Digital Commons Network^™

They're Getting Away With Murder: The Social Account Ability Of Collegiate Athletes, Justina Ixcia Phillips

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research is to study deviant behavior among collegiate student athletes. This study involves institutions in the Midwest region of the United States, particularly the Mid-American Conference (MAC). This study took on a sociological approach by interviewing specialized athletic officials, and examining different levels of social control by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), along with its interaction with the Mid-American Conference. Various variables that affect social control such as gender, race, and economic conditions were also examined to get an understanding of how these factors influence behavior.

High Oblique Photographic Assessment Of Lakeshore Residential Landscapes In Southwest Michigan, John E. Truchan

Masters Theses

In Southwest Michigan, a growing number of residential developments are evident as residences line nearly the entire shoreline of many inland lakes. This may cause a potential change to the lakeshore vegetation and water quality of the lake, but no data have been collected to determine shoreline conditions at present nor as baseline reference for estimation effects of the continuing trend, nor for planning models for future development.

A physical survey was conducted in order to determine what residential landscape characteristics currently exist at selected lakes in Barry and Kalamazoo counties, Michigan. The data from the physical survey were summarized …

Tales Of Forbidden Love: A Sociological Analysis Of Interracial Intimacy, Candice L. Bryant

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the constructions of race, marriage, and love insofar as these components promote the exclusion of interracial intimacy and marriage from the dominant discourse. The study focuses on the ways in which the social sciences have polarized "blacks" and "whites" (linguistically, socially, and economically) thus, making it difficult for persons living in black and white skin to experience social affirmation through literature, media, and agents in everyday life.

A qualitative content analysis of historical and contemporary literature regarding interracial marriage and intimacy were conducted in conjunction with an auto ethnography of the author's …

Investigating El Nino Southern Oscillation And Tornado Activity In Texas, Joel R. Intrieri

Masters Theses

The possible relationships between El Nino Southern Oscillation and tornado frequency and intensity (as measured by the Fujita Scale) within Texas are explored in this paper. Reported tornado occurrences from 1950-2000 are compared to the Japan Meteorological Agency's Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Index to discover significant patterns and trends throughout the state. Overall, results reveal that more intense tornadoes are likely to touchdown during the cold phase (La Nina) of the ENSO cycle. Regional differences are also observed with the La Nina extreme favoring increases in tornado frequency and intensity within distinct areas of the state. Finally, the cold swing …

Microbial Community Structure In Hydrocarbon Impacted Sediment Associated With Anomalous Geophysical Signatures, Joseph W. Duris

Masters Theses

The Crystal Refinery is a former refinery site in Carson City Michigan that has had historic releases of refined and unrefined crude oil dating back to the late 1940's. The contamination of soil with light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPL) has had a dynamic impact on the subsurface environment in adjacent Carson City Park. Very little is known about the complex interactions between microbial communities, geochemistry and geophysics. In order to investigate possible connections between these parameters a multidisciplinary study was undertaken to investigate the hypothesis that the degradation of LNAPL by resident microbial communities causes a local increase in organic …

Examining The Effects Of Individualized Computer Work Station Adjustments And Performance Management On Safe Behavior, Kathryn Culig

Masters Theses

The first purpose of this study was to examine the effects of office ergonomic assessments and resulting computer workstation adjustments on safe behavior. The adjustments were designed to reduce or eliminate barriers to performing safely, thus creating an environment that would allow participants to assume safe behaviors. The second purpose of the study was to examine the effects of a performance management (PM) package, including ergonomic information, graphic feedback, and praise, which targeted those behaviors that did not substantially change as a result of the workstation adjustments. A multiple baseline design across participants was used to assess the effects of …

Inorganic And Organic Chemistry Of The Former Lakeside Refinery In Kalamazoo, Michigan, Kurt W. Carlson

Masters Theses

The focus of this investigation of the Lakeside Refinery site is the inorganic geochemistry because previous investigations concerned organics and heavy metals. Because little nitrate is in native groundwater, high dissolved ammonia immediately downgradient from a petroleum body suggests the source is the petroleum and/or associated byproducts. Iron reduction is most prominent immediately upgradient from the known and measurable petroleum while manganese reduction occurs mostly downgradient. Sulfate reduction occurs mostly towards the southern portion of the light petroleum LNAPL. Based on concentrations of nitrate, manganese, iron and sulfate along a groundwater flow path, there appears to be a sequential use …

Mechanistic Studies On The Antagonistic Effect Of Chromium On Bpde Mutant Frequency In Human Fibroblasts, Felicia Codrea

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible mechanisms involved in the decrease in mutant frequency when cells are treated with two different types of carcinogens: chromium (VI) in combination with benzo(a)pyrene diol epoxide (BPDE). Three of our working hypotheses are: Cr alone or Cr and BPDE synergistically activate detoxifying enzyme glutathione-S-transferase (GST), Cr alone or Cr and BPDE act synergistically to inhibit cell cycle at the G₁/S boundary thus allowing more time for DNA repair, and Cr alone or Cr and BPDE synergistically activate DNA repair systems which result in more efficient repair of DNA …

Numerical Modeling Of Air Blast Effects On Hybrid Structures, Matthew J. Fox

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Blast resistant structures are gaining increased need in today's society. This research addresses adding composite reinforcement to existing concrete structures to decrease blast damage. An upgraded material model for concrete is presented. This model, used in LS-DYNA3D, incorporates tensile damage, which allows the concrete to degrade as it is loaded. The concrete model is tested using existing unreinforced and reinforced concrete beam tests. Some beams were plain, others were externally reinforced with composites, bonded to the exterior of the beams. There is a very good correlation between the predicted and existing data. The concrete model was then used to predict …

Operating Market Based Regulation Service Using Software Agents Compliant With Nerc's Control Performance Standards, Ramanujam Srinivasan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With the changing scenario for procurement of energy it becomes necessary to understand the process of obtaining energy from a diverse set of suppliers capable of providing substantial amounts of electric power at competitive prices. Sufficient insight has been gained in the energy brokerage system design and planning owing to experiences in the recently established markets especially the California market. It becomes contextual to analyze and understand the procurement of ancillary services, which are generally bundled as part of the wholesale energy supply chain, using a similarly competitive environment having a number of players that provide electric power for such …

Mode-I Fatigue Fracture Of Interface For Fiber -Reinforced Polymer Composite Bonded To Wood, Junhui Jia

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

For applications in civil infrastructure rehabilitation and new construction, wood is being reinforced with externally bonded laminates and fabrics of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. The potential benefits of external reinforcement with bonded FRP composites have been demonstrated through several studies, and the field implementation of this technology has been successfully proven in numerous projects. However, there is a concern with the long-term performance of the interface bond, since an inadequate bond strength and integrity can render the reinforcement ineffective and lead to premature failure of the structure. The performance of FRP-wood bonded interfaces under static and environmental loads have been …

Glass Reinforcement Of Recycled Polycarbonate, Adam Al-Mulla

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The main barrier to recycling of post-consumer plastics is the commingled nature of these materials with consequent poor and variable mechanical, thermal and flow properties; separating the polymers by chemical type is prohibitively expensive and does not completely solve the problem of batch-to-batch variability in properties that results from variations in the nature and amount of impurities and variation in polymer molecular weight and molecular weight distribution. In the present work, it is proposed that the addition of up to 20 wt% short glass fibers to the mixed plastic makes the mechanical and flow properties of the composite depend more …

Longitudinal Predictors Of Weight Fluctuation In Men And Women, Kelly L. Bishop

Theses and Dissertations

Previous literature has indicated that weight loss maintenance represents a major challenge in the management of obesity (Brownell, 1995; Stunkard, 1985). The vast majority of individuals who diet lose and regain weight many times, a pattern often referred to as weight cycling.

The present study was a prospective attempt to understand weight maintenance and fluctuation in a general/normal sample of individuals (n = 315) and in a select group of weight loss maintainers (n = 19). Participants were assessed twice, six months apart, and weight change over this period was correlated with several predictors assessed at Time 1. These predictors …

Experiences Of Older Women Following The 1997 Flood In Grand Forks, North Dakota, Mary Jean Formati

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the effect of a natural disaster on women 65 years and older. It was a qualitative, open-ended, non-emergent, exploratory study designed to understand the issues faced and the continued responses of older women to natural disaster. Data consisted of individual written narratives and individual interviews. The constant comparison method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967; Lincoln & Guba, 1985) was used to explore emerging themes and sub-themes. The purpose was to discover what difficulties older women experienced, how or if their lives changed, and how or if they continue to be impacted by disaster. Four main themes emerged from …

Ossetian: Revisiting Inflectional Morphology, Bela G. Hettich

Theses and Dissertations

Ossetian, a language of the Northeastern group of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European stock of languages, has not received as much linguistic attention as it deserves. A few major studies on Ossetian were written in the 19th and 20th centuries, most of them in Russian. While these works are a solid foundation in the study of Ossetian, its description is not complete.

The present work, written in English, offers Ossetian to a wider international audience. Relying on new developments in linguistic theory, it reexamines phenomena in the inflectional morphology of Ossetian.

The preliminary chapter on phonology provides an overview …

Depression And Help-Seeking Behavior Of North Dakota Farmers: The Impact Of The Farm Crisis, Wanda J. Mcsparron

Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about the psychological impact of the current farm crisis. This study examined the incidence of depression and the help-seeking behavior among North Dakota farmers. A secondary purpose was to determine the relationship of economic stress, as well as demographic variables, with levels of depression and help-seeking behavior.

A sample of 500 North Dakota farm operators was randomly selected from Prairie Grains Magazine mailing list and asked to participate in a mail survey. 199 farm operators and 120 spouses/partners responded to the survey. Each participant was asked to anonymously complete and return the Personal Data Questionnaire, Financial Stress …

The Antecedents And Consequences Of Body Image Dissatisfaction: A Structural Modeling Analysis And A Controlled Laboratory Task, Dana M. Borowiak

Theses and Dissertations

Recent covariance structural equation modeling investigations have begun to examine factors thought to play a role in body image dissatisfaction and eating disturbance (Thompson et al., 1999). The current investigation extended this line of research using structural equation modeling to examine a tripartite model of body image dissatisfaction. Female participants (N = 200) completed an informed consent, the Survey of Background Information, the Body Comparison Scale, the Restraint Scale, the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire, the Body Esteem Scale-Revised, the Inventory of Peer Influence on Eating Concerns, the Perception of Teasing Scale, the Eating Disorders Inventory, the Parent Involvement Scale, the …

Is The Revised Uniform Arbitration Act A Good Fit For Alaska?, Carl H. Johnson, Pete D. A. Petersen

Alaska Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Correlative Rights, And Sourdough: Not Just For Bread Anymore, Robert W. Corbisier

Alaska Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Report On An Arts Administration With The New Orleans Film Festival, Johanna Ikard

Arts Administration Master's Reports (1984-2016)

This report follows an internship, of 480 hours in length, completed at The New Orleans Film Festival, located in The Downtown Development District in New Orleans, Louisiana. The New Orleans Film Festival is a non-profit (501 c-3) cultural organization serving the New Orleans area, the southeast region, and the film industry. The New Orleans Film Festival strives to provide quality alternative local, national, and international films to the New Orleans community.

A Report On An Internship With The National D-Day Museum, New Orleans, Louisiana, Jessica Green Hester

Arts Administration Master's Reports (1984-2016)

From May 28, 2002 to August 20, 2002, I served as an intern in the collections department at The National D-Day Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana. The National D-Day Museum (NDDM) is a 501(c) (3) history museum that specializes in the amphibious invasions of World War II. The institute is very new, opening in 2000, and has experienced an unpredictable amount of success and acclaim. This rapid success and growth has created unique challenges for the organization as it tries to develop. The following paper is broken into five chapters and a conclusion. Chapter 1 is an introduction to NDDM, …

Intravesical Immunotherapy For Superficial Bladder Cancer, Mohammad T. Said, Mohammed S. Abomelha, Saad A. Orkubi

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To compare and evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of intravesical instillation of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and interferon alpha-2b immunotherapy for superficial transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary bladder. METHODS: Thirty-five patients with superficial TCC of the urinary bladder, primary and recurrent tumors, stage Ta, T1, and grade 1 and 2, were prospectively enrolled for intravesical immunotherapy at the Armed Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between January 1992 and December 2000. The treatment regimes used were either 120 mg of BCG weekly for 6 weeks followed by a 2nd 6 week course given only on first tumor …

Clinical Presentation Of Adult Celiac Disease In Western Saudi Arabia, Faiza A. Qari

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical presentation of adult celiac disease. METHODS: A retrospective study of adult patients who were diagnosed with celiac disease based on findings of small intestinal biopsy, response to gluten free diet and exclusion of other causes of malabsorption or vitamin deficiency over a period of 5 years from 1998-2002. The study was carried out at the King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. RESULTS: Sixteen patients were diagnosed with celiac disease. Osteomalacia and iron deficiency anemia were common clinical presentations. Diarrhea, malabsorption associated with growth failure was observed in 3 patients with a mean …

Successful Separation Of Thoracopagus Conjoined Twins, Abdullatif A. Al-Arfaj, Dilip K. Mitra, Hussam S. Kadeeb, Abdulmohsen A. Al-Ghamdi, Mohammad E. Abdulghaffar, Bassam H. Al-Awary

Saudi Medical Journal

The first successful separation of thoracopagus conjoined twins in Eastern Saudi Arabia with 2-year follow up is presented. Physical examination and radiographic studies revealed a conjunction that extended from midsternum to a common umbilicus. The shared internal organs included liver and pericardium. The separation was performed at the age of 4 months. The resulting chest wall defects in both twins were covered by dacron-reinforced silastic prosthesis. The abdominal wall defect was primarily closed in the "left twin," and covered with a dacron reinforced silastic sheet in the "right". Primary skin closure was achieved in both, following extensive mobilization of the …

Peyronie's Disease. Who Is At Risk?, Danny O. Ogbeide, Solomon B. Adebayo

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Social And Emotional Outcomes Of Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Review Of Recent Research, Kimberly A. Tyler

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

A total of 41 articles examined the social and emotional outcomes of childhood sexual abuse. The outcomes examined included suicide and substance use, gang involvement, pregnancy, running away, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), risky sexual behavior, and behavioral problems. Results for each of these outcomes tended to vary by developmental period. How¬ever, problems of internalizing and externalizing behavior appeared to be specific to sexually abused children of all age groups. Some studies found differences in outcome according to gender, race, and age. Although findings related to abuse characteristics were found to vary from study to study, severity of the abuse, use …

Coexistence Of Ferromagnetic And Glassy States In Mechanically Milled Gdal2, C. Stark, P. M. Shand, T. M. Pekarek, D. Williams, R. Brown, Lanping Yue, Diandra Leslie-Pelecky

Diandra Leslie-Pelecky Publications

Measurements of DC susceptibility, AC susceptibility, and AC susceptibility with an applied DC bias field were performed on mechanically milled GdAl₂. A paramagnetic phase exists above a temperature T ≈ 140 K. However, there are significant deviations from the Curie-Weiss Law in this temperature regime, suggesting multiple magnetic components. Fits to the high temperature data show that two Curie-Weiss terms represent the data quite well. Below 140 K one of these magnetic components becomes ferromagnetic as indicated by a shoulder in the AC susceptibility and DC susceptibility data. This ferromagnetic component is suppressed by the application of sufficiently …

Using Geographic Information Systems To Understand Population, Housing, And Transportation Patterns In Davis, California, Shuichi Hisamura

Master's Projects

A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a computer system capable of assembling, storing, manipulating, and displaying geographically referenced information It can also be described as a computerized cartography which is an improvement from the paper maps that used to be painstakingly created by hand. Since a GIS can handle physical, biological, cultural, demographic, or economic information, it is a valuable tool and has been used in the natural, social, medical, and engineering sciences, as well as in business and planning.

The field of urban planning has made huge progress in managing databases for necessary information, reflecting existing situations, and analyzing …

Estate Planning Basics: Revocable Living Trusts, Barbara Rowe

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

2002-12-00 Newsletter, Morehead State University. Board Of Regents.

Morehead State Board of Regents Agenda Books and Meeting Minutes

No abstract provided.