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1999 Nucleus: Closing Time, Newark College Of Engineering

Yearbooks

This is a digitized, downloadable version of the Newark College of Engineering Nucleus.

Fdtd-Based Full Wave Co-Simulation Model For Hybrid Electromagnetic Systems, Tong Li

Dissertations

In high-frequency ranges, the present electronic design automation software has limited capabilities to model electromagnetic (EM) systems where there are strong field effects influencing their characteristics. In this situation, a full-wave simulation tool is desired for the analysis and design of high-speed and non-linear EM systems. It is necessary to explore the interaction between the field and electronic components during a transient process when field effects are more significant. The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) technique receives growing attention in the area of EM system analysis and simulation due to its simplicity, flexibility and robustness. It is a full-wave simulation method that …

Pattern Discovery In Trees : Algorithms And Applications To Document And Scientific Data Management, Chia-Yo Chang

Dissertations

Ordered, labeled trees are trees in which each node has a label and the left-to-right order of its children (if it has any) is fixed. Such trees have many applications in vision, pattern recognition, molecular biology and natural language processing.

In this dissertation we present algorithms for finding patterns in the ordered labeled trees. Specifically we study the largest approximately common substructure (LACS) problem for such trees. We consider a substructure of a tree T to be a connected subgraph of T. Given two trees T₁, T₂ and an integer d, the LACS problem is to find …

Observers For Discrete-Time Nonlinear Systems, Walter D. Grossman

Dissertations

Observer synthesis for discrete-time nonlinear systems with special applications to parameter estimation is analyzed. Two new types of observers are developed. The first new observer is an adaptation of the Friedland continuous-time parameter estimator to discrete-time systems. The second observer is an adaptation of the continuous-time Gauthier observer to discrete-time systems. By adapting these observers to discrete-time continuous-time parameter estimation problems which were formerly intractable become tractable.

In addition to the two newly developed observers, two observers already described in the literature are analyzed and deficiencies with respect to noise rejection are demonstrated. improved versions of these observers are proposed …

A New-Generation Class Of Parallel Architectures And Their Performance Evaluation, Qian Wang

Dissertations

The development of computers with hundreds or thousands of processors and capability for very high performance is absolutely essential for many computation problems, such as weather modeling, fluid dynamics, and aerodynamics. Several interconnection networks have been proposed for parallel computers. Nevertheless, the majority of them are plagued by rather poor topological properties that result in large memory latencies for DSM (Distributed Shared-Memory) computers. On the other hand, scalable networks with very good topological properties are often impossible to build because of their prohibitively high VLSI (e.g., wiring) complexity. Such a network is the generalized hypercube (GH). The GH supports full-connectivity …

Modeling Controlled Vocabularies Using Oodbs And Multilevel Area Diagrams, Li-Min Liu

Dissertations

A Controlled Vocabulary (CV) is a software system of domain knowledge that consolidates and unifies the terminology of a large application domain. With a common, centralized CV, costly and time-consuming translations can be eliminated between pairs of organizations and pairs of software systems. Unfortunately, the more knowledge we put into a CV, the harder it is to understand and maintain it. In this dissertation, a comprehensive theoretical methodology for modeling CVs using Object-Oriented Database (OODB) technology is presented. We present two methods for representing a semantic network CV as an equivalent OODB, which we call an Object-Oriented Vocabulary Repository (OOVR). …

About The Authors

Macalester International

No abstract provided.

Has Technology In The Elementary Classroom Caused Instruction To Improve?, Denise Mcdermott

Theses and Dissertations

This study described and evaluated the extent to which technology has improved instruction, and thus improved student learning, in elementary schools in Deptford Township, a K-12 district. The study included all K-6 grade teachers. A 31-item survey was completed by 85% of elementary school teachers. Percentages of answers were mathematically calculated and lists of software programs and student systems for computer use were compiled. The majority of elementary teachers described their level of expertise regarding technology as "able to manage as long as everything runs correctly". The results reveal a high dissatisfaction with the type and amount of technology training …

Character Education, Patricia S. Friend

Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this project was to develop and implement a character education program at the Upper Township Elementary School. This intern has endeavored to develop and implement a character education program at the Upper Township Elementary School in an attempt to improve interpersonal relations. This intern created a resource manual for teachers, assisted in the training necessary to implement this program, collected and analyzed data evaluating the effectiveness of the program.

During the duration of this research study, the intern developed and refined several leadership competencies in the area of school administration. This intern effectively applied human relations skills …

An Interdisciplinary Approach To Integrated Curriculum, Lynda Kozicz Leahey

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of the interdisciplinary approach to teaching mathematics and science, specifically Geometry and Biology. The study used an action research design in which two teachers participated in a planned interdisciplinary activity that involved 160 high school students. The site of this study was a high school located in a middle-class, rural-suburban community. Data was gathered using a concept map to measure the amount of conceptual understanding students have of the relationship between Geometry and Biology. Data of those students who were enrolled in both Geometry and Biology were compared to those …

Collaborative Teaching Relationships And The Inclusion Of Sixth Grade Students, Richard C. Panas

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to describe and evaluate the effectiveness of implementing inclusion within a collaborative teaching framework in the sixth grade using an action research design. Based on the parameters set forth in a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP), the schedule to determine if a student's goals and objectives are being met is measured quarterly by report card. Ultimately, whether or not a student achieves the minimum level of proficiency as outlined in the IEP for social studies, science, mathematics, and language arts serves as the benchmark for determining whether or not the student's placement is appropriate. …

Evaluating The Impact Of Block Scheduling, John Joseph Hourani

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and describe the effectiveness of a 4x4 semester block schedule with respect to academic achievement, discipline, attendance and the school climate of Penns Grove High School. A longitudinal trend study design was utilized to compare statistics from the school's first two years under the block schedule to the school's final two years of the traditional schedule. Such statistics include the frequency of students obtaining A's, F's, and honor roll status, as well as monthly attendance rates, and discipline referral counts. Additionally, a modified action research design is used to examine the new …

A Risky Business: A Study Of Retention, Sue H. Kinsey

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to describe and evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention program of remediation and academic mentoring on the academic success of students failing grade seven who were placed in grade eight. The study was conducted in the Clearview Regional Middle School during the summer preceding and including the 1998-99 academic year.

Data was gathered from test scores, mid-marking period progress reports, marking period grade reports, summer session teacher reports and interviews, and weekly and monthly classroom teacher reports. Information was also provided through parent, teacher, and student questionnaires. The data was analyzed using percentiles to …

An Impact Study Of The Positive Benefits Of A Technology Course On Students' Critical Thinking Skills, Jerry J. Marinacci

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the positive benefits to students enrolled in the new Applied Technology course offered at Bridgeton High School. The intern wishes to determine if the course has enhanced students' ability in critical skills such as: communicating, teamwork, problem solving and critical thinking.

The study will focus on students' ability to define and solve real world problems as presented in a high school technology laboratory. The design of the study was based on qualitative research of students' ability to identify criteria, develop possible solutions and solve problems of a technical nature based on pre-test …

Developing And Implementing A Daily Schedule Which Promotes Professional Collaboration And Meets The Needs Of The Students At The Lakeside Middle School In Millvile, New Jersey, Scott M. Sheppard

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this report was to develop and plan a daily schedule which promotes professional collaboration and meets the needs of the students at the new Lakeside Middle School. A properly structured schedule contains the organizational elements for delivering the curriculum to meet the needs of the students.

This research program involved the students in grades 6, 7 and 8. The students and staff are housed in four different schools throughout the district. A commercial building has been converted into the first true middle school (grades 6-8) in the history of the district. The school opens in September of …

Reform: In Search Of A Rationale, Ada R. Barlatt

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the implementation of the Core Curriculum Content Standards at Pleasantville. The district, a special needs (Abbott district), receives 85% of its funding from the state, therefore, must provide all children with a "Thorough and Efficient" education.

Two separate groups of students were studied. One group represented the current students in grade 10 and the second group represented the current students in grade 9. Also included in the study were teachers, counselors, administrators and employers.

The overall approach in this study was to use several methods to investigate the effects on a local …

May 31, 1999 Reporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Combination Of Heterogeneous And Homogeneous Grouping To Achieve Better Reading And Math Scores, Diane R. Cioffi-Longo

Theses and Dissertations

This report described the process used, for an elementary school with a student population of approximately 587 students, to investigate the existing reading and math programs offered to students. The preliminary research indicated a need for an extended staff development program, and the implementation of advanced methodologies. The conclusions of the project, as a whole, provided data which emphasizes the need for growth in reading and math pedagogy awareness with the district of Glassboro.

Purposed preliminary investigation strategies included; (a) interviews with reading and math teachers, regular homeroom teachers, and teachers in other academic disciplines; (b) a review of documents …

Sustainable Green Manufacturing Of Energetic Materials, Ted Alex Formeza

Theses

Pollution from manufacturing processes of the major energetic materials currently used in the U.S., 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane (RDX), 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7 tetraazacyclooctane (HMX) was briefly evaluated. It was found that acetic acid was a major pollutant. It appeared that the British Process could be controlled to reduce the polluting effluents better than the Bachmann Process used in the U.S. Most of the effort for producing the next generation of energetic materials is currently centered around the production of 1,3,3-trinitroazetidine (TNAZ). We evaluated five synthetic routes for producing TNAZ. We reduced the number of potential processes by carefully considering possible changes in the schemes that …

Decision Support System For Forecasting Product And Waste Disposal Over Time, Amit P. Amte

Theses

A current barrier to the end-of-life product strategies is a lack of knowledge of the quantity and timing of product returns or waste generation. Consequently, a Decision Support System (DSS), to predict the timing and quantity of waste generation is needed. Therefore a web-based system that predicts the rate of product entering the waste-stream has been developed. The system accepts information relating to sales, reliability, storage and disposal behavior. This data is used to simulate the return waste flow. The DSS can be used to simulate the effect of different policies and to provide data for end-of-life and multi-lifecycle strategy …

History Of Oxygenated Gasoline Use In New Jersey 1992-1998, Jean Niebuhr Borne

Theses

New Jersey has been required to use oxygenated gasoline from November 1 to March 30 since 1992 in order to reduce carbon monoxide from vehicles. This requirement was part of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. For the past six winters, New Jersey has utilized gasoline with methyl butyl tertiary ether, MTBE, as the oxygenate. In New Jersey, and in many states across the country, health complaints were reported after oxygenated fuel started flowing from gas pumps.

Oxybusters is a grassroots organization dedicated to the removal of oxygenated gasoline off the market. The group has pressured Governor Whitman to …

Effect Of Postural Tilt On The Autonomic Nervous System In Gulf War Veterans, Shrenik Dagli

Theses

Time-frequency signal representations characterize signals over a joint time-frequency plane. They combine time-domain and frequency-domain analysis to yield a potentially more revealing picture of the temporal localization of a signal spectrum. Time-frequency distributions (TFDS) of signals map a one-dimensional function of time, x (t), into a two-dimensional function of time and frequency, p(t, f). Most TFDs are "time-varying representations' which are similar conceptually to a musical score with time running along one axis and frequency along the other axis.

Many Gulf War Veterans complained of symptoms like unexplainable tiredness. This condition is known as the Gulf War Syndrome. The purpose …

In Situ Enhancement Of Well Recovery By Pneumatic Media Injection, Michael Thomas Galbraith

Theses

The objective of this thesis was to develop a new process for enhancing recovery wells at hazardous waste sites. The process, known as an extended radius well (ERW), involves injection of ceramic beads directly into groundwater plumes to create drainage paths for liquid contaminants. This is a variant of Pneumatic Fracturing, which is a patented in situ remediation process developed to increase permeability of soil and rock formations by injection of high pressure gas.

The research study comprised laboratory investigations, engineering scale tests, and a field pilot demonstration. The laboratory investigations examined the properties of several candidate media to determine …

Analysis And Modeling Of Ultrasound To Decontaminate Heavy Metals In Dredged Sediments, Ruvini Perera

Theses

Sediments contaminated with heavy metals due to past disposal practices threatens the environment and requires remediation. This research is an attempt to develop a technology to decontaminate heavy metals in the dredged sediments with an integrated set of processes using ultrasound. Acoustic cavitation caused by ultrasound energy can be used to remove chromium from the sediments. Two coupled processes were used to treat both coarse (Process#1) and fine (Process#2) fractions of the sediments. Full factorial experimental designs were carried out to evaluate the treatment technique and to statistically model and optimize the processes. The model for Process#1 had four contributing …

Catalyctic Reduction Of Nitric Oxide By Copper Catalyzed Granular Activated Carbon In The Presence Of Oxygen, Shan Xiao

Theses

The catalytic reduction of nitric oxides by solid carbonaceous material consisting primarily of granular activated carbon or (GAC) was studied in a fix bed catalytic reactor in order to develop the technology for removing NO and soot simultaneously from diesel engine exhaust. The catalytic activity and conversion of NO as a function of reaction temperature was evaluated as a function of space velocity. The results show that at lean condition and high gaseous hourly space velocity, vis., 50,000 ~ 80,000, Cu-ZSM-5 does not perform as well with CO and GAC as it does with gaseous hydrocarbons(HC). Plain GAC has low …

Monitor Newsletter May 31, 1999, Bowling Green State University

Monitor

Official Publication of Bowling Green State University for Faculty and Staff

Assessing The Effects Of Exposure To Multicultural Learning On A School Population With Limited Diversity, Lynda Anderson-Towns

Theses and Dissertations

This Master's project was designed to assess the effects of infusing various multicultural activities in a rural school with limited diversity. It focused on integrating monthly multicultural activities into the curriculum of first grade students to increase their sensitivity and appreciation of diversity.

The study utilized qualitative data gathered through surveys, interviews and observations completed at Dennis Township Elementary School. The first grade students were exposed to a series of multicultural activities which included storytelling, mini-lessons and cultural presentation throughout a six month time span. Students' attitudes toward diversity were measured by pre-test and post-test surveys preceding and subsequent to …

Alternative Assessment, Katy Cosgrove

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to change the way teachers assess students in the mathematics classroom. The teachers worked to find alternative assessment activities that gave students the opportunity to solve problems related to real-life application, allowing for a greater understanding of topics. The alternative assessment program involved many members of the mathematics department at Gateway Regional High School. Teachers were surveyed about alternative assessment before and after they used alternative assessment in the classroom. The conclusions of the study accomplished the goal of making teachers aware of alternative assessment and how it can be implemented into the classroom …

The Impact Of A Peer Mediation Program On The Reduction Of Suspensions Caused By Violence, Donna L. Covely

Theses and Dissertations

This study determined the effectiveness of the peer mediation program at Deptford Township High School, grades 9 through 12, in reducing student discipline problems. Furthermore, the study determined that peer mediation prevented further disputes and/or resolved current misunderstandings, that the disputants were able to resolve their differences constructively, and that mediation prevented disputes from developing into more serious matters. It determined that peer mediation helped to reduce student violence, lowered suspension rates, required less administrative time spent on discipline, and provided a more peaceful school environment.

There was no sample for this study. Any at-risk student in grades 9 through …

An Evaluation Of The Klark's Kids Program For At-Risk Students, Joann Dekatch-Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to observe and assess the effectiveness of the Klark's Kids program for at-risk students in Grades 7 and 8 in the Pittsgrove Township Middle School Annex by using an action research design.

The subject sample included thirty-three identifiable at-risk students in September 1998. Of this group, only five or six students attended due to the voluntary nature of the program. Forty-two new students were identified in the month of October. Of the eighteen who attended, only twelve to fifteen students came on a regular basis. Evaluation procedures included grades, standardized test scores, grade point …