Digital Commons Network^™

Epsilon Precedence Grammars And Languages, Masoud T. Milani

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The classes of simple and weak precedence grammars are generalized to include ε-rules (productions with the empty right parts). The descriptive power of epsilon simple precedence (ESP) grammars increases directly with the number of ε-rules permitted; the class of ESP grammars with no ε-rules, ESP₀, is identical to the class of simple precedence grammars; ESP grammars with at most one ε-rule, ESP₁, define a class of languages which properly includes the class of ESP₀ languages, but is itself properly included in the class of deterministic, context-free languages. In general, ESP grammars having at most i …

The Effect Of Food On Reproduction In The Sailfin Molly, Poecilia Iatipinna (Poeciliidae, Rebecca B. Smith

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Sailfin molly populations often experience a midsummer slump in reproduction, and it has been suggested that this slump is caused by food shortage. A food supplementation experiment on a natural population of mollies was done in 1983. Excess food did not directly affect the fecundity of females in the field. A laboratory experiment was designed to determine the food level on reproduction in females. Ration had the greatest effect on somatic condition and growth, indirectly influencing fecundity. Two explanations for this strategy are suggested. A significant difference in brood size and size of young was observed between the field and …

Analysis Of The Df(3r)Ok1, Pamela S. Thomas

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Individual Differences In Training Performance: The Derivation Of A Prediction Model, Brenda J. Hoskin

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the use of non-cognitive personality measures as supplements to traditional cognitive ability measures for predicting training performance. The Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI) significantly predicted an overall performance measure (R² = .17) for Navy BE&E Students (N = 155). However, when applied as a supplemental predictor composite to the military cognitive measure (ASVAB), the resulting increase in R² (.04) failed to attain significance, F(6, 144) = 2.17, p > .05). In further analyses, several HPI and ASVAB scales combined to significantly predict selected performance criteria. The ASVAB remained as the primary source of information. It is quite …

Computer Aided Supplement For Calculus Review, Gholam A. Shaykhian

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Several years ago an experimental re-entry program for women was initiated at the University of Central Florida. Women with B.S. degrees in Math or Science dating back 10 and 20 years ago were given a review course in Mathematics, primarily calculus, preparatory to subsequent courses in their M.S. programs of study. The complete course is available on tape and many students have viewed it since the course’s inception.

This project involved generation of software for testing the manipulative skills presented in the Calculus review. A skeleton format is presented which demonstrates all the features of the different programming modules being …

A Task Manager For A Multiprocessor Computer System, Peter J. Ingraham

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The advent of the 32-bit microprocessor has sparked the manufacture of a number of 32-bit single-board computers (SBCs). These SBCs rival [performance of minicomputers for a fraction of the cost, and a number of them conform to standard 32-bit bus structures. A 32-bit multiprocessor computer system can be created by connecting two or more SBCs on a 32-bit bus. This computer system has the potential of providing many times the power as a single-processor computer system as well as a significant reduction in cost.

The Multiprocessor Task Manager is designed to efficiently distribute software tasks, schedule their execution, and manage …

The Relationship Between Perceptual Learning And Psychmotor Task Variety: Contextual Interference Effects, Sherrie Ann Jones

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Task variety during training was manipulated to assess residual effects on skill acquisition during subsequent transfer to a novel perceptual motor task. The task involved tracing a four-point star pattern displayed on a personal computer with a "mouse," while receiving variation in visual feedback from the CRT display. Variety during training involved two cases of abnormal visual feedback (left-right reversal and 90 degree tilt) Task variety (i.e., visual feedback) was manipulated and counterbalanced in four levels: alternated variety (trial by trial), blocked variety (in five trial sets), no variety (i.e., one type of feedback), and a control condition that trained …

A Multidimensional Analysis Of Stress Among Law Enforcement Officers And Insurance Underwriters, Susan K. Daniel

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This study compared stress levels between law enforcement officers and the civilian population as measured by systolic blood pressure, the State-Trait Personality Inventory, and the Anger Reaction Scale. The relationship between systolic blood pressure and the self report instruments was also investigated. Thirty Deputy Sheriffs from the street patrol division of the Sheriff's Department served as the law enforcement group and 20 underwriters for the Hartford Insurance Company were the civilian or control group. the Deputy Sheriffs had significantly higher average systolic blood pressure than the Hartford employees with the effects of covariates removed. However, the Hartford employees scored significantly …

The Effects Of Physical Fitness On Physiological Arousal And Self-Reports Of Stress, Barbara Rene Staggs

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Fitness level and trait anxiety were used as "independent" variables in a multiple regression study with physiological arousal and self-reported anxiety to a stressor as the "dependent" variables. Fitness level was determined by an established rating system of frequency, type, and duration of aerobic activity in which the subject reportedly engaged. Trait anxiety level was assessed by the trait portion of the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Sixty undergraduate subjects were exposed to a situational stressor of reciting a memorized paragraph while viewing themselves being videotaped. Outcome measures of systolic blood pressure and self-reported distress were taken at various points …

Florida Macrolichens As Potential Bioindicators Of Environmental Quality: A Baseline Study, Harry V. Neal

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Lichens have been used extensively and with considerable success as bioindicators of atmospheric pollution in North America and Europe for more than thirty years. Little research has followed in tropical and subtropical regions where population growth is rapid and environmental pressures unprecedented. However, taxa used as bioindicators in other studies and/or taxa having this potential, occur naturally in Central Florida. A new potential major source of pollution, the coal-fired Curtis H. Stanton Energy Center, is about to begin operation providing the opportunity to determine the extent of impact. Therefore, lichen monitoring sites have been established and the collection of baseline …

Attitude Similarity, Expertness And Perceived Counselor Trustworthiness, Sharon Lee Mckay

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This analogue study investigated the relationship between the "therapeugenic" (Bloom & Trautt, 1978) factors of attitude similarity and expertness on perceived trustworthiness of a confederate counselor. Several investigators have demonstrated that attitude similarity is positively related to perceived attractiveness, likeability and competence of counselors (Good, 1975; Griffitt & Byrne, 1970; Trautt, Finer & Calisher, 1980). There has been mixed support, however, for the notion that counselors who are perceived as "expert" will positively impact the counseling relationship (Brischetto & Merluzzi, 1981; Kunin & Rodin, 1982; Strong & Schmidt, 1970). The present study expanded previous research by jointly manipulating attitude similarity …

The Hydrology And Solids Removal Efficiency Of A Detention Pond With Groundwater Inflow, Cameron A. Boss

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Most recently, research on stormwater detention ponds has focused on designs and operations that will improve the water quality of the discharge. Historically stormwater detention ponds were used to reduce the rate of runoff from the watershed area of using temporary storage to attenuate flow rates.

The study site was located near Orlando, Florida, and consisted of a detention pond, namely Lake Angel, which received stormwater runoff from a 131-acre area. Hydrologic data such as precipitation, runoff, and pond outflow were measured at the site. Total and suspended solids data for the pond outflow and stormwater runoff also were collected …

The Relationship Between Class Activity Levels And Stated Attitudes Toward Physical Activity, Edwin Warner Kinney

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of the class activity level to the stated attitude toward physical activity for community college students. The subjects for study were community college students enrolled in their first college level physical education classes. The activity level of each class was classified by the instructor as being either no aerobic activity, moderate aerobic activity or high aerobic activity. A modified version of Keynon's Attitude Toward Physical Activity was the instrument used as a pretest and again as a posttest at the end of the one-semester classes. The A.T.P.A. consists of 54 …

Timothy Hatherly And The Plymouth Colony Pilgrims, Steven R. Valdespino

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Relationship Of Shift Work Schedules And Job Satisfaction Of Female Nurses, Maurie L. Antrim

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to identify variables which are related to job satisfaction, focusing on shift schedules and their impact on life activities outside the work setting. The sample consisted of 72 female nurses. The subjects received questionnaires which contained questions relating to biographical information (age, gender, marital status, number and ages of children, length of time on the job), work schedule information (shift worked, number of weekends and holidays worked), and satisfaction information (shift schedule satisfaction, satisfaction with amount of weekend work, satisfaction with days worked/days off schedule, and satisfaction with amount of time for family, friends, …

College Recruitment: Compensation Preferences Of Seniors At The University Of Central Florida, Penny H. Faber

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the compensation preferences of seniors at the University of Central Florida. The sample consisted of 86 females and 77 males currently registered as seniors at the university. Subjects were mailed a questionnaire and asked to rank order 11 compensation options and answer nine demographic questions. One-way and repeated measures analyses of variance were used to compute significant differences, 10 were found between groups in compensation preferences as related to the demographic variables. For example, those students with children had significant differences in preferences for four of the options. Significant differences in rankings …

The Effects Of Pet Visitation And Human Interaction On The Happiness Of Retirement Home Residents, Candace J. Donaghy

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Effectiveness Of Product Vs. Image Strategies In Health Care Marketing, Sunni C. Denicola

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Nonfluencies On Speaker Credibility, Erika Engstrom

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Control Of A Nonlinear System By Linearization, Drew D. Nelson

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

In today’s linear control systems, exact solutions can be obtained by the use of Laplace Transforms in the frequency domain. In dealing with nonlinear systems, exact solutions are not always achievable. For this reason, it is necessary to linearize the system and then apply frequency response methods.

This paper shows the comparison of a nonlinear system with the linearized model of the same system. For both proportional and proportional-integral control, the response to a unit step change in the set point showed minimal difference between the linearized and nonlinear system.

The Use Of Scheffe-Equivalent Equations To Predict Physical Properties Of Neoprene, Cheng Y. Loh

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study is to find a more organized and directed approach to build models for mixture systems. An attempt is made to generate and then compare Scheffe (mixture) models with those generated by McGee using the ‘conventional’ method for neoprene data. The models are judged on their ability to predict physical properties of neoprene by comparing the following: predicted and actual values by inspection; the calculated % error of prediction; the squared multiple correlation coefficients; adjusted squared multiple correlation coefficients; the Fisher statistic and significance probability. Scheffe models do not have an intercept term and test statistics …

A Study Of The Dynamic Control Of The Inverted Pendulum System, Koon T. Ang

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This report describes the simulation of an inverted pendulum control system. The purpose is to provide an interesting learning process through high resolution color graphics animations in the control of dynamic systems. The software uses the graphic capabilities extensively to make it very user-friendly and highly interactive. A numerical analysis method is used to solve the systems of equations. The animation driven by the results is then displayed on the video terminal. Facilities range from selection of controllers, changing of system parameters, plotting graphs, and hardcopy outputs.

A Study Of Job Satisfaction As Perceived By The Certified Staff In Florida Public Elementary Schools, George A. Taylor

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to survey the subject certified staff of Florida public elementary schools to determine how elements of Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory were perceived as being met in their current school employment. The descriptive study utilized an instrument that listed each of the 16 job factors in Herzberg’s theory. The instrument was designed to allow subjects to mark each job factor as contributing to their job satisfaction, neutral, or contributing to their job dissatisfaction. The instrument also had areas to record various biographical data regarding the subjects. The survey was conducted on a randomly selected subject group …

Writing Apprehension Among Communication Majors, Robert G. Davis

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Data Structure Implementation And Investigation For A Prolog Language Interpreter, Hector Iurcovich

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

A developmental Prolog language interpreter is constructed in the C programming language. The data type format is a subset of that of the Project Aquarius Prolog Engine proposed and under development at the University of California, Berkley. The design of the Prolog interpreter is part of an investigation at UCF in design of expert system architecture for real time applications. The interpreter facilities of data structure definition and manipulation are developed and applied. The list data structure is used as an example data structure. The scheme for representing structured data is based on the Lisp cons cell. Run-time generated lists …

The Application Of Expert Systems To Automated Storage And Retrieval, Robert E. Mcdonald

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This report discusses the major functions, decisions, and strategies of automated storage and retrieval systems (AR/RS). The report surveys the essential features of expert systems and discusses how they can be applied in automated warehousing environments. A blackboard expert system architecture was examined and found to be a flexible and responsive control system for automated warehousing applications. A simple AR/RS expert system was constructed using an expert system software package. A warehousing simulation was performed which compared the expert system’s performance to a typical AR/RS control system. The expert system produced increased efficiency of operation because of the intelligent rules …

A Study Of Merit Pay Factors As Perceived By Members Of The Florida Teaching Profession-National Education Association, Susan Crowe Burns

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to discover which merit pay evaluation and implementation factors were considered important by members of the Florida Teaching Profession - National Education Association (FTP-NEA). Comparisons were made of opinions within various subgroups (district size, position within organization, sex, race, age, years teaching, highest degree earned, assignment, secondary assignment).

The sample included the State Board of Directors, the Board of Directors of the United Faculty of Florida CUFF-university personnel), and FTP-NEA members in two-thirds of the local affiliates. All districts with support personnel groups were included. The questionnaire was comprised of merit pay factors which were cited …

Ion Selective Electrodes Based On Aza- Substituted Crown Ethers, Lisa Ann Wellington

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

A cation-responsive electrode system has been developed which incorporates aza-substituted crown ethers as ligands. In a novel application, uncomplexed crown ethers were used in the pelletized form for ionic transport. Electrodes have been produced which can be conditioned for a particular ion and following their use, be reconditioned and reused for other ions. Preparation method and lifetime studies are included.

The responses of two crown ethers with plasticizers were evaluated for thirteen representative cations. The concentration range covered in each evaluation was 1 x 10^-1 to 1 x 10^-7 M. For those ions exhibiting Nernstian or near-Nernstian response, …

Sexual Activity In Psychotherapy: A Comprehensive Analysis, Steven B. Bisbing

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Interactive Micro-Computer Software For The Production Of Engineering Drawings, Brian R. Garvey

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This project has developed a microcomputer-based interactive Graphics Software System for the production of engineering drawings. The drawings, stored in a digital format, can be recalled and updated much faster than by using conventional drawing methods. This allows for increased production and a standardized drawing format.

The system was designed to be easy to use so that with little training, a user can create, edit, plot, and save drawings for later retrieval. In addition, an open architecture was used in the design of the drawing database and program command structure so that the system can be easily expanded upon as …