Digital Commons Network^™

Ford Motor Company's Financial Analysis, Azbayar Enkhbayar

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The goals and objectives of this financial report are to value the common stock of Ford Motor Company and provide a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold. Quantitative and qualitative data about Ford Motor Company, its competitors, and the markets it operates in were analyzed for this report. A discounted cash flow model was used to forecast future free cash flows. The model estimated Ford’s common stock to be fairly valued at USD 9.81 per share. This is slightly higher than the current price of $9.41 and a hold recommendation is made.

Evaluating Recommendations Versus Utilization Of Essential Components Of A Functional Analysis Procedure, Alissa Conway

Dissertations

Functional behavior assessment (FBA) has been identified as an essential process for behavior analytic practitioners to identify the variables maintaining challenging behaviors (BACB Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysts (PECC), 3.01ab, 2014). FBAs include a range of strategies, including indirect measures (e.g., interviews and questionnaires) and direct measures of behavior (descriptive and experimental strategies). Functional analysis (FA) is typically considered the most sophisticated of the options subsumed under FBAs in that it involves both direct measures of behavior and experimental manipulation of hypothesized controlling variables to identify controlling variables for challenging behaviors. The results of FAs allow practitioners …

Towards Automated Domain-Oriented Lexicon Construction And Dimension Reduction For Arabic Sentiment Analysis, Hasan A. Alshahrani

Dissertations

Sentiment analysis is a type of text mining that uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools to identify and label opinionated text. There are two main approaches of sentiment analysis: lexicon-based, and statistical approach. In our research, we use the lexicon-based approach because the lexicon contains sentiment words and phrases which are the main linguistic units to express sentiments. More specifically, we work with domain-oriented lexicons as they are more efficient than general ones because the polarity is heavily driven by domains.

Arabic language has a degree of uniqueness that makes it hard to be processed with the available cross-language tools …

Rachmaninoff And The Flexibility Of The Score: Issues Regarding Performance Practice, Tanya Gabrielian

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Sergei Rachmaninoff’s piano music is a staple of piano literature, but academia has been slower to embrace his works. Because he continued to compose firmly in the Romantic tradition at a time when Debussy, Stravinsky, and Schoenberg variously represented the vanguard of composition, Rachmaninoff’s popularity has consequently not been as robust in the musicological community. He left a rich legacy of recorded material which provides a first-hand account of his approach to musical interpretation. Few have analyzed Rachmaninoff’s recordings in great detail, and there are even fewer studies addressing Rachmaninoff’s performances of works by other composers.

The aim of this …

Analysis Of Weierstrass Function And Its Effect On Loewner Hulls, David Nielsen Horton

Doctoral Dissertations

Spontaneous imbibition (SI) is a capillary-driven flow process, in which a wetting fluid enters a porous medium displacing a preexisting non-wetting fluid. In low-porosity rocks SI generally occurs slowly within the matrix. However, fractured low-porosity rocks allow pathways for rapid SI to occur which can directly influence oil and gas recovery, fracturing fluid loss, leakage from deep waste storage repositories, and the degradation of building materials. Previous research has typically focused on the measurement and modeling of SI in high porosity systems, with little attention given to low-porosity rocks. Furthermore, SI models generally idealize a fracture as a gap formed …

Spatio-Temporal Variability Of Precipitation And Drought In The State Of Arizona, Usa, Samuel Nimako Nyarkoh

Masters Theses

As a result of climate change, several dry regions continue to get drier as precipitation amounts decline. This decline impact water resources and hinder economic development. Understanding the variability of precipitation and drought through climatic, agricultural and hydrological studies is therefore critical to decision makers and stakeholders in developing proactive measures that promotes economic development.

This study therefore uses dataset from 55 Meteorological stations containing 110-year (1900-2010) monthly precipitation data and a series of spatial and temporal tests to investigate the spatial and temporal patterns of precipitation and drought as well as the effects of local factors such as topography …

An Improved Method For The Analysis Of Fiber Evidence Using Polarized Light Microscopy, Samuel F. Kaplan

Student Theses

Using the basic fundamentals of polarized light microscopy, a new and improved method for identifying synthetic fibers is presented in this thesis. Using the equation of an ellipse in spherical coordinates, an EXCEL™ (Microsoft Inc., Seattle, WA) spreadsheet was developed that generated tables of data that provide a foundation for a new and more efficient method in fiber analysis. Intermediate refractive index values for each subclass of textile fibers were calculated based on the fiber's principal refractive index values. The angles of refractive index matching to known refractive index fluids vary from 0 to 90 degrees upon rotation of the …

A Climatology Of Precipitation Days Throughout The Continguous United States, Rudy J. Bartels

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Over the last century, scientists have raised questions about climate change and one of the more important variables that may undergo change is precipitation. Precipitation can affect many sectors including agriculture, socio-economic activities and hazard management. This dissertation addresses the temporal aspect of precipitation using 167 first order stations in the contiguous United States from 1951-2015. The three objectives of this dissertation are to perform (1) an annual analysis of the frequency of rain days in the United States and changing magnitudes of daily rainfall, (2) seasonal rain day frequency in the United States, and (3) use an artificial neural …

Avis Budget Group: A Financial Analysis, Tralonie Perkins

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This paper presents a financial analysis behind Avis Budget Group, Inc. (CAR), a leading global provider of vehicle rental and car sharing services, operating three of the most recognized brands in the industry: Avis, Budget and Zipcar. Utilizing both qualitative and quantitative analysis, this report encompasses comprehensive data regarding the industry in which CAR competes, the company’s recent financial results, and forecasts of its future growth with five-year pro forma financial statements used to build a valuation model.

How Experts Judge Creativity: A Field Study Of The Assessment Of Creative Output, Michael Robert Seyle

Business Administration Dissertations

Creativity is a fundamental component of innovation and critical for long-term business success. Identifying the products and ideas that are most creative, and therefore worthy of further development and investment, is an essential part of the creative process. However, experimental research into creativity over the past 20 years has yielded inconsistent and contradictory results. Moreover, this same research has shown that organizations struggle to identify their most creative products and ideas for further development. Critics suggest organizational creativity research may suffer from measurement misspecification due to a misalignment between existing construct definitions of creativity as a response that is both …

A Translation And Analysis Of Japan’S Seminal Lesbian Studies Work, Indiana Scarlet Brown

East Asian Studies

I translated Kakefuda Hiroko’s seminal lesbian studies book “‘Rezubian’ de aru to iu koto” 「レズビアン」である、ということ (On Being a ‘Lesbian’) in order to critically analyze her assertions and theories. This publication made a great impact in Japan during the 1990s by alleviating feelings of isolation and catalyzing the expansion of media specifically geared toward sexual minorities. I chose to analyze this text as well as Judith Butler’s Gender Trouble for each author’s nuanced interrogation of how their readers can reconsider and challenge the realities we may take for granted. In this project, I seek to add to my understanding of what …

An Exploration And Analysis Of The Unaccompanied Viola Sonatas Of Günter Raphael, Gregory K. Williams

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Günter Raphael (1903–1960) was a skillful German-Jewish composer, organist, pianist, violinist and violist largely unknown outside of Europe. Although he is best known for his sacred choral and keyboard music, he was prolific in composing for strings, especially for his beloved viola. Raphael's unaccompanied viola sonatas are particularly fascinating to study and perform because of their complex harmonies and sonorities, and rhythmic and technical challenges.

This dissertation offers the first significant English-language biographical account of Raphael’s life, a thorough analysis of his unaccompanied viola literature, and performance issues through annotated passages and notes on interpretation. This dissertation also examines the …

The Significance Of Aram Khachaturian And His Piano Concerto, Sarah M. Dardarian

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Aram Khachaturian, a Soviet-era Armenian composer, wrote his Piano Concerto in D♭ major in 1936. He was born in Tbilisi, Georgia to an Armenian family and moved to Moscow for his musical training at the age of nineteen. As a child, he was exposed to Eastern music of the Transcaucasus, which remained a lasting influence in his music. He created a unique musical sound that includes Eastern and Western elements. Khachaturian’s music achieved success early in his career. The Piano Concerto, written during his time as a post-graduate student under Myaskovsky, remains one of his best-known works.

Khachaturian is one …

Optimization Of A New Array Noise Tool; Analysis & Interpretation Of Case Studies Of Down- Hole Leak Detection, Moustafa Mahmoud Hassan Ismail

Theses

This thesis is concerned with the optimization and analysis of new array noise tools. Various lab and field case studies are analyzed to test the capabilities and determine the optimum operating conditions of the new tool for leak detection purposes. The purpose of this study is to optimize the logging procedure of real-time array noise tool, selecting adequate gain parameters and frequency band in the processing phase, and to analyze the data acquired through multiple labs and field tests. The study methodology involved the following steps:

1. Performing lab and field tests for the tool in a range of different …

Theoretical Analysis Of Nonlinear Differential Equations, Emily Jean Weymier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nonlinear differential equations arise as mathematical models of various phenomena. Here, various methods of solving and approximating linear and nonlinear differential equations are examined. Since analytical solutions to nonlinear differential equations are rare and difficult to determine, approximation methods have been developed. Initial and boundary value problems will be discussed. Several linear and nonlinear techniques to approximate or solve the linear or nonlinear problems are demonstrated. Regular and singular perturbation theory and Magnus expansions are our particular focus. Each section offers several examples to show how each technique is implemented along with the use of visuals to demonstrate the accuracy, …

Análisis De Eficiencia Y Desempeño Aeroportuario En Colombia Con Técnicas De Ingeniería, Luis Alejandro Cadena Sanabria, Miguel Alberto Mora Patiño

Ingeniería Industrial

El proyecto que se presenta a continuación tiene un enfoque teórico-práctico. Para comenzar se revisaron los antecedentes e históricos de referencia bibliográfica que guían a los fundamentos bajo el enfoque de Análisis dando a conocer las eficiencias y la medición de desempeño del aeropuerto El Dorado (ED), determinando las posibles causales de la ineficiencia del sistema, teniendo en cuenta técnicas utilizadas en la ingeniería industrial, y otras herramientas que ayudan a encontrar respuestas a dicha problemática. El propósito de este proyecto es hacer contribuciones en pro de la mejoría de tiempo en pistas destinadas a las operaciones de aeronaves, teniendo …

Revisión De La Literatura Respecto A Los Efectos Financieros Que Ha Tenido El Impuesto Predial Unificado, Ipu, En Colombia, Yuli Viviana Bocanegra Sacristán

Contaduría Pública

El presente artículo de revisión tiene como propósito codificar y establecer las tendencias en investigación respecto a los efectos financieros del Impuesto Predial Unificado (IPU) en Colombia. Los corpus analizados fueron tomados de artículos, monografías universitarias, normatividades, manuales, y demás trabajos de investigación sobre el tema emitidos entre el 2007 y el 2017. Para la realización de la revisión y sistematización de la información la autora empleó el método cualitativo, abductivo, Grounded Theory mediante el cual sintetizó las diversas posturas existentes sobre los efectos financieros que trae consigo el recaudo del IPU en Colombia

Analysis Of Oxidation Of Carbon Monoxide On Rh (110), Razan Tanbour

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

81% of all rhodium (Rh) is used in automobile catalytic converters. Consequently, researchers have dedicated a lot of effort into understanding the behavior of nonmetal oxides on a Rh surface. Using a computer simulation program, we have studied the absorption and oxidation of carbon monoxide (CO) on a terraced Rh surface (lattice) with a width of three and a height of 10000 using a mechanism that describes the behavior at low temperatures. Varying the reaction activation energies (rate constants), and the mobility of the CO, led to changes in the surface coverages of oxygen and CO. Specifically, increasing the activation …

Designing The Teacher: Applying 'Design Thinking' To Improve Composition Pedagogy And Practice, Jordan Nicole Newman

Online Theses and Dissertations

College composition courses have conventionally relied on alphabetic, print writing as the primary method for constructing meaning, but contemporary communication practices are increasingly multimodal and media-based (Palmeri, 2012; Yancey, 2011). While many teachers and scholars advocate that students benefit from engaging in the production of multimodal texts, fewer educators create digital and new media products themselves. Through a meta-analytical approach, this project explores the potentials that the act of design offers teacher-scholars for improving their pedagogy and practice. Utilizing a design thinking framework, the generative analysis of established scholarship, primary research, and authentic experiences provided significant insights into the cognitive, …

Utilization Of Digital Image Correlation Technique In Asphalt Testing, Alejandra Escajeda

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Over 90% of the roads in the United States are paved with hot mix asphalt (HMA). These asphalt pavements include many mix types, such as permeable friction course (PFC), stone mastic asphalt (SMA) and conventional dense graded mixes. The performance of the HMA is an important factor in pavement design programs used by many departments of transportation. The type of HMA selected not only influences the performance of the pavement structure, but also the pavement's life cycle cost. The performance life of an HMA mix is to be studied further with experimental data in order to contribute and expand on …

An Economic Framework Of Collective Action During The Korean War, Nicole C. Ruiz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Collective action, the coordinated effort between multiple actors, continues to play a role in the international community. In an increasingly complex operational environment, understanding the dynamics of these coordinated efforts is necessary for intelligence analysts. This research seeks to address the question: How can economic methodology be used to understand collective action during the Korean War for future use in intelligence analysis? The Korean War consisted of two different collective action groups going against each other militarily and ultimately diplomatically, which is why it is a suitable case study for understanding the nature of collective action. The research provides an …

Instrumentation For, And Application Of, Novel Electrochemical Tools For In Vivo Analysis Of Neurotransmitters In The Context Of Psychiatric Disease, Rhiannon Robke

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACTSerotonin’s involvement in many physiological processes including anxiety, stress, compulsivity, and mood has been speculated for decades. Insufficient progress in our understanding of serotonin chemistry is due to the lack of effective tools to selectively measure this neurotransmitter on a neurotransmission-relevant time scale in vivo. An analytical technique for serotonin measurements, fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV), was pioneered in the last decade in anesthetized rodents and is beginning to shed light on the complexity of serotonergic activity on a sub-second timescale. Complementary, more recent technological innovations have enabled ambient neurotransmitter levels to be determined every few seconds using a method called …

The Logic Of Internal Relations, Jake S. Cardillo

Senior Projects Spring 2018

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

Statistical Analysis Of Rabies Submissions In Kentucky And Weather As A Potential Predictor Of Positive Cases, Hannah Free

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Background

The rabies virus is a zoonotic pathogen that is nearly 100 percent fatal once symptoms occur. Because it is still active in wildlife populations in Kentucky, the need for preventive measures and surveillance is critical. Temperature and precipitation have been shown to affect rabies. This study examined rabies submissions in Kentucky, weather and geographical distribution to both describe and predict cases.

Methods

Data from the University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostics laboratory were used to assess rabies submissions from 2005 through 2015. These submissions were anonymously submitted by the public and the Florescent Antibody Test was used to determine infection …

Analysis Of Latent Tuberculosis Infection Treatment Adherence In An Inner-City Clinic, Yvonne Washington-Turay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than 10 million people in the United States are known to have latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), and more than 300,000 begin treatment for LTBI annually. However, many fail to adhere to therapy for numerous reasons. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the impact of a new guideline, Targeted Tuberculin Testing and the Treatment of Latent Tuberculosis, at inner-city tuberculosis (TB) control clinic in the United States. The practice-focused question for the project asked if the implementation of the clinical guideline using a shorter regimen improved LTBI treatment adherence. The health beliefs model was the framework used to …

Network Analysis Of Passing Patterns In Handball, Margrethe Jebsen

CMC Senior Theses

Network analysis is used in a number of different fields to study systems ranging from molecular interactions to social interactions between humans. With the increase of available data, it is not surprising that network analysis methods are now used to analyze human behavior and interactions in sports. Handball is a popular sport in Europe, and while it has been studied, it has not been studied with network methods. In this work, passing data was collected from two international competitions to study the passing behavior of the Norwegian women’s handball team. The data were divided into multiple scenarios to try to …

Decision Trees: Predicting Future Losses For Insurance Data, Amanda Lahrmann

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Big data is a term that has come to the spotlight for companies within recent years. Data analysis and business intelligence have become prominent sectors of companies and agencies. But what is big data? How has it impacted large companies and agencies? Why must it be embraced?

The best way to approach utilizing a big data set is to establish a question to answer. For this data set, the question that must be answered is “What variables cause a loss to occur?” To answer this question, first, we must understand what is meant by a “loss”, and take a look …

A Pedagogical Analysis Of Select Etudes From Jakob Dont’S 24 Etudes And Caprices, Op. 35, Daniella Greene

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The study of etudes is essential for all musicians to learn and practice the technical challenges of their instrument in a practical way. There is a large selection of etudes for the violin, created and collected by numerous composers targeted for all levels of playing. This document will focus on a select number of etudes from the first half of “24 Etudes and Caprices, Opus 35,” by Jakob Dont. The analysis of the etudes will include descriptions of the technical challenges in the left and right hands, recommended practice sequences, and variations on the etude to further challenge the student …

Dynamic Mechanical Analysis Piezoelectric Design, Letia Bass, Michaela N. Mccrae, Ethan W. Goodman, Joesph W. Mazur

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project is a continuation into the design and implementation of a Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) device that will be used to conduct high frequency testing on tire tread compounds. The design requirements necessary were to design a device that will produce a target frequency of 10 kHz with a 0.05% strain, while being at room temperature. The 3-D model developed by the previous year’s students was improved upon and new parts were designed as well. The assemblies (most importantly the connector piece) were 3-D modeled using Creo Parametric and analyzed with COMSOL Multiphysics. A new design involving flexures was …

Retrospective Policy Analysis On The Efficacy Of The Army Hearing Program, Ahmad Brandelle Alexander

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

The present study (1) examined the Army Hearing Program (AHP) and (2) provided a retrospective policy analysis on several of the policies embedded within the AHP, more specifically the hearing readiness policy, to determine their efficacy and impact regarding noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). The Beaufort Longest Framework was the analytic framework for this project. It was also used to structure the writing and formatting of this report. An extensive literature review of Army Medical Department (AMEDD) journals and Public Health journals were used in addition to several published Army Regulations and Pamphlets for guidance within conducting the Methods section of …