Participation in Universal Prevention Programs

We analyze the decision to participate in community-based universal prevention programs through the framework of prospect theory, with family functionality, and related risk status, providing the reference point. We find that participation probability depends on the relative ratios of the weighting and valuation functions. Using data from the Strengthening Families Program and the Washington Healthy Youth Survey, we empirically test the implications of our model. We find that family functionality affects the participation decision in complex and, in some cases, non-linear ways. We discuss the implication of these findings for cost-effectiveness analysis, and suggest directions for further research.Prospect Theory, Treatment Outcomes, Risk Status

Propulsion Unit Optimization for Small UAS

Selection of a propulsion system for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) is a complex and iterative process. Attempts have been made to provide effective modelling of propulsion systems. However, due to the discrete nature of the design space, effective optimization tools have yet to be developed. We present an optimizer which presents designers with feasible propulsion systems based on given parameters. This optimizer also allows designers to view trend in the design space and more quickly determine an optimum solution

Development, Implementation, and Optimization of a Modern, Subsonic/Supersonic Panel Method

In the early stages of aircraft design, engineers consider many different design concepts, examining the trade-offs between different component arrangements and sizes, thrust and power requirements, etc. Because so many different designs are considered, it is best in the early stages of design to use simulation tools that are fast; accuracy is secondary. A common simulation tool for early design and analysis is the panel method. Panel methods were first developed in the 1950s and 1960s with the advent of modern computers. Despite being reasonably accurate and very fast, their development was abandoned in the late 1980s in favor of more complex and accurate simulation methods. The panel methods developed in the 1980s are still in use by aircraft designers today because of their accuracy and speed. However, they are cumbersome to use and limited in applicability. The purpose of this work is to reexamine panel methods in a modern context. In particular, this work focuses on the application of panel methods to supersonic aircraft (a supersonic aircraft is one that flies faster than the speed of sound). Various aspects of the panel method, including the distributions of the unknown flow variables on the surface of the aircraft and efficiently solving for these unknowns, are discussed. Trade-offs between alternative formulations are examined and recommendations given. This work also serves to bring together, clarify, and condense much of the literature previously published regarding panel methods so as to assist future developers of panel methods

Out of Bounds: A Visual Exploration of the Glitch

This practice-led research aims to present a body of artwork that responds to glitches found in contemporary action video games. By utilising the visual capabilities of a virtual reality headset, I have produced a series of artworks that showcase the sensory effects that a glitch has on a player’s game world. The artwork that I have developed translates the materiality of traditional drawing into a digital space to visualise the qualities of glitches

Development of an Improved Low-Order Model for Propeller-Wing Interactions

For aircraft that have propellers mounted in front of the wings or tail, the prop wash produced by the propellers can have a strong influence on the aerodynamics of the aircraft. As the accelerated air from the propeller flows over the wings and tail, it can cause an alteration in the aerodynamic forces produced by those surfaces. Thus, an understanding of propeller-wing interactions is essential for the design and analysis of many aircraft. There are multiple existing methods for analyzing the propeller-wing interactions. High order methods, such as wind tunnel testing or computational fluid dynamics, provide very accurate results but come at a high cost in computation or labor. Low-order methods provide results with good accuracy at a significantly lower cost. Thus, it is desirable to use low-order methods for initial design and utilize higher order methods closer to the end of the design phase. Current low-order models for propeller-wing interactions give reasonable results, but have shortcomings in either computational cost or accuracy. In an effort to improve on these existing models, an improved low-order model for propeller-wing interactions is proposed. This improved model utilizes several aerodynamic models such as blade element theory and lifting line theory as well as a novel turbulent prop wash model. The final model is shown to provide more accurate results using efficient numerical methods

Detecting Selection Bias in Community Disseminations of Universal Family-Based Prevention Programs

The goals of the present study were to demonstrate a method for examining selection bias in large-scale implementations of community-based family skills programs, and to explore the nature of selection bias in one such implementation. We used evaluation data from a statewide dissemination of a popular substance abuse prevention program (N programs = 42; N youth = 294). The program’s evaluation measures were designed to match publicly available data on risk and protective factor scales collected in the state’s schools, which enabled us to construct a comparison sample of non-participants (N = 20,608). We then examined the risk status of adolescents in both groups to determine whether risk and protective factor scores were related to the probability of program participation. Participation was predicted by both demographics and risk and protective factor scores. Among families with younger adolescents, program attendance was associated with lower risk; among families with older adolescents, participation was associated with both higher risk (on parental management skills) and lower risk (on substance use). Selection effects must be identified and corrected for in order to calculate valid estimates of program benefits, but in community-based disseminations, the necessary supplemental comparison sample is difficult to obtain. The evaluation design and analytic approach described here can be used in program evaluations of real-world, “bottom-up” dissemination efforts to identify who attends a program, which in turn can help to inform recruitment strategies, to pinpoint possible selection influences on measured program outcomes, and to refine estimates of program costs and benefits.repeated auction; selectivity; prevention program; community-based implementation; program evaluation

Manuscripts, Illuminated: A Collection of Ekphrastic Poems

This thesis is a unique integration of creative writing and research of a specific literary tradition. As a student of art history and literature, and a creative writer, I am interested in fusing my interests by writing about art and studying the relationships between text and image. I have written a collection of ekphrastic poems, poems which are based on works of art. After reading extensively in this genre of poetry and researching its origins and evolution throughout literary history, I have come to a greater appreciation for those who write ekphrasis and what it can accomplish in the craft of writing. These poems and their introduction showcase the work I have completed both researching and writing in the genre

Rope or Elephant’s Tail: Different Frames of Culture

Using data from participants at a single organization, we employed a three-perspective metatheory to move toward a more comprehensive description of organizational culture and examined how differing theoretical perspectives yield convergent, complementary, or contrary findings. Survey data (n = 124) combined with the results from 19 structured interviews indicated that employees shared consensus around some cultural values, but also suggested the existence of subcultures and general ambiguity around other cultural elements. That is, from an integrative perspective, there was clarity surrounding one set of values; from a differentiation perspective, subcultures existed; and from a fragmentation perspective, there was evidence of ambiguity and conflict regarding the meaning of some cultural manifestations. This study contributes to the literature on organizational culture enacting calls to conceptualize and examine culture from multiple perspectives and discussing the consequences. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of employing multiple methods in diagnosing organizational culture

Electron diffraction studies of hot molecules. I. Observed and calculated thermal expansions of SF6, CF4, and SiF4

A new method is described for the rapid heating (10−5–10−6 s) of gas molecules for study by electron diffraction. Laser irradiation of the tip of a micronozzle makes it possible to determine structures, amplitudes of vibrations, and aspects of anharmonicity of molecules at temperatures much higher than those at which decomposition occurs in conventional oven nozzles. The vibrations and thermal expansions of SF6, CF4, and SiF4 have been investigated up to 1700, 1600, and 1200 K, respectively. Clear evidence for effects of anharmonicity was observed in amplitudes of vibration as well as mean bond lengths. Various models proposed for the treatment of increases in bond length have been assessed, among which an anharmonic Urey–Bradley field accounted well for results. Comparisons are made with the predictions of Heenan and Robiette based on spectroscopic analyses. The diffraction approach offers a promising method for augmenting spectroscopy in the investigation of intramolecular forces.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69996/2/JCPSA6-77-4-1866-1.pd

Electron diffraction studies of hot molecules. II. ‘‘Anharmonic shrinkage effects’’ in SF6, CF4, and SiF4

Least squares refinements of diffraction intensities for SF6, CF4, and SiF4 yielded nonbonded internuclear distances that lagged increasingly behind values expected from the bond lengths, the higher the temperature. The observation that observed nonbonded shrinkages greatly exceed calculated shrinkages cannot be attributed to a deficiency in the theoretical expressions customarily invoked. It is explained, instead, by anharmonic effects in bending modes that give the illusion of anomalous shrinkage where it does not, in fact, exist. These effects, which skew the nonbonded distribution functions and displace the true mean distances from the peak maxima, contain heretofore unexploited information about anharmonic potential constants.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/70624/2/JCPSA6-77-4-1874-1.pd