Digital Commons Network^™

An Analysis Of The Generalized Lambda Distribution, Robert J. Bergevin

Theses and Dissertations

The Generalized Lambda Distribution (GLD) is a four parameter function that is capable of mimicking the behavior of a wide range of probability density functions (pdfs). Unfortunately, the GLD presently cannot model every possible type of pdf. Since the reasons for this limitation are unknown, this thesis examines several potential problems in an attempt to expand the range of distributions the GLD can mimic. We first present a discussion of the behavior of the algorithm that is used to search for the appropriate GLD parameter values. In particular, we examine the effect of using an unconstrained search to find the …

A New Goodness-Of-Fit Test For The Weibull Distribution Based On Spacings, Mark C. Coppa

Theses and Dissertations

The critical values for a new goodness-of-fit test based on spacings are generated for the Weibull distribution when the shape parameter is known. The critical values are used for testing whether a set of observations follow a Weibull distribution when the scale and location parameters are unknown. A Monte Carlo simulation with 10,000 iterations is used to generate the critical values for sample sizes 5(5)35 at shape parameters k equal to 0.5(0.5)1.5 and for sample sizes 5(5)20 at shape parameters k = 2.0(1.0)4.0. A Monte Carlo power study of the Z* test statistic using 5000 iterations is accomplished using nine …

An Analysis Of The Ability Of Commercial Wargames To Fulfill The Education Requirements Of The Air Force Wargaming Center, Scott Goehring

Theses and Dissertations

It has been the contention of some that current commercial wargames could possibly fulfill the education requirements addressed by the Air Force Wargaming Center. The Wargaming Center, lacking the opportunity to conduct a thorough, in-house analysis of these commercial wargames, requested an independent evaluation be performed. This thesis identifies potential commercial wargames and provides an analysis of those wargames to determine their ability to educate senior military officers in the application of aerospace power. In addition, this thesis establishes a set of Measures of Effectiveness (MOEs) against which future wargames can be easily evaluated. The MOEs were developed from the …

The Battle Of Little Round Top: An Analysis Of Battle Alternatives Through Commercial Wargames, John J. Mcguiness

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the problem of whether one can use commercial wargames as a tool for historical research. The research examines two wargames dealing with the battle of Little Round Top: Gettysburg: The Turning Point and Thunder at the Crossroads. This research emphasized the need to analyze the wargame's structure prior to playing the game. This will avoid a possible mistake of drawing a conclusion about a particular driver in the battle which may not be from the historical situation but rather an inevitable outcome produced by the model's basic assumptions. Additionally, quantitative measures of time lines, casualty rates, and …

A Fuzzy Logic Optimal Control Law Solution To The Cmmca Tracking Problem, Randy E. Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force uses the C-18 Cruise Missile Mission Control Aircraft (CMMCA) to radar track cruise missiles (CM) during test flights. Because of the complexity of the CM flight profiles, maintaining radar coverage at all times is very difficult. This thesis attempted to apply optimal control theory to construct a simulation providing 100% radar coverage. The simulation was divided into ten second intervals, and fuzzy logic was used at the start of each interval to determine the set point, i.e., that point in space where the CMMCA should be in ten seconds. The set point calculation's fuzzy logic balanced CMMCA …

Models For The Optimization Of Air Refueling Missions, Clayton H. Pflieger

Theses and Dissertations

This research follows A. Yamani's work on the problem of minimizing total fuel costs for airlift missions that require in-flight refueling. Yamani's major assumptions were removed and the resulting enhanced formulation was applied the the original problem and the related problem of maximizing allowable cabin load. This optimization is accomplished selecting the rendezvous point and initial fuel for each aircraft. The formulation considers a C-141B airlifter refueled once by a KC-135E tanker. Flight is assumed to be at constant altitude and follow great-circle routes. The fuel costs of climb and cruise flight are modeled as functions of gross weight, while …

The Integration Of Tanker Aircraft Into Aslar, John S. Stieven

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the proposed addition of heavy KC-135 tanker aircraft to the United States Air Force Aircraft Surge Launch and Recovery (ASLAR) instrument approach system. The Air Force Communications Command, which oversees ASLAR operations, will use these results to determine if KC-135 aircraft should be permitted to fly ASLAR approaches. A SIMSCRIPT II.5 animated simulation model was developed to simulate the Runway 26 approach at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base under a variety of wind conditions. This model was expanded to show the feasibility of KC-135s flying ASLAR approaches and to determine proper controller …

An Empirical Evaluation Of Five Circular Error Probable Estimation Techniques And A Method For Improving Them, William L. Tongue

Theses and Dissertations

This study compared five CEP estimation techniques under the assumption that the crossrange and downrange miss distances of the sample data follow a bivariate normal distribution. The analysis determined the sensitivities of these models to changes in sample size, bias, correlation, and ellipticity in terms of three measures of effectiveness: Mean relative error (RE), variance of RE, and mean squared error (MSE) of RE. In general, it was found that sample size was the most significant parameter in determining the best CEP method. Mean RE provided a 'strong' distinction between estimators, while variance and MSE provided 'weak' distinctions between estimators. …

Design And Performance Evaluation Of A Gas Chromatograph Micromachined In A Single Crystal Silicon Substrate, Rocky R. Reston

Theses and Dissertations

This investigation designed and developed a miniature gas chromatograph (GC) using silicon micromachining techniques. The GC is composed of a miniature sample injector (10 µl sample loop); a 0.9 m long, rectangular-shaped (300 µm width and 10 micrometers height) capillary column coated with a 0.2 µm thick copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) stationary phase; and a dual-detector scheme incorporating a CuPc-coated chemiresistor and a 125 µm diameter thermal conductivity detector bead. Micromachining was employed to fabricate the sample injector interface, the GC column, and the dual-detector cavity. A novel processing technique was developed to sublime the CuPc stationary phase coating on the …

The Effects Of Age And Sense Of Coherence On Bereavement Outcome., Michelle Marie Micsko

Theses and Dissertations

An important component of hospice programs is providing ongoing support to bereaved individuals. Bereaved, who receive organized support following the death of a loved one, have better bereavement outcomes than individuals who do not receive organized support. Many risk factors relating to characteristics of individuals might place them at risk for experiencing a pathological bereavement reaction following the death of their spouse such as the nature of the relationship they had with the deceased, nature of the death of the deceased, behaviors and attitudes appearing early in the grieving process, and specific characteristics of the bereaved individuals. Hence, in identifying …

Optimal Control And Estimation For Discrete-Time Periodic And Multirate Systems, Vikram Kapila

Theses and Dissertations

For linear time-invariant systems it has been shown that the solutions to the optimal reduced-order modeling, estimation, and control problems can be characterized using optimal projection equations, sets of Riccati and Lyapunov equations coupled by terms containing a projection matrix. These equations provide a strong theoretical connection between standard full-order results such as linear-quadratic Gaussian theory and have also proved useful in the comparison of suboptimal reduction methods with optimal reduced-order methods. In addition, the optimal projection equations have been used as the basis for novel homotopy algorithms for reduced-order design. This thesis considers linear periodic plants and develops necessary …

The Past As Prologue: A Qualitative Study Of The Roles Of Biography And Teachers' Beliefs In The Practice Of Teaching., Renate Schulz

Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the complex interplay of biography, beliefs and teachers practice, and reveals the enormous power of the personal and the past to inform and shape the present practices of teachers. For this study, two experienced and reflective high school English teachers were identified. Their teaching styles as well as their responses to the introduction of a new curriculum were very different, and this research was undertaken in order to gain a clearer understanding of how teachers' beliefs influence the way they shape the curriculum to make it uniquely their own, and how the personal figures in teachers' …

The Hakluyt Stage: Travel, Narcissism, And The Narrative., Thomas Palakeel

Theses and Dissertations

In this quincentenary year of the Columbus landfall, as the theorists debate the limitations of Western civilization, my dissertation critiques the narratives collected by Richard Hakluyt (1552-1616) who sought to enter the geographical and ethnographic discourse of the late Renaissance by inscribing the emergent English nation as the custodian of modern civilization. The English rhetoric of civility in the New World has taken the form of a series of monologic narratives, forced inscriptions that seek to normalize the history of colonization, slavery, and imperialism.My study of the narratives in Hakluyt's Principal Navigations (1598) reveals the cultural narcissism of the English …

Electrochemical And Mechanistic Studies Of Alkyl Aryl Ethers And The 1-Methyl-5-Hexenyl Radical Probe., Joseph Schmit

Theses and Dissertations

This study centered on two specific goals. The first goal of this research was to conduct a detailed investigation of the electrochemical reduction of 6-bromo-1-heptene (1) including the fate of the reduction intermediate, the 1-methyl-5-hexenyl fragment. In the process, the use of this intermediate as a radical probe was validated. The second goal of this research was to conduct a comprehensive electrochemical investigation of the reductive mechanisms of the three alkyl naphthyl ethers, 1-methoxynaphthalene (2), 2-methoxynaphthalene (3), and 6-(1$\sp\prime$-naphthoxy)hept-1-ene (4).6-Bromo-1-heptene was reduced on platinum, mercury, and vitreous carbon electrodes to yield the bromide ion and a heptenyl radical also known …

Student Attitudes Toward The Threat Of Nuclear War: Friends As Influential Reference Persons., Milton Marasch

Theses and Dissertations

A renewed interest in research into the psychology of the threat of nuclear war occurred in the past decade as national attention focused increasingly on the arms race between the US and the USSR. Some of this research began the task of exploring the social influences upon attitudes and responses to the nuclear threat. Research on friends as potential influences upon nuclear attitudes was minimal. The present study investigated the role of college friends as potential reference persons in the formation of nuclear attitudes. A battery of questionnaires addressing various nuclear war and non-nuclear war attitudes was completed by 200 …

A Comparative Study Of Selected Women's Studies Programs In The Upper Mid-West., Sandra Jo Parsons

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study is to gain a more complex understanding of women's studies programs in the selected sample in terms of: the activities of the Director; selected departmental and program information; instructor information; program evaluation methods; and the major strengths and concerns as perceived by each of the responding programs.In addition to the review of the related literature, two methods were used in the compilation and analysis of the data used in this study--collecting information from the selected universities and colleges with a questionnaire designed by the researcher; plus statistical analysis of the data to allow the …

Two Dimensional Electronic Transport In Bismuth Tellurium Sulfide In The Weak And Strong Localization Regimes., Mark S. Griffin

Theses and Dissertations

A review of the theoretical framework necessary for the description and calculation of electronic transport characteristics in two dimensional Bismuth Tellurium Sulfide (BTS) is given. The processes for preparing and cooling one quintuple layer BTS samples to temperatures of approximately one Kelvin are described.BTS samples with a conductance greater then e$\sp2$/h are shown to demonstrate weak antilocalization effects and magnetoconductance that are dependent upon the sample temperature and the applied electric field. BTS samples with a conductance much less than e$\sp2$/h are shown to demonstrate strong localization and variable range hopping (VRH) effects and magnetoconductance that are dependent upon the …

Report Of Developed Services In The El Pinalito Village Of The Chiquimula Municipality, Department Of Chiquimula, Fredy Samuel Coronado López

Theses and Dissertations

This paper reports on efforts to improve socioeconomic conditions and natural resource use in the El Pina lito community, department of Chiquimula, Guatemala. Students participating in supervised practical training at Centro Universitario de Oriente/Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (CUNORI) developed projects to address these issues. A general diagnostic instrument was created for this community to assist in the development of specific work projects. Students prepared community first-aid kits, agricultural activities with school children, and instructional sessions with farmers on how to prepare a family garden and efficiently manage domestic animals. Other activities included ornamental tree preparation for female participants …

Nursing And Health Care Among Mormon Women: An Analysis Of The Relief Society Magazine, 1914-1930, Sarah Walker Barney

Theses and Dissertations

This descriptive study examined the nursing and health care activities of Mormon women in the pre-depression period of 1914 through 1930 through analysis of the official voice of the Relief Society, the Relief Society Magazine. Entries from the Relief Society Magazine that dealt with any nursing or health care topic were coded according to the themes they addressed. Five themes emerged: Nursing, faith, healing, women's health, children's health, and public health.

In each of the themes, the Relief Society Magazine showed that the members of the Relief Society recognized the health care problems of their communities and claimed responsibility …

Pus, Pox, Propaganda And Progress: The Compulsory Smallpox Vaccination Controversy In Utah, 1899-1901, Eric L. Bluth

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the compulsory smallpox vaccination controversy in Utah, 1899-1901. It looks at the two smallpox epidemics during 1899-1901 and follows the boards of health attempts to eradicate smallpox primarily by compelling the vaccination of school children.

Dr. Theodore B. Beatty, secretary of the State Board of Health, championed the effort to vaccinate all Utahns; however, the opposition led by Charles W. Penrose, editor of the Deseret Evening News, produced anti-compulsion and vaccination information which influenced Utahns to generally oppose vaccination. Consequently, the legislature passed an anti-compulsory vaccination statute over the governor's veto to annul the courts decision …

Measuring Press Release Placement From Brigham Young University's Public Communications Office To Utah's Newspapers, Gregory T. Kunde

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a replication of a study conducted at Oklahoma State University in 1986. This study measures the percentage of Brigham Young University press releases published in Utah newspapers during a four month period in 1989. The results of the two studies are analyzed and compared.

Additionally, personal interviews were conducted with thirty Utah newspaper editors to help determine any additional factors that may affect publishing decisions among Utah's newspaper editors.

An Analysis Of Computer User Interface Model And User Performance In Manufacturing, Zheng Liu

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Development Of Congruent Feedback Skills And Use Of Cues In A Novice Dance Teacher, Mary S. Pettit

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Survey Of Members Of The Society For Psychophysiological Research Regarding The Polygraph : Opinions And Implications, Susan L. Amato-Henderson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Spheres Of Community Leadership Development : An Evaluation Of The Dakota Leaders Program, Kimberly A. Soderberg

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Childless Couples On The American Stage, Kathleen Coudle King

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Staff Development Needs Of Public School Speech-Language Pathologists In North Dakota, Susan Backes

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Estimation Of A Water Budget For Agnes Marsh, Grand Forks County, North Dakota, Allen E. Comeskey

Theses and Dissertations

Agnes Marsh is a semipermanent wetland in the Red River Valley of northeastern North Dakota. The marsh overlies and is in direct hydraulic connection with the unconfined Elk Valley aquifer. Recent irrigation development nearby raised concerns about the hydrological impact to the marsh by a declining water table in the aquifer. The purpose of this study was to determine how Agnes Marsh interacts with the underlying Elk Valley aquifer and how sensitive the marsh is to declining water levels in the aquifer.

Three methods were used to assess how the marsh interacts with the aquifer. First, stratigraphic analysis revealed the …

Petrography And Inorganic Geochemistry Of The Rosebud Coal Seam At The Absaloka, Big Sky And Rosebud Mines, Powder River Basin, Montana, Lingbu Kong

Theses and Dissertations

Quantitative maceral and microlithotype analyses, huminite reflectance measurements and inorganic constituent analyses of the samples of the Rosebud subbituminous coal seam from the Absaloka, Big Sky and Rosebud Mines were used in the interpretation of the depositional environment of the seam and for prediction of ash formation during combustion. The mean huminite reflectance varies from 0.31% at the Rosebud Mine to 0.34% at the Absaloka Mine and 0.39% at the Big Sky Mine, indicating that the coal rank is transitional from lignite to subbituminous C. Despite the variation in huminite reflectance, samples from the three mines are similar in mean …

The Importance Of Manufacturing In The Economic Development Of Grand Forks : A Case Study, Melford J. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.