Deployment of mobile nodes in a region of interest is a critical issue in building a mobile sensor network because it affects cost and detection capabilities of the system. The deployment of mobile sensors in essence is the movement of sensors from an initial position to a final optimal location. Considerable attention has recently been given to this deployment issue. Many of the distributed deployment schemes use the potential field method. In most cases, the negative gradient of the potential function becomes the feedback control input to a node. This assumes that the potential function is differentiable over the entire region. This assumption is valid primarily when the topology of the network is fixed. In this research, we analyze the stability of a network that uses piecewise smooth potential functions. A gravitation-like force is proposed to deploy a group of agents and to form a certain configuration. We use a nonsmooth version of the Lyapunov stability theory and LaSalle’s invariance principle to show asymptotic stability of the network which is governed by discontinuous dynamics. We propose a hierarchical structure using potential fields for mobile sensor network deployment. A group of mobile nodes first form a cluster using a potential field method and then cluster heads are used to establish a hexagonal structure that employs a higher level potential field. We consider specifically the problem of deploying a mobile sensor network so that a certain area coverage is realized and maintained. And we propose an algorithm for main taining the desired coverage that assumes the availability of a stochastic sensor model. The model reflects the decline of the sensor accuracy as the distance increases from the sensor. It is further assumed that each node’s sensor has a different sensing range to represent sensor performance deterioration due to power decay. The network deployment scheme combines artificial forces with individual sensor ranges. The validity and the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm are compared to the conventional methods in simulations. Simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms with respect to a defined performance metric.

This study used a qualitative approach to explore the experiences of six veterans, who were employed by the military and who were fathers at the time of their military employment. Semi-structured interviews with participants were used as the primary method of data collection. The researcher asked participants, “What do I need to know to understand what it is like to be a father in the military?” Additional probing questions were used to clarify and expand on the participants’ experiences of bonding emotionally with their children as a father in the military, as well the participants’ experiences of separating from their family and subsequently reuniting following military deployments and occupational travel. Using thematic analysis, the researcher constructed the following themes: (1) “You miss out” (2) “You feel like and outsider” (3) “You try to disconnect from family to deal with work” and (4) “The military comes first.” The current research adds to our understanding of the subjective experience of fatherhood in the military. The themes extracted will be helpful in delineating valuable counselling strategies for fathers in the military, as well as developing military policies and practice that support these fathers in their contribution to the healthy development of their children. / Graduate

There is currently worldwide interesti n the implementationa nd effectivenesso f the quality management movement in financial service organisations. Especially the effect Total Quality Managemen(tT QM) hasu pon transforminga n industryw hich is in a stateo f considerables tructuralc hangea, nd in which the competitioni s intense. The first stageo f the researchin volves the assessmenot f the statuso f TQM in bankingo rganisationsin the UK and Brazilian financial servicess ector.A questionnaire was used to investigate the perception of branch managers concerning the implementation and majors issues of TQM within the financial services industry in the UK and Brazil. Structured interviews with senior managers in charge of planning and developing the quality initiatives in the organisations surveyed were performed to investigatet he strategiesa ndm odelso f the TQM implementation. The collection of datai n this studyw asc onductedin two parts: (1) In 1995 the fieldwork in the UK was carried out this involved a survey questionnaire with branch managerso f fifteen 11ighS treetf inancial serviceo rganisationsa nd a set of interviewsw ithin two of the organisations urveyed. (2) In 1996 the Brazilian fieldwork was carried out. This involved the survey questionnairew ith branch managerso f ten High Street financial serviceo rganisations and a set of interviewsw ithin seveno f thoseo rganisationss urveyed. The analysis of the data obtained enable the identification of the current approachesto the implementationo f TQM; the effects of TQM in the financial services sector in the UK and Brazil; and the current strategiesa pplied and conceptualm ethods used for implementing TQM in those organisations. The second stage of the research presents the development of a TQM implementation framework employing the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) methodology. This has been designed to assist in the selection and formulation of the most comprehensiveT QM implementationa pproachf or a banking organisationsin both countries. The framework was designed as a proposal document to be used by quality practitioners,t op managerso f organisationsa nd quality managemenrte searcherws ho are implementing TQM.

In this thesis, we propose an optimization model to assist the Region of Waterloo Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to meet the new provincial land ambulance response time standard. The new land standard requires multiple response time thresholds which are based on the acuity of the patient determined at the time the 911 call is made. The performance of an EMS system is affected by many factors, including the number of ambulances deployed, their locations, and the dispatching strategy that is employed. The number of ambulances available over the course of the day varies when ambulance crews start and end their shifts, and when ambulance crews are called out or return from a call. In order to maintain coverage, it is therefore desirable to locate ambulances in stations as a function of how many are available, and the geography and frequency of potential calls. This may result in relocation of ambulances whenever there is a change in the number of available vehicles. This research provides a compliance table indicating how many ambulances to locate at each station when the number of available ambulances is given. We explore two main objectives: 1) maximizing the expected coverage for all patients, and 2) maximizing the coverage for the most acutely ill patients. Constraints include the number of available ambulances, the response time requirements, and service level constraints for each acuity level. In this study, we conducted an empirical analysis of ambulance response times, travel times to a hospital, and time spend at the hospital. We used two years of EMS data from July 2006 to June 2008 for the Region of Waterloo (ROWEMS). Based on this study, we show that using the binomial distribution to represent the number of busy ambulances suggested by Gendreau et al. (2006) is only valid for low utilization rates. The problem of allocating available ambulances among candidate stations is formulated as a Mixed Integer Non-linear Problem (MINLP) model that includes the priority of calls and multiple daytime periods. Computational results using the ROWEMS data will be presented. A detailed comparison shows that the predictions obtained from our model are often as good as the Approximate Hypercube (AH) model, but with a simpler and quicker procedure. The model proposed in this thesis can also be used as a planning tool to find promising candidate locations for new ambulance stations.

Thesis (M.S.)--Missouri University of Science and Technology, 2008. / Vita. The entire thesis text is included in file. Title from title screen of thesis/dissertation PDF file (viewed January 15, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 51-52).

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The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of military deployment on children, and the roles that risk and protective factors and parenting stress play in emotional symptoms and behaviors exhibited by children while their parents are deployed. A sample of 143 parents (recruited from all branches of the military) who remained at home while their spouses were deployed completed online self-report questionnaires measuring demographic and background information, child internalizing and externalizing behavior, parenting stress, child adaptability, valuing behavior, family cohesion/environment, and parenting behaviors. The sample primarily consisted of mothers (n = 141) and Caucasian individuals (n = 126), which may limit the generalizability of the findings. Results of the study suggest risk factors including parenting stress, corporal punishment, length of time a parent is deployed, and type of deployment (combat vs. non-combat) were predictive of poorer child outcomes. Protective factors including values consistent behavior, child adaptability, and family cohesion were predictive of better childhood outcomes. Parenting stress served as a mediating variable between the relationship of total risk and child outcomes, while values consistent behavior served as a mediating variable between the relationship of protective factors experienced by children and child outcomes. Military deployments not only impact the service members, but also their families at home. Further study and identification of risk and protective factors faced by military children and families are imperative. Implications of findings are discussed as well as suggestions for future research concerning deployment and impact on military families (e.g. identification and empirical validation of programs to support military families.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in parentification in military families with a deployed parent and without a deployed parent. Previous research has highlighted increased rates of parentification in situations involving parental absence or unavailability, such as divorce, parental illness, parental alcoholism, and domestic violence. This construct was assessed using the Parentification Questionnaire - Youth, a 20 item self-report survey for children and adolescents. Participants consisted of 22 children, ages 7-17, from military families with a deployed parent and military families without a deployed parent. After removing two statistical outliers from the intact military families group, an independent samples t-test was conducted. It was found that there was a significant difference between military families with a deployed parent and military families without a deployed parent. Military families with a deployed parent had higher rates of parentification than military families without a deployed parent. Limitations include a small sample size due to time constraints, the possible presence of one or both parents during the questionnaire, and lack of control groups. Future research should include a larger sample size, increase the comparison to more family groups (i.e. civilian, divorced, separated by work), and assess possible positive or negative impacts of parentification on military children from families separated by deployment.

Adolescence is a period of vulnerability and profound change, during which the parental relationship remains integral to positive developmental outcomes. For adolescents in military families, parental deployment creates an additional stressor which may pose challenges to the relationship between parents and adolescents. This project was a preliminary qualitative study to develop a Theoretical model of how the parent-adolescent attachment relationship is affected by parental deployment over the deployment cycle. This researcher explored these adolescents' perception of their relationship with their parents through focus group interviews with military adolescents who have experienced parental deployment. An important explanatory and predictive factor in parent-child relationships and adjustment outcomes is Attachment Theory (Bowlby, 1969/1982). Attachment Theory provides a framework for understanding the process that occurs between parents and children that leads to positive or negative outcomes and the mechanisms that underlie relational ties. Theoretical thematic analysis was employed using an attachment framework to explore the relationship between the parents and adolescents over the course of deployment. / Master of Science

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