Digital Commons Network^™

Analysis Of Tailpipe Particulate Matter Emission From A Sampling Of Kansas City Vehicles, Erika Louise Roesler

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

As the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seeks to model vehicle emissions based on dynamic engine operating conditions, modal PM datasets will be investigated for their robustness and limitations under the requirements of the EPA’s model: MOVES. The Kansas City PM Characterization Study tested more than 500 light-duty gasoline cars and trucks on a dynamometer in summertime and wintertime temperatures with four different modal PM2.5 instruments.

Using data reduction techniques used to prepare other datasets for the MOVES model, the modal PM data were analyzed to determine its ability to be incorporated into MOVES. It was found through averages …

The Influence Of Woodlot Size And Location In Suburban And Rural Matrices On Bird Species Richness And Individual Abundance, Neil Allen Chartier

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study assessed the influence of woodlot area and matrix composition on bird species richness and individual abundance. Bird surveys were conducted in winter 2004 and 2005 and spring 2005. Woodlot area and landscape composition were analyzed using GIS software. In winter, resident species richness and abundance increased as landscape diversity increased, whereas in spring, resident species richness decreased with increased landscape openness and abundance increased as woodlot area increased. Spring migrant species richness increased with increased landscape openness, and abundance decreased as woodlot area increased. In winter, Tufted Titmice were more likely to be present in smaller woodlots, whereas …

Causal Attributions And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: The Relationships Among Dispositional Attributional Style, Trauma-Specific Attributions, And Ptsd, Sarah Reiland

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The learned helplessness model (Seligman, 1975) and its various revisions suggest that both dispositional attributional style and event-specific attributions may influence people’s responses to events. Attribution theory has been applied to the search for risk and resiliency factors in trauma survivors, but few studies have compared dispositional attributional style with traumaspecific attributions in relation to posttraumatic stress symptoms. In addition, studies of attributions and PTSD fail to take into account the importance to the individual of the events about which attributions are made. The importance of the situation is a key component of the hopelessness model. Attributions for causes of …

Telemedicine And Ptsd Assessment Of Veterans: A Study Of Equivalence Between Videoconferencing (Vtc) And Face-To-Face (Ftf) Methods, Carole Porcari

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Telemedicine systems use telecommunications technology to provide health care services to clients with distance barriers to providers. This is relevant for America’s veterans who require services for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but find that these specialty services are not always available locally. This study compared a face-to-face (FTF) Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) interview and a videoconferencing (VTC) administration of the CAPS. Participants were 20 male veterans referred to a veteran’s affairs center for a PTSD assessment. Correlations between assessments ranged from .74 - .92, and statistical equivalence was demonstrated at 90% confidence intervals. Sensitivity of the VTC interview was found …

Nutritional Quality Of Lunches At A Seventh-Day Adventist School, M. Justine Markert

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if what the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade children (n=36) at Central Valley Christian Academy (CVCA) were eating for lunch followed the beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church and if lunches brought from home (LFH) provided more nutritional quality than combination lunches.

This study showed that LFH (n=26) provided more overall nutrients for the students when compared with school-provided entrée lunches (n=1) and combination lunches (n=9). When comparing LFH with combination lunches, LFH met more of the nutritional requirements based on the Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) and the Dietary Guidelines for …

Suction Pressure Measurement And Behavioral Observations Of Sprawning-Run Sea Lampreys (Petromyzon Marinus), Robert Dallas Adams

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Sea lampreys utilize attachment by suction throughout their life cycle. Despite the importance of this behavior, the role of surface texture in the attachment process has not been fully understood. The goal of this study was to develop a technique to quantitatively examine attachment abilities on surfaces of different texture and then to test whether the lampreys would seek out the surface that best promoted attachment. Results of the first experiment showed that the ability to attach depended on the interaction between a surface’s characteristics and the sea lamprey’s oral disk anatomy. For management applications where lamprey attachment is a …

Family Functioning And Coping Behaviors In Parents Of Children With Autism, Matthew J. Altiere

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

We looked at how a child with autism affects the dynamics and coping behaviors of a family. A majority of studies on families with a child with autism collect information from the mother but not the father. Therefore, this study examined the involvement of both parents from a family systems theory approach, which compares relationships among different familial variables, to determine the contributions of each individual to the developmental outcomes of the family unit. It was hypothesized that moderate levels of cohesion and adaptability would be associated with higher levels of positive coping mechanisms. Further, the more coping strategies implemented …

Student Achievement As A Function Of Class Size And Pupil-Teacher Ratio, Robert T. Becker

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Background: The degree to which class size is able to produce positive, enduring effects on student achievement has been and continues to be vigorously debated. Comparative studies have clouded the issue with imprecise use of the terms class size (CS) and pupil-teacher ratio (PTR), making it difficult to draw clear conclusions regarding the effects of class size on student achievement.

Purpose: To assess differences, if any, in achievement between students attending classes where the class-size is approximately n = 17 and students attending classes where the class-size is approximately n = 25 and the pupil-teacher ratio is approximately …

Beliefs About Parenting And How It Affects A Child's Education, Korin Crandall Quinn

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The researcher studied the cultural trends of a group of at-risk mothers who reside within Kent County, the majority of whom live in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The null hypothesis states: Environmental and cultural beliefs do not affect generational parenting beliefs or risk factors within the Kent County and Grand Rapids area. Cultural factors and four areas of the mothers’ lives were studied: (a) number of parents within the household, (b) parental levels of education, (c) socioeconomic status, and (d) occurrence ratio of low birth weight.

Mothers (n=37) responded to questionnaires; 24 were interviewed in person; 13 completed questionnaire forms on …

Surface Analysis Of A Black Coating From Little Lost River, Reshmi Perumplavil

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

A black coating of unknown origin obscures the pictographs in Little Lost River Cave, Idaho. We utilized x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to characterize the outermost surface of the black coating to understand how it was formed. Carbon and oxygen predominated in the XP spectra, whereas nitrogen was detected at varying levels in different samples. High-resolution carbon 1s XP spectra showed that carbon was present in at least three different forms: hydrocarbon C, carbonyl C, and carbonate C/ amide C. The N 1s peak was observed at ~399-400 eV binding energy, which is usually attributed to aromatic or amide N. The …

Religious Orientation And Flow, Scott Robert Brown

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study explored the nature and extent of relationships between religious orientations, religious orthodoxy, and flow, which is an experience akin to “being in the zone” in sports. The three religious orientations examined were intrinsic religiosity, which involves shaping one’s life around religious beliefs and practices; extrinsic religiosity, which involves trying to gain rewards, such as social status, from religious participation; and quest, which involves seeking religious meaning as opposed to accepting traditional doctrines. Data analyses indicated that high scorers on extrinsic religiosity tended to have less intense flow experiences and that they tended to experience flow more often during …

An Analysis Of Spending Patterns In Dissimilar Revenue School Districts In The State Of Michigan, M. Scott Korpak

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to compare two districts with somewhat similar demographics but with dissimilar revenues to see whether or not additional funding per child resulted in enhanced learning opportunities for students in the higher funded district. In addition, although not a primary function of this study, student achievement was considered as a possible outcome for students who had enhanced learning opportunities.

Because public school funding is determined by policy makers, three public policy questions were the basis for comparing the two districts. The three questions were as follows: (a) Should a child’s zip code determine the …

Implementation Of Labcreator And The Integration Of Cyberlab, Kang Zhao

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

With the development of the World Wide Web, online courses are becoming more and more popular in modern science education. CyberLab aims to solve an important issue in distance science education -- laboratory experiments in online courses. It is a toolkit that handles creation, exportation, and execution of virtual experiments (within web browsers). It consists of LabCreator and LabExecutor. With LabCreator, instructors can create virtual experiments and export them into intermediate files. Students can download those files from online course websites and execute them in LabExecutor on their own computers.

The paper reports on the completion of two important tasks …

How Mothers Orchestrate Their Engagement In An Early Intervention Program, Patricia Eileen Brennan

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

A family-centered approach was espoused in IDEA Part C as the context for service to families with young children experiencing developmental delays. A phenomenological inquiry was conducted to explore how mothers of young children with disabilities orchestrate their engagement in an early intervention program, and to identify factors that support their participation. In-depth interviews were conducted with five mothers of children enrolled in a community-based program located in an urban area. An over-arching theme addressing the need for service providers to be “In my reality” emerged. Sub-themes highlighted needs of the mothers to understand their child’s condition, promote their child’s …

Perceived Stressors, Coping Strategies, And Burnout Pertaining To Psychiatric Nurses Working On Locked Psychiatric Units, Richard A. White

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe perceived occupational stressors, coping strategies, and burnout levels of psychiatric nurses working on locked psychiatric units in southeastern Michigan (N = 46), as well as to examine the relationships among demographic factors and these variables. This study utilized a correlation design, adapting the stress, coping, and burnout theoretical frameworks of Seyle, Lazarus, Folkman, and Maslach.

The results indicated that the majority of psychiatric nurses in this study were experiencing low levels of stress and moderate levels of burnout. The findings suggested that staffing issues were an important factor in determining stress …

Retrospective Evaluation Of The Rockall Risk Scoring System In Patients With Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage At A Community Hospital, Mona D. Patel

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment of patients with upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage (UGIH), the majority of hospitals do not risk-stratify patients with UGIH. One of the major challenges in triaging patients with nonvariceal UGIH is identifying patients’ who are at low risk. We retrospectively identified Rockall scores of 160 patients and the proportion of low-risk patients seen in the Emergency Department at Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital (SJMH) over a one-year period. Additionally, we determined adverse outcomes and healthcare resources utilized and evaluated whether certain antiplatelet agents, anticoagulants, and NSAIDS affected the Rockall scores. The Rockall scoring system identified 21% of …

College Integrated Care: Effectiveness Of The Use Of A Modified Version Of The Patient Health Questionnaire For Patients In A University Health Clinic, Kevin Alschuler

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In primary medical care settings, problems with providing appropriate behavioral care led to development of the integrated care model providing behavioral services alongside medical services. The present study explored the potential need for this model at a Midwest university health center, by investigating how two behavioral questionnaires influenced providers’ prescription of psychotropic medications and referrals for behavioral intervention. After random assignment to condition, 109 participants in the experimental condition completed the mentalhealth- oriented Patient Health Questionnaire and the college-adjustment-oriented College Health Questionnaire, and 91 control participants received treatment as usual. Results indicated significantly higher rates of discussion of behavioral problems …

Family In The Church Latter-Day Saint Doctrine Regarding Family And Gender, Amber Jean Seidel

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

To discover the compatibility of traditional Christianity and mainstream feminism, a content analysis was performed on confirmed sources of doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Through systematic reading and identifying themes of God and the Bible, gender role separation, patriarchy, or domestic violence, an analysis of pertinent feminist criticisms was performed. Latter-day Saint doctrine of family includes the following statements: (1) there is a Heavenly Mother as a divine partner to Heavenly Father, (2) the Bible contains errors regarding respect toward women, (3) women need to be active in education, home, and community, (4) men should …

Elementary Music Assessment And Report Card Practices In Livingston County, Michigan, Jennifer R. Patterson

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This descriptive study explored how elementary schools in the five public school districts in Livingston County, Michigan, report musical achievement to parents. The purposes were to examine what is assessed in K–4 music classrooms, what grading systems are used to report the assessment data, and how school districts use report cards to convey information about students’ musical progress to parents. The study involved questioning district curriculum directors, elementary school principals, and music teachers with response rates above 70%. In addition, music report cards were reviewed and a small sample of parents were surveyed. Analysis of descriptive statistics revealed that elementary …

The Evolution Of Catholic Schools In The Diocese Of Grand Rapids, Michigan: A Case Study, Bernard T. Stanko

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This longitudinal case study examined the origins, growth, and development of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The purpose of this study was to understand how the Catholic schools evolved over time.

Four eras between 1833 and 2005 were investigated and described. Each era corresponds with changes to the physical size of the Diocese of Grand Rapids. These periods also correspond to sociological events that were also occurring. Data on Catholic schools were collected for each era. A conceptual framework was applied that considered the institutional environment in which the schools were founded and the task environment …

A Case Study Of The Use Of Risk Management In Ncaa Compliance At A Division I Institution, Melody Reifel Werner

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Background: Institutions face significant risks related to athletics compliance. While risk assessment has been a standard part of compliance programs outside higher education, it has not been among the tools of NCAA athletics compliance.

Purpose: To (a) identify the methods and steps of using risk assessment in intercollegiate athletics compliance and (b) evaluate the effects of risk assessment on the athletics compliance operation communication and decision making about compliance, interactions with the NCAA, and compliance outcomes.

Research Design: The researched employed a nonexperimental descriptive case study design. Setting: The research site was a Division I institution. The institution was purposively …

The Influence Of Participation In Student Nurse Extern Programs On Nclex-Rn Pass Rates For First-Time Candidates, Joy Turner Washburn

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Background: NCLEX-RN pass rate data for first-time candidates is used as a method to assess the quality of nursing education programs by nursing education accreditation bodies. In several states, the board of nursing uses NCLEX-RN pass rate data to measure the educational effectiveness of nursing programs operating within its’ jurisdiction. Educators and administrators in nursing programs are concerned about NCLEX-RN pass rates for firsttime candidates who are graduates of their nursing programs. Journals for nurse educators and administrators include articles regarding variables affecting success and/or failure on the NCLEX-RN. Most of the identified variables are academic in nature (GPA, ACT/SAT …

Senior Women Leaders In Higher Education Overcoming Barriers To Success, Nan-Chi Tiao

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to obtain a deeper understanding of what it takes for women to succeed as cabinet-level higher education administrators. The findings not only offer a wealth of strategies for career success and for overcoming professional and personal challenges, but also shed new light on critical factors that affect women’ experiences at work.

This qualitative, phenomenological study was based primarily on confidential interviews with nine senior women leaders. Two informants are presidents, six are vice presidents, and one serves as a senior executive officer of their universities. Before assuming their current posts, they worked in a …

Evaluating Surface Area-Basin Volume Relationships For Prairie Potholes, Mike A. Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Establishing a relationship between surface area and volume of prairie potholes provides a simple method to estimate changes in water storage across the landscape. Applications include better prediction of floods and improved design for wetland restoration. Length, width, depth, surface area, and volumes were surveyed for eighty two potholes within the upper Turtle River watershed which lies sixty kilometers west of Grand Forks, ND. These data were used to determine the relationship and uncertainty between pothole surface and volume. Chi squared tests defined distributions of each variable. F and T statistical tests resolved similarities in variance and mean. The eighty …

Understanding Compulsive Buying: The Dimensions And Management Of Addictive Shopping, Andrew Richard Wilczaki

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Drawing on messages collected from an internet support group, this paper examines the motivations and dimensions of compulsive shopping as an addictive disorder. Two thousand nonrandom internet messages were collected and subjected to content analyses, resulting in a final sample of 197 subjects. Factor analyses and logistical regression models found varying motivations for compulsive shopping that were not mutually exclusive: the need to escape and the need to fill a void. Subsequently, compulsive shoppers with these motivations were found to manage their shopping differently, specifically in terms of help-seeking behaviors and organizational behaviors.

Coping And Quality Of Life Of Adolescents With Idiopathic Scoliosis, Elizabeth Shannon Kuhl

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

How adolescents cope with the stress of bracing or spinal fusion surgery for idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and how coping might impact quality of life (QOL) for this population is unknown. The primary aim of this study was thus to examine these relationships.

Forty-eight adolescents participated in this cross-sectional study and completed the SRS-22r, the PedsQL, and the A-COPE during regularly scheduled orthopedic appointments. Treatment groups did not differ significantly on either dimension of coping (approach or avoidant) or on either measure of quality of life. In addition, neither dimension of coping moderated QOL. However, higher use of avoidant …

Wellbore Stability In Water-Sensitive Shales, Qingfeng Tao

Theses and Dissertations

Wellbore instability is a widespread problem, especially when drilling in deep, low strength shale formations at high temperature and pressure. The instability can be caused by the high compressive effective stress or tensile stress due to the stress concentration and pore pressure increase while drilling. In addition to the in-situ stress and shale strength, shale instability is affected by drilling mud properties including mud weight, temperature and salinity. To assess wellbore stability in these situations, Diek and Ghassemi (2004) developed a non-linear coupled chemo-poro-thermoelasticity theory. The linearized version of the theory allows one to analytically investigate the coupled impacts of …

Modeling Groundwater Denitrification By Ferrous Iron Using Phreeqc, Tedros Tesfay

Theses and Dissertations

Nitrate is one of the most common groundwater contaminants, and ingesting it leads to potential health risks. Denitrification, the only effective process to eliminate nitrate, is limited by the abundance of biologically available electron donors. Thus, understanding the natural denitrification capacity of aquifers, through the analysis of all the major electron donors, is essential.

A better way to estimate groundwater denitrification reactions is to compute the mass balance of the redox sensitive species. The University of North Dakota (UND) denitrification team installed mesocosms (ISMs) to understand the fate of nitrate in field conditions. Accordingly, the team has shown the significant …

[Introduction To] The Cauchy Transform, William T. Ross, Joseph A. Cima, Alec L. Matheson

Bookshelf

The Cauchy transform of a measure on the circle is a subject of both classical and current interest with a sizable literature. This book is a thorough, well-documented, and readable survey of this literature and includes full proofs of the main results of the subject. This book also covers more recent perturbation theory as covered by Clark, Poltoratski, and Aleksandrov and contains an in-depth treatment of Clark measures.