Magnesium alloys are excellent material candidate to reduce mass of automotive structures, and as such to meet the Department of Energy's targets in fuel economy and clean energy. However, magnesium alloys show poor ductility at room temperature, which is one of the most important impediments to achieving cost-effective manufacturing of wrought alloys and insuring good energy absorption in crash structures. This Master thesis aims to identify the mechanisms behind the low ductility of magnesium. Therefore, non-destructive EBSD analyses upon tension of both a strong and weak textured magnesium alloy were conducted with a focus on the role of twinning in fracture initiation. This study revealed five mechanisms responsible for early fracture, all of which relate to twinning activity. These mechanisms were involved directly in the shear incompatibility arising from interactions between twin-twin, twin-slip, twin-grain boundary, and double twinning. Backstress played a major role in twin-grain boundary and twin-twin boundary interactions.

Teacher absenteeism is a major concern in many school districts around the country. There have been numerous studies on the topic, but we as educators are still dealing with the problems of teacher absenteeism. To get a good understanding of teacher and administrator perceptions of this problem, a quantitative research approach was used. Quantitative data was gathered using a questionnaire with 28 Likert scale questions. One hundred teachers and three administrators participated in this part of the study. In addition, structured questions were used to interview three teachers and three administrators. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine which predictor variables presented in the demographic section of the questionnaire contributed to variation in the various dependent variables, e.g. attendance. All multiple regression analyses were performed at the .05 level of statistical significance. The t-test for attendance indicated that the predictor variable, age, was statistically significant and could be concluded that the older the teacher, the less absenteeism. The t-test for attendance indicated that the predictor variable, degree, was statistically significant and could be concluded that the higher the degree, the less absenteeism. The t-test for operating procedures indicated that the predictor variable, years of experience, was statistically significant and could be concluded that the more experience, the more familiar were teachers with the operating procedures of the school. The t-test for training indicated that the predictor variable, years experience, was statistically significant and could be concluded that the more experience, the more inclined regular teachers were for substitute teacher training. The survey responses revealed many similarities between the teachers and administrators. Teachers and administrators believe there is reduced student achievement taking place when there are substitute teachers in the classroom. Because of this, all teachers and administrators feel the need for extensive professional development for substitute teachers. Teachers and administrators agree that student attendance is affected by substitute teachers in the classrooms. From all points of view, it is strongly believed that operational procedures are greatly affected when several regular teachers are absent at the same time and substitutes are in their classrooms.