Digital Commons Network^™

Determining The Value Of Groundwater Contamination Source Removal: A Methodology, Benjamin C. Recker

Theses and Dissertations

Subsurface contamination by industrial chemicals is one of the most prevalent and costly environmental problems facing the United States government. This contamination problem must be managed to protect human health and the environment. Two basic strategies are used to deal with subsurface contamination: source removal and contaminant containment. While much cost and performance data are available for individual technologies associated with each of these strategies, there have been very few studies that have examined the benefits of implementing source removal technologies in order to reduce contaminant containment (and hopefully total) costs. This study examines the tradeoff between extent of source …

Modeling Chlorinated Ethene Removal In The Methanogenic Zone Of Constructed Wetlands: A System Dynamics Approach, Randall L. Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to gain understanding of the dynamics of the processes that degrade Perchloroethene (PCE) to ethene, within the confines of the methanogenic zone of a constructed wetland. A system dynamics modeling approach is used. This model is focused on determining conditions that will enhance contaminant degradation. The chemical and biological processes within the methanogenic zone of a wetland system are extremely complex and dynamic processes. The model is broken up into three simultaneous processes: dechlorination, methanogenesis, and fermentation. The system behavior of the methanogenic zone can be adequately described by the classical formulations of representative …

A Critical Analysis Of The Air Force's International Merchant Purchase Authorization Card (Impac) Program, Roy D. Thrailkill

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Air Force (USAF) purchased over $ 1.3 billion worth of goods and services with the IMPAC in fiscal year (FY) 2000 alone. The proliferation of the IMPAC has changed the way organizations procure goods and services and empowered them with a tool to increase their procurement flexibility and responsiveness. These benefits have been accompanied by regulatory and procedural constraints that have presented challenges to key participants of this streamlined purchase process. This thesis addresses documented deviations of the IMPAC program's execution from its theoretical design. It describes the structure of the IMPAC program, analyzes the execution of …

Decision Analysis Methodology To Evaluate Integrated Solid Waste Management Alternatives For A Remote Alaskan Air Station, Mark J. Shoviak

Theses and Dissertations

Eareckson Air Station (AS), a remote U.S. Air Force installation, faces the complex decision of selecting a new municipal solid waste (MSW) management strategy to replace its current non-compliant system. This research effort applies value-focused thinking and multiattribute preference theory to decision analysis techniques to produce a multiple-objective decision analysis model that captures all of the site's MSW goals, objectives, and concerns in order to facilitate the evaluation of MSW management strategies available. The model ranks 40 specific MSW management alternatives, which were developed in accordance with the decision-maker's assumptions and constraints, based on how well they meet Eareckson's overall …

Development Of An Instrument To Identify Unique Supply Officer Knowledge, Christopher A. Boone

Theses and Dissertations

Air Force supply officers possess a unique body of knowledge. This unique body of supply officer knowledge is an Air Force intellectual asset. The value of these intellectual assets depends on the value created by the application of the organization's knowledge and the value his knowledge creates. This thesis establishes a process for measuring the value created by unique supply officer knowledge. The first step in the methodology is to identify mandatory supply knowledge. This was accomplished through review of Air Force guidance and se of a knowledge audit questionnaire. The knowledge audit provides a means for assessing what knowledge …

Dollarizing Qualitative Discriminators Used In Best Value Source Selections, Jason R. Borchers

Theses and Dissertations

With the decreasing budget that gets allocated to the Department of Defense each year, the government needs to be able to acquire more with less. This has a direct impact on how source selections are conducted. This research proposes a method using four different levels of cost that will provide the government with the best overall value in the conduction of source selections. This differs from previous source selections, because source selection teams, in general, only considered proposal price in their evaluation.

Using Gps As A Reference System To Hit A Moving Target, Daryl J. Burnette

Theses and Dissertations

The Affordable Moving Surface Target Engagement (AMSTE) project attempts to develop affordable solutions to the precise moving target surface target engagement problem. Up to this point, most of the error analysis performed for the AMSTE project has been at the error variance level, generating root-sum-square (RSS) total errors from error budgets consisting of constant error variances. In reality, the level of error for both Global Positioning System (GPS) positioning and radar targeting systems is highly dependent upon the given situation (such as the distance between sensor and target, the altitude differences, etc.) This research generates a more comprehensive model of …

An Analysis Of The Computer And Network Attack Taxonomy, Richard C. Daigle

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force's dependence on the Internet continues to increase daily. However, this increased dependence comes with risks. The popularity and potential of the Internet attracts users with illegal as well as legal intentions. Since the Air Force considers the Internet an integral component of its information Operations strategy, the Air Force must be confident that it can trust the security of this component. Therefore, reliable methods and information that helps the Air Force classify the risks associated with the Internet can help the Air Force determine the best processes to assure the security of its use of this resource. …

United States Air Force Graduate Degrees From 1990 To 2000: A Comparison, Jonathan G. Downing

Theses and Dissertations

Throughout its history, the United States Air Force has been concerned with technical graduate education. In 1947, the Ridenour Report stated the importance and need of Air Force officers with technical graduate degrees. This emphasis has served the Air Force well, but there is concern among senior Air Force leaders that there has been an erosion of these technical skills and graduate education. This research will examine the issues surrounding technical graduate education in the Air Force and will address the possible loss of such technical education. The results of this research provide specific statistical data and analysis on the …

Rigex: Preliminary Design Of A Rigidized Inflatable Get-Away-Special Experiment, John D. Disebastian Iii

Theses and Dissertations

As space structures grow in size and complexity, their weight and cost increase considerably. The use of inflatable and rigidizable structures offers drastic improvements in all areas of spacecraft design. The goal of this experiment is to verify and validate ground testing of inflation and rigidization methods for inflatable space structures. The Rigidized Inflatable Get-Away-Special Experiment is an autonomous, self-contained space shuttle experiment that will inflate and rigidize several structures. After inflation, the experiment will perform a structural analysis by exciting the rigidized structures and collecting vibration data. A systems engineering approach is utilized to make design decisions based on …

Factors Influencing The Air Force Cycle Ergometry Fitness Assessment, Heather M. Hunn

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated the influence of exercise activities, situational factors, and personality on the Air Force submaximal cycle ergometry test (SCET). Data were collected via a questionnaire administered to 209 active duty students and faculty assigned to the Air Force Institute of Technology during their required annual SCET. Stepwise multiple regression and ANOVA were used to find the proportion of variance explained by the significant predictors of SCET results for various subsets of the sampled population. For the group as a whole, self-reported test anxiety explained 24% of the variance in SCET results, while reported aerobic caloric expenditure during exercise …

Lifecycle Energy And Air Emission Differences Between Electric And Internal Combustion Vehicles, David L. Mccleese

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. Federal Government has encouraged shifting from internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) to electric vehicles (EVs) with three objectives, reducing foreign oil dependence, greenhouse gas emissions, and criteria pollutant emissions. This thesis uses Monte Carlo simulation to predict lifecycle emissions and energy consumption differences per kilometer driven from replacing ICEVs with three EV options: lead acid, nickel cadmium (Ni-Cd), and nickel metal hydride (NiMH). All three EV options reduce U.S. foreign oil dependence by shifting to domestic coal. The probabilities that lifecycle energy consumption per km driven improve are lead acid 76%, Ni-Cd 64%, and NiMH 90%. The probabilities …

Chromate Content Bias As A Function Of Particle Size In Aircraft Primer Paint Overspray, David B. Novy

Theses and Dissertations

Spray painting operations using chromate-containing primer paints produce particles which may expose workers to strontium chromate. Chromate contains hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) which is a confirmed human carcinogen. It is suspected that the smaller particles contain disproportionately less Cr(VI) than larger particles. In order to determine if a bias in chromate content exists, paint particles were collected and separated based on particle size and the Cr(VI) concentration was determined. Aviation primer paint from the DeSoto and Deft companies was sprayed in a booth and seven-stage cascade impactors were used to separate particles.

Exercise And Menopausal Symptoms., Tracy Anne Northrup

Theses and Dissertations

This project was aimed at improving our understanding of how exercise impacts the menopausal transition in order to offer women guidance and understanding in managing their own passage through menopause. Participants included 90 healthy midlife women between the ages of 45–55. They were asked to complete demographic information regarding their menstrual history and two questionnaires including the Kaufert and Syrotuik Symptom Index-Revised and the Exercise Inventory. The Symptom Index-Revised was given to each respondent twice; first for symptoms experienced since turning 40, and secondly for symptoms directly attributable to menopause. Double administration of this symptom checklist allowed for participants to …

Processing And Conservation Of The Grain Of Corn (Zea Mays L.) And Project Of Industrial Feasibility, Marina Caballero Bautista

Theses and Dissertations

Since Pre-Colombian time corn already formed part of the diet in Aztec and Mayan cultures, and actually represented in them a fountain of wealth and power. The cultivation is utilized in the region in multiple forms, not only for the human diet, but also as feed for animals. Corn is third place in the world production, following wheat and rice. It is cultivated in a total surface of 106 million hectares, its yield is 215 million tons, that represents an average of 2 tons per hectare. The cultivation of corn has special importance, given that this cereal constitutes the basic …

Postoperative Nausea And Vomiting Using Nitrous Oxide In Patients Undergoing Tooth Extraction, Scott Malsom

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Development Of An Industrial Technology Associates Degree For Lake Region College, Michael L. Nottestad

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Laboratory Denitrification Using Sediments From The Elk Valley Aquifer, Alison E. Kammer

Theses and Dissertations

An experiment was conducted to determine if a decrease in the content of sulfides related to denitrification could be measured in the laboratory using sediments of the Elk Valley Aquifer in eastern North Dakota. The experiment entailed analyzing sediments for sulfides and solid organic carbon and isolating them in sample containers with a nitrate solution to determine if a measurable decrease in these components could be observed.

Previous denitrification studies in the Elk Valley Aquifer showed an increase in sulfate in conjunction with a decrease in the concentration of nitrate. Sulfate is a by product of autotrophic denitrification where sulfide …

College Choice: An Analysis Of The Factors That Influence A Student's Decision To Enroll In A Two-Year College, Timothy S. Stokes

Theses and Dissertations

As the number of students choosing to begin their postsecondary education in a two-year college increases, a careful analysis of the factors influencing the college choice process is needed. While a significant amount of research has addressed the college choice phenomenon and models describing the process have been developed, no attempt to apply these models to the two-year college choice process has been attempted. This study examines the factors that influence the college choice process of two-year college students and determines the variance these variables have on the two-year/four-year college choice dichotomy. Using the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) …

A Comparison Of Pre-Post Student Outcomes And Perceptions After An Intervention Of A Secondary Alternative Education Program For Disruptive Students, Lloyd Sain, Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the effect of an alternative education program on the grade point averages, attendance, and suspensions of secondary school students. In order to meet this purpose, the study tested two research questions that focused on the grade point average, attendance, and suspensions of disruptive secondary school students prior to their intervention of an alternative education program and after their return to home school for two consecutive nine weeks. Length of enrollment and its impact on grade point averages, attendance, and suspensions were also examined. The study also investigated to what extent the characteristics …

A Study Of Arkansas Public School Superintendents' Knowledge Of And Attitudes Toward Charter Schools, William E. Broadnax

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore reasons why most public school superintendents have not applied for the creation of a charter school, and to ascertain whether or not public school superintendents in Arkansas plan to open a charter school in their school district. In essence, this study investigated current knowledge and attitudes of Arkansas public school superintendents toward charter schools and Act 890 legislation. A non-experimental research design was conducted using a modified survey instrument (Ogden, 1995), which included all 310 public school superintendents in the State of Arkansas. A nonprobability sample of 160 superintendents completed and returned …

Gaba-A Receptor Subunit Alterations Following Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury And The Effects Of An Nmda Antagonist: A Western Blot Analysis, Cynthia J. Gibson

Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) produces an acute phase of neuronal excitation followed by a chronic phase of depressed neuronal function. Alterations in excitatory and inhibitory receptor interactions may be dynamically involved in subsequent long-term detriments in neuronal and cognitive functioning. TBI- induced elevations in intracellular calcium concentrations ([Ca²⁺]_i) are mediated primarily by the NMDA receptor. Elevated [Ca²⁺]_i may trigger intracellular mechanisms which drive changes in GABA-A receptor protein synthesis and expression, ultimately resulting in receptor dysfunction.

Western blot analysis was used to investigate alterations to GABA-A receptor subunits α1 and β33 in the …

Hostage And Barricade Incidents: A Profiling Perspective, Richard A. Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has initiated a research project that profiles the perpetrators of hostage and barricade incidents. This research is conducted using a questionnaire that is completed at incident conclusion. The questionnaire was provide .. by the FBI as part of a project called HOB AS (Hostage, Barricade, and Suicide). The HOBAS information is distributed electronically and in print to member law enforcement agencies. HOBAS information is used in this project as the main source of secondary data. The University of Louisville School of Medicine supplied an additional source of secondary data. There are 24 questionnaires that …

Morphological Analysis Of Altertions [Sic] In The Recovering Chick Choroid Following Experimentally Induced Myopia, Jared M. Bratvold

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Sleep Disturbances In Hospitals, Naira Rachikovna Zargarian

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Adult Social Support Systems In Youth Related To Youth Participation In High Risk Behaviors, Kathleen F. Marmorine

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Parental Use Of Booster Car Seats, Heather Rusten

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Efficacy Of Telephone Support Groups Versus Face-To-Face Support Groups In Reducing Symptomatic Complaints Among Women With Fibromyalgia, Patricia J. Hunter

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Spiritual Growth Resulting From The Death Of A Loved One, Jennifer L. Kane

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Sense Of Belonging In Geriatric Long Term Care, Rosann Gottbreht

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.