merge with West European economic and security structures, which could promote economic modernization, enhance security, and …

Fat Storing Patterns Of Migrating Sharp-Shinned Hawks, David John Conrads

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Many species of birds store fat as the primary fuel for migration. Although this is well-documented in many avian families, little is known about fat-storing patterns of migrating birds of prey. Pre-migratory fattening has been recorded in falcons and presumed in buteos. However, fat-storing patterns in migrating Accipiter hawks has not been documented. This study examined the fat-storing patterns of Sharp-shinned Hawks (A. striatus) during a portion of its fall migration. During Sharp-shinned Hawk migration three possible fat-storing patterns are predicted: I) fat deposition increases, 2) fat deposition is maintained, or 3) fat deposition decreases. To determine which strategy is …

The Influence Of The Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti On Soviet Foreign Policy During The Cold War, Mark James Curran

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The following thesis looks at possible influences of the Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti (KGB) on the formulation and implementation of Soviet foreign policy. The approach taken to analyze this relationship is to evaluate the activities of the KGB during significant historical events occurring during the Cold War. This thesis is divided into chapters, the first of which illustrates the political connection between the KGB and the key governing body of the Soviet Union, the Politburo. The three succeeding chapters individually cover a specific region of the world: Western Europe and the United States, Eastern Europe and Cuba, and the Middle East …

Attitudes Toward Aging Lesbians: An Exploratory Study, Karen E. Cunningham

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of midwestern college students toward older lesbians. It is hypothesized, due to the commonly held assumptions that older women are "asexual" and that the popular image of homosexuals is extremely negative, that the lesbian identity will go unrecognized by others outside of those to whom they have disclosed their sexual orientation. Variables considered in this study include: (a) knowledge of aging and (b) attitudes toward homosexuality. Two hundred and fifty midwestern college students completed questionnaires that assessed their attitudes toward lesbians, their knowledge of aging, and their attitudes toward aging …

A Neuropsychological Assessment Of Music Stimulation On Individuals With Dementia, Peter Leo Cuff

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Previous research has suggested that musical therapy temporarily improves the cognitive and perceptual functioning of individuals with varying forms of dementing illnesses. However, no research to date has focused on the effects of musical stimulation exclusively. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether, and to what extent, a brief exposure to music might enhance the cognitive and perceptual functioning of clients with mild to moderate forms of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. It was hypothesized that following a brief exposure (6 minutes) to musical stimulation, all subjects (N = 9) would achieve higher scores on the following neuropsychological …

Right-Wing Authoritarianism Relative To Traditional Western Thinking And Locus Of Control, Nadejda Diakonova

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship among right-wing authoritarianism, traditional Western thought and the degree to which subjects tend to perceive themselves as having control over their lives (having internal or external locus of control). It was hypothesized that these three aspects of individuals' cognitive-emotional makeup are interrelated. Three questionnaires were used in the study: the Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) Scale (Altemeyer, 1988), the EastWest Questionnaire (EWQ) (Gilgen & Cho, 1979), and the Locus of Control (LC) Scale (Rotter, 1966). A counterbalanced experimental design was used to control for possible order effects. Duckitt's (1989) conceptualization of …

Numerical Simulations Of Full- Scale Corroded Pipe Tests With Combined Loading, Samit Roy, S. Grigory, M. Smith, M. F. Kanninen, M. Anderson

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The ANSI/ASME B31G guideline has been useful to pipeline operators in assessing the integrity of corroded line pipe. Because large safety margins have had to be incorporated, the guidelines can be excessively conservative, which in turn can force costly repairs and replacements that may not actually be necessary. On the other hand, because the current guidelines consider only pressure loading and neglect bending and axial compression, they could give nonconservative failure predictions when combined loading exists. Therefore, a study was initiated to develop a theoretically sound methodology for assessing the integrity of corroded line pipe subjected to combined loading. A …

Analysis Of Rockbolt Reinforcement Using Beam-Column Theory, Samit Roy, Anand B. Rajagopalan

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A simple analytical procedure that applies classical beam-column theory for evaluating passive rock bolt roof reinforcement is presented in this paper. The analytical model is derived from first principles and is capable modelling any number of reinforcing bolts. Each rock bolt is modelled as a linear spring and the model allows for non-uniform bolt spacing. In this study the rock beam is assumed to be isotropic and linearly elastic for the sake of simplicity. However, the analytical model can be extended to include anisotropic rock mass as well as inelastic material behavior. The solution to the couped set of governing …

Radiative Heating In Scramjet Combustors, Harlan F. Nelson

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Currently, there is considerable interest in scramjet engines for hypersonic aircraft and missiles. This paper presents preliminary calculations of the radiative heating of the walls of scramjet combustion chambers. The analysis assumes isothermal, constant property flow fields that are representative of actual combustor flow fields. The fuel is H2, and N2 is taken as inert. Temperature in the combustor is on the order of 2000-3000 K and the pressure is of the order of 5 atm. The combustion products consist mainly of H2O and OH. These gases are strong radiators in the infrared. Radiation heating can be significant because of …

Integrating Design Into The Sophomore And Junior Level Mechanics Courses, Douglas R. Carroll

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Engineering schools across the country are developing ways of integrating design into their curriculum, and a question that often arises is how to best integrate design into the sophomore and junior level courses. Freshman design projects or mechanical dissection courses are designed to give the students hands-on experience in conceptual design and construction, with little if any of the mathematical modeling normally used in engineering design. The capstone senior design project is a true engineering design experience, where students draw from their background to conceptualize, analyze, model, refine, and optimize a product to meet design, manufacturing, and life cycle cost …

Eigenvalue And Eigenvector Determination For Damped Gyroscopic Systems, D. P. Malone, Don L. Cronin, Timothy W. Randolph

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Improved Measurement Of The Bd0 -B̄D0 Oscillation Frequency, D. Buskulic, M. Thulasidas

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The time dependence of B0 d {B 0 d oscillations is measured by the ALEPH experiment at LEP, using three techniques, two of which are updates of previous measurements. In all cases the charge of the decaying b quark and its decay time are measured in one hemisphere of the event; the quark charge at production is tagged mainly using the opposite hemisphere. The first method uses the charge correlation between a D and a lepton in the opposite hemisphere; if no lepton is present, the produced quark charge is determined from the hemisphere charges. In the second method, the …

Learning To Use Reader-Response Methods In The Classroom: One Teacher’S Journey Of Change, Marijo Grimes

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study presents a teacher's view of change as the author of this report planned, implemented, and evaluated a change from traditional literature discussion methods to reader-response discussion methods. Louise Rosenblatt's transactional theory of literature provided the basis for developing the instructional plan. This investigation followed a qualitative research plan of self-study. The setting was a seventh grade heterogeneous classroom in a Midwestern school district. During the semester of implementation, the teacher kept daily field notes, collected student papers, evaluated transcripts of video recordings, and completed regular exploratory writing in an attempt to analyze and understand the teacher's role and …

Early British Espionage Fiction And The Differentiation Of Clandestine Realities: A Study In The Paradox Of The Protagonist’S Motivation In Erskine Childer’S The Riddle Of The Sands, Joseph Conrad’S The Secret Agent, John Buchan’S The Thirty-Nine Steps, And Arthur Conan-Doyle’S The Last Bow, Hans-Jörg Grohmann

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This thesis offers a phenomenological approach to four examples of early British espionage fiction; by discussing the experiences of four protagonists with their perceptions of reality, the study also gives a reconsideration to the literary essence of the figure of the spy of early British espionage stories. In attempting the combination of phenomenology and espionage fiction, the thesis first of all reviews the canon of criticism on British espionage fiction in general. This review criticizes the dilemma of preceding scholarly contributions, focusing on their general ignorance of the early phase of espionage fiction, which was due to the comparison between …

Perceptions Of Businesses On Environmental Regulatory Information, Kimberly K. Gunderson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to determine the source and amount of information that a sample of businesses receive on environmental regulatory topics and from what sources they would prefer to receive this information. More specifically, the study demonstrated the discrepancy between the sources from which businesses currently receive their information and the sources from which they would prefer to receive it. The study also addressed how relevant this information was to the businesses and with which regulations the businesses were the most and least knowledgeable. The study was done by conducting a mail-back survey of 500 Iowa small …

Droplet Concentration And Size Distribution In Haze And Fog, Josef Podzimek

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Fog (haze) droplet concentrations and size distributions were measured at five sampling sites representing rural and urban regions and a highly polluted marine-urban environment. Droplet imprints in a thin gelatine layer were evaluated and compared to the measurement by light scattering instruments. This enabled conditions for the application of the logarithmic-normal size distribution and for the classification of typical fog droplet size distributions to be established. In particular, the parameters featuring the width and asymmetry of a size distribution were suggested and calculated. Advantages and drawbacks of the applied droplet sampling and evaluation technique are discussed in more detail. © …

The Influences Of Curriculum Integration On Students’ Perceptions Of Learning, Sheryl Jean Hoffman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine how integrative curriculum experiences influenced fifth grade students' perceptions of learning. An integrated curriculum for fifth grade students, based on a thematic unit of study, was written and implemented by the researcher and took place in a small, urban community in Northeast Iowa. The theme of Flight was used to integrate all subjects and taught for approximately four weeks. The researcher acted as participant/observer and documented how integrated curricular experiences influenced students' perceptions of learning in a classroom that had been primarily subject-centered. The data for this study was compiled from observations, …

Correctional Management : The Systemic Impact And Consequences Of Truth-In-Sentencing Legislation, Timothy S. Sexton

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Recently, a growing number of states have enacted truth-in-sentencing policies which will ensure that certain violent offenders serve at least 85% of their sentence. These policies are designed as a general deterrent to crime by placing an offender behind bars without the chance of parole. Theoretically by increasing the incarceration rate, "the effects of incapacitation will grow because fewer offenders will be free to victimize the population at large" (Parent, Dunworth, McDonald, & Rhodes, 1997, p.l). Although, truth-in-sentencing policies may sound practical, there is growing debate as to the systemic impact that truth-in-sentencing laws will have on correctional systems.

This …

Relationship Between Selected Health Behaviors Practiced And Health Behaviors Encouraged In Instruction Provided By School Health Educators, Terri Long Jedlicka

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine the personal health practices of school health educators endorsed by the Iowa Department of Education to determine if their health practices were consistent with the formal health education instruction they provided. A health education questionnaire and health risk appraisal, designed to obtain information about the personal health practices and formal instruction provided, were sent to a sample of 200 randomly selected school health educators endorsed by the Iowa Department of Education. There were 106 usable responses for a 53% return rate. The majority of the participants in this study were females in …

Rmesh Algorithms For Parallel String Matching, Hsi-Chieh Lee, Fikret Erçal

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

String matching problem received much attention over the years due to its importance in various applications such as text/file comparison, DNA sequencing, search engines, and spelling correction. Especially with the introduction of search engines dealing with tremendous amount of textual information presented on the world wide web and the research on DNA sequencing, this problem deserves special attention and any algorithmic or hardware improvements to speed up the process will benefit these important applications. In this paper, we present three algorithms for string matching on reconfigurable mesh architectures. Given a text T of length n and a pattern P of …

Scaling Parallels In The Non-Debye Dielectric Relaxation Of Ionic Glasses And Dipolar Supercooled Liquids, David L. Sidebottom, Peter F. Green, Richard K. Brow

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We compare the dielectric response of ionic glasses and dipolar liquids near the glass transition. Our work is divided into two parts. In the first section we examine ionic glasses and the two prominent approaches to analyzing the dielectric response. The conductivity of ion-conducting glasses displays a power law dispersion σ(ω)∞ωn, where n≈0.67, but frequently the dielectric response is analyzed using the electrical modulus M*(ω) = 1/ε*(ω), where ε*(ω) = ε(ω) - iσ(ω)/ω is the complex permittivity. We reexamine two specific examples where the shape of M*(ω) changes in response to changes in (a) temperature and (b) ion concentration, to …

The New--But Is It Improved?--Power System, Mariesa Crow

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this paper, the author examines the effect that deregulation will have on the US power system. The paper details how the electric power industry in the USA is undergoing major changes, both politically and technically, as a result of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Orders 888 and 889 issued in 1996. These orders essentially deregulate the transmission network, allowing producers and customers access to the network for electricity transactions.

A 50 Kilowatt Distributed Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Generation System For The University Of Wyoming, Badrul H. Chowdhury, S. Muknahallipatna, T. Dinwoodie, D. Shugar, J. J. Cupal, J. C. Hamann

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The University of Wyoming (UW) campus (USA) is serving as the site for a 50 kilowatt solar photovoltaic (PV) power system. Three sub-systems were sited and built on the UW campus in 1996. The first sub-system, a 10 kW roof-integrated system of PV roof tiles is located on the roof of the Engineering Building. The second sub-system-a 5 kW rack-mounted, ballasted PV system is on a walkway roof of the Engineering building. The third sub-system is a 35 kW shade structure system and is located adjacent to the parking lot of the University's football stadium. The three sub-systems differ in …

Adaptive Critic Design In Learning To Play Game Of Go, R. Zaman, Danil V. Prokhorov, Donald C. Wunsch

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper examines the performance of an HDP-type adaptive critic design (ACD) of the game Go. The game Go is an ideal problem domain for exploring machine learning; it has simple rules but requires complex strategies to play well. All current commercial Go programs are knowledge based implementations; they utilize input feature and pattern matching along with minimax type search techniques. But the extremely high branching factor puts a limit on their capabilities, and they are very weak compared to the relative strengths of other game programs like chess. In this paper, the Go-playing ACD consists of a critic network …

A Hypermedia Database To Manage World-Wide-Web Documents, Schubert Shou Boon Foo, Ee Peng Lim

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The surge of interest in the World-Wide-Web (WWW) with its potential commercial payoff has resulted in an explosion of information as organisations join in to publish and do business on the Internet. A related development, Intranet, which basically uses the same technology to build private corporate WWW-based networks, has emerged to provide cost-effective and efficient groupware and information management solutions for organisations. As a result, the Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML), used for constructing WWW documents, has become a contender for authoring future office documents. With this scenario, this study examines WWW practices and highlights the inadequacy and drawbacks of …

Low-Degree Graph Partitioning Via Local Search With Applications To Constraint Satisfaction, Max Cut, And Coloring, Magnus M. Halldorsson, Hoong Chuin Lau

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We present practical algorithms for constructing partitions of graphs into a fixed number of vertex-disjoint subgraphs that satisfy particular degree constraints. We use this in particular to find k-cuts of graphs of maximum degree ∆ that cut at least a k - 1/k (1 + 1/2∆+k-1 ) fraction of the edges, improving previous bounds known. The partitions also apply to constraint networks, for which we give a tight analysis of natural local search heuristics for the maximum constraint satisfaction problem. These partitions also imply efficient approximations for several problems on weighted bounded-degree graphs. In particular, we improve the best performance …

Dirt Behind Our Ears, By Pfc. Arthur N. Wilkins, Steven D. Smith

Faculty Publications

A review of Dirt Behind Our Ears, by PFC. Arthur N. Wilkins.

Guide To Louisiana Confederate Military Units, 1861-1865, By Arthur W. Bergeron, Jr., Steven D. Smith

Faculty Publications

This is a review of the title book, Guide To Louisiana Confederate Military Units, 1861-1865, by Arthur W. Bergeron, Jr., as well as a review of an additional book, Military Record of Louisiana, by Napier Bartlett.

Altered Pathogenesis Of A Mutant Of The Murine Coronavirus Mhv-A59 Is Associated With A Q159l Amino Acid Substitution In The Spike Protein, Isabelle Leparc-Goffart, Susan T. Hingley, Ming Chua, Xinhe Jiang, Ehud Lavi, Susan R. Weiss

PCOM Scholarly Works

C12, an attenuated, fusion delayed, very weakly hepatotropic mutant of mouse hepatitis virus strain A59 (MHV-A59) has been further characterized. We have previously shown that C12 has two amino acid substitutions relative to wild type virus in the spike protein, Q159L (within a region of S1 shown to bind to viral receptor in an in vitro assay) and H716D (in the proteolytic cleavage recognition site). We have sequenced the rest of the 31-kb genome of C12 and compared it to wild type virus. Only three additional amino acids substitutions were found, all encoded within the replicase gene. Analysis of C12 …

The Arts Show Audience: Cultural Confidence And Middlebrow Arts Consumption, Brian O'Neill

Articles

The arts constitute a form of cultural consumption that has been relatively neglected in recent academic discourse in comparison to the burgeoning literature of cultural studies dedicated to popular and mass media forms of culture. This emphasis within cultural studies on popular genres over traditional forms of art, what has been labelled its ‘cultural populism’ (Mc Guigan, 1992), systematically emphasises common, ordinary taste and resistant aesthetic strategies while denigrating ‘high culture’ as an elitist, middle class leisure pursuit that has little relevance to most people (Willis, 1990). Going against this populist tide, this chapter argues that an examination of popular …