Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of A Unit Cost Model For The Afit Pce Program, Darryl W. Walton, Jeffrey K. Young

Theses and Dissertations

This research focused on the development of a unit cost model for the Professional Continuing Education (PCE) program within the Air Force Institute of Technology's School of Systems and Logistics. The methodology employed follows that issued in the Unit Cost Resourcing Guidance developed by DoD and was limited to utilizing the accounting structure already in place. This model can be used primarily at the beginning of each planning cycle to determine the rate to charge customers for courses provided in the coming fiscal year. This model could also be used at the end of the fiscal year to compare the …

Cost/Schedule Control Systems Criteria: A Reference Guide To C/Scsc Information, Erik G. Cummings, Kirk A. Schneider

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis effort provides a valuable tool for contract performance measurement (CPM) analysts to use both while attending formalized Cost/Schedule Control Systems Criteria (C/SCSC) training, and while on the job. Research indicated a large amount of written material existed on contract performance measurement and the more specific topic of C/SCSC, yet this information was hidden in a wide array of unindexed professional journals, master's thesis, and texts. Further, while many professions have a reference guide of annotated bibliographies, CPM had none. Through an extensive literature review using several search and retrieval methods, the authors were able to amass a bibliography …

Nasa And Logistics-A Match For The 21st Century, Stephan P. Brady, Jay R. Jennings

Theses and Dissertations

This research evaluated current NASA organizational and logistical strategy processes to compare them with current academic theory and make recommendations to improve the processes. Various strategy theories were explored, resulting in a model synthesizing the various elements. The organizational, cultural, and political environment surrounding NASA was studied. Personal interviews were conducted and various NASA strategic plans and other documents were analyzed. From these activities emerged six recommendations: (1) Create a formal strategy process for NASA logistics (and NASA), (2) Tie logistics strategies directly to organizational strategies/goals, (3) Get logisticians from different functions/programs/centers to crossflow information, (4) Identify redundancies in logistics …

The Effects Of Iconic Presentation On Individuals, Ellen T. Barber, Elizabeth C. Dunn

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigated whether individuals interpreted iconic graphs differently than traditional graphs. A literature review revealed a lack of current research concerning iconic graphs. Using guidelines previously created for high-integrity graphics, a timed, pretest-posttest experiment was developed to compare the impressions rendered by both traditional and iconic graphs to determine whether men and women interpret the two types of graphs in the same way. It was also used to determine whether traditional bar graphs or iconic graphs were preferred by the subjects. Ninety-nine subjects, all employees of the Royal Australian Air Force/ United States Air Force, or defense contractors, were …

Defining Contract Terms, Michael J. Cushing, Mary R. Spalding

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research effort was to develop consensus definitions for fifty-one (51) contracting-terms. This was accomplished by developing a synthesized definition for each term based on a review of the available published literature, subjecting the synthesized definitions to expert scrutiny via a survey distributed to recognized contracting professionals, and amending the literature-based definitions as indicated by the survey responses. Using this approach, consensus was achieved on all but one term. The consensus definitions developed in this way are recommended for inclusion in a comprehensive dictionary of contracting terminology, to be comprised of the results of this and other …

Graphic Representation In Managerial Decision Making: The Effect Of Scale Break On The Dependent Axis, Clark R. Carvalho, Michael D. Mcmillan

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigated whether a scale break on the dependent axis a affects a decision maker's interpretation of the data presented in the graph. A literature search revealed criteria for constructing high integrity graphs and formatting scale breaks. An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of a scale break on the dependent axis. Graphs following the criteria for high integrity graphs were presented to the control group, while graphs following the criteria for high integrity graphs, with the exception of the scale break, were presented to the experimental group. Using a parametric two-sample t test and a non-parametric Rank …

Pollution Prevention, An Investment Decision Model To Assess Financial Feasibility For Application To Air Force Processes, Debra S. Rankin, Clare R. Mendelsohn

Theses and Dissertations

This research develops a Pollution Prevention Investment Decision Model (PPIDM) to evaluate the financial feasibility of pollution prevention alternatives. The PPIDM provides managers with simple, systematic, and flexible guidelines for making accurate and expedient decisions when considering pollution prevention alternatives. The model illustrates that a comprehensive analysis is not always necessary. The PPIDM gives managers the flexibility to adjust the economic feasibility criteria based on top management's perceptions of the political environment. When top management places a very high value on political considerations, economic criteria is insignificant and the project may be implemented immediately without further analysis. The PPIDM takes …

An Analysis Of Contract Cost Overruns And Their Impacts, Brian D. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the tendency of major program DoD contracts, once in an overrun status, to remain in that status and in many cases, further deteriorate. In these times of budgetary constraints, it is important that government program managers and other key decision makers understand the ramifications of contract overruns especially early in a program's life. The overruns on the A-12 program, for instance, could have possibly been predicted much earlier and the program cancellation avoided if only the program manager had understood the implications of significant cost overruns early in the life of the program.

An Environmental Audit Management Plan For The Royal Australian Air Force, Warren L. Lear

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to develop an Environmental Audit Management Plan (EAMP) tailored to meet the specific requirements of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The research also examined the resources which would be required to introduce the proposed EAMP into the RAAF. The literature on environmental compliance auditing identifies a number of essential characteristics required for an effective environmental auditing program. These characteristics, in conjunction with the USEPA design guidelines for the development of audit programs for government agencies, were used to guide the development of the RAAF EAMP. Information on Australian environmental legislation, DOD/RAAF policies and …

Comparative Educational Policies Between The United States And Japan, Mieko Kurihara

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Inclusive Education And A Positive Approach To Implementation, Darryl Tunseth

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Inpatient And Outpatient Treatment Programs For Bulimia Nervosa, Claudette M. Richter-Reno

Theses and Dissertations

The current study was designed to investigate the effectiveness of an inpatient stay followed by outpatient treatment for bulimia nervosa, in comparison to an outpatient program only. It was hypothesized that bulimics in the inpatient/outpatient group would be receiving the combined benefits of both inpatient and outpatient treatment, thereby demonstrating greater changes in reduction of bulimic symptomatology than subjects in the less intensive outpatient treatment. Thirty-four, adult, caucasian females meeting the DSM-III-R criteria for bulimia nervosa served as subjects. Nineteen subjects received inpatient/outpatient treatment, while fifteen received outpatient treatment. Subjects completed an initial test packet, including the Beck Depression Inventory …

Conflicting Narratives: Abortion Protest In The Media, Norman E. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Attitudes Of Elementary Education Majors Toward Mathematics: A Qualitative Study Of Five Student, Mavis L. Kelley

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study focuses on five prospective female teachers' attitudes toward mathematics. The meanings each informant ascribes to her experiences surrounding mathematics are described in this work. Each informant was interviewed weekly during her senior mathematics methods course and observed and interviewed weekly throughout her student teaching experience. Interviews were open-ended and was the central focus of methodology. A field diary was used to record the reflective portions of field notes.

Experiences were carefully detailed and the informants directly quoted throughout the portraits and themes. The themes that emerged were: (1) meaning in mathematics, (2) narrow view of mathematics, (3) …

Baptizing Marxism? English-Language Catholic Press Reaction To The Worker-Priest Movement In France, Edward J. Woell

Theses and Dissertations

From 1943 to 1954 a small religious experiment called the worker-priest movement took place in France. Journalists throughout the world, including Catholic writers and editors from Great Britain, Ireland, Canada and the United States, provided coverage of the worker-priest movement. How the English-language Catholic press reacted to the movement, an well as what that reaction represents, is the subject of this thesis.

The introduction outlines the major themes of this study, and is followed by two chapters that, establish the background and context of the worker-priest movement. Chapter I is an explanation of why the worker-priest movement was initiated in …

Juvenile Misbehavior And The School: An Educational Cohort Analysis, Timothy G. Driscoll

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Relationships Between Previous School And Life Experiences Of Pre-Service Elementary Teachers And Their Attitudes Toward Science And Science Teaching, Carlyn Elizabeth Grutzner Sampson

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationships between previous school and life experiences of pre-service elementary school teachers at the University of North Dakota and their attitudes toward science and science teaching.

The study incorporated both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The first six pre-service teachers from one of the science methods class who volunteered were selected for taped private interviews. Based on this information a quantitative survey (Sampson Survey I) was designed for discovering the relationship between past experiences of pre-service teachers and their current attitudes toward science and teaching science. Additionally, the Shrigley Science Attitude Scale (Shrigley, 1974b), which assesses attitudes …

Bring The Self Back In: An Empirical Critique Of The Oversocialized Conception Of Women In Sport, Kimberly Ann Tyler-Ayers

Theses and Dissertations

This study takes a grounded theory approach to female socialization into sport. It argue* that social learning theory provides an inadequate theoretical framework for understanding female socialization into sport due to its emphasis on external socializing agents. This focus encourages an oversocialized view of the individual that generally falls to recognize the central role of the self in the socialization process. Semi-structured interviews with college level athletes, semi-athletes and non-athletes illustrates the prominent role of the self throughout the life course in socialization and social behavior.

A General Three Dimensional All Quadrilateral Surface Mesh Generation Algorithm, Roger Cass

Theses and Dissertations

Among the available all-quadrilateral mesh generation algorithms progressive-front offers the best quality and robustness. The paving algorithm is a progressive-front technique that generates a two dimensional mesh of all quadrilaterals on planar surfaces. The technique is particularly suited to meshing irregular boundaries with interior holes. This thesis presents an extension of the paving algorithm to generalized three dimensional surfaces. The major problems in three-dimensional surface mesh generation are projection of nodes, calculation of interior angles, and connection of mesh fronts. The solutions to these problems are presented. This work is part of the ongoing CUBIT project at Sandia Labs. The …

Exponential Characteristic Spatial Quadrature For Discrete Ordinates Neutral Particle Transport In Slab Geometry, Glenn E. Sjoden

Theses and Dissertations

A new discrete ordinates spatial quadrature scheme is presented for solving neutral particle transport problems. This new scheme, called the exponential characteristic method, is developed here in slab geometry with isotropic scattering. This method uses a characteristic integration of the Boltzmann transport equation with an exponential function as the assumed from of the source distribution, continuous across each spatial cell. The exponential source function is constructed to globally conserve zeroth and first spatial source moments and is non-negative. Characteristic integration ensures non- negative fluxes and flux moments. Numerical testing indicates that convergence of the exponential characteristic scheme is fourth order …

An Examination Of The Feasibility Of A Nuclear-Pumped Laser-Driven Inertial Confinement Fusion Reactor With Magnetically Protected Walls, John M. Jacobson

Theses and Dissertations

A preliminary design study of a nuclear-pumped laser-driven inertial confinement fusion reactor with a magnetically protected first wall using an advanced DT-ignited, DD-fueled pellet demonstrated the feasibility of such a concept. This paper presents a parametric study of the required energy multiplication in the blanket, the pellet injection rate, and the net efficiency of this is conceptual reactor for advanced pellet yields. A model of the reactor energy balance yields a required energy multiplication of 2.4. A cylindrical design for a helium-cooled blanket demonstrates that natural uranium micropellets in a laser pump region provide a multiplication of 2.9 with a …

Design And Construction Of A Channel Electron Multiplier Based Mossbauer Spectroscopy System, Daniel J. Robbins

Theses and Dissertations

A channel electron multiplier (cem) detector system was designed and built to provide a signal to a Mossbauer spectroscopy system in an effort to obtain a better signal-to-noise ratio than achievable with a proportional counter system. Three cems are contained in a vacuum chamber built using standard components. Gamma, rays of 14.4-keV energy from a ⁵⁷Co source enter from outside the chamber through a window and are absorbed by an ⁵⁷Fe target near the cems. The target emits internal conversion electrons which are collected by the cems and a Mossbauer spectrometer collects the signal. The system produces a …

Effects Of Facility Configurations And Scheduling Techniques On Aircraft Throughput For Warner Robins Alc Paint/Depaint Facilities, David V. Mcelveen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine the effects of configuration options and dispatching rules on aircraft throughput for the WR- ALC paint/depaint facilities. A simulation model was constructed and used for this analysis as the primary means to conduct the research. The dispatching rules considered were first come first served, largest number in queue, shortest processing time, and a look ahead heuristic. Due to a reduction in the number of paint aircraft, no configuration option differing from the baseline significantly affected aircraft throughput. Dispatching rules were also found to produce no significant differences on aircraft throughput. Configuration options …

Quantifying The Impact Of The Acquisition Professional Development Program Certification Requirements On The Air Force Institute Of Technology, Paul A. Nicholson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to determine the impact of implementing the Acquisition Professional Development Program on the Air Force Institute of Technology. APDP is part of a DOD-wide effort to decrease inefficiency in the procurement process. The program encompasses a tri-level certification process based on experience, training, and educational standards. APDP serves as a guideline for professional development of acquisition personnel from entry to senior level management. Many of the courses required for certification are offered through AFIT School of Systems and Logistics. Integrating the new educational requirements as a standard for career development is expected to produce …

A Computer Based Educational Aid For The Instruction Of Combat Modeling, Richard S. Moore

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force Institute of Technology is one of few institutions that teaches combat modeling. Combat models are typically dynamic computer simulations of specialized dynamic processes. Great difficulty exists in portraying these dynamic and recurrent processes with conventional static diagrams. This thesis produced a computer-based instructional aid which presents animated examples of processes common to combat models, demonstrates a simple few-on-few aerial combat model, and encourages student exploration and interaction with these presentations. This aid provides dynamic examples of random number generation, detection processes, target selection, and target destruction. A complete combat model demonstrating a few-on-few air duel is animated …

A Study Of The Relationship Of Maternal And Child Risk Factors To Development And Low-Income Status In Grand Forks County., Kay Elizabeth Campbell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between maternal and child risk factors and the variables of development, low-income status, and multiple births. The sample consisted of 193 children referred to the North Dakota Early Childhood Tracking System in Grand Forks County from 1988 to mid-1991. The referral criteria were based on established, biological, and environmental risk factors. The correlation between development and risk factors was not significant. Low-income status was significantly correlated to maternal risk factors (p $<$.001), short term respiratory problems (p $<$.05), neonatal risk factors (p $<$.05), and single parenthood (p $<$.001). Multiple births were significantly correlated to neonatal risk factors (p $<$.05) and prematurity (p $<$.001).

Low-Dosage Magnetic Field Effects On Embryonic Bone Growth., Vikki Lynn Mccleary B.

Theses and Dissertations

Pulsed electromagnetic fields (EMF) and electric fields have been demonstrated to promote osteogenesis and wound healing. Pulsed EMF's have been approved since 1979 by the FDA, and are highly effective in the treatment of non-union fractures. Increased linear growth, cellular proliferation, cAMP and uptake of tritiated thymidine have been documented on short term exposure. Yet the mechanisms have been difficult to quantify. Little has been published in the literature about the effects of a magnetic fields upon bone growth. Parkinson (1985) indicated a system at rest has no magnetic force acting upon and movement due to thermal energy is small …

The Geographical Landscape Of Tabernacles In The Mormon Culture Region, Crystal Wride Jenson

Theses and Dissertations

Although tabernacles do not hold the sacred meaning of Mormon temples, they are symbolic landmarks of the culture of the early Mormon Saints. Tabernacles were once an integral part of each community in which they were located. They were often the main buildings in the community, reflecting the coherent, orderly nature of a Mormon town. Today, many of the original tabernacles have been torn down and others are under the threat of destruction.

The first tabernacles built in the Mormon Culture Region were constructed in the 1850s. They were large meetinghouses built for the purpose of holding large general meetings. …

The Use Of Hplc In The Assay And Localization Of Guanine Nucleotide-Utilizing Enzymes In Mitochrondrial Matrix, Wallace W. Muhonen

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Adolescents' Idea Of Fiction In Their Own Writing, Nancy L. Chippendale

Theses and Dissertations

Twelve seventh-grade students in a selected county in Georgia served as subjects for interviews to determine why students choose realistic topics when writing fiction stories. The interviews revealed that the students wrote stories that reflected a part of their personal lives. The stories involved the authors in three distinct ways. Some stories were experiential and represented something that had happened to the author; others were experiential, but the writer had witnessed the event happening to an acquaintance; finally, media had influenced the writer to follow a story line. For some of the authors, this was a form of therapy, and …