A gauged SU(4) flavor symmetric hadronic Lagrangian with empirical hadron masses is constructed to study charmonium absorption and charmed hadron production in hadronic reactions. For the coupling constants, empirical values are used if available. Otherwise, they are determined from known coupling constants using the SU(4) relations. To take into account the finite sizes of hadrons, form factors are introduced at strong interaction vertices with empirical cutoff parameters. For J/ψabsorption by nucleons, we have included both two-and three-body final states and find that with a cutoff parameter of 1 GeV at interaction vertices involving charm hadrons, the cross section is at most 5 mb and is consistent with that extracted from J/ψproduction from both photo-and proton-nucleus reactions. We have also evaluated the cross sections for charmed hadron production from pion and rho meson interactions with nucleons. With the same cutoff parameter of 1 GeV at interaction vertices, we find that these cross sections have values of a few tenths of mb and are dominated bythe s-channel nucleon pole diagram. For charmed hadron production from proton-proton reactions, their cross sections including bothtwo-andthree-body final states are about 1 batcenter-of-mass energyof 11.5 GeV, which is comparable to the measured inclusive cross section in these reactions.Including photon as a U(1) gauge particle, we have extended the model to study charmed hadron production in photon-proton reactions with both two-and three-body final states included. For form factors, an overall one is introduced in each processin order to maintain the gauge invariance of the total amplitude. Fitting the cutoff parameter in the form factor to the measured total cross section for charmed hadron production in photon-proton reactions at a center-of-mass energy of 6 GeV, the ratio of the cross sections for two-body and three-body final states is consistent with available experimental data.This result is further compared with predictions from the leading-order perturbative QCD calculation. Knowledge of the cross sections for charmonium absorption byhadrons and for charmed hadron production in hadronic reactions is essential for understanding charm production in heavy ion collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), where a quark-gluon plasma is expected to be formed during the initial hot dense stage.

<p>Plastic deformation processes transform material fromas-received state to products meeting certain requirements inproperties, microstructure and shape. To achieve thistransformation, the relationship between material response andprocess conditions should be understood. This is usuallycomplicated by the complex conditions describing the actualprocess. Numerous techniques including empirical, physical,analytical and numerical can be employed.</p><p>In this thesis, numerical technique supported by lab- andfull-scale experiments has been employed to analyse the formingparameters. The first part of the thesis is focused on the useof such parameters to predict occurrence of material poresduring manufacturing of bearing rings. The second part dealswith the influence of forming parameters on the grain sizeduring fabrication of large copper canisters for encapsulationof nuclear waste. The primary task has been to study with thehelp of commercial FE-codes the magnitude and distribution offorming parameters such as accumulated effective strain,temperature, instantaneous hydrostatic pressure and materialflow at different stages of the forming process. In the firstpart, two types of ring manufacturing routes, which result inpore free and pore loaded rings are studied and compared.Material elements located in different areas of the workpiecehave been traced throughout the process. Results of theaccumulated strain and instant hydrostatic pressure have beenanalysed and presented in pressure-strain space. It’sassumed that high hydrostatic pressures together with higheffective strains are favourable for pore closure. Area of theworkpiece with unfavourable parameters have been identified andcompared with ultrasonic test results. Good agreement has beenobtained. Based on the results of this analysis, a new conceptfor avoiding pores in manufacturing of yet heavier rings hasbeen presented. The concept proposes a lighter upsetting in theinitial stage of the process and a more efficient piercingwhich results in higher hydrostatic pressure and bigger andbetter distributed effective strain.</p><p>In the second part of the thesis, the influence of formingparameters such as effective strain and temperature on thefinal grain size of the product has been studied in laboratoryscale. As-cast billets of cylindrical shape were extruded atdifferent temperatures and reductions. It has been shown thatthe grain size in the final product should be small in order toenable ultrasonic tests and to guarantee resistance towardscreep and corrosion. Simulations for different materialelements located at different distances from the axis ofsymmetry of the initial cylindrical workpiece have been carriedout. In this way, the parameters describing the deformationhistory of the elements have been determined as functions oftime. Experimentally obtained pre- and post deformation grainsize in the corresponding locations of the material weredetermined. It’s concluded that low temperature coupledwith high effective strain are conducive for obtaining a smallgrain size. Based on the beneficial conditions for extrusion ofcopper, a more detailed FE-analysis of a full-scale industrialprocess is carried out. A coarse-grained cast ingot of purecopper is heated and by upset forging formed into a cylinder,which is then punched into a hollow blank for subsequentextrusion. The blank is extruded over a mandrel through a45-degree semi-angle die. Accumulated effective strain andtemperatureas functions of the tubular wall thickness havebeen studied at five different locations along the tubularaxis. Forming load requirement as function of tool displacementfor each stage of the process has been determined. Strain andtemperature levels obtained have been related to the grain sizeinterval obtained in the earlier work. It has been concludedthat the levels reached are within the interval that ensures asmall grain size. A similar analysis has been carried out forforging of large copper lids and bottoms. Die designmodifications to improve the grain size in the lid and tooptimise the forging process with respect to forging load andmaterial yield have been proposed. A method requiring a smallforging load for fabrication of the lids has been analysed</p><p><b>Keywords:</b><i>Pores; grain size; low forging load; effective strain;temperature; hydrostatic pressure; extrusion; forging;canister; lid; rings</i></p>

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 162-165). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 115-120). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2001. / Bibliography: leaves 120-130.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 162-165). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 115-120). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

This study examined the meaning of effective teaching and instructional flexibility at the post secondary level to see where instructional flexibility fits into the frame of effective teaching. Five hundred college students and fifteen instructors participated in this study. Student participants shared their perceptions of instructional flexibility and effective teaching through open-ended questions using an online survey. Instructor participants shared their concepts of both constructs through one-on-one interviews. Given that the focus of this study was on the perceptions of college instructors and students of what effective teaching and flexibility in teaching encompass, all collected data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach (Strauss & Corbin, 1998). The emergent model of effective teaching and instructional flexibility comprised four themes: (a) teaching for the progress of learning; (b) a teacher’s role as the “human” persona; (c) teaching to bridge the gap from facts to understanding; (d) a teacher’s role as content expert. These four themes could be seen as representing the concept of instructional flexibility (Themes 1 and 2), and the concept of effective teaching (Themes 3 and 4) at the postsecondary level. Results indicated that a flexible teacher was portrayed as someone who was responsive and attentive to the needs of individual students whereas an effective teacher was described as someone who was successful in helping students understand important course concepts. Further, results showed that instructional flexibility was considered to be an important component of effective teaching both by college students and instructors. Regarding the association between teaching effectiveness and instructional flexibility, metacognitive teaching played an important role as an overlapping component of both constructs. / text

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine the comparative effects of multimedia anchored instruction (MAI) to analog video instruction (AVI) and to teacher-directed, lecture- and text-based instruction (TDI) on the knowledge, beliefs, and skills of preservice teachers. Previous teacher education research had raised important questions about the paucity of existing studies investigating whether video-based technologies such as MAI were more effective or efficient than other instructional practices, the lack of a theoretical foundation or supporting empirical evidence for most technology practices, and insufficient information identifying which instructional features of technology-based practices impact learning and in what ways. In this study, 6 university instructors who taught introductory coursework in behavior management from 5 schools across the country volunteered to participate and were randomly assigned to 1 of the 3 instructional conditions. Their preservice teacher students received MAI, AVI, or TDI instruction on the Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) process. Measures included a knowledge test, a beliefs survey, a performance test of skills, and a satisfaction survey. Results of the study confirmed previous findings that participants exposed to MAI learned more than with other methods, with students in the MAI group performing significantly better than students in the TDI group on a test of content knowledge. The MAI group also outperformed the AVI group, although results were not significant. Students in all groups significantly increased their self-efficacy, ableness, and willingness to manage challenging behavior. There were no significant differences between groups on the skills measure, although mean differences suggested the MAI group was better able to perform the FBA process. Instructor and student satisfaction surveys reported technical difficulties in the MAI module and video case study. Instructors found the content to be aligned with evidence-based practices and their own beliefs about managing challenging behavior. Students in the MAI condition reported finding the instruction most interesting and felt best prepared to conduct the case study. Overall, study findings suggest that MAI is an effective approach for increasing knowledge, developing beliefs, and promoting skills for preservice teachers. / text