Applied Statistics Commons^™

A Geospatial Based Decision Framework For Extending Marssim Regulatory Principles Into The Subsurface, Robert Nathan Stewart

Doctoral Dissertations

The Multi-Agency Radiological Site Survey Investigation Manual (MARSSIM) is a regulatory guidance document regarding compliance evaluation of radiologically contaminated soils and buildings (USNRC, 2000). Compliance is determined by comparing radiological measurements to established limits using a combination of hypothesis testing and scanning measurements. Scanning allows investigators to identify localized pockets of contamination missed during sampling and allows investigators to assess radiological exposure at different spatial scales. Scale is important in radiological dose assessment as regulatory limits can vary with the size of the contaminated area and sites are often evaluated at more than one scale (USNRC, 2000). Unfortunately, scanning is …

A Study Of Missing Data Imputation And Predictive Modeling Of Strength Properties Of Wood Composites, Yan Zeng

Masters Theses

Problem: Real-time process and destructive test data were collected from a wood composite manufacturer in the U.S. to develop real-time predictive models of two key strength properties (Modulus of Rupture (MOR) and Internal Bound (IB)) of a wood composite manufacturing process. Sensor malfunction and data “send/retrieval” problems lead to null fields in the company’s data warehouse which resulted in information loss. Many manufacturers attempt to build accurate predictive models excluding entire records with null fields or using summary statistics such as mean or median in place of the null field. However, predictive model errors in validation may be higher …

Exploring The Effectiveness Of Environmentally Sustainable Practices In Municipal Government: A Case Study Of The City Of Knoxville’S Department Of Parks And Recreation, Anthony Michael Brown

Masters Theses

Sustainability practices produce programs and services that meet current needs while preserving the environment and natural resources for the future. City parks and recreation departments are facing budget shortfalls and increasing expectations from customers. Governments are now embracing sustainability practices to create financial savings while also fostering relations with customers.

The purpose of this single case study was twofold: (1) to examine the effectiveness of one city department’s strategies in outsourcing its environmental sustainability program through a performance contract with Ameresco; and (2) to examine the perceptions of key department employees about the effectiveness of the sustainability initiative. A …

An Analysis Of Boosted Regression Trees To Predict The Strength Properties Of Wood Composites, Dillon Matthew Carty

Masters Theses

The forest products industry is a significant contributor to the U.S. economy contributing six percent of the total U.S. manufacturing gross domestic product (GDP), placing it on par with the U.S. automotive and plastics industries. Sustaining business competitiveness by reducing costs and maintaining product quality will be essential in the long term for this industry. Improved production efficiency and business competitiveness is the primary rationale for this work. A challenge facing this industry is to develop better knowledge of the complex nature of process variables and their relationship with final product quality attributes. Quantifying better the relationships between process variables …