Distributed coding is a new paradigm for video transmission, based on the Wyner-Ziv theorem. In this thesis, a new Wyner-Ziv codec was proposed using non-binary Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) codes. Non-binary LDPC codes, developed for use in channel coding, have been extended for source coding to compress correlated non-binary sources, such as video. The approach is based on considering the correlation as a virtual q-ary symmetric channel and applying the syndrome concept. The system considered focused on the compression of a equiprobable memoryless non-binary source with side information at the decoder. Results obtained through simulations demonstrated that for rates 1/2 and 3/4, the non-binary compression scheme performed better than the equivalent binary compression scheme. The nonbinary scheme, when extended for distributed video coding, produced the original frame with negligible error. / "December 2006." / Thesis (M.S.)--Wichita State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

The composite scarf joint configuration was utilized to simulate scarf-patch-repaired composite panels. An adhesive bonded scarf (tapered) joint was selected due to less peeling and shear stress over the bondline than with a single-lap or butt joint. The rubber-toughened epoxy film adhesive used had been characterized using ASTM D5656 Standard test (single-lap) incorporated with 2-D plane strain finite element analysis to verify its elastic and plastic properties. In addition to physical test, the ultimate shear strength of the adhesive was predicted using the von Mises and Drucker-Prager plasticity models in conjunction with dynamic shear failure criterion in the commercial finite element software ABAQUS. The numerical analysis provided satisfactory results when compared with experimental data under the relative displacement versus ultimate load level. The revised 4-pinned method more accurately predicted relative displacement than did the 3-pinned method in ASTM D5656 Standard. For composite scarf joint analysis, the 3-D stress analysis with transversely isotropic material properties of composites gave better results than the 2-D plane strain analysis. Regarding the tensile strength of repaired laminates, the finite element dynamic analysis based on the adhesive failure incorporated with the 90-degree ply failure provided the best results, which matched the experimental ultimate loads and the surface strain distributions within the overlap. As expected, the edge effects and longitudinal strain variations across the width of the repaired specimens were only observed in 3-D models and were verified by experimental data. Moreover, the 3-D static and dynamic simulations revealed the relations between laminate strength and the edge effects caused by different stacking sequences. Based on the similar geometry, it was also demostrated in this study that the balanced and symmetric stacking sequence about mid-plane of the repaired composite panel exhibits higher tensile strength. / "December 2006." / Thesis (M.S.)-- Wichita State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering

Source coding and channel coding are two important parts of a communications system. Source coding deals with the compression of source data, while channel coding adds some redundancy to circumvent the channel errors. Source coding and channel coding can be done either jointly or separately depending on the design issues like complexity of the system, rate, power, distortion tradeoffs. For optimal performance, all the parameters should be carefully chosen and optimized. This thesis looks at the scenarios of multi-terminal communications model where source and channel separation will not degrade the performance of the system in terms of rate power and distortion tradeoffs. Specifically, we investigate the transmission of data from correlated sources over an orthogonal multiple access channel under a total power constraint. It is observed that source-channel separation in this particular scenario is possible without any loss in the performance of the system. For the correlated sources case of the multiterminal communications, we provide an alternate approach for achieving source-channel separation. / "December 2006."

Today transit buses are an integral part of the national transportation system. According to National Transportation Statistics from 1990 to 2002, the number of transit motor buses in the U.S. has increased 30 percent. Although buses are one of the safest means of transportation, occupant injuries and fatalities in bus crashes do occur. Rollover strength has become an important issue for bus and coach manufacturers. Today European regulation “ECE-R66” is in force to prevent catastrophic rollover accidents. The Standard Bus Procurement Guidelines (SBPG) of the American Public Transit Association (APTA) also mentions the roof crush test for the assessment of bus superstructure and roof. This thesis discusses the development of a finite element (FE) model of a bus, and the analysis of its roof crush and rollover in LS-DYNA. The FE model was validated for the roof crush test carried according to the standard bus procurement guidelines (SBPG). ADAMS-View software was used to simulate the rollover of the bus. Bus accelerations, velocities, and its angle with the ground just before impact were measured in ADAMS and then used as input for the LSDYNA analysis. According to the ECE-R66 regulation, a passenger’s survival space is defined in the bus model to check whether there is any intrusion into the survival space during or after the rollover. This ensures that the bus structure has sufficient strength to avoid intrusions into the survival space. The effect of passengers’ weight on energy absorbed by the bus structures during rollover is also discussed. Development of the MADYMO bus model and its rollover simulations were also included in this research. Dummy kinematics and injuries sustained during rollover for various seated and standing positions were studied as well. / "December 2006." / Thesis (M.S.)--Wichita State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.

This research attempts to develop and to study the effects of the change in the same type of belt models on the injury criteria. To study the effects, total of six MADYMO models with three different belt models are generated. The models consist of MADYMO generated belt segments, finite element belt, and finite element belt without belt joining buckle. These models are studied on the basis of the Federal Aviation Regulations FAR Part 25.562 general and emergency landing conditions. The Hybrid III 50th percentile FAA dummy is used for the study as it is more compatible than Hybrid III 50th percentile dummy for the aviation purpose. To create the belts, various types of software and approaches are used and their results then are compared with the mechanical test or standards written by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This research attempts to find out how the belt models affects the injury level of an occupant during frontal crash impact in aviation accident. To support the results in validation process, the data of four actual crash lab testing carried out at National Institute for Aviation Research is used. The validations are carried out on the basis of the statistical test and comparison of the dummy kinematics of the actual mechanical tests and simulation. The methods of correlation coefficient and peak value measurement of the acceleration, forces and moments experienced by the occupant are used to validate the models. The injury levels obtained by the simulation models are also compared with the critical values regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). / Thesis (M.S.)--Wichita State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering / "December 2006."

The gender wage gap still exists, with women earning about 73% of what men earn. One factor that has been recently looked at as contributing to this earnings gap is household labor. Women are still completing the majority of household labor despite cultural trends otherwise. Traditionally, there have been three schools of thought in income determination. The Individual model argues that individuals make investments in human capital through education and experience which increases their productivity, and therefore their attractiveness to potential employers. Employers pay higher premiums for more valuable employees. The Structural model argues that there is a hierarchy of positions in the economic structure, each with a preset range of income. An individual's position in the hierarchy determines their income. Researchers from a Gender model of income determination argue that discrimination, harassment, and the unequal treatment of women workers force women into lower paying jobs. This study combines the three models of income determination into the alternative model of income determination, with household labor as a component of the Gender model. The 2004 American Time Use Survey (ATUS) was used to test hypotheses of income determination. The full alternative model explained 56% of the variance in income (adjusted R squared .562). Multiple regression results showed that household labor was not a major factor in the variation between men and women’s income, going against the bulk of the previous literature. Implications for findings were discussed. / Thesis (M.A.)--Wichita State University, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Sociology. / "December 2006."

This thesis presents a study on the effect of controllable process parameters in riveting (i.e., such as the sequence of riveting, distance between rivets (pitch) and gap between sheets) on the quality of riveted lap joint and formed rivet. The quality of a riveted lap joint is characterized by sheet metal bulging, sheet material growth, residual stress level on sheets and rivets, and post riveting clearance in the joint. The quality of a formed rivet is often determined by the geometry of its head formation. This study is to determine the best riveting sequence for riveted lap joint in sheet metal assembly with 1/8" nominal diameter of flat head tinner rivet on 0.064" thick aluminum sheet. The study is performed using finite element simulation of riveting process. Statistical design of experiment is employed to analyze the simulation data of riveting process along with the effect of individual factors, their interactions and relationship with the quality parameters of riveted lap joint in sheet metal assembly. A good combination of riveting process parameters is found that minimizes the residual stress in sheets and rivets, bulging and material growth in sheets and reduces the chance of post riveting clearance in riveted lap joint. / Thesis (M.S.)--Wichita State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Historically left-handed people have had to cope with disparaging nicknames, sayings and misunderstanding about being left-handed. The age of hand dominance has been debated for decades with the consensus maintaining that at about 5 years old children begin to have stability in hand preference. In conjunction with hand dominance, the degree of dominance plays a significant role in the level of functioning. The impact of psychological well being during childhood is far reaching and could be life-long. Therefore, this study raised three hypotheses that could impact the future contact with students in regard to their hand preferences. Left-handed children would have significantly lower self-concept scores than right-handed children. Left-handed children would have higher anxiety levels. Left-handed children would use more external locus of control. Participants included 132 students from grades 4 through 6 from two Catholic Schools in the Wichita Diocese and one public elementary school in Reno County, Kansas. Of the 132 students 121 identified themselves as right-handed and 11 identified themselves as right-handed. To measure self-concept the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale was used. The Penn State Worry Questionnaire was used to measure anxiety. To measure locus of control the I-E Scale was used. Statistical results showed no statistically significant difference between left-handed and right-handed students in terms of anxiety and locus of control. Statistics revealed a statistically significant that lefthanded students have a statistically significant higher self-concept. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--Wichita State University, College of Education, Dept. of Counseling, Educational, & School Psychology / "December 2006."

Is there good in garbage? This thesis assumes that while it might not always be economical, safe or immediately worthwhile to get to it, that there is good in garbage. People in the United States have been trying—sometimes without much notice, sometimes with plenty—for over one-hundred years to extract that good, using scientific means. Costs, bureaucracy, failures, safety, perceptions and politics have all been part of American’s attitudes towards resource recovery. This paper explores the history of the Waste to Energy movement in the United States from the Gilded Age until resource recovery was eclipsed by the popularity of recycling. It also looks at the unique trash situation in Wichita, Kansas, and the efforts of local inventor Bill Compton to build a pyrolysis pilot plant and to persuade the city to consider pyrolysis as a viable alternative to a new landfill. / Thesis (M.A.)--Wichita State University, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Dept. of History / "December 2006." / Includes bibliographic references (leaves 120-128)

An algorithm is developed and validated for automatic avoidance of restricted airspaces. This method is devised specifically for implementation with an advanced flight control system designed for general aviation application. The algorithm presented here implements two inputs to the aircraft; the bank angle, and the airspeed, while the control system always ensures coordinated maneuvers. Unlike collision avoidance systems, the current method is not designed to serve in an advisory role, but to assume complete control of the aircraft is necessary. It is demonstrated that in order to implement this technique, the aircraft must be assigned an immediate domain whose size would have to depend on the aircraft performance and flight conditions. The strategy is designed such that as the domain surrounding the aircraft approaches that of the restricted airspace, aircraft control would switch gradually away from the pilot and to the controller, which would initiate an evasive maneuver. The degree of relative control is made dependant on the level of the threat defined by the steepness of trajectory and the extent of the overlap between the aircraft domain and the restricted space. While the algorithm is formulated primarily for avoiding a single zone, its application to multiple zones is also explored. Application of the method on a light single-engine general aviation aircraft is demonstrated. Simulations are made using a six-degree of freedom model that includes the effects of wind. Results are presented for six cases involving single zones and one case involving of multiple zones. The aircraft is made to approach the restricted zones with various airspeeds and attitudes with and without crosswind. It is shown that the controller can effectively prevent the aircraft from penetrating the prohibited area, while leaving the pilot some level of control. Recommendations are made to refine the strategy by employing a more sophisticated switching strategy and by implementing a multi-variable optimization of the control inputs. / Thesis (M.S.)--Wichita State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering