The objective of this project is to determine whether utilizing an EM Algorithm to fit a Gaussian mixed model distribution model provides needed accuracy in identifying the number of defective parts per million when the overall population is made up of multiple independent runs or lots. The other option is approximating using standard software tools and common known techniques available to a process, industrial or quality engineer. These tools and techniques provide methods utilizing familiar distributions and statistical process control methods widely understood. This paper compares these common methods with an EM Algorithm programmed in R using a dataset of actual measurements for length of manufactured product. / text

The amount of interest in asteroids, particularly near-Earth asteroids, has been slowly increasing the last few years. Early on, it was the fear of the potential hazards of an asteroid impact (which still remains); now, science and exploration are driving the motivation for detecting asteroids. By incorporating a process that attempts to remove stars from images, known as difference image analysis, into the shift and stack method for finding moving objects, an algorithm that searches for asteroids in series of images was created. When tested on previously discovered asteroids, the algorithm was able to detect 73% (104 out of 142) of the asteroids, with a false positive occurring in roughly one in six runs. Two of the test asteroids found by the algorithm were not found using a different shift and stack technique. Almost all of the asteroids that the algorithm could not detect were either slow moving, faint or both. The detection capability of the algorithm can easily be improved to be more successful at detecting slow and/or faint asteroids. This can be achieved by using a better method for masking the star residuals or by increasing the time between successive images when searching for asteroids with velocities of 2.4

The night shift environment in an inpatient hospice facility is unique in care and relegates challenging situations for the nursing staff. Using the Parse methodology, the purpose of this project was to explore the challenges faced by inpatient hospice facility night shift nursing staff in providing a continuum of care for dying patients and their families. Nine night shift hospice nurses participated in 45-60 minute interviews. The interviews were conducted in a hospice quiet room or a designated place of comfort for the participant, which allowed for dialogical engagement. The interviews were unstructured with open-ended questions about lived experiences. The interpretive phenomenological approach was used to understand positive outcomes and management involvement and developing positive morale. Descriptive coding was used to collect and analyze data. According to study findings, hospice night shift nursing staff were exposed to the stressors of dying patients, their families, a dissatisfied work environment, and their personal life. The core concepts addressed by the participants were feeling isolated and disrespected, staff development, and using coping strategies. Strong relationships through coping mechanisms were developed on the night shift, but the unmet issues of the staff were poorly regarded. The study perpetuates the need for further research in understanding the experiences of hospice night shift nursing staff and the changes needed to eliminate imminent night shift turnover.

This thesis is concerned with the measurement and interpretation of isotope shifts. The first part describes an experimental determination of isotope shifts in the 4s^{2 1}S<subo</sub> - 4s5s¹ S_o transition of neutral calcium. This measurement was performed using the method of Doppler-free two-photon absorption spectroscopy in an atomic beam of the natural mixture of calcium isotopes. The laser was stabilized and scanned by means of an external, pressure-swept etalon, and its scan was calibrated by recording the transmission fringes of the laser through a confocal etalon, 2m in length. This calibration etalon was stabilized with reference to an I₂-stabilized Helium- Neon laser. The isotope shifts of all the stable isotopes of calcium were measured; the results are believed to be free from systematic error and so the standard deviations are derived from the scatter of the results. A Isotope Shift ^δv^A-44/MHz 40 -1169.99(28) 42 -563.66(7) 43 -263.67(6) 46 534.34(70) 48 1023.50(7) These results are compared with other accurate measurements of isotope shifts in calcium by laser spectroscopy, by means of the King plot. All the measurements are consistent except for the only odd isotope ⁴³Ca, which, in this transition, unlike those in the other experiments, is free from hyperfine structure. The best values of the isotope shifts are thus determined by a least squares procedure. The mass and field shifts are separated using the values of δ<r²> determined from muonic isotope shifts, and this leads to more accurate values of δ<r²>. The second part of the thesis concerns the interpretation of anomalous isotope shifts in samarium. Pairs of spectral lines had been found for which the shifts of even-even isotopes did not lie on a straight line on a King plot. These deviations are interpreted as evidence for the insufficiency of first-order perturbation theory for the treatment of isotope shifts in a number of levels of the samarium spectrum. By comparing shifts in transitions connecting these levels with shifts in transitions connecting levels for which first-order perturbation theory appears to be a good approximation, values of off-diagonal matrix elements are found. These are not required to be unreasonably large to explain the observed deviations.

This thesis presents the results of a spectroscopic survey of the RCS2319+00 supercluster field using the VIMOS instrument on the 8-meter Very Large Telescope. This system is a rare and massive high-redshift structure, comprising at least three galaxy clusters at z = 0.9, separated by less than 3 Mpc, and is one of the few examples of the progenitors of present-day massive galaxy clusters. / We measure 638 new redshifts from a sample of 1134 target sources, 49 of which are consistent with the supercluster redshift. Redshifts are also obtained for 24 radio galaxies within the field, with 6 of these identified as cluster members. We combine the VIMOS redshift catalogue with the data analyzed by Gilbank et al. (2008) from the IMACS spectrograph on the 6-meter Magellan telescope for a total of 1051 redshifts over an area of &sim; 30 x 30 square arcminutes, with 94 spectroscopically confirmed supercluster members. From this combined data set the mean spectroscopic redshifts of the three galaxy clusters were refined and found to be zspec = 0.9056, 0.9041, and 0.9047 for clusters A, B, and C respectively. A new velocity dispersion of sigmav = (1300 +/- 410) km S-1 was calculated for the largest component cluster, A, and was used to estimate a new cluster membership redshift range of 0.8857 &le; z &le; 0.9239. / These data will facilitate further scientific study of RCS2319+00 and will shed light on the evolution of massive clusters, hierarchical structure formation, and galaxy evolution. In combination with other spectroscopy this data will allow: the full extent of the supercluster and its substructure in redshift space to be traced; a determination of the dynamical masses of the individual sub-clusters; and a study of the galaxy population within the structure, in particular the star-forming galaxies and active galactic nuclei as traced by radio and infrared emission.

No description available.

No description available.

Shift work is a major feature of modern work practices. It involves individuals working at times considered unconventional for most workers, such as at night. Although the community often benefits from such work practices, shift work can be hazardous, for both the workers and the community. The thesis reviews the main problems of shift work, especially when involving night work. These are: an increased risk for accidents and errors; increased sleepiness and fatigue due to difficulties sleeping; increased health problems; and disruption to family and social life. Strategies to limit the risk associated with these hazards are also reviewed, and include using knowledge of circadian principles to plan shift schedules, sleeping schedules and meal times; planned napping; consideration of the work environment; and newer techniques such as using bright lights and melatonin. While this information is known to the research community, it has not filtered down to many shift work workplaces and thus has had little if any positive effect on actual shift work practices. For a change in shift work practices to occur, the research knowledge must become available to every shift work workplace, as must some incentive or motivation to ensure that workplaces make the necessary changes. The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) laws provide such a framework. Considering shift work as an OHS hazard would ensure that all shift work workplaces identified the hazards of shift work, conducted a risk assessment to identify the risk associated with the hazards, and then implemented the appropriate strategies, from the hierarchy of shift work hazard control measures, for both employers and employees, to fulfil their duty of care to minimise the risks. Considering shift work as an OHS issue would ensure that the research information was used as intended – to improve the safety, performance, and quality of life of all shift workers. The present thesis reviews the shift work research and introduces an OHS perspective as a method to manage shift work effectively.

Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--School of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, 2004. / Bibliography: p. 123-129.