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Modeling The Determinants Of Hospital Mortality, Abdolmohsin S. Al-Haider

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined hospital characteristics that affected the differential in hospital mortality, while controlling for the effect of community attributes. Analytical models for the determinants of hospital mortality were formulated and validated through an empirical examination of 243 hospitals that had higher or lower mortality rates than expected for Medicare beneficiaries. The dependent variable for this study was death rates for 1984 Medicare patients in united states hospitals released in 1986 by the Health Care Financing Administration.

Structural equation models that portray the causal relation between organizational constructs and hospital mortality rate were formulated. This causal model was empirically validated. …

Marco Polo, John Gunther Hoppenthaler

Theses and Dissertations

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Regression Based Allowance Policy Determination Procedures In A General Job Shop: An Evaluation In Terms Of Completion Inaccuracy Penalties, Edward S. Gee

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation addresses the problem of setting due dates to minimize completion inaccuracy penalties in a general job shop environment. In this simulation study, lateness penalties are generated by four defined functions: lateness variance, mean squared lateness, mean absolute lateness, and semi-quadratic lateness. Each of these functions assigns positive penalties to both early and late job completions.

The study proposes and demonstrates the benefits of an iterative simulation-regression procedure in determining allowance policies. Advantages of operation-based dispatching rules over job-based dispatching rules, as well as improvements to traditional methods of setting operation due dates, are demonstrated. Characteristics and benefits of …

Henry Cheever Pratt: Boston Portrait Studio To Nineteenth Century American Frontier, Patricia B. Revere

Theses and Dissertations

American artist Henry Cheever Pratt (1803-1880) was a member of the 1851 Mexican Boundary Commission, an expedition charged with surveying and recording the boundary between the United States and Mexico. This thesis examines the art work Pratt produced for the Commission, and addresses the issue of the omission of most of his work from the Personal Narrative of Explorations and Incidents in Texas, New Mexico, Sonora, and Chihuahua 1850-1853, the official published record of the trip.

Sociometric Categorization Of Children: An Empirically Based Method, Robert S. Falk

Theses and Dissertations

The use of sociometric assessment as a method for investigating the social competence of children and the prediction of future adjustment difficulties was reviewed. Recent methods used to form up to five sociometric groups (Popular, Average, Rejected, Neglected, and Controversial) were surveyed.

Various combinations of raw scores, standard deviation units, standardized scores, and binomial probability scores have been used in classification procedures. lnclusion/exclusion criteria, or cutoff scores, have been based on arbitrary statistical decisions regarding the ”extremeness" of children’s statements (positive and negative nominations) regarding their peers. These aspects of sociometric categorization result in limitations on the validity and generalizability …

Observations On Nurturing In Selected Short Stories Of Ernest Hemingway, Jeanne L. Klemetsrud

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Treatment Of Synfuels Wastewater By Biological, Coupled Fluidized Bed Reactors, Michael J. Koehmstedt

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Stratigraphy And Depositional History Of The Deadwood Formation (Upper Cambrian And Lower Ordovician), Williston Basin, North Dakota, Douglas B. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

Based on gamma-ray characteristics, the Deadwood Formation is divided into six informal, attribute-defined units, members A through F. Members A and Bare Late Cambrian in age; members C through Fare Early Ordovician in age. The type section of the Deadwood, in the northern Black Hills, is dominated by Upper Cambrian strata. Much thicker Lower Ordovician rocks occur in the deeper portion of the Williston Basin.

The Deadwood comprises the Sauk sequence and represents the initial Paleozoic transgression or the seas on the North American craton. Eight smaller-scale transgressive-regressive events occurred on the craton during the Late Cambrian and the Early …

Thermal History Model Of The Williston Basin, Yue-Chain Huang

Theses and Dissertations

The factors that affect the subsurface temperature of a sedimentary basin were investigated by empirical and analytical methods. A review of thermal-mechanical models suggests that the Williston Basin was formed by more than one mechanism. The Williston Basin may have been initiated by a thermal event followed by thermo-flexural or phase transition subsidence.

The heat that initiated the formation of the Basin was significant to the thermal history of the Basin at its very beginning stage. However, most of the anomalous heat would have dissipated before the deposition of Bakken Formation 363 Ma ago. The heat flow history of the …

Deposition And Diagenesis Of A Portion Of The Frobisher-Alida Interval (Mississippian Madison Group), Wiley Field, North Dakota, Mark R. Luther

Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on the Frobisher-Alida interval, in particular, the Glenburn bed or the Mississippian Mission canyon Formation. Wireline logs and cores from closely spaced wells in, and adjacent to, the Wiley Field, Williston Basin, North Dakota were examined. Information derived from the wireline logs was used to construct several maps which show that there was little or no topographic relief or slope in the study area during deposition or the Glenburn bed. In addition, the maps show that structural derormation occurred subsequent to deposition or the Frobisher-Alida interval.

Six distinct lithoracies were recognized in cores or the Glenburn bed …

Characterization And Utilization Of High- And Low-Sodium Lignite Of The Beulah-Zap Bed (Paleocene), Indian Head Mine, Southwestern North Dakota, Gale G. Mayer

Theses and Dissertations

A study of high- and low-sodium lignite of the Beulah-Zap bed sampled at the Indian Head Mine, Pit 11 and 12, respectively, in Mercer County, North Dakota and fly ash derived from utilization tests on the lignite, indicates the fly-ash composition and related utilization potential can be correlated to coal geochemistry.

Average lithotype abundances for each of the sampling sites were estimated to be vitrain 50%, attritus 45%, and fusain 5%. Attritus occurs more frequently in the upper part and vitrain in the middle and lower parts of the seam. Maceral groups, identified microscopically, were (in order of decreasing abundance): …

Major And Trace Element Characterization And Correlation Of The Sentinel Butte Ash/Bentonite (Paleocene), Mckenzie County, North Dakota, Richard A. Larsen

Theses and Dissertations

The Sentinel Butte ash/bentonite has been used for stratigraphic correlation in and around the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park in western North Dakota primarily by tracing it along the escarpments of the Little Missouri River. The purpose of this study was to determine the geochemical fingerprint for the Sentinel Butte ash/bentonite, and use this fingerprint to assess the correlation value of this and other terrestrial bentonites. Mapping enlarged the known geographic distribution of this unit and provided an insight into its diagenetic history.

Samples from thirty randomly chosen sites and fifteen grab sites were used to evaluate the …

Sedimentology And Stratigraphy Of Glacial Lake Souris, North Dakota: Effects Of A Glacial-Lake Outburst, Mark L. Lord

Theses and Dissertations

Glacial-lake outbursts commonly occurred along the southern margin of the Laurentide Ice Sheet as ice-marginal lakes suddenly drained. These outbursts released huge volumes of water with tremendous erosive potential, forming large trench-shape channels. Although glacial-lake spillways have been studied in detail, the effects of outbursts on downstream lakes have not. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the effects of the Glacial Lake Regina outburst on the lake that received the flows, Glacial Lake Souris.

Glacial Lake Souris, located in what is now North Dakota, was inundated by about 74 km3 of water carrying 25 km3 of sediment from …

One Child's Style : Parallels In Writing And Drawing, Patricia Peech

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Content Analysis Of Attitudes Held By Selected Southeast Asian Newspapers Toward President Ronald Reagan's Trip To China, Man-Tsun Jimmy Chang

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Buffering Effect Of Social Support On Economic Hardship Among North Dakota Farm Operators, Kevin Allen Kettner

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Narrative Point Of View In Selected Hemingway Short Stories, Julee A. Hauff

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Federal Narcotic Violators And The Dispositions Received Through The Courts With An Emphasis On Cocaine Offenders, Phyllis Rena Baker

Theses and Dissertations

The United states has been plagued with the problem of illicit drug use for many years. Drug abuse has continued to increase and is prevalent among all races and social classes of people. The question is what efforts have been or are being made in order to deter the influx of drugs into the country along with stopping the suppliers of these drugs and what has hindered the effectiveness of these efforts.

The theory of deterrence was applied to this problem because the model presumes that the punishment of criminal acts could deter potential offenders by making the negative consequences …

Pressure-Solution Features Of The Birdbear Formation (Devonian), Williston Basin, North Dakota, James C. Collier

Theses and Dissertations

Pressure-solution features of the Birdbear Formation (Devonian), Williston Basin, North Dakota were the subject of this study. In the area studied, the Birdbear Formation is primarily a limestone with mud-rich textures. The investigation contained three principal phases: 1) a study of the parameters influencing the size and shape of the pressure-solution response, 2) the process of reactate dolomite formation and its relation to calcite neomorphism, and 3) the relation of neomorphism to pressure solution.

The principal pressure-solution response types are stylolites and solution seams. Stylolites are pressure-solution seams with a tooth-and-socket, serrated shape. Pressure-solution seams are gently undulating to smooth …

Hydrogeology Of The Hillsboro Landfill, Hillsboro, North Dakota, Jeffrey D. Maletzke

Theses and Dissertations

Landfills are the primary means for land disposal of solid wastes, and as such, they represent potential sources of groundwater contamination. This potential for contamination is exemplified by the Hillsboro landfill, which was emplaced above the Hillsboro aquifer, within permeable surface materials, and under shallow water-table conditions. Burial of refuse in trenches 15-feet (4.57 m) deep ensure that at least portions of the refuse are below the water table, which varied from 5.4 to 13.2 feet (1.7 to 4.0 m) below the surface. Concern over these factors led to the present study.

Subsurface conditions were investigated by electrical, earth-resistivity surveying. …

Macropaleontology Of The Gunn Member, Stony Mountain Formation (Upper Ordovician), Manitoba And North Dakota, Frederick K. Lobdell

Theses and Dissertations

The Gunn Member of the Stony Mountain Formation has long been known to contain an abundant and diverse fauna. This study was undertaken to identify and describe the macrofauna of the Gunn Member in the subsurface of North Dakota, previously neglected.

As a necessary first step, collections of fossils from outcrop were examined and identified. With the outcrop fauna serving as a reference collection, twenty cores from the North Dakota subsurface were examined, described, and their fossils sampled. Fossil and sediment samples were washed and sieved and the residues were picked for microscopic representatives of phyla usually considered to be …

Discover Uptown: Using The Built Environment To Interpret Local History, Linda C. Bohannon

Theses and Dissertations

The downtown commercial district of Columbus, Georgia, becomes an outdoor classroom in this project which uses the built environment to interpret local history. Developed for use by the Columbus Museum Uptown as а guide for a walking tour by eighth-grade students, the project surveyed selected blocks of buildings in downtown Columbus. The structures were examined for their architectural, historical and aesthetic significance. The information was organized into "tour stops" in which students participating can see the unique features of downtown Columbus as it is today and visualize what it might have looked like over the past century. The project was …

An Analysis Of Adolescent Literature In Terms Of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross's Stages Of Dealing With Death, Margaret Ann Cole

Theses and Dissertations

This study is an analysis of twenty young adult novels which contain the theme of death. The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent the characters experienced the five stages of the grieving process. Twenty novels were selected because they contained death as a central theme. The characters in these books were rated according to the extent to which each experienced through feelings or behavioral responses the stages in the process of dealing with death as outlined by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross in her book On Death and Dying. It was determined whether the characters did experience each stage …

Severity Of Articulation Disorders, Bobbie Greyer Richardson

Theses and Dissertations

Records, of thirty male and thirty female students, were surveyed to compare duration of time enrolled in articulatory therapy to the severity of the problem. The records were checked for severity rating, sex, race, age, and duration of time in program. Only students between the ages of five and seven years of age were included in this study. Students had to be enrolled for articulation only, no other exceptionality or abnormality, and on grade level equivalent to age. The Frisbie Educational Statistics Computer Program was used to compute means, standard deviations, and t test in computing the results, nonе of …

Dissent From Bourbon On-Party Rule: The 1878 Georgia Fourth District Congressional Election, Ellen H. Reames

Theses and Dissertations

The 1878 Georgia Fourth District Congressional Election demonstrated the persistence of the Bourbon Democrat movement. The campaign and election exemplified the techniques used by Bourbons to gain and maintain their influence. In this paper, three methods were focal points: the one-party system, the Democratic Party nominating conventions and the influence of an active press. Significant local issues included in this election were the importance of the rural voters, and the influence of the Democratic Party on Fourth District matters.

Important characters included the incumbent, Henry Harris, and the challenger, Henry Persons. Two leading Columbusites, William H. Young and John King, …

The Difference Between The Writing Achievement Of Below-Average Ninth-Grade Students And Above-Average Ninth-Grade Students As Revealed On Literature Tests Stressing Analysis Of Character, Alton Pitts

Theses and Dissertations

This study attempted to discover if there was any difference between the writing achievement of below-average ninth-grade students and above-average ninth-grade students as revealed on literature tests stressing analysis of character. Fifty individuals were randomly selected from a population of over three hundred students. Using the Analyzing Characters in Literature (ACL) exam, differences were drawn between the groups in the following areas: substantiation, form, content, and subjective reasoning. The independent samples were evaluated descriptively to determine whether a difference existed between ability groups. While the majority of the Individuals In both high and low ability groups were able to properly …

The Relationship Between The Initial Screening Instrument And The California Achievement Test In Kindergarten, Alana F. Losonsky

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between the scores of kindergarten children on the Initial Screening Instrument (ISI) and the California Achievement Test (CAT). The subjects were 100 students who did not receive a passing score of seven on the ISI and 100 students who did receive seven or above in an urban public school system. The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient was used to compute the correlation coefficients. A significant relationship was found in Sound Recognition, Mathematical Concepts and the Composite Score. Sex and racial differences were also significant for children receiving scores …

Eighth-Grade Pre-Algebra: Rationale And Suggested Course Of Study, Carolyn C. Holland

Theses and Dissertations

The most recent curriculum guide for junior-high mathematics published by the Muscogee County School District and distributed in February, 1988, identifies five mathematics courses that may be offered in the Junior high schools throughout the system. For seventh graders, there are courses in remedial mathematics, regular mathematics, and pre-Algebra. For eighth graders, the guide lists two courses: remedial and regular. Algebra I 1s also offered at the Junior-high level for a select group of eighth-graders who score at or above the 85th percentile on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and who achieve a minimum score of 37 on the …

A Handbook For Parents Of Children With Problem Behaviors Based On A Descriptive Study Of Treatment Strategies, Kay Dowis

Theses and Dissertations

Parents of children with problem behaviors in special education classes are not often knowledgeable concerning treatment strategies used with their children. Eight treatment strategies commonly used with children with problem behaviors attending behavior disorders classes are described in this study for the purpose of developing a handbook for parents of children with problem behaviors. The eight strategies described are: contracts, peer teaching, token systems, modeling, cognitive modeling, assertive discipline, time out, and self-management. The resulting handbook describes these strategies', their rationales, advantages, disadvantages, implementations, and examples. These strategies are presented in chapter form. This handbook has been developed to explain …

Sex Differences In Reading Achievement In Elementary School Students, Dianne Davis

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a difference in reading achievement in male and female students in the elementary school. The subjects were 600 selected students from elementary schools operating in a public schoo1 system in the Southeast. The Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) scores For 1987 were collected for 600 third, fourth, and fifth grade students. This test was administered to all A elementary school students in the spring of the year by the regular classroom teacher. The children participated in the regular classroom curriculum and no treatment was administered to the subjects …