Digital Commons Network^™

Criteria For Referral Of Pre-School Children By Pediatricians And Family Practice Physicians To Audiologists And Otolaryngologists, Janet Celia James

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether pediatricians and family practice physicians were using standard criteria referring pre-school children to otolaryngologists and/or audiologists. Data was collected regarding the types of instruments and procedures used in the referral, in addition to the etiologies most frequently referred. Comparisons of referral criteria were made between pediatricians and family practice physicians.

A 17-item questionnaire regarding audiological tests, procedures and pathologies was sent to 108 pediatricians and 112 familiar practice physicians in the Central Florida area. Similarities in tests and procedures used by the two groups of physicians were limited to the use …

Death Anxiety Among Older Adults As A Function Of The Christian Faith With Specific Reference To The Experience Of Being "Born Again", Wendy E. Holland

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Sixty male and female subjects between the ages of 60 to 84 years were administered three questionnaires concerning death anxiety, religiosity, and life satisfaction. Data were collected and analyzed by Pearson r correlation as well as by multiple regression analysis.

Findings included those subjects considering themselves to be "born again" Christians scored significantly lower on the death anxiety scale than did those respondents considering themselves Christian, but not "born again." Subjects considering themselves to be non-Christian/Other did not correlate significantly with death anxiety. Life satisfaction was not a significant predictor of death anxiety. Subjects indicating more conservative/fundamentalist denominational affiliations indicated …

Motion And Intrusion Detection Using A Pyroelectric Detector, Randy R. Fields

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to describe a device that passively detects the presence of a warm-bodied object in a specified area. The detecting device used is a pyroelectric detector with an integral optical filter. By focusing infrared radiation generated by the object onto the detector, the resulting temperature change is converted to a voltage and then amplified. Modulation of the incoming radiation is accomplished by a rotating disk whose speed of rotation is dynamically controlled by a microprocessor. The resulting detector response is filtered and converted to a DC level. The signal is then passed through an analog-to-digital …

Design For Conversion Of Ucf's Supersonic Wind Tunnel To A Wind Tunnel With Hypersonic Capability, Huseyin S. Sivasligil

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

A supersonic wind tunnel, currently in existence at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, is examined to determine feasibility for conversion to a wind tunnel with hypersonic capability. Computational data are presented, and the determination is made that the existing wind tunnel can be converted if alterations and additions are made. These changes include replacement of the existing two dimensional nozzle with a two dimensional nozzle specifically designed for operation at Mach number 7, and the addition of a vacuum tank and heater. The use of an axisymmetric nozzle design is recommended for conversion to Mach numbers higher …

T Cell Subset Analysis In The C57bl/6j Mouse, Bonny Bass

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Functional studies of murine T cells were performed to verify the role of T cells and adherent cells in the production of IL-2 and to clarify the role of the L3T4 receptor. Whole spleen cells were passed over nylon wool columns to obtain purified populations of cells for this purpose. It was found upon reconstitution of the T cells and adherent cells that a collaboration between the two was necessary for optimal IL-2 production. Their level of IL-2 production increased above the amount produced by the whole spleen cells. Antibody mediated cytotoxicity using L3T4 antisera identified T helper cells exclusively. …

Utility Analysis: Estimating The Sdy Parameter For Accounting Supervisors, Terry P. Brownson

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Personnel decisions have the potential to influence an entire organization. The effects of these decisions are more credible and relevant when quantified. Historically, benefits were defined in correlational statistics, i.e., validity coefficients. But the increasing demand is for a bottom-line or dollar-value definition. The utility concept presents a methodology for providing the dollar value impact on performance of a personnel intervention program. One parameter of a utility analysis model is the standard deviation of job performance in dollars (SDy). This research develops a SDy value for the yearly production contribution of a first level line accounting supervisor to be used …

Experimental Verification Of Laser Speckle Power Spectral Density, Christopher T. Chiles

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The dependence of laser speckle power spectral density on the autocorrelation of the aperture pupil function was verified using a charge injection device (CID) camera. Speckle patterns acquired by the CID array were processed to compute the power spectral density (PSD). Three aperture shapes were studied. There was good agreement between the theoretical and experimental power spectral density shapes, and the cutoff frequencies agreed within five percent error.

Implementing Path Control, English Motion Commands And Off Line Programming On Minimover-5 Robot, Mark S. Chen

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

According to Alan L. Porter and Frederick A. Rossini (1987), 50,000 robots are expected to be installed by year 2000. This increasing number of robots to be used in industry has lead to the need for skilled robot operators and programmers. However, to train this specific class of personnel using an industrial robot as a training tool can be expensive and dangerous due to the possibility of robot accidents. Therefore, in order to provide a safe, inexpensive, and effective training tool, the use of the Mini-Mover-5 educational robot is proposed. The MiniMover-5 has only a primitive programming capability. A use-friendly …

Diffraction Modelling For Saw Devices On Anisotropic Substrates, Melanie A. Roberts

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents two approaches to solving the diffraction problem for SAW devices on anisotropic substrates. Diffraction is a nonlinear second-order effect which alters SAW performance, and some of the difficulty in predicting the actual effect is the anisotropy of acoustic materials, which makes the Fresnel Integral solution non-trivial. An accurate model for diffraction effects will allow compensation to be made without iterations in expensive and time consuming fabrication and testing processes, especially since it is difficult to isolate diffraction from other second-order effects. Of the two methods of modelling, one is a Fresnel Integral evaluation approach, and the other …

Remote Data Acquisition And Error Analysis Of The Scattering Parameters Of Quartz Crystal Devices, Sallie Layton Douglas

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

A two-port device can be described by the incident and reflected voltages at each port. The parameters used in this description are known as scattering parameters. Accurate measurement of the values are thus important in device evaluation and network design. Limitations arise with the measurement capability of the equipment. In order to reduce these limitations, the data acquisition is controlled remotely by a computer program. The program also offers an error correction analysis of the measurement results. The measurement setup and basic approach are discussed as well as the techniques of normalization and calibration of each scattering parameter. The computer …

Image Reconstruction After Transform Coding Using Relative Entropy And Maximum Entropy, John S. Bodenschatz

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Presented are two new methods based on entropy for reconstructing images compressed with the Discrete Cosine transform. One method is based upon a sequential implementation of the Minimum Relative Entropy Principle; the other is based upon the Maximum Entropy Principle. These will be compared with each other and with the conventional method employing the Inverse Discrete Cosine transform. Chapter 2 describes the traditional use of the Discrete Cosine transform for image compression. Chapter 3 explains the theory and implementation of the entropy-based reconstructions. It introduces a fast algorithm for the Maximum Entropy Principle. Chapter 4 compares the numerical performance of …

Implementation Of A Parallel Ynet Architecture, Julie Nadeau Leblanc

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

A simulation of an alternate implementation of a redundant busing network based on the Teradata Ynet architecture is presented. An overview of the Teradata DBC/1012 data base parallel processing computer including the Ynet, an active logic busing network, is given. Other multiprocessor busing networks are examined and compared to the standard Ynet and the alternate Ynet.

In the standard Ynet system, two networks, called Ynets, process message packets concurrently. When one of the Ynet paths fails, the system is reset. The remaining Ynet path restarts using the previously interrupted packets and processing continues without the aid of the failed Ynet. …

The Strain Improvement Of Aspergillus Ficuum Nrrl 3135, Eric A. Utt

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

A strain improvement program was initiated to increase the yield of extracellular phytase (EC 3.1.3.8) in Aspergillus ficuum NRRL 3135. A minimal plating medium containing 2.99 g liter^-1 a-ketoglutaric acid was developed to decrease and stabilized conidiogenesis time and facilitate the isolation of single colonies. Exposure of A. ficuum conidia to 0.5 mg ml^-1 N-methyl-N’-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NTG) for 15 min at pH 6.5 caused a one log kill and an increase in the mutation rate of 800-fold. Treatment of A. ficuum conidia with 46 ergs mm^-2 sec ^-1 UV radiation for 30 sec resulted in a one …

Seasonal Variation In Serum Testosterone Of Immature Sea Turtles In Central Florida, Lawrence K. Luepschen

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

A yearlong hormonal study of immature populations of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas) inhabiting the Indian River in Central Florida, USA, provided information about the relationship between serum testosterone levels and life history habits. By use of a specific radioimmunoassay, testosterone levels of both species were found to remain constant throughout the year with only a slight increase in the warmer months. Adrenal production of steroids in response to stress does not contribute significantly to overall testosterone levels may be reduced for turtles held in captivity. Testosterone levels indicate that the sex ratios of both species …

Analysis Of Flexible Pavement On The Basis Of Deflection Basins, Dinesh M. Kamath

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The pavement at research park called Research Parkway and Discovery Drive was found Deteriorated within two years of the construction. The need to evaluate the extent of the damage and the estimate of remaining life of pavement initiate the research study. The analysis presented in this report is based on the measurements of the surface deflections and the layered elastic theory. The life expectancy of the pavement can be estimated by the amount of pavement deflection developed within the pavement system. The parameters used in the analysis are the applied load, material of the pavement components and environmental effects. Trial …

A New Relative Entropy Based Method For Probability Mass Function Estimation, William A. Marinelli

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Presented is a new algorithm for implementing the Relative Entropy method for estimating the probability density function of a process. The Relative Entropy principle can also be used to estimate the power spectrum of a random process as presented in Appendix A.

Chapter 2 presents the current method of pdf estimation using the Relative Entropy method. In this method a set of Lagrange multipliers are solved for simultaneously. The new algorithm, discussed in Chapter 3, presents a new, efficient method for solving for one Lagrange multiplier at a time, iteratively. The procedure presented allows one to estimate the probability density …

A Simulation Study Of A Limited Sensing Random Access Algorithm For A Local Area Network With Voice Users, Robert M. Spillers

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this work is to evaluate the perfonnance of a limited sensing random access algorithm in a local area network with voice users. Random access algorithms have proven to be very efficient in local area network environments with data users. However, in contrast to data packets, voice packets cannot be allowed to experience long delays, because of the requirement that a voice "data stream" must be played out at the receiver. If a voice packet does exceed its established maximum delay, it is discarded. This simulation study finds the number of voice users that a network can support, …

Speech Signal Representation Through Digital Signal Processing Techniques, Debbie A. Kravchuk

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This paper addresses several different signal processing methods for representing speech signals. Some of the techniques that are discussed include time domain coding which uses pulse-code, differential, or delta modulating methods. Also presented are frequency domain techniques such as sub-band coding and adaptive transform coding. In addition, this paper will discuss representing speech signals through source coding techniques via vocoders. A comparison of these different signal representation methods is included.

Spectral Shaping For The Hearing Impaired, Brian D. Mclean

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Presented is a method for shaping the audio spectrum in order to improve speech intelligibility for the hearing impaired. Audiological data is used to design a finite impulse response (FIR) digital filter using the frequency sampling method. Cubic spline interpolation is used to generate any number of frequency samples from the limited number available from audiological data. The computer aided design procedure presented allows the filter designer to specify hearing threshold levels and threshold of discomfort levels at audiogram frequencies. The algorithm uses cubic spline interpolation to generate a smooth curve of gain versus frequency. Next, root-mean-square (RMS) error is …

Design And Analysis Of A Voice Band Qpsk Modem, John F. Doud

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this paper is to design and construct a modem using the Quadrature Phase Shift Key digital modulation technique. The modem is designed to transmit information over a telephone line at the rate of 1200 bits per second subject to noise and imperfect channel response in the form of magnitude and delay distortion. The device is constructed using CMOS logic to minimize power consumption. To analyze the design with respect to the above constraints, it was necessary to build a pseudorandom bit sequence generator and correlator, a variable magnitude white noise generator and a digital error detector/indicator.

Value Of Group Study Participation For Undergraduate Students, Sara Bennett-Loudermilk

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Cooperative learning in a university setting was explored. Undergraduate students enrolled in a physics course for nonmajors volunteered to participate in a group study program. After a baseline of two tests, volunteers were classified as "Leaders" (A-B average) or "Members" (C-F average). All volunteers received extra credit points for their participation. Records of group study attendance were kept, a questionnaire was distributed to participants, and grades were obtained from the instructor's roll. Multiple correlation/regression analyses showed that for Participant-Respondents: a) level of reported understanding was significantly related to perceived value of participation and b) session attendance was positively related to …

An Experimental And Theoretical Analysis Of A Laser Beam Propagating Through Multiple Phase Screens, Arthur R. Weeks

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

An experimental and a theoretical analysis for a laser beam propagating through multiple phase screens was performed. The theoretical analysis showed that the statistics for the intensity fluctuations, which can be predicted by the HK and the I-K distributions, could be derived from a multiplicative process using statistical distributions derived from Gaussian statistics. For the single phase screen experiment, the experimental normalized moments were compared with the normalized moments of both the HK and I-K distributions . In addition, the intensity data was lowpass filtered to yield moments that are predicted by the gamma distribution. The single phase screen data …

Dairy Calcium Advertising Awareness, Attitudes, And Behavior: A Survey Of 13-17 Year Old Females, Michele Cooper

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Tessellation For Computer Image Generation, Michael J. Panzitta

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Of the vast number of algorithms used in modem computer image generation, most rely upon data bases comprised of polygons. This constraint on the image generation system becomes a severe impediment when curved objects must be modeled and displayed with an acceptable level of speed and accuracy. A technique is needed which provides a means of modeling curved surfaces, storing them in a data base, and displaying them using existing algorithms.

Tessellation is one method of achieving such goals. A curved object is represented by some characteristic geometry of the object's surface, such as points and tangent vectors. A set …

Applications Of Artificial Intelligence In Military Training Simulation, Igor V. Golovcsenko

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This report is a survey of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology contributions to military training. It provides an overview of military training simulation and a review of instructional problems and challenges which can be addressed by AI. The survey includes current as well as potential applications of AI, with particular emphasis on design and system integration issues. Applications include knowledge and skills training in strategic planning and decision making, tactical warfare operations, electronics maintenance and repair, as well as computer-aided design of training systems. The report describes research contributions in the application of AI technology to the training world, and it …

An Evaluation Of A Parent Sex Education Program, Janice Devlin

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Sex education during childhood and adolescence is much more than a "birds and bees" discussion between a mother and a daughter or a seventh-grade science unit on human reproduction. It is, rather, a pervasive experience involving children's everyday interactions with friends, family, and their wider social environments. Elizabeth Roberts (1980) has developed a framework for understanding sexuality that emphasizes the broad-based nature of sexual learning. She focuses on six dimensions of sexuality which are socially learned: gender role, affection and intimacy, family roles and social life styles, body image, erotic experiences, and reproduction. The role of the family in each …

Vasectomy: A Literature Review With Implications For Pre-Vasectomy Counseling, Annette Thrift Wing

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Behavioral Problems Among Sexually Abused And Nonabused Children, Kelli B. Mills

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the level of social competency and presence of behavioral problems associated with young sexually abused children ages 4 to 8, as compared to those among a comparable sample of nonabused young children. Thirty-two parents or guardians, 16 in each group, completed the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist for each child. Characteristics of the abuse were addressed on an additional questionnaire. Data was collected on 12 female and 4 male children in each group. The results indicated that the amount and severity of behavior problems was greater and social competency levels were lower among the sexually abused children than …

Computer Simulation Of Dynamic Systems, Charles G. Smith

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Computer simulation of a control system is a valuable tool in design or performance evaluation. This is especially true when non-linear elements cannot be ignored and must be included within the model. A general purpose block diagram oriented simulation program will be developed which can utilize continuous, discrete and non-linear building blocks. The software tool will be demonstrated by means of an example.

An Assessment Of Florida Community College Presidents' Acceptance Of Quality Indicators, George Cameron Barcus

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This report describes a study that was conducted to determine the perceived degree of usefulness the indicators of progress toward excellence have for the presidents of Florida's 28 community colleges. This study reports this degree of perceived usefulness by using a survey instrument that identified quality indicators developed by the State Board of Community Colleges, Florida Department of Education.

Based on a project design and format adapted by the Florida Community/Junior College Inter-Institutional Research Council, this study proposed to identify what information (indicators of progress toward excellence) is considered most valid to the presidents of Florida's community colleges in making …